-Caveat Lector- Tuesday June 5 9:21 PM ET CORRECTED: McVeigh Team Says Govt. Withheld Evidence Photos Reuters Photo (Inserts dropped word ``if'' in eighth paragraph clarifying that the lawyers were not stating that evidence was found, corrects to credible from critical). By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Timothy McVeigh (news - web sites)'s attorneys charged in court papers filed on Tuesday that the government withheld evidence that others besides McVeigh and Terry Nichols were involved in the Oklahoma City bombing conspiracy that killed 168 people, and that it even knew about the plot beforehand. The 17-page filing marked the first time that lawyers for the 33-year-old former army sergeant have admitted to a court that their client took part in the devastating April 19, 1995 attack although McVeigh had confessed his guilt to a pair of journalists for a new book. It was also the first time that defense lawyers claimed that the government knew that there were others involved in the conspiracy besides McVeigh and his former army buddy Nichols, who is serving a life sentence for his role in the conspiracy. In papers filed in advance of a Federal Court hearing on Wednesday on whether McVeigh's scheduled June 11 execution should be stayed, McVeigh's four lawyers also alleged that federal law enforcement officers were told by informants about the bombing ``several days or weeks before it occurred'' on April 19, 1995. The government seeks to have McVeigh executed on June 11 and said there is no new evidence to help the defense in the materials it turned over to it. McVeigh's attorneys said the government had perpetrated a fraud on the court and added: ``The fraud pointed to by the evidence thus far known to counsel for Mr. McVeigh is that the government misled the court concerning the persons responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing. ``Specifically counsel believes that the government -- at least some FBI (news - web sites) agents -- knew ... that other people in addition to Mr. McVeigh and Mr. Nichols were responsible for the bombing.'' The filing said that if the information that the government withheld included credible evidence that others played a role such as constructing the bomb ``that would have cast doubt upon the overt acts committed by Mr. McVeigh.'' McVeigh's lawyers said that the government knew of the other conspirators through informants and investigation and had this information before McVeigh's 1997 trial began. The government has denied knowing of any conspirators beyond those brought to trial -- McVeigh and Nichols. Three pages of the 17-page filing are sealed and no names are mentioned in the unsealed pages. The question of whether McVeigh had help has long dogged the case. McVeigh has said he acted alone except for forced help given to him by Nichols, who, in turn, has claimed innocence and is seeking a new trial. Federal Judge Richard Matsch has set a hearing for Wednesday to consider McVeigh's for a stay of execution so that his lawyers can examine 4,000 pages of evidence that was withheld by the defense. McVeigh's lawyers said the government had a significant volume of information it chose not to disclose ``for fear of shifting some of the responsibility to itself by revealing that federal informants had advised federal law enforcement officers of the bombing several days or weeks before it occurred.'' They added that if ``Mr. McVeigh's execution is stayed and he is given access to the tools of civil discovery there is reason to believe that a nexus between some of these individuals and Mr. McVeigh will be established.'' The court papers made no comment on whether McVeigh would cooperate. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
