Framed by the FBI: A dozen reasons the 'Omaha Two' deserve a new trial (5 of 6)

Mondo we Langa

J. Edgar Hoover, the powerful director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, had secretly established a massive, nationwide clandestine operation code-named COINTELPRO to conduct "disruption" activity against the Black Panthers and thousands of other organizations and individuals.  Hoover wanted to destroy the Black Panthers and went after them with lethal ferocity. 

The Omaha FBI office drew fire from Hoover on December 10, 1969, for a lack of action against the local Panther chapter.  Hoover ordered in a COINTELPRO memo, "As long as there are BPP [Black Panther Party] activities, you should be giving consideration to that type of counterintelligence measure which would best disrupt existing activities."

Hoover wanted secret dirty tricks directed at the leaders of the Panthers.  "It is assumed that of the eight to twelve members, one or two must certainly be in a position of leadership.  You should give consideration to counterintelligence measures directed against these leaders in an effort to weaken or destroy their positions.  Bureau has noted that you have not submitted any concrete counterintelligence proposals in recent months.  Evaluate your approach to this program and insure that it is given the imaginative attention necessary to produce effective results.  Handle promptly and submit your proposals for approval."

The Omaha Special-Agent-in-Charge got the message and a series of COINTELPRO actions were planned against Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa.  Mondo edited the local newsletter and distributed the Black Panther newspaper.  An FBI plan to ambush the Panthers on their way from the airport with newspapers was developed.  Contact was made with United Airlines Air Freight to determine pick-up schedules.  Irregular delivery of the newspaper to Omaha frustrated the FBI efforts to "disrupt" distribution of the paper.

Next, in March 1970, the Omaha FBI devised, and got Hoover's approval, for a plan to discredit Poindexter with a bogus letter and anonymous phone calls.  The recipients of the FBI letters were Black Realities, "a local Negro publication; Everyone Magazine, "a monthly Negro publication published on Omaha's North Side"; and the Omaha Star, "a weekly Negro newspaper."  The letters and calls accused Poindexter of falsely soliciting for bail money.  Hoover reminded the Omaha FBI office, "Take the usual security precautions to insure this letter and mailing cannot be traced to the Bureau."

Another COINTELPRO proposal was made in Omaha on August 15th, two days before Larry Minard's murder, targeting Poindexter.  There was a dispute within the Black Panther Party over the status of the Omaha chapter and the Omaha World-Herald reported on the possible split in an article quoting Poindexter.  The Omaha FBI wanted to write another bogus letter trying to drive a wedge in the Panthers and accused Poindexter of cooperating with "Whiteys newspaper" in the ruse.

On August 17th, an unknown caller told police that a woman was screaming in a vacant house.  Eight officers responded but only seven would leave the crime scene alive.  Instead of a rape victim police found a deadly suitcase bomb.

On August 19th, Hoover would order the FBI Crime Laboratory to not issue a report on a voice analysis of Minard's killer's voice luring police recorded by the 911 emergency call system.  The search for truth to the identity of the caller who set the fatal trap ended with Hoover's order. 

The new COINTELPRO plan was to convict Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa for the bombing--even if that meant letting the killer who actually made the phone call go free.

New Trial Reason Ten:  A mystery, "questionable" adolescent federal informant 

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