In New Book, Unabomber Stipulates Conditions for Forgiving His Brother

In a new book, Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski says that he could forgive his brother for turning him in on two conditions: that he leaves his wife and actively works against modern society.

“In this way, he would not only earn my personal forgiveness; what is more important, he would be cleansed and redeemed of his treason against the values that he once held in common with me and many other people,” Kaczynski wrote of his brother, David.

Excerpts of the book, “Truth Versus Lies,” were printed in the New York Times on Monday. It is due to be published this spring.

Kaczynski, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole last year after pleading guilty to the Unabomber killings, says that he could introduce his brother to environmental radicals who would accept him if he repented.

The theme of the book, containing Kaczynski’s first public comments since his 1996 arrest, is that he is not mentally ill, contrary to what his lawyers claimed. His family agreed to that defense, he says, to avert a trial that could potentially bring out embarrassing family secrets, including that he was abused.

Anthony Bisceglie, a lawyer for David Kaczynski and their mother, Wanda, said that investigators looked closely at that allegation and concluded that Theodore was not abused. “This is symptomatic of Ted’s illness,” he said.

Kaczynski does not acknowledge in the 548-page manuscript that he is the Unabomber, whose anti-technology bombing campaign killed three people and injured at least 22 others between 1978 and Kaczynski’s arrest.