9/11: More than meets the eye
Discussion of the very real doubts over the World Trade Center attacks was conspicuously absent from the US presidential race. But America's international image will always be tainted as long as the uncertainty remains
Richard Falk
Sunday 09 November 2008, The Journal Issue 13
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Every so often attention is called anew to the doubts surrounding the true character of the events surrounding the 9/11 attacks. Recently, the report of the collapse of Building 7 represented such an occasion. Any close student of 9/11 is aware of the many serious discrepancies between the official version of what took place and the actual happenings on that fateful day in 2001. David Ray Griffin and others have analyzed and assessed these discrepancies in such an objective and compelling fashion that only wilful ignorance can maintain that the 9/11 narrative should be treated as a closed book, and that the public should move on to address the problems of the day.
To accept such a view is to acquiesce in what can be described at best as governmental evasiveness and irresponsibility, a resolve to leave the discrepancies unexplained. It is not paranoid under such circumstances to assume that the established elites of the American governmental structure have something to hide, and much to explain. What has not been established by the “9/11 Truth Movement” is a convincing counter-narrative – that is, an alternate version of the events that clears up to what degree, if at all, the attacks resulted from incompetence, deliberate inaction, and outright complicity.
For democratic government to work, citizens must never refrain from seeking answers to the most difficult questions. Here, what is at stake is enormous. It is not only the memory of those killed and deprived by the attacks, but also the fashioning of a climate of opinion that gave rise to international wars, as well as led to widespread denial of rights under the pretext of “homeland security” and counter-terrorism. There is also a profound challenge to the legitimacy of a governing process that stands accused of letting such crimes take place, if not aiding and abetting their commission and subsequent cover-up.
It might be asked whether it is not just an expression of morbid curiosity for non-Americans to harp on this issue of finding out the truth about what happened on 9/11. My response is that what takes place in the United States often has global reverberations, and never more so than in this instance. The US is the first truly global state in history, with its military presence established worldwide by more than 700 overseas bases, by navies in every ocean, and by the military domination of space.
The brighter side of US influence was revealed recently by the sense of peoples around the world that the election of Barack Obama as the new American president was a global event, and not just a national election. But what should be obvious is that the 9/11 experience has been relied upon to wage bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to underwrite a disastrously conceived “war on terror” that should be concern of everyone on the planet.
From this perspective, and given the dark cloud of doubt that lingers over the official 9/11 narrative, why was the issue not even discussed during the many months of presidential campaigning? As far as I know it was never mentioned. And the explanation is not the urgency associated with the widening economic crisis or the tactical interest of the Democrats to avoid offending Republicans in their search for support across party lines. The truth is deeper, and far more disturbing.
As far as I can tell, the real explanation is a widely shared fear of what sinister forces might lay beneath the unturned stones of a full and honest investigation of 9/11. Ever since the assassinations in the 1960s of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X there has been waged a powerful campaign against “conspiracy theory” that has made anyone who dares question the official story to be branded as a kook or some kind of unhinged troublemaker. In this climate of opinion, any political candidate for high office who dared raise doubts about the official version of 9/11 would immediately be branded as unfit, and would lose all political credibility. It is impossible to compete in any public arena in the United States if a person comes across as a “9/11 doubter.”
A few talk show hosts, investigative citizens, and publishers have kept a low flame of controversy burning sufficiently to sustain a large and growing grassroots constituency that shares the view that the truth about the 9/11 events is not yet known, or more radically, that the truth is known but being actively suppressed. These doubters are determined to continue their difficult quest for truth, and this could possibly result in disclosures at some point that are sufficiently dramatic to force the issue onto the public stage – where it belongs.
The persisting inability to resolve this fundamental controversy about 9/11 subtly taints the legitimacy of the American government. It can only be removed by a willingness, however belated, to reconstruct the truth of that day, and to reveal the story behind its prolonged suppression. What exactly that truth would be is certainly unknowable at present, and even an honest, collaborative effort might never altogether remove doubts. But that honest effort is just what should be demanded and expected by persons of good will everywhere.
Richard A. Falk is Professor of International Law and Practice at Princeton University, and an appointee to two United Nations positions on the Palestinian territories
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Comment
good to see there are some people that whant the truth on 911,im one of them! and bulding 7 is the tip of the iceburge!
the grief of bereaved families struggling to get a real investigation
(available on video google - "9/11 press for truth")
inspired me to become part of the 9/11 truth movement
I am a sane rational, intelligent and multi-lingual maths graduate earning 50k per year
not some kook!
i look at this issue scientifically:
resources
the website for architects and engineers for 9/11 truth is a good starting point
also on video google you can find:
blueprint for truth
zero: an investigation into 9/11
loose change 2nd edition final cut
fabled enemies
anything featuring david ray griffin
and the home page on my web browser- i set it to:
www.911truth.org
cheers,
from douglas- find me by searching in www.meetup.com and search for
truthaction london
the grief of bereaved families struggling to get a real investigation
(available on video google - "9/11 press for truth")
inspired me to become part of the 9/11 truth movement
I am a sane rational, intelligent and multi-lingual maths graduate earning 50k per year
not some kook!
i look at this issue scientifically:
resources
the website for architects and engineers for 9/11 truth is a good starting point
also on video google you can find:
blueprint for truth
zero: an investigation into 9/11
loose change 2nd edition final cut
fabled enemies
anything featuring david ray griffin
and the home page on my web browser- i set it to:
www.911truth.org
cheers,
from douglas- find me by searching in www.meetup.com and search for
truthaction london
Professor Falk's concern about the official account of 9/11 is shared by many U.S. intelligence service and military veterans.
- Raymond McGovern, PhD, former Chairman of the CIA's National Intelligence Estimates (NIE) and 27-year CIA veteran. "I think at simplest terms, there's a cover-up. The 9/11 Report is a joke." (According to the CIA, NIE's are "the most authoritative written judgments concerning national security issues.")
- William Christison, former Director of the CIA's Office of Regional and Political Analysis, overseeing 250 CIA analysts. 29-year CIA veteran. "I now think there is persuasive evidence that the events of September did not unfold as the Bush administration and the 9/11 Commission would have us believe. ... An airliner almost certainly did not hit The Pentagon. ... The North and South Towers of the World Trade Center almost certainly did not collapse and fall to earth because hijacked aircraft hit them."
- Melvin Goodman, PhD, former Division Chief of the CIA's Office of Soviet Affairs and Senior Analyst from 1966 - 1990. "The final [9/11 Commission] report is ultimately a coverup. I don't know how else to describe it."
- General Albert Stubblebine, former commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence. 32-year U.S. Army veteran. "I look at the hole in the Pentagon and I look at the size of an airplane that was supposed to have hit the Pentagon. And I said, ‘The plane does not fit in that hole’. So what did hit the Pentagon? What hit it? Where is it? What's going on?"
For decades, these individuals were relied upon to collect information essential to national security of the U.S. and provide critical analysis during which time the U.S. faced far more real and much more serious threats than anything today. We cannot now ignore their stunning condemnation of the official account of 9/11.
Information about 1,000 other credible critics of the official account of 9/11 is available at http://PatriotsQuestion911.com
Thank you, Professor Falk for your integrity and willingness to publicly discuss and question this taboo topic.
Betsy Metz
9/11 Truth Activist,
Wayne, PA
Meetup.com: "9 /11 (And Beyond) Documentaries, Wayne, PA" - FREE Screenings. The 3rd Thursday of each month @ the Anthony Wayne Movie Theater, 5 & 7 pm.
Films that question the official 9/11 story, and more.
Sign up for notifications at: www.9-11.meetup.com/401
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower, farewell address, 1961
"To destroy this invisible government, to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day."
-- Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 Platform of the Progressive Party
Actually, a Presidential candidtate did comment on 9-11 truth, the same person, who as a member of Congress, brought up questions in 2002, bringing down much acrimony and ridicule upon herself.
Cynthia McKinney, Green Party candidate, mentioned 9=11 truth in her acceptance speech, and during her campaign. http://www.911blogger.com/node/16634
There was a blackout by the corporate media of her campaign. The only time she was mentioned was disparagingly. This is how the corporate media deals with threatening candidates, and Americans are very willing to go along with it. She only received 170,000 votes.
Interestingly enough, although one month before, both corporate candidates interrupted their campaigns to go to Wash,DC and vote for a $700 billion bailout to the finance industry, causing great uproar among the American people and vows to never vote for those who sold them down the river, 99% of voters voted for one of the two.
Propaganda reigns in the USA
140+ Senior Military, Intelligence Service, Law Enforcement, and Government Officials question 911.
610+ Architects and Engineers question 911
140+ Pilots and Aviation Professionals question 911
310+ Professors question 911
210+ survivors and family member question 911
170+ Artists, Entertainers, and Media Professional question 911
Read statements on patriotsquestion911.com
It might have escaped many that the US Government has a duty under international human rights law to adequately investigate massive violations to the right to life, or in other worlds, mass killings, such as 9/11. This duty is one of the derivatives of the Right to Life. States are obligated to protect this right against encroachment, including to search and prosecute offenders. The US Government miserably failed this duty. For this reason, it is now up to the UN Human Rights body to take up the issue and demand an international investigation of the events of 9/11, something similar to the investigation of the killing of the Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri. If such an investigation (of the murder of one politician) is warranted, it is obvious that an investigation of 9/11 is both urgent, necessary and of crucial importance for the international community.
Elias Davidsson,
Alfter, Germany
IT AMAZES ME THAT THIS PAST ELECTION WAS MORE ABOUT ECOMNO, THEN THE IRAQ WAR AND THE THOUSANDS OF MILITARY SOLDIERS DEATHS AND THE 911 ATTACK. WE NOW SEEN THE MANY BOO! HOO! FACES OF AMERICA'''S MORE WORRY ABOUT THIER LOSING THEIR HOMES AND JOBS THAN THEIR CONSTITUTIOINAL / CIVIL RIGHTS. I GIVE (O) FEELINGS TO MY COUNTRYMEN. WE DID NOTHING TO STOP THIS BUSH/ CHENEY/ CONGRESS LOSER GOVERNMENT. THOUGH THIS IS SADDING MY HEART TO SAY, WE DESERVE EVERTHING THAT IS COMING TO US. AS A FORMER VET I AM NOT PROUD OF MY COUNTRY ANY MORE!!!!!!!
It is clear to me that elements of the United States government planned and orchestrated 9/11. With all of the obvious inconsistencies and impossible explanations set forth by the 9/11 commission, why is it that no mainstream media in the United States even asks questions about these inconsistencies and outrages lies. Why is it that no presidential candidate mentions the implausibility of the official 9/11 conspiracy theory.
Why is it that no one other than Congressman Ron Paul points to one of the major causes of the financial crisis in this country and the world to be Federal Reserve Bank. Why is it that no candidate ever mentions the fact that the electronic voting machines in this country are completely porous and are not secure from hacking. Why is it that no presidential candidate came right out and said that George Bush and Dick Cheney lied about weapons of mass destruction so that they could attack Iraq to control its oil and to start a fake war on terror.
These topics and many more can be found on my website which is www.911insidejob.net.
Some of the outrageous lies about 9/11
By Joseph A. Lopisi
It is hard to pick a place to start in terms of talking about the most outrageous lies that the Bush administration and the 9/11 Commission have presented to the people in this country as a reason to attack Afghanistan and Iraq and to launch a “fake war on terror”.
The reason I say this is that I have been reading articles and watching videos about the lies and deceptions surrounding 9/11 for the past three years. If anything, there are so many obvious unanswered questions about 9/11. However, not only has no one answered any of these questions but in fact no one in the mainstream media nor anyone in the United States Congress except for Representative Kucinich and Cynthia McKinney have even asked these questions.
Some of these questions are:
1. How is it that at the crash site of Flight 93, NBC and Fox News on September 11, 2001 reported on the scene with video coverage that there was no sign of a jetliner, engines, bodies or luggage? You can go to my website which is www.911insidejob.net and watch this video report which is on my home page. It has never been shown again on the mainstream media.
2. How is it that three steel framed buildings on September 11, 2001 fell in freefall time on their footprint? If you watch the two Towers collapse, it is obvious that they are being blown up. No steel framed building prior to this date or after this date has ever collapsed due to fire. Many steel framed buildings have experienced burning infernos for many hours and never collapsed. WTC 7, a 50 story steel framed building, had two small fires in it with no noticeable structural damage when it collapsed on his footprint in freefall time at about 5:40 pm on September 11. You can watch this building collapse on the homepage my website.
3. How is it that the most protected building in the world, the Pentagon, was hit by a commercial jetliner that was being tracked by Vice President Cheney in the basement of the White House for over one hour? Transportation Secretary Mineta testified under oath that he witnessed a member of the United States military ask Vice President Cheney several times whether the order still stood relative to not shooting down the oncoming plane. Vice President Cheney’s answer was that the order still stands. You can watch Secretary Mineta’s testimony on the home page of my website. The Pentagon is protected by a battery of antiaircraft guns that would automatically shoot down any plane that does not have a United States military transponder on it.
4. How is it that only five frames have been presented by this government to show supposedly what hit the Pentagon on that date. The Pentagon has surveillance cameras ringing the top exterior ring of the building. The FBI within 10 minutes of the attack were confiscating surveillance films from local businesses around the Pentagon. None of these confiscated surveillance films have been released. I would bet that a satellite sits above Washington, DC 24 hours every day and would have very good video images showing what hit the Pentagon.
5. How is it that a large commercial jetliner was able to crash into the first floor of the Pentagon and punch a round hole through three rings of the Pentagon which is constructed of steel reinforced concrete? The nose of a commercial jetliner is made of aluminum.
6. Why is it that Jamie McIntyre of CNN reported on the front lawn of the Pentagon on September 11 that from his vantage point it did not look like a commercial jetliner had crashed into the Pentagon? Why is it that this report has never been shown on mainstream media but can be seen on my website? Why is it that we have not heard another word from Jamie McIntyre or CNN regarding this report?
7. How was it that four commercial airliners were able to roam at will the northeastern sector of the United States without being intercepted? Of course, Flight 93 was intercepted and shot down by the U.S. military. The northeastern sector of the United States is the most protected airspace in the world. There are several Air Force bases very close to Washington, DC and no jets from these Air Force bases came close to intercepting the plane that hit the Pentagon, despite the fact that Vice President Cheney knew the plane was heading towards Washington, DC for almost an hour.
I could go on and on but I will leave that to those who consider the truth about what happened on 9/11 to be important. You can go to my website or many other 9/11 websites and start reading about how outrageous the official 9/11 story is. You can go to www.youtube.com and watch five videos that I have produced under my call name which is “bushguiltyof911”.
Vice President Cheney met with the heads of the various oil companies right after Bush took office. When the public wanted to know who was there and what they were talking about, Vice President Cheney fought this request to the United States Supreme Court (the same court that elected George Bush in 2000) where he won. They were talking about attacking Iraq in order to gain control of their oil fields. They were talking about attacking Afghanistan to take over the construction of a gas pipeline through Afghanistan. The Taliban, prior to September 11, 2001, had already said no to the Bush administration’s request that an American company, Unical, construct the gas pipeline and in response President Bush said to the Taliban that the United States would attack them in October 2001. We did.
The Bush administration’s purpose in planning and orchestrating 9/11 was to create an atmosphere of fear in this country so that the military/industrial/oil/private central banking complex could start their fake war on terror which included attacking Afghanistan and Iraq and probably … in the near future. None of this would have been possible without the United States Congress and the corporately owned mainstream media being complicit in so far as not questioning the official 9/11 conspiracy theory but in fact labeling anyone who does question the official 9/11 conspiracy theory as a “conspiracy nut”.
Why is it that neither the United States Congress nor the mainstream media question the counting of our votes by electronic voting machines made by companies owned and controlled by neoconservative Republicans? It has been shown extensively and publicly that these electronic voting machines are completely hackable, even remotely, by a high school student. Nevertheless, these machines count approximately 80% of our votes. Why is it that the United States Congress does not require the manufacturers of these machines to make the internal software available for inspection by us before and after these machines count our votes.
Why is it that only Ron Paul speaks out about the scam of the Federal Reserve Bank? Go to my website where I have several streaming videos on my homepage that simply and clearly explain the scam that the Federal Reserve Bank perpetrates on all of us and has done so since its creation. What they call a “business cycle” is actually an intentional manipulation of the money supply for the sole benefit of the cartel of private banks that own the Federal Reserve Bank. The Federal Reserve Bank prints money and then lends it to this government at interest. Much of our income tax payments go to paying the interest on this loan of paper money that has no backing.
We must not vote for anyone who does not speak out about the lies and deceptions regarding 9/11, the removal of all electronic voting machines from the election process and the termination of the Federal Reserve Bank. Of course, there must be term limits and only public financing of national elections.
Joseph A. Lopisi is an attorney and the webmaster of www.911insidejob.net. He is the cofounder of the Massachusetts 9/11 Truth Group and is a member of the Coalition against Election Fraud. You can contact him through the e-mail function on his website.
(Countercurrents.org)
To:JOHN IRIVNE
thank you for keeping me a free man ! I'm not to proud of my country but i have a daughter thats 8 years old and i whant her to be free as well, i will fight for that and the truth ! it seems that WE THE PEOPLE need to be WE THE PEOPLE AGAIN ! and put the heads of state on the chopping block !
We know most of the posted points.How about the tidbits that seem to be missed?
Military budget $2.3 trillion missing reported by Rummie on Sept 10/01. How about the $millions payout to victums 911 families and where did the Slavation Army get the funds for the payout and their USA forced payout and did the government force conditions on acceptance of money--no law suits on Government and airport.
Want to know where the lost money went---Israel--good job done and keep quiet. Good doggie :^(
missing money,comminsence tells me that our missing trillions whent in to the pockets of key people to keep them quiet,just like the missing unmand predators that made the 16 ft. hole in the pentagone! but thats just my opinion!
Fantastic article. I have posted the article to my blog with complete credit to the newspaper and author. http://corruptpower.com
Once again great job for coming forth.
Why the spitting hissy-fits anytime someone expresses doubt about 9/11? Yes, because ANY question that grabs public attention could topple the entire edifice. That's part of it. But there is more: many who have no particular love for Bush or the wars are worried that even one road might lead to Israel. Sure, most roads lead to Bush-Cheney. But even if Israel merely knew and went along, some fear the reaction could be another holocaust here in the USA. Sure, they are paranoid. But if your grandparents went through the real holocaust, you probably don't want to hear about how "it can't happen here." You probably aren't sure what really happened and you probably don't want to find out. Given that history, the spitting hissy fits are surprisingly harmless. I empathize, but I cannot remain silent.
Do none of you folks see the irony in the fact that you've spent nearly 20 posts wailing amongst yourselves about being silenced without any conceivable sign of said silencing? The only ones creating the image of some sort of an underground moment are yourselves. I'm sure it's jolly good fun to feel part of, but I can't help but feel your arguments might hold more sway were you to cut the martyr act. "I cannot remain silent!" I nearly choked on my horlicks.
ah, lewis... ignorance is bliss, is it not?
good thing for you, the television tells everything we need to know about 9/11. i only wish i were as incurious as yourself about such matters.
about the comment from lewis
i remember when i was first shown 9/11 truth by a relative and i thought:
"no way, you loser- you've been tricked by some internet hoax."
we'll get nowhere by insulting people like lewis
even if they insult us- i was lewis once!!!
and to lewis:
its easy to track me down- if you come to talk face to face i'll buy you a drink just for having the nerve to come
11th of every month, mate
www.meetup.com/truthaction-london
07507560052 to find me if weve moved from the meeting point
lets have debate!!!
Collection of David Ray Griffin media
He is David Ray Griffin . . . he is my father . . . and my mother . . . my brother . . . my friend. He is you . . . and me. He is all of us.
http://www.radiodujour.com/people/griffin_david_ray