Fortier

For a long time, the people of Oklahoma City knew it was coming -- the day that Michael J. Fortier would get out of prison after serving time for his role in the 1995 bombing of the federal building that killed 168 people and injured 500. But as Fortier's release tomorrow approaches, the deal cut to secure his testimony against Timothy J. McVeigh and Terry L. Nichols is again gnawing at some of the survivors and relatives of the victims. They worry about a possible future threat posed by Fortier, 37, and the undisclosed terms of his release -- in particular whether he will gain federal witness protection.

For a long time, the people of Oklahoma City knew it was coming -- the day that Michael J. Fortier would get out of prison after serving time for his role in the 1995 bombing of the federal building that killed 168 people and injured 500. But as Fortier's release tomorrow approaches, the deal cut to secure his testimony against Timothy J. McVeigh and Terry L. Nichols is again gnawing at some of the survivors and relatives of the victims. They worry about a possible future threat posed by Fortier, 37, and the undisclosed terms of his release -- in particular whether he will gain federal witness protection.

DENVER -- The government's pivotal informant in the Oklahoma City bombing case -- Michael Fortier -- testified yesterday that convicted bomber Timothy J. McVeigh dropped hints that Terry L. Nichols conspired with McVeigh to blow up a federal office building.Specifically, Fortier testified that McVeigh wrote him and told him that he and Nichols were planning a "positive offensive action" against the government after the FBI's raid on a religious cult near Waco, Texas, in 1993.For the 28-year-old Fortier, it was his second time as a government witness in the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

WASHINGTON - With his second-term priorities stalling and his approval ratings in the doldrums, President Bush is making new efforts to reassure the public about the war in Iraq and the health of the economy, hoping to reclaim the support he needs to re-energize his ambitious agenda. Bush, known for his flair for using his popularity and the powers of the presidency to define debates and push through his initiatives, has stumbled in recent weeks, raising doubts about his ability to accomplish key goals, including remaking Social Security and the tax code and enacting a new immigration policy.

As a teacher and then a principal of New All Saints School in Northwest Baltimore, Henry Fortier was a father figure to 148 middle-schoolers, many of them with only their mothers at home. But he wasn't a father. Mark Bernard was the first child to enter Aunt Hattie's Place, a group home for foster boys. The staffers gave themselves names like "Uncle Eric" and "Uncle Stan" to make the boys feel like family. But they weren't family -- not really. One day, Mark, a student at New All Saints, walked up to Fortier, then a teacher.

Basketball Global Basketball Association -- Announced that the league has ceased operations.HockeyLos Angeles Kings -- Traded RW Bob Kudelski to the Ottawa Senators for C Marc Fortier and RW Jim Thomson.Pittsburgh Penguins -- Recalled C Martin Straka from IHL Cleveland.

DENVER -- Several months before the Oklahoma City bombing, Timothy J. McVeigh said Terry L. Nichols "no longer wanted to help him mix the bomb," the government's chief witness testified yesterday."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- With the long-awaited indictment expected today in the Oklahoma City bombing case, the attorney for the government's leading witness disclosed that Michael Fortier could end up serving as long as 23 years in prison for his role.The sentence would carry no chance of parole and, even with good time served, Mr. Fortier would most likely spend about 20 years behind bars. It is a punishment that officials hope will show that the U.S. government is not willing to go easy on any of those involved in the worst terrorist attack in the nation's history.

DENVER -- In evidence that could lead to separate trials in the Oklahoma City bombing case, two key government witnesses maintain that Timothy J. McVeigh and Terry L. Nichols had a falling out in the period between when the bomb ingredients were purchased and the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was destroyed.According to legal documents filed here since the case was moved from Oklahoma City, lead prosecutor Joseph Hartzler said witnesses Michael and Lori Fortier were aware of a split between Mr. McVeigh and Mr. Nichols over whether to carry out the blast that ultimately claimed 168 lives in April.

The Halifax Citadels spoiled Baltimore's chance to gain ground in the American Hockey League's Southern Division by beating the Skipjacks, 5-4, at the Baltimore Arena last night.Meanwhile, goalie Grant Fuhr, playing his first game since being reinstated from a year's drug suspension, helped the Cape Breton Oilers to a 5-3 victory over the first-place Rochester Americans. A Skipjacks victory would have cut the Americans' lead to three points.Fuhr is eligible to rejoin the Edmonton Oilers, Cape Breton's parent team, Monday.

As a teacher and then a principal of New All Saints School in Northwest Baltimore, Henry Fortier was a father figure to 148 middle-schoolers, many of them with only their mothers at home. But he wasn't a father. Mark Bernard was the first child to enter Aunt Hattie's Place, a group home for foster boys. The staffers gave themselves names like "Uncle Eric" and "Uncle Stan" to make the boys feel like family. But they weren't family -- not really. One day, Mark, a student at New All Saints, walked up to Fortier, then a teacher.

DENVER -- Several months before the Oklahoma City bombing, Timothy J. McVeigh said Terry L. Nichols "no longer wanted to help him mix the bomb," the government's chief witness testified yesterday."

DENVER -- The government's pivotal informant in the Oklahoma City bombing case -- Michael Fortier -- testified yesterday that convicted bomber Timothy J. McVeigh dropped hints that Terry L. Nichols conspired with McVeigh to blow up a federal office building.Specifically, Fortier testified that McVeigh wrote him and told him that he and Nichols were planning a "positive offensive action" against the government after the FBI's raid on a religious cult near Waco, Texas, in 1993.For the 28-year-old Fortier, it was his second time as a government witness in the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

DENVER -- The top prosecutor in the Oklahoma City bombing case, Joseph H. Hartzler, plans to step down after the trial of Timothy J. McVeigh -- a move that could complicate the subsequent trial of co-defendant Terry L. Nichols, according to sources on both sides of the case.In addition, the prosecution's second-in-command, Larry A. Mackey, is considering leaving the government team after McVeigh's trial ends, most likely summer.The shake-up among government lawyers -- a situation that the sources said stems from personal choices by both men -- would come at a critical juncture in the criminal prosecution of the worst terrorist attack in America, the destruction of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building two years ago.A switch in the leadership of the prosecution team could delay the start of the Nichols trial, which is to begin after McVeigh's trial ends.

Catholic Relief Services has lost workers to violence in the line of duty, the latest being Dimitri Lascaris, a Greek national slain in 1995 while handing out food in Burundi, Central Africa.But nothing compares with July 28, 1945. That was the day a military plane cut a terrible swath through the young agency dedicated to helping war victims and the poor.In one of the country's most sensational airplane accidents, the twin-engine B-25 bomber slammed into the Empire State Building in New York City directly at the point on the 79th floor where the relief agency had its headquarters.

DENVER -- In evidence that could lead to separate trials in the Oklahoma City bombing case, two key government witnesses maintain that Timothy J. McVeigh and Terry L. Nichols had a falling out in the period between when the bomb ingredients were purchased and the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was destroyed.According to legal documents filed here since the case was moved from Oklahoma City, lead prosecutor Joseph Hartzler said witnesses Michael and Lori Fortier were aware of a split between Mr. McVeigh and Mr. Nichols over whether to carry out the blast that ultimately claimed 168 lives in April.

Catholic Relief Services has lost workers to violence in the line of duty, the latest being Dimitri Lascaris, a Greek national slain in 1995 while handing out food in Burundi, Central Africa.But nothing compares with July 28, 1945. That was the day a military plane cut a terrible swath through the young agency dedicated to helping war victims and the poor.In one of the country's most sensational airplane accidents, the twin-engine B-25 bomber slammed into the Empire State Building in New York City directly at the point on the 79th floor where the relief agency had its headquarters.

WASHINGTON -- Six weeks after the Oklahoma City bombing, federal authorities have unearthed little evidence that the plot involved anyone other than the two men already charged, law enforcement officials say.Nevertheless, investigators have refused to shelve their theory of a larger conspiracy, driven by a belief that so enormous a crime could not have been carried out by just two people and tantalized by witnesses who report fleeting glimpses of another suspect,...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- With the long-awaited indictment expected today in the Oklahoma City bombing case, the attorney for the government's leading witness disclosed that Michael Fortier could end up serving as long as 23 years in prison for his role.The sentence would carry no chance of parole and, even with good time served, Mr. Fortier would most likely spend about 20 years behind bars. It is a punishment that officials hope will show that the U.S. government is not willing to go easy on any of those involved in the worst terrorist attack in the nation's history.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The government is preparing to seek grand jury indictments of at least three people in the Oklahoma City bombing case, including Michael Fortier, a friend of the two principal suspects who is expected to plead guilty and become a key government witness, sources close to the case said yesterday.A gun enthusiast who has a deep distrust of the federal government, Mr. Fortier is not expected to be named as a direct participant in the bombing April 19 of the federal office building here -- the worst mass murder on U.S. soil.