Cho and Hinrichs: Depressed loners with murder on their mind

Do Cho Seung-Hui and Joel Henry Hinrichs III have something in common?
As I note below, I believe there are some interesting similarities.

As noted in today's top story at PrisonPlanet.com, writer/researcher Paul Joseph Watson has a story headlined "Neo-Cons to Spin Va. Massacre as Terrorist Attack."
Now, I didn't make the connection at the time but I did find it curious that news reports coming out said that when killer Cho Seung-Hui's body was recovered, police found the words "Ismail Ax" scrawled on his arm.

"Ismail Ax"? Yes, it had a distinctly "Muslim" ring to it. But I didn't make much of it. Now that I've read Another Day in the Empire's Kurt Nimmo, I understand that:
"'Ismail Ax' is a well known phrase in the Muslim world. The Muslims believe that the [Old Testament] is wrong in saying that Abraham was supposed to kill Isaac with a knife, rather they believe he was supposed to kill Ishmael (Ismail) with an Axe.

They also believe that Abraham was supposed to go out and attack idols with an axe, and some also attribute the phrase to meaning that Ishmael was supposed to kill Isaac, the father of all Western culture, with an axe…Cho was a South Korean immigrant to the US, but it seems undeniable that his killing spree, at least in part, was motivated by some sort of belief in Islam.”--END--

That may be the case. But we don't know much about his history. Was he frequenting militant Islamist sites? Was there a mosque in Blacksburg or Roanoke that he attended? We do know he would go to Roanoke from time-to-time and that is where he purchased his $571 Glock 19 and ammo, according to the Virginian-Pilot newspaper. Was Cho visiting a psychiatrist? Was this person connected to the military?

Well, as I mentioned here yesterday, we can only look to the strange case of Colorado man Joel Henry Hinrichs III, a 21-year-old engineering student, attending the University of Oklahoma in Norman, who could be almost a carbon-copy of Cho Seung-Hui. Both were depressed, unbalanced loners on medication.

Except where Hinrichs strapped himself with explosives in hopes of being a suicide bomber (a choice of destruction more common in the Middle East and Asia ... hmmm?) in the midst of a crowded Gaylord Family/Oklahoma Memorial football stadium, fortunately failing in his murderous attempt, blowing himself up instead, Cho opted to be a killer with a gun, killing 33 and injuring dozens.

Within a week, reports were coming out that Hinrichs had visited Ellison Feed and Seed on Porter Avenue in Norman and had tried to purchase ammonium nitrate fertilizer, as noted in this AP story.

Oh, and reports were saying at the time Hinrichs frequented a local mosque. This was never confirmed from follow-up reports I've read. And while OU President David Boren, a secretive man with well-known ties to the CIA, a former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Yale's Skull and Bones secret society, spun the story and said Hinrichs was merely a depressed, lonely kid who wanted to commit suicide.

Yet, months later, in a story that didn't receive much attention, a bomb expert with the Norman Police Department says in an AP story: "I believe he accidentally blew himself up."
This means that Boren, as we investigative bloggers (scolded by the Wall Street Journal at the time) noted at the time, was covering and spinning this event like crazy. This from a man whose university was a popular spot for CIA assets Nicholas Berg and Zacarias Moussaoui.

And investigators were successful in getting reports regarding the findings in Hinrichs' off-campus apartment sealed.
As Norman-based investigator Michael P. Wright notes, "This raises questions. Boren wants us to believe that no terrorist conspiracy existed and that the death was just an 'individual suicide' by an 'emotionally troubled' student.

If there were no other suspects, then certainly no harm would come to a prosecution effort by describing all the evidence found in the Hinrichs investigation, for the purpose of informing the public about the true nature of the event.
We deserve all the evidence available in order to assess our own risk level for terrorism. Football fans deserve to know this in the process of deciding whether to attend games. There can only be two reasons for keeping a lid on the evidence, at this time:
1. there are other suspects, and disclosing it at this time might interfere with prosecution strategies, or
2. Hinrichs, acting alone, did have terrorist intentions, but the courts and FBI are helping their friend Boren in covering this up.
--END--

And Paul Joseph Watson, it should be noted, is right in being concerned that neo-con ideologues will try to paint Cho as a Muslim extremist wanting to kill Christians and "rich kids," due to the cryptic "Ismail Ax" message on Cho's arm.

This may have been written on his body after his death. These are the feds, after all.It's too early to tell what Cho's real motivation was or if he was under the sway of a secret nest of government operatives. It is curious that in the midst of this horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech, some BIG things are going on on the national and international scene from the now-delayed testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, tensions in Iran and Russia and dying bees.
Before signing off, I thought this might be of some interest to those interested in the Hinrichs case.According to a fall 2006 report from Colorado Springs TV station KTTV and noted at Bellaciao by researcher Michael P. Wright :
"Authorities say 25-year-old Thomas Hinrichs had an assault rifle, two boxes of ammunition, three ammunition magazines and a military helmet when he was arrested earlier this month.He was allegedly angry with this country's government and school system for creating an environment that led to Joel's death."
Added KFOR TV here in Oklahoma City: Thomas Hinrichs was charged November 21st with threatening an FBI agent after he allegedly admitted he daydreamed of shooting the agent. The 25-year-old Hinrichs also is accused of assaulting his father.
--END--

His father also said his other son is insane. It's really rather sad. Still, unbalanced people can sometimes be used by black ops in order to achieve a desired outcome (in Hinrichs' case - heightened security measures at public stadiums and in Cho's case - gun control).

Oklahoman Carrie Underwood takes home three CMT awards

Checotah native Carrie Underwood (the "American Idol" contestant I predicted would win) brought home three CMT music awards Monday night - best video for "Before He Cheats," best female video and best video director.

Here's the run down from the AP via the Tulsa World website ...

And while I missed the show due to other commitments, I was disappointed that Toby Keith didn't bring home any awards.

'Lawyer outlines a broader conspiracy in search for FBI documents on Oklahoma City bombing'/ Salt Lake Tribune

Probably won't see this story in The Oklahoman, Tulsa World or Journal Record. Why? What is it about this story that scares Oklahoma media so much. The victims and victims families deserve the truth.

Senate passes muscular immigration reform bill

Received today from the House press office ....

Speaker Cargill and Rep. Terrill Praise Senate Passage of Immigration Reform

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 16, 2007) - House Speaker Lance Cargill and state Rep. Randy Terrill today praised members of the Oklahoma Senate forpassing a tough illegal immigration bill and predicted it will soon besent to Gov. Brad Henry.
"This landmark legislation recognizes that government first hasa duty to those citizens who play by the rules, follow the law and pay taxes," said Cargill, R-Harrah. "We cannot expect others to abide by thelaw when there are rewards for breaking the law."
"This is a great day for Oklahoma taxpayers," said state Rep.Randy Terrill, R-Moore. "For too long, the working families of Oklahoma have been forced to subsidize illegal immigration. With passage of House Bill 1804, that will come to an end."
House Bill 1804, by Terrill, creates the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007. The bill is part of the House Republican majority's legislative agenda and previously passed out of the Oklahoma House of Representatives by an overwhelming, 88-9 bipartisan vote.
The Oklahoma Senate approved the bill today with strong bipartisan support on a 41-6 vote.
HB 1804 has the support of two national immigration reform advocacy groups and has been labeled one of the nation's toughest anti-illegal immigration laws.
Key elements of the bill focus on determining work eligibility. The measure also contains provisions to ensure taxpayer-supported benefits are made available to American citizens and legal immigrants only. The bill also gives state and local law enforcement officials the power to enforce federal immigration law.
Terrill said he is committed to working with advocacy groups to address any continuing concerns they may have about the new law.
House Bill 1804 will now return to the Oklahoma House of Representatives for a final vote before going to Gov. Brad Henry for his signature.
"After accepting Senate amendments, I sincerely hope that Governor Henry will quickly sign House Bill 1804 into law," Terrill said.
--END--
Just a note, the Red Dirt Reporter spoke with Sen. Randy Bass (D-Lawton) about the immigration bill just prior to hearing it and said, "Nobody wants anyone illegal in the United States. To me it's more of a federal issue."
Bass added that this issue was of particular importance to his constituents noting that "Everybody is calling in about this. I've received 5,000 emails ... they're clogging my computer."
Bass also said his only concern is that he doesn't want legal immigrants adversely affected by the law, were it to pass, which, as we know, it did. And that's a good thing. :-)

Meetings set on state water plans / Lawton Constitution

By Andrew Griffin
Special Correspondent
The Lawton Constitution
Posted: April 15, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY — With the state entering the beginning stages of planning for the state’s 50-year Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan, state officials are beginning a yearlong tour of the state to share their opinions with the public about what should be included.
At Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board in Oklahoma City, OWRB Executive Director Duane Smith explained to the board that between now and 2060 surface water and groundwater issues in the state will be increasingly important.
One of the topics addressed during the meeting was the water plan, which will be discussed at meetings around the state, including Altus, Hobart and Lawton.
“Water-use projects over the next 50 years are not expected to go up very much,” Smith said as he gave the board a presentation addressing Oklahoma water issues.
And after showing the board a chart showing rainy and dry periods throughout Oklahoma history and noting that the state is apparently entering a dry stretch, Smith added, “The next 50 years will be very exciting for the OWRB in terms of conflict.”
In addition, the tour is part of a legislative mandate that the OWRB develop and periodically update the state’s comprehensive water plan, which includes estimates on projected water demands and water supply infrastructure needs.
“As a state, we’re facing difficult decisions on a variety of water-related issues that will affect us, our kids and their kids,” said Mike Langston, assistant director of the Water Research Institute at Oklahoma State University, said.
To find out more about the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan visit www.okwaterplan.info.

Cargill tells Henry, Dems to quit political posturing

The Red Dirt Reporter was in a press conference Wednesday with House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, and listened to the speaker complain that Gov. Brad Henry won't approve appropriations bills that mirror his own executive budget.

I loved this quote: "It's the theater of the absurd when the governor won't take yes for an answer."

He added that he welcomes ideas from Gov. Henry and the Democrats, yet was sticking to his guns.
"Why won't the governor submit a plan? What does he have to hide?" asked Cargill, adding, "I think it'd be worthwhile for the governor to submit a plan."

Here's the AP account of Cargill's press conference.

Westboro haters protest soldier's funeral in Norman

I was driving through Norman today, on my way to pick up some office supplies, when I came upon a protest at the corner of Main and University.
On one side were lots of people with American flags and on the opposite corner were some cretins holding signs reading: "Thank God for IEDs" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers.""Holy toledo! It's those knuckle-draggers from Kansas, the Westboro Baptist Church haters who protest the funerals of soldiers who've died in the "War on Terror."

I had heard Sean Hannity interview the daughter of the head of this hate group, Fred Phelps, and there was no reasoning with her. Their reasoning for protesting makes no sense to me.

They're the same jerks that protested Matthew Shepard's funeral in Wyoming.

I was stopped at a light and running late.
Still, I tried to snap some quick pix on my camera. They didn't turn out so well and a State Trooper was right in front of me. In fact, the trooper was asking a guy with a flag what was going on. He explained that they were there protesting the haters from Kansas.
The light turned green and I made my turn on Main heading west. I gave the smirking idiots with their day-glo hate signs a big thumbs down.

How sad.

Here's the story about their "visit" in today's edition of The Norman Transcript.

(p.s. Also posted at Slice O' Life)