("Quid coniuratio est?")
Tom Valentine's guest on Radio Free America (5.065 MHz, 9 pm cst, mon-fri) was Edye Smith, the mother of two young children who perished in the April 19, 1995 explosion at the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City.
Edye Smith is widely known as the woman who challenged the government and its investigation while being interviewed by CNN (Cable News Network). When interviewed by CNN on May 23, 1995, she charged that there were "a lot of questions that have been left unanswered," and that she and her family and friends were "being told to keep our mouths shut, not talk about it, don't ask those questions."
During her appearance on the August 16th Radio Free America broadcast, Mrs. Smith...
** confirmed stories previously reported that the Red Cross had stolen money from her. She claims that money sent to her by sympathetic Americans via the Red Cross never made it to her and her family.
** stated that the Red Cross had at first agreed to help get her "tubes" untied so that she would be able again to bear children, but that they subsequently reneged on their offer. Fortunately, a doctor in Austin familiar with the procedure heard of her plight and kindly offered to help. Normally such a procedure, she says, would cost about $15,000, but, if all goes well, she will get it done this coming week at no cost to her.
** insists that the ATF had prior knowledge of a bomb threat. She claims that the ATF received a bomb threat the day before and that their employees had an option not to come in to work on April 19th, the day of the blast. Smith states that no ATF personnel were killed by the explosion. Her information as to what ATF personnel were present in the building that day confirms, at least in part, information I received in a prior interview with Debra von Trapp: that those present were mostly clerical employees.
** says that one of the five ATF personnel present in the Murrah Building on the day it was blown up claims to have been in an elevator when the blast occurred and that he dropped 5 floors in that elevator. However, according to Mrs. Smith, she and others (including her stepfather who she says has become quite skilled as an independent investigator) who checked out this story with the elevator company were told "No way" as to the possibility that the ATF employee's elevator story could be true.
** says that Channel 4 TV in Oklahoma City has done a "wonderful job" of reporting and that CNN Headline News has been picking up on a lot of their stuff.
** claims that several witnesses have stated that a bomb squad, apparently connected to the city, had shown up at the Murrah Building between 7 and 7:30 a.m. on the day of the bombing and cleared the building at that time. So apparently there had already been a bomb scare that day before the actual explosion occurred at 9:02 a.m., if these witnesses are correct.
** has no doubt in her mind that the government had advance knowledge of some type as to that there was going to be a bombing. "It just burns me that we can't even trust our own government," she says. Mrs. Smith added that some government insiders are starting to come forward to tell what they know.
** says that her brother, a police officer, was allowed into certain areas that day but not into others. According to Mrs. Smith, there were three roped-off areas that even her brother could not access. Security was very tight, but ATF and FBI agents were busy sifting through the debris in these secured areas.
It was apparent from listening to the broadcast that Edye Smith is avoiding wild rumors and is being careful in her claims. For that, host Tom Valentine thanked her and added his hope that we all can do likewise.
Mrs. Smith complained that, when she appears on local radio shows, it seems to her that "more people around here now hate me than like me... People that don't want to think that the government would do such a thing."
However all the callers to Valentine's August 16th broadcast spoke kindly and were supportive of Mrs. Smith. When asked by one caller what can people do to help, she replied, "I don't know. I guess prayers are the only thing... You don't have to send money. I'm not askin' for money."
Persons wishing to express their condolences, offer information, etc., can write to Edye Smith as follows:
Edye Smith
2921 W. Hill Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
I encourage distribution of "Conspiracy Nation."
Coming to you from Illinois -- "The Land of Skolnick"