FBI Searches Jewell's Home
ATLANTA: The FBI's hunt for the terrorist or terrorists who bombed Centennial Park on Saturday remained focused today on the security guard who was called a hero for warning others about the bomb. The FBI suspects that Richard Jewell may have planted the explosives in the first place, killing one woman and injuring 111 people. FBI agents and a sniffer dog searched Jewell's apartment today, lugging away plastic evidence boxes and later towing away Jewell's pickup truck to examine it more closely. "Mr. Jewell has not been placed under arrest and has not been charged with any crime," warned FBI spokesman David Tubbs before the search, which agents conducted while Jewell sat miserably on the stoop outside his home, his head in his hands. Jewell, a former sherrif's deputy, has said he is innocent of the bombing and welcomed the search of his home, which he shares with his mother. "He wants them to search the place, find nothing and get out of (his) life," said Jewell's lawyer, Watson Bryant. TIME's Elaine Shannon says the extensive news coverage of the FBI investigation is an abberation. "Even if Jewell did plant the bomb, this close press scrutiny is terrible. Yesterday, the Bureau did not actually release any information. It was leaked to the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, and the FBI later confirmed he was a suspect. This morning, the press staked out Jewell's apartment and waited for the FBI to show up with a warrant. Usually the Bureau would just wait for an arrest before announcing anything, and so it is probably very angry. Effectively trying Jewell in the press makes the FBI look undisciplined and out of control. Besides, early warning in the papers and on TV could give the bomber a chance to destroy evidence."
-- Terence Nelan

Olympic Bombing Suspect Named
A man hailed as a hero for saving lives at the site of the Olympics Centennial Park blast may have planted the bomb. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported today in a special edition that Richard Jewell is an FBI suspect in the bombing. Jewell has basked in minor celebrity since the bombing, volunteering interviews to many news organizations. Talking to the Journal- Constitution on Monday, Jewell said, "I'm feeling bad about the victims that did occur. If I had one wish, it would be that all the people who were victims were not victims." He has not been arrested or charged with any crime, but the Bureau has confirmed that although Jewell is not a prime suspect, he is on their list. The FBI is currently checking the tape of the 911 call to see if Jewell's voice matches the recording of the "white male" who made the call, and is also looking at videotape taken in the park that night to see if Jewell can be spotted placing the bomb. While no evidence of Jewell's involvement has surfaced, there is some circumstantial evidence available. Jewell owned an olive drab backpack similar to the one seen containing the three pipe bombs, and apparently fits the FBI profile of the bomber. Says TIME's Elaine Shannon: "They don't have a whole lot of evidence on him yet, but it may come pretty quickly. Still, they're not breaking out the champagne yet." In 1984, a Los Angeles policeman planted a bomb on a bus and then played the hero when he 'discovered' his own device. "This does fit a profile," says Shannon. "There are people -- cop groupies -- who like to perpetrate crimes and then aggrandize themselves. Some even provide interviews afterward. I'm not saying he did it, but it is something the FBI is taking very seriously."
-- Terence Nelan

Security guard Richard Jewell is shown during an interview with CNN on Saturday, July 27, 1996, in this image from television. Jewell, who was called a hero for finding the bomb in Centennial Olympic Park, is now the focus of the investigation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday, July 30, 1996.

CR: CNN/AP


The Anti-Terror Bill, Part II
President Clinton met with Senate and House leaders in a bipartisan conference Monday to pinpoint new terrorism measures they might pass in the aftermath of the TWA Flight 800 explosion and the Olympic Park bombing. But they came to no agreement in the discussions, which will continue in the House Tuesday. Clinton renewed his request for expanded wiretap authority and chemical tracers in explosives, the President's pet issues that were removed from the anti-terrorism bill that he signed April 24. The first provision, often called "roving wiretaps," would allow the FBI to wiretap all telephones used by a suspected terrorist. The chemical tracer provision, opposed by the National Rifle Association and many Republican representatives, was weakened by Congress to cover only plastic explosives. Other provisions Clinton presented, according to the Associated Press: allowing terrorists to be prosecuted under federal racketeering laws; extending the statute of limitations for terrorism laws; expanding funding levels for the FBI. Afterward, Republicans and Democrats alike said they expected to move quickly. (For the record, congressional leaders said the same thing after the Oklahoma City bombing last year.) TIME's James Carney reports that they'll have to propose and pass an anti- terrorism bill this week if they want to take advantage of the edgy atmosphere that has arisen in the wake of the Olympic Park bombing. "A month-long recess of Congress begins Friday," Carney says. "If they wait until after that, they'll have the NRA to contend with. The NRA launched an effective campaign last time, which nearly gutted the anti-terrorism act, so we'll just have to see."
--Jenifer Mattos

Armed forces personnel march past the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta Saturday, July 27, 1996 following a pre-dawn explosion that killed at least one and wounded more than 100

CR: ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO -- AP


Bomb Kills At Olympics
One person was killed and up to 111 others injured when a terrorist pipe bomb tore apart a lighting tower during a concert at Centennial Olympic Park early Saturday. The bomb, which detonated at about 1:25 a.m., sent shrapnel flying into the crowd. "It's horrible -- the worst fears," Bob Brennan, a spokesman for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games said. The blast went off as over 1,000 people danced to the music of Jack Mack and the Heart Attack at the AT&T Global Village enclosure in the park. Several people spotted a suspicious leather or nylon bag placed in front of a sound technicians' booth. But police and bomb disposal experts rushing to the scene, already warned about the bomb by a mysterious 911 caller were too late to clear the area. An NBC cameraman said he saw the explosion and felt "99 percent" certain the bag was the source. As police were clearing the booth and the area around it, the bomb went off. Eyewitnesses report a billow of smoke but no fire associated with the explosion - a powerful detonation which shook the ground. Fire and rescue crews rushed to the scene, along with security personnel who cleared the area so emergency crews could respond. Alice S. Hawthorne was killed by the explosion and shortly afterwards, a Turkish television cameraman died rushing to the scene. Wounded people were beginning to leave the scene after the explosion as the streets near the park filled with ambulances, fire trucks and police cars. President Clinton declared the bombers would be brought to justice, while in Atlanta the security force grimly jacks up its readiness deploying more guards to the games' most vulnerable spot. "There was no apparent security in the park," reports TIME's Mark Coatney from Atlanta. "It's just like a city street. Anyone could walk in with a bomb, if that's what this explosion was." One thing is sure - security will be tighter than ever.
-- Terence Nelan

A body rests on the ground in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park after a blast ripped through the area, killing two people and injuring over 100. Authorites say security will be reviewed and the Olympic Games will continue.

CR: JOE TRAVER -- REUTERS


'It's Such a Shame'
TIME Online's Mark Coatney interviewed Sultan Muhammad, 34, a visitor to the games, at the site of the explosion. Muhammad was only 30 feet from the sound tower when the bomb went off. His account: "There was a loud explosion, a big bang and people fell to the ground. It wasn't like you could see fire or anything. There was a strong smell of gunpowder or something like that in the air. Immediately after the explosion people were on the ground. There were a lot of police officers hit -- maybe five or six went down. A lot of people had blood on them. People started heading for the exits. My first thought after the explosion was to go forwards and help people. But there were a lot of highly qualifed people there already, and I didn't want to interfere with them. Then I got to thinking, there are a lot of trash cans in this park, and any one of them could have a bomb in it. So I got out of there pretty fast. The police and everyone were great. They were on the scene right away, and they quickly and efficiently got everyone out of the park. And everyone there really cooperated well. I think everyone was in a state of shock. I know I was -- you don't think it could happen here. We just don't have problems like this in Atlanta. The Olympics have been going so well. It's such a shame, a shame to ruin them."
-- Mark Coatney

A suspicious package which may have contained the device which exploded early Saturday at the Centennial Olympic Park is shown in this video by an NBC cameramen who was told by authorities to leave the tower due to a bomb threat.

CR: NBC TV -- REUTERS


Clinton Condemns 'Act Of Cowardice'
President Clinton condemned the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park, calling it an "evil act of terror." At least two people died and more than 100 people were injured when a pipe bomb went off shortly after 1 a.m. during a rock concert. "This is an act of cowardice that stands in sharp contrast to the spirit of the Olympics and the courage of the athletes," Clinton said. The President expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, and praised security officials for their quick work in finding the bomb and alerting the crowd. "I want to thank the brave security personnel who were on the scene -- they saw the pack, they alerted the bomb squad, they cleared the scene," he said. "They prevented a much greater loss of life." Despite the horror of the second terrorist attack in the 100 years of the Olympics, Clinton said these are still the best guarded games. The White House, led by Vice President Al Gore's efforts, played an aggressive role in the security preparations, committing millions of dollars and thousands of military personnel to the effort. But Clinton said security officials worried about the park, knowing that because it was designed as a public gathering place, it was the most vulnerable site at the games. "The people involved in the security did a really good job planning these Olympics," Clinton said. "But we don't live in a risk-free world. On balance, I feel good about the efforts we've made down there." Clinton vowed that the United States will find the bombers. "We will track them down," he said. "We will bring them to justice." Throughout his remarks, Clinton stressed that the attack would not diminish the games. "We cannot let terrorism win," he said. "That is not the American way. We cannot be intimidated by acts of terror."
-- Josh Dubow

President Clinton addresses reporters about the pipe bomb explosion that rocked the Olympics early July 27. Clinton vowed to bring to justice those responsible for the explosion which killed two people and injured 110.

CR: BRUCE YOUNG -- REUTERS


The Legacy Of Munich
The image of armed and hooded Palestinian terrorists holding Israeli athletes and coaches hostage on a balcony in Munich has loomed over the Olympic games for the past 24 years. The eight Black September terrorists had stormed the Olympic village, killing two Israelis, taking nine hostage and demanding the release of 200 prisoners jailed in Israel. When Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir vowed never to negotiate with terrorists, a tense standoff ensued. Eventually, in a gun battle at a military airport, the nine Israelis, five of the eight Palestinians and a German police officer were killed. TIME's Bruce Nelan, who covered the '72 Olympics, says: "The Black September attack cast a complete pall of horror over the Games. Masked, gun wielding terrorists were present in the Olympic village holding hostages. The deaths of athletes violated the entire Olympic ideal. This bombing was an act of lunacy, but it was over quickly." The Israeli government called for the games to be canceled, but IOC President Avery Brundage insisted on completing them after a memorial service and 34-hour suspension of the competition. When terror returned to the Olympics this year, organizers did not hesitate to announce once again that the games would continue. The Munich massacre has left a legacy of heavy security at the Olympics. In Atlanta, the village housing more than 10,000 athletes is surrounded by a 10-foot wall, barbed wire and detection sensors along its seven- mile perimeter -- a far cry from the open dormitories of Munich. Within the complex, magnetically-coded credentials are rechecked when athletes enter the cafeteria or recreation rooms. But authorities knew that Centennial Olympic Park, an oasis of free movement in a heavily guarded city, was vulnerable. Unlike the sporting venues, which are secured like fortresses, the park was designed as a relaxed and open space where fans, with or without tickets, could mingle. That idea is being reevaluated in the wake of the bombing. The 21- acre site has been closed indefinitely as investigators comb for evidence and officials contemplate how to make the park safer. Atlanta, like Munich, will leave its own sorrowful mark on the Olympics. Already organizers of the 1998 winter games in Nagano, Japan and the 2000 summer games in Sydney have said they will reassess their security preparations in light of Saturday morning's bombing. And the Olympic park, which Atlanta organizers had envisioned as a gift to the city after the games, will stand as a legacy of a different kind. Of terror at the Olympics.
-- Josh Dubow

A member of the Arab commandos who seized the Israeli Olympic team quarters at the Munich Olympic village appears with a hood over his face on the balcony of the village building on September 5, 1972. Terrorism struck the Olympics for the first time since Munich in 1972 when a bomb exploded Saturday, July 27, 1996, in the heart of the Summer Games, killing at least two and wounding more than 200.