linked - Investigating the Terror

Recommendations

Info

urea was weighed and dissolved in the distilled water. Then the nitric acid was put in. Several batches were mixed at the same time. Whitehurst and Burmeister wore protective clothing during the mixing. After a precipitate (the urea nitrate) formed, the liquid was filtered through a funnel. The urea nitrate was then put on drying trays, which were put in drying ovens provided by Eglin. The urea nitrate was allowed to dry overnight. Personnel from Eglin then weighed and bagged the urea nitrate. It took about three or four days to produce the 1200 pounds of urea nitrate. 3. Analysis We conclude that the basic point of Williams' testimony--that Williams personally manufactured urea nitrate pursuant to formulas found in the blue manuals--was inaccurate in two respects. First, no one in the FBI used the formulas from the blue manuals to manufacture urea nitrate. Second, Williams' role in the manufacture of the urea nitrate by the FBI was much more limited than his testimony described. We reach these conclusions for the following reasons. a. Use of Formula In his testimony Williams indicated that he personally took the formulas from the blue books, followed them, and was able to produce the explosive urea nitrate. Neither Williams nor anyone else in the FBI actually did this. The first (test tube) batch, by Molnar, was made pursuant to the information in the Davis book. From then on, the Tungol formula (also based on the Davis book) was used. All of the formulas (Molnar's, Tungol's, and the Arabic) used the same essential ingredients (urea and nitric acid). The weights and concentrations in the FBI's formulas, however, were different from the weights and concentrations in both of the Arabic formulas referred to in Williams' testimony. The first formula from the blue books (G.Ex. 2781) sets out the chemical equation for the reaction and states that urea and diluted nitric acid (34%) should be mixed. The formula does not prescribe dissolving the urea in water before adding the diluted nitric acid (34%). Williams testified that the numbers 60 and 63 on the exhibit meant that the formula suggests that you mix by amount 60 parts of urea to 63 parts nitric acid. The numbers 60 and 63 are the molecular weights of urea and
nitric acid and were noted underneath the chemical equation. A 60 to 63 ratio by weight is theoretically the correct ratio for the reaction, but only if both substances are in the same concentration. Here, the manual prescribes that the nitric acid be diluted to 34%, which would require a ratio of 60 parts urea to about 189 parts nitric acid (63 divided by .34) if the urea was 100% pure, or some other ratio if the urea was less pure. The second formula (G.Ex.2783T) is closer to, but is not exactly, what the FBI followed. This formula indicates that 200 grams of urea should be dissolved in water, and then 200 grams of diluted nitric acid should be put in. No mention is made of reagent or technical grade products or distilled water. The manual's translated discussion of how to dilute nitric acid is difficult to understand. In a 1997 interview Burmeister told us he construes the discussion to mean that the nitric acid should be diluted to 35% purity. Thus, the weights and concentrations of G.Ex.2783 differed from those in the formulas used by the FBI, and, as explained in note 41, infra, it is unclear whether G.Ex. 2783 could effectively produce urea nitrate. In any event, prior to the Salameh trial no one in the FBI attempted to decipher the dilution procedure and actually dilute nitric acid pursuant to it; nor did anyone in the FBI otherwise attempt to make urea nitrate pursuant to this formula. In his OIG interview Williams did not say that he or anyone else in the FBI actually manufactured urea nitrate by literally following the formulas in the manuals. Despite Williams' trial testimony that the early (pre-Eglin) batches were made using the formulas in the manuals, he testified in the OIG interview that he did not know what formulas were used in the only two pre-Eglin batches he was aware of. As for Eglin, Williams testified at the interview as follows: He did not see the written formula Whitehurst and the other members of the team were following and did not know whether it was the formula from the manuals. However, based on Whitehurst's verbal instruction to the team, Williams thought that the formula from the manuals appeared to be the formula that we were also using. Williams further testified that on the first day of mixing at Eglin he received a fax of one of the translated Arabic formulas; he showed it to Whitehurst and the Eglin chemists and asked how it compared to what they were doing; and they said it was the same. Whitehurst, Burmeister, and the Eglin chemist at the scene of the mixing (Paul Bolduc) told the OIG that they could not recall telling Williams that a
Page 2 and 3:
Contents Introduction by Tom Secker
Page 4 and 5:
Introduction The bombing of the Wor
Page 6 and 7:
information available at the time o
Page 8 and 9:
The prosecution claimed that urea n
Page 10 and 11:
a deliberately provoked act of terr
Page 12 and 13:
Ironically, this Matrix also lists
Page 14 and 15:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 16 and 17:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 18 and 19:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 20 and 21:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 22 and 23:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 24 and 25:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 26 and 27:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 28 and 29:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 30 and 31:
INTELWIRE.com
Page 32 and 33:
9/11 Personal Privacy Current Class
Page 34 and 35:
MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: SUBJECT: REF:
Page 36 and 37:
MEMORANDUM TO: CA - Ms. Mary A. Rya
Page 38 and 39:
-2- 9/11 Closed by Statute JAccordi
Page 40 and 41:
With specific respect to sections 2
Page 42 and 43:
-7- year. Cairo also reported that
Page 44 and 45:
Series: Team 5 Files WITHDRAWAL NOT
Page 46 and 47:
WITHDRAWAL NOTICE RG: 148 Expositio
Page 48:
Series: Team 5 Files WITHDRAWAL NOT
Page 51 and 52:
j jev. F 11—1 5—83) ttflu&tIOfl
Page 53 and 54: —LS—83) ntinuationofFD-302o1 AB
Page 55 and 56: v 11—3—83) ontinuationofFD-302o
Page 57 and 58: Blast Damage by Steven C. De Rosa T
Page 99 and 100: SECTION C: WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBI
Page 101 and 102: Williams testified that he had expe
Page 103: Personnel in the FBI Laboratory mad
Page 107 and 108: weights would have to be different
Page 109 and 110: If Dave was supervising, Dave was s
Page 111 and 112: the chemists specializing in the ex
Page 113 and 114: pounds of urea and 1694 pounds of n
Page 115 and 116: We have reached several conclusions
Page 117 and 118: where they had purchased urea or ni
Page 119 and 120: laboratory setting--would have been
Page 121 and 122: AGENT WILLIAMS: I don't recall. . .
Page 123 and 124: Williams claimed in his OIG intervi
Page 125 and 126: We conclude that Williams' VOD opin
Page 127 and 128: of explosive damage. By putting all
Page 129 and 130: That's my question, sir. AGENT WILL
Page 131 and 132: and one was C-4; and I had individu
Page 133 and 134: (iii) General Discussion Agent Thur
Page 135 and 136: velocity of detonation are just a t
Page 137 and 138: (2) Analysis MR. CAMPRIELLO: I didn
Page 139 and 140: completely shucked of the wrappers,
Page 141 and 142: explosive. [] Williams' use of the
Page 143 and 144: nitrate, the court was unable to pu
Page 145 and 146: AGENT WILLIAMS: Well, after looking
Page 147 and 148: (Italics added.) extracts of urine
Page 149 and 150: Although defense counsel's question
Page 151 and 152: the use of smokeless powder and lea
Page 153 and 154: Whitehurst and Burmeister then prep
Page 155 and 156:
and sol[i]d probe/triple quadrapole
Page 157 and 158:
dictation. Whitehurst acknowledged
Page 159 and 160:
-. Q 3..-1G42) FEDERAL BUREAU OF IN
Page 161 and 162:
D—302a (Rev i:—15—13) ontiflu
Page 163 and 164:
FD—302a (Rev. 11—15-43) Continu
Page 165 and 166:
FD—302a (Rev. 11—15.43) Contmua
Page 167 and 168:
D—302a (Rev 11—15—83) intiriu
Page 169 and 170:
FD—302a Rev 11—15—13) Contrnu
Page 171 and 172:
FD—302a (Rev. 11—15—83) Conti
Page 173 and 174:
D—302a (Rev. 11—15.43) nt1nu1tI
Page 175 and 176:
FD—302a (Rev. 11—15—3) Contln
Page 177 and 178:
FD—302& (Rev II 1543) Cotiuatio o
Page 179 and 180:
'FD—302a (Rev. 11-.1S43) C Conimu
Page 181 and 182:
. TRWO191 311 950210 Z:54 159H-TP-2
Page 183 and 184:
TRW0191 511 950210 23:54 IWH-TP-216
Page 186 and 187:
14 that the targets included both m
Page 188 and 189:
Gulf War. If so, and if, as U.S. of
Page 190 and 191:
ureaucracies that there was "no evi
Page 192 and 193:
Abdul Rahman Yasin--Musab's brother
Page 194 and 195:
Musab lived in the same building as
Page 196 and 197:
[12] Of Passports and Fingerprints
Page 198 and 199:
Logic and circumstance also suggest
Page 200 and 201:
acknowledged in July having had an
Page 202 and 203:
2. Indeed, there is good reason to
Page 204 and 205:
Cover of the passport that Ramzi Yo
Page 206 and 207:
Pages 3 and 4 of Ramzi Yousef’s p
Page 208 and 209:
Pages 7 and 8 of Ramzi Yousef’s p
Page 210 and 211:
Pages 10 and 11 of Ramzi Yousef’s
Page 213:
The classification markings are ori
Page 233 and 234:
S E C R E T // NOFORN // 20320915 J
Page 236 and 237:
S E C R E T // NOFORN // 20320915 T
Page 239 and 240:
S E C R E T // NOFORN // 20320915 (
Page 242 and 243:
S E C R E T // NOFORN // 20320915 o
Page 244 and 245:
S E C R E T // NOFORN // 20320915 P
Page 246 and 247:
S E C R E T // NOFORN // 20320915 (
Page 248 and 249:
S E C R E T // NOFORN // 20320915 A
show all

linked - Investigating the Terror

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?