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Ashcroft meets with OKC bombing survivors, families of victims

Ashcroft will announce Wednesday whether Oklahoma City bombing victims' families will be allowed to watch McVeigh's execution on closed-circuit television.

OKLAHOMA CITY (CNN) -- Attorney General John Ashcroft toured the memorial and museum marking the Oklahoma City bombing Tuesday and said he will he do "what I can to accommodate the needs of these families."

Ashcroft said he will discuss with family members and victims of the Oklahoma City bombing whether to allow them to see the execution of convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh on closed-circuit television.

He said he wanted to "harmonize the needs of these individuals who have been victims" with the rules of the prison system.

CHAT TRANSCRIPT Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck chat about their book, "American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing."  VIDEO The mother of one bombing victim says she needs to see McVeigh's execution. CNN's Susan Candiotti talks with her Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) In new book, Timothy McVeigh expresses no remorse. CNN's Susan Candiotti reports Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)  RESOURCES Newsmaker Profiles: Timothy McVeigh Read Timothy McVeigh's agreement with the Coroner of Vigo County, Indiana - March 9, 2001 (FindLaw) (PDF format)* *Documents in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing.  MESSAGE BOARD Death penalty

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Ashcroft said he will "be cautious" about a policy he will announce before the end of the week. "There are obviously ways that will minimize the ability of this convicted terrorist, murderer, to make his points," said Ashcroft referring to McVeigh. "I am here to hear today from these affected families and this community about their desires ...."

One of the survivors of the bombing said Tuesday it is important for people like him "to be able to tell others in the future that they knew and were present at the time on the calendar and on the clock when this individual could never get out of prison, escape from prison, or hurt anybody else in their family or in anybody else's family."

Paul Heath, who was in the Alfred Murrah federal building on April 19, 1995 and survived, told CNN he thought survivors and families of the victims should be allowed to see the execution.

"I think it's only reasonable that we allow the 250 qualified viewers which are victims of the people who died and injured survivors to watch by closed circuit television in similar fashion that we did during the trial so that we don't have to make that 13 hour trip to Terre Haute, Indiana," said Heath.

He said some people will want to go to Indiana, but he felt that watching by closed-circuit would be "far less victimizing for them."

Both Ashcroft and the Bureau of Prisons, which is an agency of the Justice Department, have expressed a desire to accommodate the wishes of the Oklahoma City families to view the execution.

McVeigh's execution by lethal injection, the first federal death penalty to be carried out since 1963, is scheduled for May 16 at the U.S. Penitentiary at Terre Haute.

Only eight representatives of the victims' families will be allowed to witness the execution from a room adjacent to the death chamber.

Ashcroft and Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, director of the Bureau of Prisons, are also expected to announce whether they will allow televised interviews with McVeigh in the weeks leading up to his execution. Justice Department officials have privately debated for weeks what their policy will be with regard to granting televised interviews of any of the 20 inmates on federal death row in Terre Haute.

Attorneys for McVeigh have said the convicted bomber has agreed to about five televised interviews if the Bureau of Prisons allows them.

Ashcroft also plans to discuss procedures to be followed in the event McVeigh changes his mind in his final hours and announces he wishes to resume his legal appeals.

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March 19, 2001
Terrorism changes mind of death penalty opponents
March 6, 2001
McVeigh's attorney: 'I'm extremely disappointed'
February 16, 2001
Timothy McVeigh clemency deadline Thursday
February 12, 2001
McVeigh scheduled to die by lethal injection May 16
January 16, 2001
Judge says McVeigh can drop appeals
December 28, 2000
Roger Cossack on McVeigh request to end death penalty appeals
December 28, 2000
Oklahoma City bombing victims remembered, 5 years later
April 19, 2000
McVeigh: Gulf War killings led him on path to disillusionment
March 13, 2000
Grand jury finds McVeigh, Nichols acted alone in Oklahoma bombing
December 30, 1998
Oklahoma City bombing trial
March 1997
Timothy McVeigh and the death penalty
December 1996
McVeigh, Nichols plead not guilty in bombing
August 13, 1996

Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of Justice
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Oklahoma State Government
Death Penalty Information Center
U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons

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