linked - Investigating the Terror

SECTION C: WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING
I. Introduction
On February 26, 1993, an explosion occurred at the World Trade Center,
in New York City, New York, resulting in six deaths, numerous injuries,
and substantial property damage. An investigation was undertaken by the
FBI, as lead agency, with the assistance of other agencies including the
ATF and the New York City Police Department. Several defendants were
indicted, tried, and convicted in a case dealing primarily with the Trade
Center bombing--United States v. Salameh, which was tried from
September 1993 to March 1994 in the Southern District of New York. A
broader case, which included evidence of the Trade Center bombing
(United States v. Omar Ahmed Ali Abdel Rahman a/k/a Sheik Omar ), was
tried in 1995 in the Southern District of New York, resulting in the
conviction of the defendants.
Prior to the Salameh trial, Whitehurst complained about several matters,
all of which were resolved to his satisfaction prior to trial. On January 8,
1996, Whitehurst submitted to the OIG an 80-page critique of the Salameh
testimony of SSA David Williams, an examiner in the Explosives Unit.
Whitehurst covered a multitude of topics and concluded that Williams
misrepresented the truth, testified outside his area of expertise, and
presented testimony biased in favor of guilt.
To investigate Whitehurst's allegations, we interviewed Whitehurst,
Williams, EU Chief J. Thomas Thurman, Special Agent Steven Burmeister
(an examiner who worked on the case), former MAU Chief James Corby,
CTU Chief Roger Martz, other examiners and employees at the FBI
Laboratory, a chemist at the Eglin Air Force Base, persons who allegedly
discussed the case with Williams prior to the Salameh trial, other FBI and
ATF personnel (some of whom worked at the scene of the blast), and
other persons associated with the case. The interviews of Whitehurst,
Williams, Thurman, and Martz were sworn and transcribed. Additionally,
we considered relevant trial transcripts, pertinent FBI documents, and
applicable literature in the field of explosives.