THE NEW AMERICAN VOL. 12 NO. 15

JULY 22, 1996

PG. 12

INSIDE REPORT

STRASSMEIR, OKC, AND THE CIA



In the June 24th issue of The New American ("More Pieces to the OKC

Puzzle"), we reported on Andreas "Andi" Strassmeir, a former lieutenant

in the German army and son of one of Germany's leading politicians, and

his links to Timothy McVeigh and a bizarre "Christian Identity" commune

in rural Oklahoma. In that article we revealed that Strassmeir had been

involved in negotiating a multi-million-dollar deal to purchase Boeing

747s for one Vincent Petruskie of Petruskie Associates in Manassas,

Virginia. Strassmeir told investigator John Michael Johnston that

Petruskie is "a former CIA guy who my father had known since he

[Petruskie] was stationed in Berlin during the Cold War." The New

American tried repeatedly, but without success, to contact Petruskie

before publishing the story. Subsequently, however, we did connect with

him. Petruskie confirmed parts of Strassmeir's story and disputed

others. Yes, Strassmeir did write some letters for him to help purchase

747s from Germany's Lufthansa Air Lines for a client of Petruskie

Associates who was starting an air cargo service in South America. But

the Lufthansa deal never panned out, Petruskie said.



As for the CIA connection, "That's totally wrong," insisted Petruskie.

"I'm a retired Air Force officer, that's all." According to Petruskie,

he was a special agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigation

(OSI), and retired as a colonel after serving from 1954 to 1975. Was he

a friend of Andreas' father? "I've never met his father; we've only

spoken over the phone."



How had Petruskie cone to know the younger Strassmeir? Andreas arrived

in the late 1980s with some other German lads for the reenactment of the

Battle of Gettysburg. The German visitors had authentic period uniforms,

rifles, bayonets, etc. and an amazingly detailed knowledge of the

battle. But they apparently had not done their homework concerning

economic realities of contemporary America and so were short of cash for

living accommodations and had no credit cards with which to rent a

vehicle. That is when a mutual friend put them in touch with Petruskie,

who put them up for a while at his home.



Strassmeir was "a mixed-up kid, a very immature 34-year-old when he came

over here," recalled Petruskie. "Andi wanted to work for the U.S.

government - DEA, Justice - undercover. [He] thought his background with

military and German government would help. I explained he'd need a green

card, education, and set him down with some people in Washington who

explained that it wasn't that simple. I think he went down to South

Carolina and then to Texas to go to school."