9/11 Conspiracy Investigation Truth
The first mainstream journalist to break the silence
Article by Peter Tatchell in The Guardian, September 12, 2007
September 16, 2007
Peter Tatchell, journalist for The Guardian, London
Source: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/peter_tatchell/2007/09/911_the_big_coverup.html
9/11 Commission obstruction Without Precedent set up to fail misled deception criminal charges
Scholars for 9/11 Truth
250+ 9/11 'Smoking Guns'
911 Truth Campaign
Patriots Question 9/11 General Wesley Clark
Zogby
interview
9/11 – The Big Cover-Up?
Six years after 9/11, the American public has still not been given a full and truthful account of the single greatest terrorist attack in U.S. history.
September 12, 2007, 10:30 AM What they got was a turkey. The investigation was hamstrung by official obstruction. It never managed to establish the full truth of what happened on September 11, 2001.
The chair and vice chair of the 9/11 Commission, Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, assert in their book Without Precedent that they were set up to fail and were starved of funds to conduct a proper investigation. They also confirm that they were denied access to the truth by senior officials at the Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration; and that this obstruction led them to contemplate bringing criminal charges against officials.
Despite numerous public statements by 9/11 commissioners and staff admitting they were repeatedly lied to, not a single person has ever been charged, tried, or even reprimanded for lying to the 9/11 Commission.
From the outset, the commission seemed crippled. It did not begin work until over a year after the attacks. Even then, its terms of reference were suspiciously narrow, its investigative powers curiously limited, and its deadline for producing a report unhelpfully short—barely a year to sift through millions of pages of evidence and interview hundreds of key witnesses.
The final report failed to examine key evidence and neglected serious anomalies in the various accounts of what happened. The commissioners admit their report was incomplete and flawed, and that many questions about the terror attacks remain unanswered. Nevertheless, the 9/11 Commission was swiftly shut down on August 21, 2004.
I do not believe in conspiracy theories. I prefer rigorous, evidence-based analysis that sifts through known facts and uses expert opinion to draw conclusions that withstand critical scrutiny. In other words, I believe in everything the 9/11 Commission was not.
The failures of the official investigation have fueled too many half-baked conspiracy theories. Some of the 9/11 "truth" groups promote speculative hypotheses, ignore innocent explanations, cite non-expert sources, and jump to conclusions not supported by the known facts. They turn mere coincidence and circumstantial evidence into ironclad proof. This is no way to counter the obfuscations and evasions in the 9/11 report.
But even amid the noise, some of these 9/11 groups raise valid and important questions that were never even considered, let alone answered, by the official investigation. The American public has not been told the complete truth about the events of that fateful autumn morning six years ago.
What happened on 9/11 is fundamentally important in its own right. But equally important is how the 9/11 cover-up signifies a lack of democratic, transparent, and accountable government. Establishing the truth is, in part, about restoring honesty, trust, and confidence in American politics.
There are dozens of 9/11 "truth" websites and campaign groups. I cannot vouch for the veracity or credibility of any of them. But what I can say is that, while some make seemingly outrageous claims, a few raise legitimate questions that demand answers.
Four of these well-known "tell the truth" 9/11 websites are:
Scholars for 9/11 Truth, which includes academics and intellectuals from many disciplines.
250+ 9/11 'Smoking Guns', a website that cites over 250 pieces of evidence allegedly contradicting or omitted from the 9/11 Commission report.
The 911 Truth Campaign, which, in addition to offering its own evidence and theories, includes links to more than 20 similar websites.
Patriots Question 9/11, perhaps the most credible collection of distinguished U.S. citizens questioning the official account of 9/11, including General Wesley Clark, former NATO commander in Europe, and seven members and staff of the official 9/11 Commission, including the chair and vice chair. In total, this website documents the doubts of over 110 senior military, intelligence, law enforcement, and government officials; over 200 engineers and architects; over 50 pilots and aviation professionals; over 150 professors; over 90 entertainment and media figures; and over 190 9/11 survivors and family members. Although this is an impressive list, it doesn’t necessarily mean these experts are right. Nevertheless, their skepticism of the official version of events is reason to pause and reflect.
More and more U.S. citizens are critical of the official account. The respected polling organization Zogby recently found that 51% of Americans want Congress to investigate President Bush and Vice President Cheney regarding the truth about the 9/11 attacks; 67% also criticize the 9/11 Commission for failing to investigate the bizarre, unexplained collapse of the 47-story World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC7). This building was not hit by any planes. Unlike WTC3, which was badly damaged by falling debris from the Twin Towers but remained standing, WTC7 suffered only minor damage but suddenly collapsed in a neat pile—just as happens in a controlled demolition.
In a 2006 interview with CBC’s Sunday programme anchor Evan Solomon, Lee Hamilton, vice chair of the 9/11 Commission, was reminded that the commission report failed to even mention the collapse of WTC7 or the suspiciously hasty removal of the building’s debris from the site—before any proper forensic investigation could take place at what was clearly a crime scene. Hamilton could only offer the lame excuse that commissioners did not have “unlimited time” and could not be expected to answer “every question” the public asks.
There are many, many more strange, unexplained facts concerning the events of 9/11. You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to be puzzled and want an explanation—or to be skeptical about the official version of events.
Six years after those terrible events, the survivors, and the friends and families of those who died, deserve to know the truth. Is honesty and transparency regarding 9/11 too much to ask of the president and Congress?
What is needed is a new, truly independent commission of inquiry to sort coincidence and conjecture from fact, and to provide answers to the unsolved anomalies in the evidence available concerning the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Unlike the often-stymied first investigation, this new commission should be granted wide-ranging subpoena powers and unfettered access to government files and officials. George Bush should be called to testify, without his handlers present to brief and prompt him. America—and the world—has a right to know the truth.
Scholars for 9/11 Truth
250+ 9/11 'Smoking Guns'
911 Truth Campaign
Patriots Question 9/11 General Wesley Clark
Zogby
interview
September 11: The Great Cover-Up Even the office of the commission tasked with investigating the events of September 11 admits that the official version provided was “far from the truth.”
September 12, 2007, 10:30 AM Six years after the events of September 11, the American public still lacks a credible account of the single most massive terrorist attack in U.S. history.
All that has been produced does not hold up. The commission’s investigation was paralyzed by official obstruction. It was never possible to establish the full truth about what occurred that day.
The chair, Thomas Kean, and vice chair, Lee Hamilton, state in their book Without Precedent that they were set up to fail and were denied sufficient funds to conduct a proper investigation. They testify that every effort was made to prevent them from uncovering the truth, and that they were misled by senior officials at the Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration—and that these deceptions and obstructions should be considered criminal acts.
Despite multiple public statements by individuals involved in the inquiry admitting they were repeatedly lied to, not a single person has ever been charged, prosecuted, or even reprimanded for lying during the official investigation.
From the start, the commission’s work was hampered. Nothing could begin until over a year after the attacks. Even when the investigation finally commenced, its scope was suspiciously narrow, its investigative powers curiously limited, and it had only a year to review millions of pages of documents and interview hundreds of witnesses—hardly enough time for a thorough inquiry.
The final report ignored key evidence and overlooked numerous anomalies in the various accounts of what happened. The commissioners admit the report was incomplete, distorted, and that many questions about the terrorist attacks remain unanswered. Nevertheless, the 9/11 Commission was quickly shut down on August 21, 2004.
I do not subscribe to conspiracy theories. I prefer rigorous, evidence-based analysis that carefully examines known facts and relies on expert opinion to draw conclusions that can withstand critical scrutiny. In other words, I believe in everything the 9/11 Commission failed to do.
The shortcomings of the official investigation have fueled hastily constructed conspiracy theories. Some “truth” groups promote speculative hypotheses, ignore simple explanations, rely on non-experts, and leap to conclusions unsupported by verified facts. They turn circumstantial evidence or mere coincidence into supposedly ironclad proof. This is not how to expose the obfuscations and evasions in the official report.
But even amid all the noise and confusion, these groups raise important questions that were never considered—or answered—by the official investigation. The American public has not been told the full truth about the tragic events of that fateful September morning, six years ago.
It is entirely legitimate and vital to uncover the truth about these events. Equally important is recognizing that the cover-up and the way the investigation was conducted reveal a complete lack of transparency incompatible with democratic governance.
Restoring the truth is part of restoring public trust in American government. There are dozens of websites and activist groups claiming to reveal “the truth” about September 11. I cannot vouch for any of them. But what I can say is that while some make claims that seem monstrous or exaggerated, others raise legitimate questions that demand answers.
I will cite four of these well-known sites:
Scholars for 9/11 Truth, which brings together intellectuals and academics from various disciplines.
250+ 9/11 'Smoking Guns', a site listing over 250 pieces of evidence allegedly contradicting or omitted from the 9/11 Commission report.
The 911 Truth Campaign, which presents its own findings and theories, and includes links to over 20 similar websites.
Patriots Question 9/11, perhaps the most notable group of distinguished U.S. citizens challenging the official narrative—including General Wesley Clark, former NATO commander in Europe, and seven members and staff of the official 9/11 Commission, including its chair and vice chair. This site compiles the doubts expressed by over 110 senior military, intelligence, law enforcement, and government officials; over 200 engineers and architects; over 50 pilots and aviation professionals; over 150 professors; over 90 entertainment and media figures; and over 190 survivors and family members of the victims. While this list is impressive, it doesn’t automatically mean these experts are correct. But their skepticism toward the official account is reason enough to pause and reflect.
Increasing numbers of Americans are skeptical of the official version. The reputable polling organization Zogby recently reported that 51% of Americans want President Bush and Vice President Cheney investigated regarding the events of September 11 and the official account provided. 67% are also surprised by how the investigation into the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7—unhit by any plane—was conducted. While WTC3, damaged by debris from the Twin Towers, remained standing, WTC7, which sustained only minor damage, suddenly collapsed in a neat pile—just as would happen in a controlled demolition.
In a 2006 interview with CBC’s Sunday programme anchor Evan Solomon, Lee Hamilton, vice chair of the 9/11 Commission, acknowledged that the commission report failed to mention the collapse of WTC7 or the suspiciously rapid removal of debris from the site—preventing any meaningful forensic investigation at what was clearly a crime scene. Hamilton offered only a weak excuse: that commissioners didn’t have unlimited time and couldn’t be expected to answer every question the public might ask.
There are countless strange, unexplained facts about the events of September 11. You don’t need to be a conspiracy theorist to be puzzled by these anomalies or to question the official version.
Six years after these terrible events, survivors, friends, and families of the victims have a right to know the truth. Is it unreasonable to demand honesty and transparency from the president and Congress?
What is needed is a new, truly independent commission of inquiry—capable of distinguishing fact from coincidence and speculation—to provide answers to the unresolved anomalies surrounding the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Unlike the first investigation, which faced numerous obstacles, this new commission should have broad subpoena powers and unrestricted access to government documents and officials. George Bush should be called to testify, without his handlers present to guide or prompt him. America—and the world—has a right to know the truth.
September 11: The Great Cover-Up Even the office of the commission tasked with investigating the events of September 11 admits that the official version provided was “far from the truth.”
September 12, 2007, 10:30 AM Six years after the events of September 11, the American public still lacks a credible account of the single most massive terrorist attack in U.S. history.
All that has been produced does not hold up. The commission’s investigation was paralyzed by official obstruction. It was never possible to establish the full truth about what occurred that day.
The chair, Thomas Kean, and vice chair, Lee Hamilton, state in their book Without Precedent that they were set up to fail and were denied sufficient funds to conduct a proper investigation. They testify that every effort was made to prevent them from uncovering the truth, and that they were misled by senior officials at the Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration—and that these deceptions and obstructions should be considered criminal acts.
Despite multiple public statements by individuals involved in the inquiry admitting they were repeatedly lied to, not a single person has ever been charged, prosecuted, or even reprimanded for lying during the official investigation.
From the start, the commission’s work was hampered. Nothing could begin until over a year after the attacks. Even when the investigation finally commenced, its scope was suspiciously narrow, its investigative powers curiously limited, and it had only a year to review millions of pages of documents and interview hundreds of witnesses—hardly enough time for a thorough inquiry.
The final report ignored key evidence and overlooked numerous anomalies in the various accounts of what happened. The commissioners admit the report was incomplete, distorted, and that many questions about the terrorist attacks remain unanswered. Nevertheless, the 9/11 Commission was quickly shut down on August 21, 2004.
I do not subscribe to conspiracy theories. I prefer rigorous, evidence-based analysis that carefully examines known facts and relies on expert opinion to draw conclusions that can withstand critical scrutiny. In other words, I believe in everything the 9/11 Commission failed to do.
The shortcomings of the official investigation have fueled hastily constructed conspiracy theories. Some “truth” groups promote speculative hypotheses, ignore simple explanations, rely on non-experts, and leap to conclusions unsupported by verified facts. They turn circumstantial evidence or mere coincidence into supposedly ironclad proof. This is not how to expose the obfuscations and evasions in the official report.
But even amid all the noise and confusion, these groups raise important questions that were never considered—or answered—by the official investigation. The American public has not been told the full truth about the tragic events of that fateful September morning, six years ago.
It is entirely legitimate and vital to uncover the truth about these events. Equally important is recognizing that the cover-up and the way the investigation was conducted reveal a complete lack of transparency incompatible with democratic governance.
Restoring the truth is part of restoring public trust in American government. There are dozens of websites and activist groups claiming to reveal “the truth” about September 11. I cannot vouch for any of them. But what I can say is that while some make claims that seem monstrous or exaggerated, others raise legitimate questions that demand answers.
I will cite four of these well-known sites:
Scholars for 9/11 Truth, which brings together intellectuals and academics from various disciplines.
250+ 9/11 'Smoking Guns', a site listing over 250 pieces of evidence allegedly contradicting or omitted from the 9/11 Commission report.
The 911 Truth Campaign, which presents its own findings and theories, and includes links to over 20 similar websites.
Patriots Question 9/11, perhaps the most notable group of distinguished U.S. citizens challenging the official narrative—including General Wesley Clark, former NATO commander in Europe, and seven members and staff of the official 9/11 Commission, including its chair and vice chair. This site compiles the doubts expressed by over 110 senior military, intelligence, law enforcement, and government officials; over 200 engineers and architects; over 50 pilots and aviation professionals; over 150 professors; over 90 entertainment and media figures; and over 190 survivors and family members of the victims. While this list is impressive, it doesn’t automatically mean these experts are correct. But their skepticism toward the official account is reason enough to pause and reflect.
Increasing numbers of Americans are skeptical of the official version. The reputable polling organization Zogby recently reported that 51% of Americans want President Bush and Vice President Cheney investigated regarding the events of September 11 and the official account provided. 67% are also surprised by how the investigation into the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7—unhit by any plane—was conducted. While WTC3, damaged by debris from the Twin Towers, remained standing, WTC7, which sustained only minor damage, suddenly collapsed in a neat pile—just as would happen in a controlled demolition.
In a 2006 interview with CBC’s Sunday programme anchor Evan Solomon, Lee Hamilton, vice chair of the 9/11 Commission, acknowledged that the commission report failed to mention the collapse of WTC7 or the suspiciously rapid removal of debris from the site—preventing any meaningful forensic investigation at what was clearly a crime scene. Hamilton offered only a weak excuse: that commissioners didn’t have unlimited time and couldn’t be expected to answer every question the public might ask.
There are countless strange, unexplained facts about the events of September 11. You don’t need to be a conspiracy theorist to be puzzled by these anomalies or to question the official version.
Six years after these terrible events, survivors, friends, and families of the victims have a right to know the truth. Is it unreasonable to demand honesty and transparency from the president and Congress?
What is needed is a new, truly independent commission of inquiry—capable of distinguishing fact from coincidence and speculation—to provide answers to the unresolved anomalies surrounding the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Unlike the first investigation, which faced numerous obstacles, this new commission should have broad subpoena powers and unrestricted access to government documents and officials. George Bush should be called to testify, without his handlers present to guide or prompt him. America—and the world—has a right to know the truth.
French Press
Read Noam Chomsky’s text, published in Le Monde Diplomatique
Once again, I translated this English article myself. I felt urgency. I’ve grown a bit out of the habit of asking my researcher colleagues for help. They’re very busy—more like characters from Courteline than scholars. Few are truly aware of what’s going on around them.
A friend has just published a rather thick book oriented toward epistemology and philosophy, in which he took the risk of citing me very favorably—despite strong warnings from his brain trust of astrophysicists and cosmologists (who, in my opinion, have much more trust than brain, but let’s not dwell on that). In a letter, he told me he couldn’t ask me to participate in the organization he runs until I’d recanted positions he said had led to my being ostracized from the scientific community. Among these accusations:
- The fact that I doubt an airplane hit the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.*
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