Oklahoma City Bombing - Essay Example

Oklahoma Bombing Oklahoma bombing, which took place on the morning of 19 April 1995 was one of the most horrifying and destructive home-grown terrorist attack in the US history. The destructive bomb blast took place near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in the downtown of the Oklahoma City and led to the loss of hundreds of lives and left many injured (The Federal Bureau of Investigation). Adding to the misfortune was the fact, that the building also had a day-car centre and many innocent lives of children were also lost who were left there by the parents on the dreadful morning. The magnitude of the blast can be estimated by the amount of explosives in the van which were approximately 4800 pounds of destructive chemicals and a number of 168 people lost their lives, while thousands of other people were injured or moaning over their losses (Sherrow 6). Out of the 168 souls lost, 19 of them were children (The Federal Bureau of Investigation). Oklahoma City bombing was the most intense and serious case of domestic terrorism and demanded thorough investigation and reporting regarding the reasons and factors which led to the upsetting incident. According to reports, the bombing was planned by an ex-Army soldier and security guard, Timothy McVeigh. On the morning of the bombing, he loaded his truck with explosives made from a combination of hazardous and destructive chemicals. He then drove his car to the federal building where he parked the car in front of the building with a clear intention to commit mass murder. He then left the spot in another car. At 9.02 am the bomb exploded, according to the planned time set by McVeigh. Within moments of the bomb explosion, most of the federal building was brought down into gravel and the shock wave from the blast was so intense that more than 300 buildings nearby were also damaged or destroyed (The Federal Bureau of Investigation). According to scientists, as the bomb exploded, super hot gas went upward through the building at a gigantic speed of 8,000 feet per second. The force was so intese that people were slammed against the walls with a force of 37 tons. And when the gas evaporated, a vacuum was created which shook the ground as if there was a “full-scale earthquake” (Sherrow 6-7). Thus, the explosion was of massive intensity which not only affected the federal building but also the buildings located in its close vicinty. In view of the World Trade Centre bombing two years back, the instant suspicion of the federal government was on the Middle Eastern terrorists. Quick investigations were started and FBI arrived at the crime scene to look for evidences (The Federal Bureau of Investigation). However, only one hour after the bombing, Timothy McVeigh had been arrested by state trooper Charles Hangar because his car did not have a license plate (Giordano 41). The FBI was unaware of this arrest until 20 April. He was held at the Noble County Jail in Perry, Oklahoma until the FBI found substantial evidence supporting McVeigh’s involvement in the blast (Giordano 41-42). The FBI found the rear axle of the Ryder truck involved in the bomb blast. The vehicle identification number was traced to the body shop in Junction City Kansas. Composite drawings were obtained from the employees and it was shown in hotels and at other places around the town. They finally arrived to the culprits name and surprisingly found him already in the county jail for a missing license plate. The investigations of the Oklahoma City bombing was one of the most seriously followed and exhaustive investigation which involved 28000 interviews, 43000 investigation leads and three and a half tons of evidence. The investigations also discovered that McVeigh had an accomplice named Terry Nichols who helped him in making the bomb. Micheal Fortier who was also another accomplice was aware of the bombing plan as well (The Federal Bureau of Investigation). Timothy McVeigh was an ex-Army soldier who had extremist ideologies and had a lot of anger against the government. He was a soldier who served during the Operation Desert Storm and gunned down several Iraqis relishing the killing of even surrendering Iraqi soldiers. After leaving the army, he was involved in earning money through selling blast simulators and smoke grenades. Evidences showed that he had copies of his favorite book The Turner Diaries which revolved aorund a rebellious group of warriors who blew up a federal building in Washington. This elaborates his sociopath thinking and ideologies. He shared his strong opinions of distrust for the government of the United States and the love for guns with his friend Terry Nichols, whom he met within the gun-circuit (Isikoff). McVeigh was prosecuted for the death penalty and charged with murder and terrorism. His accomplices were also convicted with lesser charges (The Federal Bureau of Investigation). McVeigh was given death penalty and died by a lethal injection in 2001 (Isikoff). An important question to be asked is the association of McVeigh with the German citizen, Strassmeir, whom he met in 1993 at an Arizona gun show. He was the grandson of one of the founders of the Nazi Party and was the chief of security at the cultish compound of suspicious racists and criminals at the Elohim City. He gave a card to McVeigh and invited him to stop by anytime. The association raises the questions that whether McVeigh was associated with a broader conspiracy or he was just working solely (Isikoff). Another puzzling question from the investigation was brought forward from the media clippings of the bombing. The live tv footage showed without doubt that several different bombs were implanted within the building. Despite of this knowledge, the official story failed to mention this and only explained regarding the bomb implanted by McVeigh (Burks; Hinman and Hammond 1-2). This piece of evidence raises questions regarding the investigations. The anti-government sociopath behavior that was exhibited by McVeigh and which led to the destructive outcome has not eliminated but rather still prevails. The anti-government paranoia and radical race hatred can be observed in militant hideout groups, rural compunds such as the one at Elohim City and even at Internet Chat rooms. Around three years ago, a Homeland Security analyst wrote a report warning that right wing extremist groups were planning dangerous conspiracies and might make a comeback which would require close surveillance. However, he was disregarded and he lost his job. Only the repot turned out true when in Norway, an anti-Muslim sociopath blew up government buildings and shot several children. According to the analyst, these kind of domestic terrorist attakcs are easy to happen and need alert tracking (Isikoff). The vehicle bomb is one of the several attacks that can be planned against individuals or property. Other attacks include kidnappings, poison gas attacks, sniper attakcs and mail bombs. However, with respect to historical evidence, vehicle bombs have led to the most structural damage and casualties (Hinman and Hammond 27). Domestic cases of terrorism are highly dangerous and many times unpredicatable as they are usually not under strict surveillance or security as compared to international terrorist threats. Okalhoma city bombing was a result of the sociopath behavior of Timothy McVeigh which kept building for several years until he thought of bringing his thoughts into action along with the help of his co-conspirators. The bomb blast resulted in the loss of several innocent lives and left several traumatized forever, grieving over their loved ones lives. The bombing teaches the government a lesson to keep track of such anti-government ideologies as they can result in dangerous outcomes. Works Cited Burks, Fred. "Oklahoma City Bombing Tapes erased." Examiner. 28 Sep. 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. Giordano, Gealdine. The Oklahoma City Bombing. New York: Rosen , 2003. Print. Hinman, Eve E and David J Hammond. Lessons from the Oklahoma City Bombing: defensive design techniques. New York : ASCE Press, 1997. Print. Isikoff, Michael. “Oklahoma City Bombings Unanswered Questions in New Book.” The Daily Beast .18 Apr. 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. Sherrow, Victoria. Homegrown Terror: the Oklahoma City Bombing. Berkeley Heights NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2013. Print. The Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Terror Hits Home: The Oklahoma City Bombing.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation: Famous Cases and Criminals. N.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.< http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing> Read More