FBI agent says terrorism still a threat in Oklahoma

By Tim Talley

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma's top FBI agent says the threat of homegrown terrorism has decreased since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing but the danger posed by international terrorists is greater.

John E. Lewis, special agent in charge of the FBI's Oklahoma City division, said agents in Oklahoma have been keeping an eye on suspicious individuals doing suspicious things, including those of Middle Eastern descent who may be conducting unusual financial transactions.

"I have a much longer list of international terrorism cases here in
this state than I would like to have," Lewis said in an interview with The Associated Press. "We cannot underestimate the patience, the planning, the reach, the resources that they have. It's truly worldwide."

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies have intensified counterterrorism activities in Oklahoma since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

They have interviewed hundreds of Iraqi nationals and others familiar with the Middle East since the start of the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

"We're doing so much more today than we did before 9-11," Lewis said. "We're being very aggressive in this area."

Still, Lewis said he could not rule out another terrorist attack against Americans.

"My feeling is we're very likely going to see something else at some point, probably on multiple occasions. Frankly, I'm very surprised that we haven't seen anything until today."

Lewis attributed that in part to the work of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Oklahoma's five military bases and infrastructure, including telecommunications and petrochemical structures and the junction of major highways that crisscross the nation, make the state a potential
target for international terrorists.

"Law enforcement in the United States had better not let their guard down. Because the very day we do, that's when something's going to slip by us," Lewis said.

"We are your last line of defense. I take that very seriously."

Battling international terrorism has become the FBI's highest national priority, eclipsing the dangers posed by right-wing militias, white supremacists and other domestic groups that threatened to attack government buildings during the 1990s.

On April 19, 1995, a truck bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building, killing 168 people, injuring hundreds more and causing millions of dollars in property damage.

"In terms of the threat level, it's not something that keeps me awake at night by any stretch," Lewis said. "They do not pose the same level of threat that we see from international terrorism groups."

Lewis said the FBI and other law enforcement agencies keep close tabs on right-wing groups. But individuals not directly linked to a specific group are difficult to detect, he said.

Timothy McVeigh, convicted of federal murder charges and executed for his role in the bombing, is one such individual.

"Whoever saw this fella Timothy McVeigh come on the scope?" Lewis said. "We could have something go pop tomorrow. We could have another McVeigh-type thing."

Lewis, 46, said the Oklahoma City bombing led to cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies not always present in other FBI offices he has served in, including Dallas, San Antonio and Washington, D.C.

"Everything clicks so nicely here," Lewis said. "If something were to happen in any part of this state, you just know that state officials are going to show up, the locals are going to be there and everyone is going to be able to fall into place very nicely."

Bob Ricks, Oklahoma's commissioner of public safety, agreed. Ricks is a former FBI agent who also headed the FBI's Oklahoma City division before being named public safety commissioner by former Gov. Frank Keating.

"It seems like that a lot of the petty jealousies or turf battles that existed in other areas are just not prevalent here in Oklahoma," Ricks said. "We are now considered full-time participants in the
terrorism battle."

Similarly, Ricks said the FBI is playing a larger role in local and state law enforcement activities, including methamphetamine production and drug-trafficking investigations.

Lewis said local sheriffs and police chiefs list methamphetamine as their top law enforcement problem.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics has said about 4,100 methamphetamine labs were seized statewide in Oklahoma from 1996 through June 2002. In 2001, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation had a backlog of more than 1,500 methamphetamine production cases.

Lewis said parts of the state have been included in a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force based in north Texas, qualifying the state for federal funds and personnel.

HIDTA squads have been formed from a number of Oklahoma law enforcement agencies to disrupt the drug trade and target Oklahoma's clandestine labs.

"It is a terribly addictive drug. It just ruins people. It clogs up jails. It's a very expensive problem," Lewis said.