LONDON paper says it received letter from Timothy McVeigh

(London-AP) -- A British newspaper reports it has received a letter from Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. <br><br>The Observer reports McVeigh is still unrepentant for the 1995 blast at the Murrah

Sunday, May 6th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(London-AP) -- A British newspaper reports it has received a letter from Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

The Observer reports McVeigh is still unrepentant for the 1995 blast at the Murrah federal building that killed 168 people, including 19 children.

McVeigh was quoted as saying he'd borrowed a page from U-S foreign policy and ''decided to send a message'' to a government that he says was becoming ''increasingly hostile.''

The paper reports McVeigh grew tired of waiting for justice after the botched 1993 raid on the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, that claimed dozens of lives. The paper says he decided to go ''on the offensive -- to put a check on government abuse of power.''

The Observer's claim that the letter was from McVeigh cannot be independently confirmed.

The reporter who received the letter -- Tracy McVeigh -- says she may be a distant relative, and has covered the run-up to the May 16th execution.