Unanswered Questions: Thinking For Ourselves
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Musings On Courage & The Forces For Truth
September 19, 2002
Last Monday night on C-SPAN I was greatly heartened and encouraged by the words of former weapons inspector and
ex-Marine, Scott Ritter who said that the "politics of fear must be defeated by the forces of truth." He was of course
speaking of the importance of doing whatever we can to learn the facts on the ground in Iraq before going to war with
Iraq, sacrificing the lives of young Americans and risking an extraordinarily dangerous religiously-polarized world war.
The politicos behind the politics of fears have repeatedly failed in their attempts to pin 9/11 and the anthrax attacks
on the Iraqis. The community of nations and the American people have not been taken in by the Administration’s
propaganda and attempt to put guilt on Iraq to just justify a war there. In this case of alleged justification, the
politics of fear and propaganda failed and the forces of truth prevailed. I am here to say that this too will be the
case with regard to the investigation of September 11th 2001. And this coming victory will be in no small part because
of the courage and determination of Kristin Breitwieser of September 11th Advocates, and her family, friends and
colleagues who are supporting her.
The 'forces of truth' will be heartened to know that yesterday Kristin Brietwieser was given the opportunity to testify
about her concerns about the investigation into the events of September 11th that killed her husband. My own
gratification that her concerns, shared by UnansweredQuestions, would be aired live on national television turned to
anger and dismay as I witnessed CNN cut her off in the middle of her testimony and go to the Armed Services Committee
hearing with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. The hearing on Iraq that was scheduled at the exact same time as the first
public hearing on 9/11 by the Joint Select Committee on Intelligence.
What is even more disturbing to me is the lack of coverage the day after of the shocking confirmation of numerous
warnings the intelligence received prior to the attacks of 9/11. This should be today's headline story. Does anyone else
find it profoundly disturbing that Senator Diane Fienstein said herself months prior to the attack, based on briefings
(surely limited and not presenting all available intelligence) she received on the Senate Intel Committee, that she was
"100% certain" an attack was to come within three months (and said so on national television)? So a Senator knew without
a doubt that something was coming based on incomplete intelligence synopses; and yet nothing was done by our government
responsible to protecting us against the professed #1 terrorist in the world. On the contrary evidence suggests a
deliberate blocking of sound leads by capable field agents Williams, Rowley and Wright. Republican Senator Shelby,
ranking member of the Committee says there is a lot more that is going to come out. What we heard yesterday is only the
tip of the iceberg.
Where is the outrage from the public? Is the media giving fair coverage to such an important unfolding story? Will we be
able to put enough pressure on Congress to force the hand of those who resist any further investigation? I pray that we
can translate our anger to effective action and lobbying. If we do, the forces of truth will have at least a chance at
winning the war against the politics of fear and in this case possibly criminal and treasonous cover-up of what really
happened on 9/11 of 2001.
Here are just a few of the highlights from cursory notes taken from what was revealed at the hearing:
1) Since 1994 the intelligence 'community' received 11 warnings of threats USING PLANES with one credible source
mentioning the American targets in D.C. and NYC. This means that Condaleeza Rice lied to the American in saying that "no
one could have imagined" 911.
2) Al-Qeada had declared a religious war against America and Americans.
3) In turn the $30 billion funded intelligence apparatus declared war on Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qeada.
4) And yet, we learned that someone within the FBI (not revealed) 'gutted' (insider source's own word) the Al-Qeada
dedicated analyst team within the FBI.
5) And someone within the FBI mishandled a case in Malaysia involving two Al-Qeada members (future 9/11 hijackers) who
were being monitored, but slipped away, disappeared and somehow were NEVER placed on a watch-list.
6) Senator Carl Levin and Rep. Tim Roemer made it clear they expected the committee to be able to review currently
classified memos sent from Phoenix and Minneapolis FBI field agents Kenneth Williams and Colleen Rowley to FBI
headquarters. The Administration is now apparently reviewing their request to declassify the documents relating to this
case. If need be, they said, legislation could be passed to force the issue. This commitment expressed by Sen. Levin was
met with applause by the victims' families present at the hearing (and imagine elsewhere as well).
NOTE: There was no mention of FBI agent Robert Wright who has sought whistleblower protection and sued the FBI for
obstructing his investigation into an Osama bin Laden money-man. The FBI has forbidden him from publishing his story and
have refused to turn over the book to the Committee investigating 9/11.
7) Sen Levin reported that FBI Director Robert Mueller could not (or would not?--I'm not clear in my recollection) turn
over the name of the Special Agent at FBI HQ in D.C. who was the choke-point in preventing the memos about suspicious
middle eastern terrorists training to fly (and in the case of Moussaoui, not land) commercial aircraft being
appropriately and expeditiously handled by higher ups at HQ instead of being marked "routine".
NOTE: Bill Gertz, author of Breakdown, said yesterday on FOX News that outside of a SINGLE Logan Security official, no
one has been held accountable or even reprimanded for the so-called "worst intelligence failure in US History." Perhaps
if they were, and more focus was brought to bear on this issue, we would in fact find the 'smoking gun' that they have
not yet found?
The government and responsible agencies have called it an intelligence failure--a failure to connect the many dots. But
in that 'failure' Kristin and many victim family members and see negligence and lack of accountability. Mary Schiavo, a
lawyer for 33 victim family members suing the responsible authorities, sees 'egregious negligence' and lack of justice.
However, an increasingly compelling case is being made by thousands of intrepid independent investigators, freelance
researchers, authors, documentarians and observant citizens that what we MAY have here is criminal negligence or
outright complicity - by those whose names we as yet do not know.
Lawmakers have not had the type of co-operation they need to get the answers the American people deserve to determine if
this is hooey and hogwash or on the mark. Republican Senator Shelby himself has said himself that he is not satisfied
with the level of co-operation from the Administration and the agencies in question. Some insist that a cover-up may be
in play--citing the blatant resistance to a full investigation. So we must be vigilant.
I, for one, don't believe we are even close to learning the whole truth about what happened, how, and why. It is my
hope the forces of truth will be sure that no stone is left unturned. We must hold lawmakers and investigators fully
accountable for finding answers to the unanswered questions that have only mounted with the first open hearing held
yesterday.
Like Nixon in denial and defense before his house of cards came tumbling down, the Administration is resisting a full
investigation at every turn and clamoring for a war before the elections in November even as they ignore and downplay
the courageous and reasonable arguments presented by Scott Ritter. May the forces of truth prevail in both successfully
undermining a reckless and politically motivated rush for war, and in the quest for a full and open investigation into
9/11. I urge you to take action and don't relent until our shared goal is achieved.
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- Kyle Hence is a co-founder of UnansweredQuestions.org and the 9.11 Truth Alliance.
STANDARD DISCLAIMER FROM UQ.ORG: UnansweredQuestions.org does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the above
article. We present this in the interests of research - for the relevant information we believe it contains. We hope
that the reader finds in it inspiration to work with us further, in helping to build bridges between our various
investigative communities, towards a greater, common understanding of the unanswered questions which now lie before us.