Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] can we hold our own spoons?

Todd Wulfmeyer Todd Wulfmeyer" <hasil@wimberley-tx.com
Fri, 14 Sep 2001 00:20:45 -0500


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_002E_01C13CB3.18CD3A00
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Welcome to the New and Improved Police State:=20
Commentary on the WTC Attacks



David McGowan=20
September 12, 2001=20

"We are going to see a great number of articles in the future from =
so-called experts and public officials. They will warn about more =
violence, more kidnappings, and more terrorists. Mass media, the armed =
forces, and intelligence agencies will saturate our lives with fascist =
scare tactics and 'predictions' that have already been planned to come =
true."=20
'Conspiracy theorist' Mae Brussell, 1974=20

I have a friend with whom I frequently disagree on matters of politics. =
He thinks that I am a crazed conspiracy theorist and I think that he is =
a reactionary fascist. There was one thing that we agreed on though. A =
few weeks ago, I told him that our fearless leaders seemed to be veering =
dangerously close to unleashing 'tactical' nuclear weapons upon the =
world.=20
        Although he seriously doubted that that was in fact the case, he =
readily agreed that such an action would be reckless and unconscionable. =
He stated that he couldn't envision any scenario under which such a =
strike would be justified and that we should avoid at all costs crossing =
that threshold. Opening that door, he believed, could only serve to =
escalate tensions and make this a much more dangerous world in which to =
live.=20
        He was one of several people who called me yesterday to discuss =
the alleged terrorist attacks on America. During the course of that =
call, he stated flatly that when the perpetrators were identified, they =
and their backers should be nuked. When I reminded him of our =
conversation of just a few weeks before, he said that things have =
changed now. I asked him if he had considered whether that wasn't =
perhaps precisely the point of the attacks. Unfazed, he reiterated his =
belief that I am a crazed conspiracy theorist.=20
        Excuse my cynicism, but have we Americans completely lost our =
ability to think? Are we now so thoroughly brain-dead that we are =
completely reliant on our media resources, with their endless supply of =
'experts,' to make sense of events in the world? Are we really that =
stupid or do our leaders just think that we are?=20
        The actions taken on the morning of September 11 were crimes - =
horrendous crimes against humanity, to be sure, but in the final =
analysis not so very different from any other crimes. The first step in =
solving any crime is to look at who had a motive and who had the means =
and opportunity to commit the crime.=20
        As for motive, we are to believe that a band of Islamic =
terrorists are the most likely suspects. But is that the case? Was it a =
state-sponsored terrorist group that had the most to gain by launching =
such an assault, or was it our own political, corporate and military =
leaders?=20
        While the people of the Palestinian territories may well be =
dancing in the streets today in celebration of the blow struck against =
the United States, they certainly won't emerge as the winners in this =
national tragedy. When the bombs begin to rain down upon them, as they =
certainly will, the loss of life, property and hope will be far more =
profound for them than it will be for the people of New York. Their =
short-term 'victory' will be a hollow one indeed.=20
        This is certainly not to suggest that there are no governments, =
groups, or organizations around the world, or within these borders, that =
have legitimate grudges against the United States government. The =
numbers of such entities are legion. Two hundred years of imperialistic =
covert and overt military ventures have created a lot of enemies of the =
American ship of state and a tremendous amount of residual bitterness. =
Yet none of these groups stood to gain by launching such an attack.=20
        The United States, on the other hand, has much to gain in the =
aftermath of this chapter of American history. I am not talking here, of =
course, about the people of this country, who will pay a steep price for =
the carnage of September 11. Big Brother has assured us that we will be =
protected from future acts of this sort, and we will welcome with open =
arms the repressive, overtly fascistic 'reforms' that will be enacted.=20
        The people, of this country and of the world, are always the =
ones to pick up the tab for acts of gross governmental malfeasance. The =
people of some hapless country (or countries) that is identified as the =
culprit will pay with their lives and the lives of their children. The =
people of America and much of the Western world will pay with the =
wholesale stripping away of their remaining human, civil and privacy =
rights.=20
        Such a scenario only serves to benefit those who sit at the top =
of the food chain. Our elected leaders - who are elected only in the =
sense that every couple of years we are given a choice between two =
interchangeable candidates - will revel in the free reign they will be =
given to ram through legislation so appallingly reactionary that it =
would have been unthinkable just days ago.=20
        Military spending and the militarization of the country will =
escalate to a fever pitch. Welcome to the new and improved police state =
- the largest, most powerful, and most technologically advanced the =
world has ever seen. With the much-lauded U.S. economy tanking and =
unemployment figures hitting their highest levels in years, this will =
come in very handy for the 'powers that be.'=20
        The ugly truth is that all 'anti-terrorist' measures are =
designed not to protect the American people from attack or to protect =
our 'freedoms,' but to protect wealth and power - specifically the =
unprecedented levels of wealth currently held by corporate America - and =
to restrict those very freedoms that threaten their hold on that wealth. =

        This American tragedy, in other words, plays directly into the =
hands of the corporate and military elite of this nation, who have for =
years been propagandizing for a more belligerent and imperialistic =
foreign policy and for more repressive legislation here on the home =
front. Having been presented with a pretext to enact such measures, it =
is our leaders - elected or otherwise - who stand to gain the most from =
yesterday's bloodshed.=20
        As for the question of who had the means and opportunity to =
commit these crimes, the official story holds that they were the work of =
a well-organized foreign terrorist organization. Officials have =
acknowledged that the operation was an exceptionally well-planned and =
well-coordinated series of attacks that required months of planning and =
a large network of co-conspirators to pull off.=20
        So well-organized was the operation that government spokesmen =
and television talking heads (which are really the same thing) have been =
at a loss to explain some of the day's events. Many questions have been =
left unanswered and some haven't been asked at all. Some of the answers =
that have been offered have strained credibility far past the breaking =
point.=20
        One question that has gone unanswered is how a plane was able to =
penetrate so deeply into the Pentagon's airspace - after two other =
planes had already plowed into the World Trade Center towers, no less. =
Despite the ridiculous current claims, the airspace surrounding the =
Pentagon is perhaps the most tightly controlled, militarily secure =
airspace in the world. This would be all the more true in the immediate =
aftermath of a large-scale 'terrorist' attack on New York City.=20
        Claims have been made that even if the approach of the aircraft =
had sounded an alarm, it would not have been targeted due to the fact =
that it was a commercial aircraft with many innocent lives on-board. =
Nonsense. Anyone who thinks that U.S. military/intelligence personnel =
would hesitate to target a commercial airliner is living in a =
media-induced fantasy world, particularly in light of the fact that two =
such aircraft had already been used in suicide attacks.=20
        The question then of how this plane was able to 'elude' the =
Pentagon's formidable defenses is one that should receive close scrutiny =
from America's 'free' and 'independent' press. There is virtually no =
chance that that will happen. Another question that begs for an answer =
is how teams of presumably armed hijackers were able to breach the =
security measures of no less than three major airports and successfully =
hijack four separate flights.=20
        Contrary to the claims now being made, security precautions =
currently in place in U.S. airports are anything but "lax." That fact =
was being implicitly acknowledged by this morning as reports began to =
come in claiming that the hijackers had improvised weapons from razor =
blades and other items carried in their shaving kits. These reports were =
actually carried by the network news broadcasters with a straight face.=20
        This scenario would be laughable were this story not such a =
tragic one. According to the latest official stories, three to five =
terrorists boarded each of the hijacked aircraft. All of these =
terrorists, of course, were such religious fanatics that they had agreed =
to give their lives for the cause they believed in, and none of them =
presumably had second thoughts about that decision once the operation =
was underway.=20
        Does anyone really believe that a few guys wielding toothbrush =
handles embedded with razor blades could quickly and efficiently gain =
control of a commercial airliner? I would think that such a group would =
have their hands full trying to hold-up a liquor store. How could, as =
has been reported, such a 'terrorist cell' possibly simultaneously =
overpower the flight crews and corral all of the flights' passengers =
into the rear of the planes?=20
        I don't consider myself to be a particularly brave or heroic =
sort of guy, but I would not hesitate for a second to take on a couple =
of guys wielding toothbrushes, particularly if my life, or the life of =
my family, was on the line and if I knew that I had some sixty people =
(the average number of passengers on the flights) behind me who would =
back me up. Maybe that's just me, but somehow I think most Americans =
would rise to the occasion.=20
        Nevertheless, these terrorist teams reportedly succeeded where =
so many other better armed terrorists have failed. The majority of =
hijacking attempts, as officials have acknowledged, end in failure. =
There hasn't been one to succeed in this country for a decade. And yet =
these teams succeeded, and on a spectacular scale, in four-out-of-four =
attempts and with only the most primitive of 'weapons.' To what are we =
to attribute that fact? Don't look to the media for answers.=20
        Perhaps the most obvious question raised by the attacks, and one =
that officials have feebly attempted to answer, is how the planning for =
such an operation could have escaped the attention of the country's =
intelligence services. Whenever such an event occurs, the intelligence =
agencies rather predictably hang their heads, slump their shoulders and =
sheepishly grin as they explain their powerlessness to predict such =
things.=20
        We did the best we could, they explain, but our resources are =
limited, our adversaries formidable, and our sources not infallible. =
Give me a break. The CIA - along with the FBI, ONI, DIA, NSC, NSA, DEA, =
and virtually every other three-letter acronym you could think of - =
constitutes the largest and most insidious intelligence network the =
world has ever seen.=20
        Its agents have fully infiltrated every foreign government on =
the planet, as well as every 'terrorist' group and every domestic =
resistance movement that has ever posed even a remote threat to the =
goals of the architects of the American ship of state. It is simply =
inconceivable that such an ambitious attack could have been planned, =
coordinated and launched without the knowledge of numerous elements of =
the national security state.=20
        That is the inescapable reality that no amount of media and =
government spin can erase, though politicians and their media puppets =
will work overtime to do exactly that. One need only to turn their =
television off and their brain on though to see how preposterous are the =
claims that these attacks took the intelligence community by surprise.=20
        Perhaps the most disturbing question raised by the attacks is =
what exactly caused the twin towers of the WTC to collapse? The impact =
of the planes affected only the upper floors of the towers; their =
foundations were unaffected. The UK's Guardian acknowledged that the =
initial impact of the aircraft would result in less stress on the =
building than is normally caused by high winds. The buildings were =
specifically designed to handle such horizontal movement.=20
        The Guardian and its expert consultants conclude that the =
collapse of the buildings was the result of secondary explosions, =
attributed to the delayed release of the large supply of jet fuel =
carried by the aircraft. How though could the ignition of the jet fuel =
have occurred as a delayed, secondary explosion? As the endlessly played =
videotapes of the attack graphically illustrate, the initial impact =
resulted in enormous fireballs and the immediate engulfing of a portion =
of the buildings in flames.=20
        It is inconceivable that the aircraft's fuel tanks would not =
have burst upon impact and their contents immediately have been ignited. =
Indeed, if that wasn't in fact the case, then how are we to explain the =
initial explosions and fireballs that were witnessed by the world? What =
exactly was it that created the spectacular initial blasts if it wasn't =
the jet fuel?=20
        But if that was the case, what was it then that created the =
secondary explosions that appear to have occurred? These secondary =
blasts were acknowledged early in the day by an NBC newsman. The =
correspondent stated on the air that he had just talked with the fire =
department's public safety commissioner who verified that large =
secondary explosions precipitated the collapse of the towers.=20
        A radio broadcaster on WLS in Chicago (according to a =
correspondent), whose wife is a CBS journalist who was on the scene at =
the towers, said on the air that his wife had witnessed an enormous =
fireball emanating from beneath one of the towers immediately before it =
came crashing down. What are we to make of these types of scattered =
reports, none of which received any follow-up coverage amidst the =
non-stop blizzard of media attention?=20
        To be sure, the collapse of the towers, captured on tape for all =
the world to see, had the decided appearance of controlled implosions, =
facilitated by the precise placement of technologically advanced =
explosives. The world has never before witnessed such complete and utter =
destruction of a targeted building by an act of war or a 'terrorist' =
assault.=20
        We have seen the United States target many a building for =
destruction. In the most recent military venture, we saw an embassy =
building and a television studio, among many others, take direct and =
multiple hits from state-of-the-art bombs and guided missiles. The =
buildings were devastated, to be sure, but the damage didn't come close =
to matching the pile of rubble that the twin towers were reduced to.=20
        We saw a highrise Israeli apartment building take a direct hit =
from an Iraqi Scud missile during the Gulf war. Actually, most of us =
probably didn't see that, unless you happened to be tuned in to CNN for =
the brief few moments when the footage was aired. As it turns out, that =
Scud missile was actually safely intercepted by a trusty Patriot =
missile, or so it was claimed - just as if the footage had never aired.=20
        The point though is that the building was hit and did suffer =
extensive damage, and undoubtedly at the cost of many lives. But again, =
the building - though sheared nearly in half - was in considerably =
better shape than the World Trade Center. It occurs to me then that =
perhaps America has invested entirely too much time and money in pursuit =
of creating ever more powerful and efficient weapons systems.=20
        Who would have ever thought that the best weapon with which to =
reduce an entire tower to rubble was the plane itself. It doesn't even =
have to be a military plane - any old commercial aircraft will do. =
Someone obviously should have followed up on the early work done in this =
area by the Japanese during World War II.=20
        In the final analysis, we must ask ourselves the following =
questions: Who had the means to get highly trained commando teams onto =
four aircraft flying out of three separate airports? Who had the ability =
to violate the Pentagon's airspace unmolested? What weapons were really =
used to commandeer those aircraft and who had the means to get them on =
the planes? Who had the ability to plan and execute such an ambitious, =
multi-pronged attack without the interference of the U.S. intelligence =
services? Who had the means to staff each of the four teams with at =
least one well-trained, and suicidal, pilot? Who had the means and =
opportunity to plant secondary explosive charges, if in fact these were =
used?=20
        Finally, perhaps the most important question to be asked is: who =
stands to gain the most in the bleak aftermath? It is certainly not the =
American people, or any resistance movement within these borders. It's =
definitely not the still-to-be identified target(s) of the nation's =
wrath (which will likely include Iraq). That would seem to sort of limit =
the choices.=20
        It is quite possible, indeed quite likely, that members of some =
'extremist' group served as the foot soldiers of these attacks. But it =
is just as likely that they were used as pawns in the global chess game =
that serves as our collective reality. It is also likely that these =
'terrorists' were motivated by legitimately perceived grievances with =
the U.S. government.=20
        Those motivations weren't likely shared with their puppeteers, =
however, who cynically manipulated those belief systems to serve their =
own ends. Most of the participants probably did not know that they were =
embarking on suicide missions. Quite likely only the pilots knew that, =
and they may very well have received a little more 'training' than your =
average pilot.=20
        All of this is, by necessity, just speculation at this point. =
The true facts of the case will emerge over time in bits and pieces, =
mixed in with a healthy dose of disinformation. It matters little though =
in which direction those facts point. The official story has already =
been written.=20



------=_NextPart_000_002E_01C13CB3.18CD3A00
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4134.600" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<CENTER><B><I><FONT size=3D+2>Welcome to the New and Improved Police=20
State:</FONT></I></B> <BR><B><I><FONT size=3D+2>Commentary on the WTC=20
Attacks</FONT></I></B></CENTER>
<P><BR>
<P>David McGowan <BR>September 12, 2001=20
<P><B><I>"We are going to see a great number of articles in the future =
from=20
so-called experts and public officials. They will warn about more =
violence, more=20
kidnappings, and more terrorists. Mass media, the armed forces, and =
intelligence=20
agencies will saturate our lives with fascist scare tactics and =
'predictions'=20
that have already been planned to come true."</I></B> <BR><B>'Conspiracy =

theorist' Mae Brussell, 1974</B>=20
<P><FONT size=3D+3>I</FONT> have a friend with whom I frequently =
disagree on=20
matters of politics. He thinks that I am a crazed conspiracy theorist =
and I=20
think that he is a reactionary fascist. There was one thing that we =
agreed on=20
though. A few weeks ago, I told him that our fearless leaders seemed to =
be=20
veering dangerously close to unleashing 'tactical' nuclear weapons upon =
the=20
world. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Although he =
seriously=20
doubted that that was in fact the case, he readily agreed that such an =
action=20
would be reckless and unconscionable. He stated that he couldn't =
envision any=20
scenario under which such a strike would be justified and that we should =
avoid=20
at all costs crossing that threshold. Opening that door, he believed, =
could only=20
serve to escalate tensions and make this a much more dangerous world in =
which to=20
live. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He was one of =
several=20
people who called me yesterday to discuss the alleged terrorist attacks =
on=20
America. During the course of that call, he stated flatly that when the=20
perpetrators were identified, they and their backers should be nuked. =
When I=20
reminded him of our conversation of just a few weeks before, he said =
that things=20
have changed now. I asked him if he had considered whether that wasn't =
perhaps=20
precisely the point of the attacks. Unfazed, he reiterated his belief =
that I am=20
a crazed conspiracy theorist. =
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
Excuse my cynicism, but have we Americans completely lost our ability to =
think?=20
Are we now so thoroughly brain-dead that we are completely reliant on =
our media=20
resources, with their endless supply of 'experts,' to make sense of =
events in=20
the world? Are we really that stupid or do our leaders just think that =
we are?=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The actions taken on the =
morning=20
of September 11 were crimes &#8211; horrendous crimes against humanity, =
to be sure,=20
but in the final analysis not so very different from any other crimes. =
The first=20
step in solving any crime is to look at who had a motive and who had the =
means=20
and opportunity to commit the crime.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As for motive, we are to =
believe=20
that a band of Islamic terrorists are the most likely suspects. But is =
that the=20
case? Was it a state-sponsored terrorist group that had the most to gain =
by=20
launching such an assault, or was it our own political, corporate and =
military=20
leaders? <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; While the people =
of the=20
Palestinian territories may well be dancing in the streets today in =
celebration=20
of the blow struck against the United States, they certainly won't =
emerge as the=20
winners in this national tragedy. When the bombs begin to rain down upon =
them,=20
as they certainly will, the loss of life, property and hope will be far =
more=20
profound for them than it will be for the people of New York. Their =
short-term=20
'victory' will be a hollow one indeed.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is certainly not to =
suggest=20
that there are no governments, groups, or organizations around the =
world, or=20
within these borders, that have legitimate grudges against the United =
States=20
government. The numbers of such entities are legion. Two hundred years =
of=20
imperialistic covert and overt military ventures have created a lot of =
enemies=20
of the American ship of state and a tremendous amount of residual =
bitterness.=20
Yet none of these groups stood to gain by launching such an attack.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The United States, on the =
other=20
hand, has much to gain in the aftermath of this chapter of American =
history. I=20
am not talking here, of course, about the <I>people</I> of this country, =
who=20
will pay a steep price for the carnage of September 11. Big Brother has =
assured=20
us that we will be protected from future acts of this sort, and we will =
welcome=20
with open arms the repressive, overtly fascistic 'reforms' that will be =
enacted.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The people, of this =
country and=20
of the world, are always the ones to pick up the tab for acts of gross=20
governmental malfeasance. The people of some hapless country (or =
countries) that=20
is identified as the culprit will pay with their lives and the lives of =
their=20
children. The people of America and much of the Western world will pay =
with the=20
wholesale stripping away of their remaining human, civil and privacy =
rights.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Such a scenario only =
serves to=20
benefit those who sit at the top of the food chain. Our elected leaders =
- who=20
are elected only in the sense that every couple of years we are given a =
choice=20
between two interchangeable candidates - will revel in the free reign =
they will=20
be given to ram through legislation so appallingly reactionary that it =
would=20
have been unthinkable just days ago.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Military spending and the =

militarization of the country will escalate to a fever pitch. Welcome to =
the new=20
and improved police state &#8211; the largest, most powerful, and most =
technologically=20
advanced the world has ever seen. With the much-lauded U.S. economy =
tanking and=20
unemployment figures hitting their highest levels in years, this will =
come in=20
very handy for the 'powers that be.'=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The ugly truth is that =
all=20
'anti-terrorist' measures are designed not to protect the American =
people from=20
attack or to protect our 'freedoms,' but to protect wealth and power -=20
specifically the unprecedented levels of wealth currently held by =
corporate=20
America - and to restrict those very freedoms that threaten their hold =
on that=20
wealth. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This American =
tragedy, in=20
other words, plays directly into the hands of the corporate and military =
elite=20
of this nation, who have for years been propagandizing for a more =
belligerent=20
and imperialistic foreign policy and for more repressive legislation =
here on the=20
home front. Having been presented with a pretext to enact such measures, =
it is=20
our leaders - elected or otherwise - who stand to gain the most from =
yesterday's=20
bloodshed. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As for the =
question of=20
who had the means and opportunity to commit these crimes, the official =
story=20
holds that they were the work of a well-organized foreign terrorist=20
organization. Officials have acknowledged that the operation was an=20
exceptionally well-planned and well-coordinated series of attacks that =
required=20
months of planning and a large network of co-conspirators to pull off.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So well-organized was the =

operation that government spokesmen and television talking heads (which =
are=20
really the same thing) have been at a loss to explain some of the day's =
events.=20
Many questions have been left unanswered and some haven't been asked at =
all.=20
Some of the answers that have been offered have strained credibility far =
past=20
the breaking point. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One =
question=20
that has gone unanswered is how a plane was able to penetrate so deeply =
into the=20
Pentagon's airspace &#8211; <I>after</I> two other planes had already =
plowed into the=20
World Trade Center towers, no less. Despite the ridiculous current =
claims, the=20
airspace surrounding the Pentagon is perhaps the most tightly =
controlled,=20
militarily secure airspace in the world. This would be all the more true =
in the=20
immediate aftermath of a large-scale 'terrorist' attack on New York =
City.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Claims have been made =
that even=20
if the approach of the aircraft had sounded an alarm, it would not have =
been=20
targeted due to the fact that it was a commercial aircraft with many =
innocent=20
lives on-board. Nonsense. Anyone who thinks that U.S. =
military/intelligence=20
personnel would hesitate to target a commercial airliner is living in a=20
media-induced fantasy world, particularly in light of the fact that two =
such=20
aircraft had already been used in suicide attacks.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The question then of how =
this=20
plane was able to 'elude' the Pentagon's formidable defenses is one that =
should=20
receive close scrutiny from America's 'free' and 'independent' press. =
There is=20
virtually no chance that that will happen. Another question that begs =
for an=20
answer is how teams of presumably armed hijackers were able to breach =
the=20
security measures of no less than three major airports and successfully =
hijack=20
four separate flights. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
Contrary=20
to the claims now being made, security precautions currently in place in =
U.S.=20
airports are anything but "lax." That fact was being implicitly =
acknowledged by=20
this morning as reports began to come in claiming that the hijackers had =

improvised weapons from razor blades and other items carried in their =
shaving=20
kits. These reports were actually carried by the network news =
broadcasters with=20
a straight face. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This =
scenario=20
would be laughable were this story not such a tragic one. According to =
the=20
latest official stories, three to five terrorists boarded each of the =
hijacked=20
aircraft. All of these terrorists, of course, were such religious =
fanatics that=20
they had agreed to give their lives for the cause they believed in, and =
none of=20
them presumably had second thoughts about that decision once the =
operation was=20
underway. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Does anyone =
really=20
believe that a few guys wielding toothbrush handles embedded with razor =
blades=20
could quickly and efficiently gain control of a commercial airliner? I =
would=20
think that such a group would have their hands full trying to hold-up a =
liquor=20
store. How could, as has been reported, such a 'terrorist cell' possibly =

simultaneously overpower the flight crews <I>and</I> corral all of the =
flights'=20
passengers into the rear of the planes?=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I don't consider myself =
to be a=20
particularly brave or heroic sort of guy, but I would not hesitate for a =
second=20
to take on a couple of guys wielding toothbrushes, particularly if my =
life, or=20
the life of my family, was on the line and if I knew that I had some =
sixty=20
people (the average number of passengers on the flights) behind me who =
would=20
back me up. Maybe that's just me, but somehow I think most Americans =
would rise=20
to the occasion. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
Nevertheless,=20
these terrorist teams reportedly succeeded where so many other better =
armed=20
terrorists have failed. The majority of hijacking attempts, as officials =
have=20
acknowledged, end in failure. There hasn't been one to succeed in this =
country=20
for a decade. And yet these teams succeeded, and on a spectacular scale, =
in=20
four-out-of-four attempts and with only the most primitive of 'weapons.' =
To what=20
are we to attribute that fact? Don't look to the media for answers.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Perhaps the most obvious =
question=20
raised by the attacks, and one that officials have feebly attempted to =
answer,=20
is how the planning for such an operation could have escaped the =
attention of=20
the country's intelligence services. Whenever such an event occurs, the=20
intelligence agencies rather predictably hang their heads, slump their =
shoulders=20
and sheepishly grin as they explain their powerlessness to predict such =
things.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We did the best we could, =
they=20
explain, but our resources are limited, our adversaries formidable, and =
our=20
sources not infallible. Give me a break. The CIA - along with the FBI, =
ONI, DIA,=20
NSC, NSA, DEA, and virtually every other three-letter acronym you could =
think of=20
- constitutes the largest and most insidious intelligence network the =
world has=20
ever seen. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Its agents =
have fully=20
infiltrated every foreign government on the planet, as well as every =
'terrorist'=20
group and every domestic resistance movement that has ever posed even a =
remote=20
threat to the goals of the architects of the American ship of state. It =
is=20
simply inconceivable that such an ambitious attack could have been =
planned,=20
coordinated and launched without the knowledge of numerous elements of =
the=20
national security state. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
That is=20
the inescapable reality that no amount of media and government spin can =
erase,=20
though politicians and their media puppets will work overtime to do =
exactly=20
that. One need only to turn their television off and their brain on =
though to=20
see how preposterous are the claims that these attacks took the =
intelligence=20
community by surprise. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
Perhaps=20
the most disturbing question raised by the attacks is what exactly =
caused the=20
twin towers of the WTC to collapse? The impact of the planes affected =
only the=20
upper floors of the towers; their foundations were unaffected. The UK's=20
<I>Guardian</I> acknowledged that the initial impact of the aircraft =
would=20
result in less stress on the building than is normally caused by high =
winds. The=20
buildings were specifically designed to handle such horizontal movement. =

<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The <I>Guardian</I> and =
its=20
expert consultants conclude that the collapse of the buildings was the =
result of=20
secondary explosions, attributed to the delayed release of the large =
supply of=20
jet fuel carried by the aircraft. How though could the ignition of the =
jet fuel=20
have occurred as a delayed, secondary explosion? As the endlessly played =

videotapes of the attack graphically illustrate, the initial impact =
resulted in=20
enormous fireballs and the immediate engulfing of a portion of the =
buildings in=20
flames. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is =
inconceivable that=20
the aircraft's fuel tanks would not have burst upon impact and their =
contents=20
immediately have been ignited. Indeed, if that wasn't in fact the case, =
then how=20
are we to explain the initial explosions and fireballs that were =
witnessed by=20
the world? What exactly was it that created the spectacular initial =
blasts if it=20
wasn't the jet fuel? <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But =
if that=20
was the case, what was it then that created the secondary explosions =
that appear=20
to have occurred? These secondary blasts were acknowledged early in the =
day by=20
an NBC newsman. The correspondent stated on the air that he had just =
talked with=20
the fire department's public safety commissioner who verified that large =

secondary explosions precipitated the collapse of the towers.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A radio broadcaster on =
WLS in=20
Chicago (according to a correspondent), whose wife is a CBS journalist =
who was=20
on the scene at the towers, said on the air that his wife had witnessed =
an=20
enormous fireball emanating from <I>beneath</I> one of the towers =
immediately=20
before it came crashing down. What are we to make of these types of =
scattered=20
reports, none of which received any follow-up coverage amidst the =
non-stop=20
blizzard of media attention? =
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To=20
be sure, the collapse of the towers, captured on tape for all the world =
to see,=20
had the decided appearance of controlled implosions, facilitated by the =
precise=20
placement of technologically advanced explosives. The world has never =
before=20
witnessed such complete and utter destruction of a targeted building by =
an act=20
of war or a 'terrorist' assault. =
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
We have seen the United States target many a building for destruction. =
In the=20
most recent military venture, we saw an embassy building and a =
television=20
studio, among many others, take direct and multiple hits from =
state-of-the-art=20
bombs and guided missiles. The buildings were devastated, to be sure, =
but the=20
damage didn't come close to matching the pile of rubble that the twin =
towers=20
were reduced to. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We saw a =

highrise Israeli apartment building take a direct hit from an Iraqi Scud =
missile=20
during the Gulf war. Actually, most of us probably didn't see that, =
unless you=20
happened to be tuned in to CNN for the brief few moments when the =
footage was=20
aired. As it turns out, that Scud missile was actually safely =
intercepted by a=20
trusty Patriot missile, or so it was claimed &#8211; just as if the =
footage had never=20
aired. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The point though =
is that=20
the building was hit and did suffer extensive damage, and undoubtedly at =
the=20
cost of many lives. But again, the building - though sheared nearly in =
half -=20
was in considerably better shape than the World Trade Center. It occurs =
to me=20
then that perhaps America has invested entirely too much time and money =
in=20
pursuit of creating ever more powerful and efficient weapons systems.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Who would have ever =
thought that=20
the best weapon with which to reduce an entire tower to rubble was the =
<I>plane=20
itself</I>. It doesn't even have to be a military plane &#8211; any old =
commercial=20
aircraft will do. Someone obviously should have followed up on the early =
work=20
done in this area by the Japanese during World War II.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the final analysis, we =
must=20
ask ourselves the following questions: Who had the means to get highly =
trained=20
commando teams onto four aircraft flying out of three separate airports? =
Who had=20
the ability to violate the Pentagon's airspace unmolested? What weapons =
were=20
really used to commandeer those aircraft and who had the means to get =
them on=20
the planes? Who had the ability to plan and execute such an ambitious,=20
multi-pronged attack without the interference of the U.S. intelligence =
services?=20
Who had the means to staff each of the four teams with at least one=20
well-trained, and suicidal, pilot? Who had the means and opportunity to =
plant=20
secondary explosive charges, if in fact these were used?=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally, perhaps the most =

important question to be asked is: who stands to gain the most in the =
bleak=20
aftermath? It is certainly not the American people, or any resistance =
movement=20
within these borders. It's definitely not the still-to-be identified =
target(s)=20
of the nation's wrath (which will likely include Iraq). That would seem =
to sort=20
of limit the choices. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It =
is quite=20
possible, indeed quite likely, that members of some 'extremist' group =
served as=20
the foot soldiers of these attacks. But it is just as likely that they =
were used=20
as pawns in the global chess game that serves as our collective reality. =
It is=20
also likely that these 'terrorists' were motivated by legitimately =
perceived=20
grievances with the U.S. government.=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Those motivations weren't =
likely=20
shared with their puppeteers, however, who cynically manipulated those =
belief=20
systems to serve their own ends. Most of the participants probably did =
not know=20
that they were embarking on suicide missions. Quite likely only the =
pilots knew=20
that, and they may very well have received a little more 'training' than =
your=20
average pilot. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All of =
this is, by=20
necessity, just speculation at this point. The true facts of the case =
will=20
emerge over time in bits and pieces, mixed in with a healthy dose of=20
disinformation. It matters little though in which direction those facts =
point.=20
The official story has already been written. =
<BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_002E_01C13CB3.18CD3A00--