Former KOCO Reporter Supports the Station’s Having Suppressed an Explosive 9/11 Story

Michael P. Wright — Norman, Oklahoma, USA — mpwright9@aol.com

To appreciate this post, readers need to review this earlier one for context:

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php...

I am posting my correspondence record with Jeff Cunningham, who was working for KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City, when that station, in a broadcast by Terri Watkins, reported that an airline ticket for a 9/11 hijacker was purchased from a computer terminal at University of Oklahoma library. Earlier an OU librarian had told me that the ticket purchaser was not a hijacker. He was a white American male. He was never arrested. Watkins later denied having made this broadcast.

First email from me to Cunningham, 1/11/06:

Several people have told me of seeing a KOCO news broadcast, a few months after the 9/11 attack, which reported that an airline ticket for a 9/11 hijacker was purchased from a computer terminal at the University of Oklahoma library. Do you have a recollection of this news broadcast? Do you remember who the reporter was?

Cunningham’s reply, 1/11/06:

I’m sorry. I don’t remember any such story. I know I didn’t do it. Personally, my experience with viewers is, unless it’s something very specific to a station, they don’t remember what station does what story. I say this because perhaps the story was on one of the other OKC stations. Otherwise, you could always call KOCO and have someone do an archive search for you.

My next email to Cunningham, 1/11/06

Thank you. Can you tell me more specifically about how to request an archive search? Is there a specific person who is the archivist? The story was broadcast in 2002. I don’t know the exact date but I have correctly summarized the contents for you. I am very certain that this was reported by KOCO.

Cunningham’s reply, 1/11/06

Pretty much anyone who answers the phone can do a search, but be warned, people in the newsroom are usually very busy and don’t like it when a random viewer calls in with a story search. My advice would be to call the news desk, I forget the number, and ask one of the assignment managers to find this for you. Tell them you will call back and give them some time to do it. They may want to know why you’re asking because if it’s for some kind of litigation or something it might have to go through the corporate lawyers and whatnot. Otherwise, have you tried an internet search? If KOCO did it, I’m sure some print medium picked it up and ran a story.

My next email to Cunningham, 1/11/06:

Thanks again. I’m afraid things are more complicated. Something unsavory went on there at KOCO. I’m going to give you as much as I know of the full story. If you have any remedies to suggest after reading this (a post by me) please let me know. Be sure to hear the recordings of telephone communication with Melissa and Terri Watkins, and read my sworn affidavit. Two more people (one since I made the online post) have told me of having seen the broadcast, since I signed the affidavit:

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php...

Maybe this is something you would like to investigate yourself, since you’re independent (hopefully) of KOCO.

Important fact: before KOCO broadcast the story, an OU librarian who was interviewed by the FBI told me about it. She said that the ticket was not purchased by a hijacker. He was a white American male and temporary library employee. It was for United flight 93.

He was never arrested. Something very strange went on, I believe.

Cunningham’s reply, in which he demonstrates his loyalty to Terri Watkins (1/11/06):

In my experience, I have never known a reporter or anchor to be pressured by the FBI or CIA or any entity to suppress a story. Why would they need to? They could simply call the station general manager or the station’s parent company and stop an untrue story at that level. Also, having worked with Terri for 4 years, she is in my opinion one of the last, true old school reporters. I would have trouble believing she did anything unsavory. I’m not sure what getting a copy of the story would prove. If the reporter had legitimate sources, whether the sources were lying or not, they covered their bases. That’s why we attribute information to sources. It’s not our opinion, its what we were told. I hope this helps.

My next email to Cunningham (1/12/06)

I am having difficulty believing what I am reading from you. Let’s analyze this. Terri Watkins LIED when she told me that she did not broadcast the report of the 9/11 hijacker’s airline ticket having been purchased from the OU library. If you don’t believe that, then you have to call me a liar. If that’s what you think, then write back and say it. Make your record.

An alternative would be to say that Melissa, who was working for KOCO at the time Watkins broadcast the report, is a liar. You could also accuse me of hiring an actress to impersonate Melissa and make the claims I attribute to Melissa. If you think I did that, then report me to the police for the crime of impersonation. You were working at KOCO when Melissa was there. Are you willing to testify that the voice on my recording is not Melissa’s? Are you willing to do your friend Watkins the favor of commiting perjury to protect her?

Make your choice, and let me know what it is. Once again, here are the recordings of the voices of Melissa and Watkins making contradictory statements.

http://members.aol.com/mpwright9/st...

You suggest that this was an "untrue story." If Watkins had been convinced that the story was untrue, the honest thing to do would have been to admit having broadcast it but explain to me that it was an error. Newspapers admit to errors and retract them. She didn’t do that. She LIED and said she hadn’t broadcast it. Why did she take that course of action?

You ask "why would they need to"? This is ambiguous, but if you are asking about the FBI or CIA motives, the need to suppress the story is obvious to me: to cover up high-level crime. Has anyone in the U.S. government ever done anything criminal?

You are obviously too young to remember Watergate. Maybe your history teachers failed you in that department too. Did you know that even the U.S. attorney general was indicted for his role in the cover-up? Have you been following the Valerie Plame affair? Do you even know that the Vice-President’s chief of staff has been indicted? You are acting so starry-eyed and gullible that it is amazing that you are a reporter.

If you are assuming that this was an "untrue story," then you are wrong. As I said, an OU librarian told me that she was present when the FBI came around to interview about it. I knew about this before KOCO broadcast it. In September 2003 I told the 9/11 Commission that, if subpoenaed, I would name the librarian and they could subpoena her. I have a voice recording of Commission staff member John Tamm talking to my answering machine, in response to my communication. The Commission chose to cover it up.

Perhaps you are wondering how the FBI or CIA could pressure a reporter to suppress the story. That’s easy. In the atmosphere of intimidation which developed after 9/11, here is what they probably said: "This is a very sensitive matter, related to national security [the magic phrase] and it’s still being investigated. So as not to compromise the investigation, you need to suppress this story."

It’s now been more than four years since this criminal bought the hijacker’s ticket, the FBI knows who he was, and he hasn’t been arrrested. They have been evasive in response to my FOIA requests, but have never denied that the event I describe took place. As I have already emphasized, the criminal was a white American male — not a hijacker. Do you actually believe that a legitimate "investigation" is in progress? CanI sell you a bridge in Brooklyn?

Five different people have told me of seeing the broadcast, by Watkins, reporting that the hijacker’s airline ticket was purchased from the OU library. I have sworn to it in a legal affidavit and gave you the link to it. Did you read it? Do you think I would lie and risk being charged with perjury? Why would I do that? Personal dislike of Watkins?

Before she told her HUGE lie I had no opinion of her. I have also repeated what the OU librarian told me to the FBI, in FOIA requests. I have told them about the KOCO broadcast. It is a crime to lie to the FBI. No one has accused me of lying.

You ask: "I’m not sure what getting a copy of the story would prove." Once again, I am amazed that you would wonder about this. It would be more evidence of what I already know. KOCO broadcast that report and then suppressed it. This was a huge cover-up of an enormous crime. I’m sorry that makes you uncomfortable.

If you have fear of retaliation for investigating this story and bringing out the truth, then admit it. Don’t hide behind pretensions. Stop making excuses for Watkins and — for God’s sake — don’t deceive yourself or anyone else into thinking you are a brave investigative reporter. It’s phonies whom I can’t stand. People who admit that they are scared have my respect.

Personally, I am tired of the lameness of the U.S. press corps and its neglect of the responsibility to uncover official corruption and high crime.

Did you know that it is a federal crime to have knowledge of another federal crime and not report it (U.S. Title 18, Part I, Chapter I, Section 4):

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/...

I have told you about this crime and cover-up. You are a reporter. What are you going to do?

Cunningham’s indignant (and evasive) reply (1/12/06):

You email me out of the blue and expect me to just take your word that someone I know and worked with is covering up a story that may or may not be true? I don’t even know who you are. I was simply trying to be helpful. I know Terri. I do not know who Melissa is. Does she have a last name? And, yes, I find it hard to believe that the FBI or any entity would be covering up a story about someone buying a hijackers plane ticket. Do you think the FBI hasn?t figured out that terrorists in the US may be using people who are not dark-skinned Muslims? I suggest you find another avenue to investigate this besides an ex-KOCO employee who has never heard of you or the story to which you are referring. I have given this way too much of my time. This will be my last email to you. Please don?t write me back. Further correspondence from you will be deleted on sight.

Comments:

Cunningham skirted the issues I raised. He did not directly call me a liar, even though logic would require that he would make that accusation if he truly believed Watkins had been telling the truth. He did not inform me that he was going to call the police and accuse me of hiring an actress to impersonate Melissa. He gave no evidence of either having listened to the phone recordings or having read my affidavit. He said: "I don’t even know who you are" and accused me of expecting him to just take my word. Perhaps he also doesn’t know of the existence of the Cleveland County Court, whose notary public’s seal is affixed to the affidavit I signed. If he won’t take my word, is he off to the authorities to accuse me of having perjured myself on the sworn and notorized document?

He does not address the question of why KOCO did not retract the story, if it were untrue. Like public officials have been in response to my Freedom of Information Act requests about this matter, he was evasive. He says that what I have affirmed by legal oath "may or may not be true." Since he thinks I might be lying, he would also have to suspect Melissa of lying too.

He finds it "hard to believe that the FBI or any entity would be covering up a story about someone buying a hijackers plane ticket." I wonder if he ever heard about FBI agent Coleen Rowley’s extreme protest over the fact that that agency’s headquarters, three weeks before 9/11, obstructed the Minneapolis agents’ request for a warrant to search Moussaoui’s computer.

http://www.time.com/time/covers/110...

Cunningham doesn’t seem to know that this airline ticket purchase, along with four others, was not reported in the Moussaoui indictment, although 14 others were reported. Cunningham apparently knows little of Watergate, Iran-Contra, the Valerie Plame affair, or other scandals involving crime and misconduct by government officials.

What we have on our hands is another example of the lame American mainstream media. They have become mostly entertainers rather than serious journalists.

See this related post:

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php...