Ollie North Mythology

Someone sent me the usual garbage--about how Oliver North, years ago, warned Congress about Osama bin Laden--and how Sen. Gore was stupidly skeptical.

My smart friend Lenore--an authority on hoaxes--noted that the message was more suitable for Ollie Hardy than Ollie North, referring me to websites dealing with this particular hoax.

Hoaxes and Urban Legends: The Oliver North / Osama bin Ladin / Al Gore hoax

snopes.com: Oliver North Warns About Bin Laden Rumor

snopes.com: Mohammed Atta Released


She also noted that

1. Al Gore wasn't even ON that committee!
2. The terrorist North said he feared was Abu Nidel.
3. The bus bomber and the hijacker are two different men with the same name, Mohammed Atta. The U.S. jailed the first guy for three years, then extradited him to Israel for prosecution, and they convicted him. He was still in prison when the other guy was living here and learning to fly a plane.

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So, here is what I wrote:

Snopes says this is 100% True!!!

Ollie North was testifying before Congress in 1971—

He warned the legislators of a terrible man named Osama bin Laden, saying that Congress should be mindful of the threat of highjacked airplanes—especially in the fall—and he passionately urged them to buy a stock called Microsoft--

“That’s nonsense!” said one powerful legislator. “How could you know all that?” He laughed and laughed at such silliness.

Do you know who that legislator was?

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT!!!

P.S. FDR also claimed that he invented the Internet.

Snopes verifies the absolute accuracy of this account.

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Comments I received: FDR was dead before North testified!