A remorseless McVeigh calls dead children `collateral damage'

For the first time ever, Timothy McVeigh admits he blew up the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. He does so in a book called "American Terrorist" to be released in a few weeks. <br><br>KOTV's Lori

Wednesday, March 28th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

For the first time ever, Timothy McVeigh admits he blew up the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. He does so in a book called "American Terrorist" to be released in a few weeks.

KOTV's Lori Fullbright says perhaps the most shocking things McVeigh says in the book is calling the children who died in the bombing, "collateral damage." He says their deaths turned out to be a public relations nightmare that undercut his cause.

The Buffalo News reporters say McVeigh's cause was to avenge the deaths at Ruby Ridge and Waco. The book says McVeigh considered assassinating elected officials then decided to blow up the Murrah building because federal agents worked there, it had a glass front and would be a good shot for TV cameras.

The reporters also say McVeigh told them, he was two blocks away when the bomb went off and the force of it, lifted him off the ground. He said he was disappointed the 7,000-pound bomb left some of the building still standing. The reporters, Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck, say McVeigh did the bombing alone and it wasn't until McVeigh threatened Terry Nichols' family that Nichols helped load the explosives. He said when he heard the explosion, he thought of the song, "Dirty for Dirty" by Bad Company.
McVeigh said, "What the U.S. government did at Waco and Ruby Ridge was dirty. And, I gave dirty back to them at Oklahoma City."

McVeigh told the reporters he expected to get caught and even figured he'd be executed, he told them he was ready to die, but, wanted to get his message out first. He said he regretted not having a family and had thought of smuggling his sperm out of prison.

Timothy McVeigh's lawyer, Rob Nigh told KOTV he won't get his copy of the book until Monday and can't comment until he reads it.