Skepticism is being voiced from many quarters regarding the official U.S. version of the Sept. 11th terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The U.S. government claims it had no prior knowledge that the 9-11 attacks were imminent but nonetheless, within a few hours of the tragedy, it had determined who was guilty of the outrage. It declared Osama bin Laden and his followers as the culprits and president George W. Bush put out a "Wanted: Dead or Alive" contract on the notorious Islamic "extremist."

One of the fortuitously available pieces of evidence which the U.S. government used to determine guilt was a passport said to belong to one of the terrorists. This paper document from the cockpit of one of the hijacked jets, "the epicentre of an inferno which vapourised steel, survived the fireball and fell to the ground almost intact." [1]

Quite soon after the U.S. government had so quickly solved the crime, the U.S. Congress handed over virtually unlimited war powers to president George W. Bush. [2]

Although the U.S. government claims it had no prior knowledge that the Rude Tuesday attacks were about to occur, this is belied by a report that Odigo, an instant messaging company in Israel, had received advanced warning of the attacks and had notified U.S. officials prior to the attacks. [3]

Although mainstream opinion in the United States and Great Britain unquestioningly accepts bin Laden's guilt, there is a growing clamor for hard evidence throughout the rest of the world.

"From the Persian Gulf to Europe to Latin America, world leaders have become increasingly concerned that the U.S. is ready to strike Bin Laden or his supporters in Afghanistan without sufficient evidence." [4]

And even within the British government, an official who asked not to be identified questions the rush to judgement. The un-named official wonders whether the widespread anti-bin Laden furor is based on "mere speculation or resorting to the usual suspects." [4]

-- (LadyLogic2000@yahoo.com), October 03, 2001

Answers

:Laura you ignorant slut. Are you suggesting we do nothing? Okay we should send your powdered ass to negotiate? Well now there is a good thought.

-- (Another@lurking.mind), October 03, 2001.

Laura, could you provide the sources for the numbered references. Thanks.

Another, I don't believe the above post is suggesting what should or should not be done about the attacks, but rather that any action should not be based on a pretext.

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), October 03, 2001.

The CIA definitely knew that New York and Washington were going to be attacked, and within a time period of a couple of months. For the last couple of months prior to the attack, Dubya stayed as far away as possible. He went to Texas, Europe, Florida, and everywhere else to avoid being near that area.

-- (very@sneaky.bastard), October 03, 2001.

Let's pretend it's Monday Sept 10th. Let's pretend that the CIA, FBI, INS & NSC jointly announced the arrest of a few hundred middle eastern types because they claimed they had good evidence of the impending attack. The talking heads and other lib movers would have ripped them a new one. ACLU ranks (with help) would have covered the op-ed pages for months.

If there was sufficient prior knowledge (and that's a big "if") to the attack we have only ourselves to blame for our agencies inability to protect us. It's a double edged sword I understand but we should tell it like it is.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), October 04, 2001.

Let's pretend this is reality and the Bush WH supposedly has PROOF! Only problem is they don't want hardly anyone to see the-proof. What is provided is evidence so lame, so convenient, to spur more questions than they hope to answer. Passports from the pockets of incinerated hijackers is to be believed?

We also have the Bush Administration caught in a bold-faced LIE. What you ask? The claim that AirForceOne, i.e. Dubya, was a target of these maniacs. Since flatly denied by both the Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. One could maybe think this moving of the President, protocol, it isn't since this was not a Nuclear situation. One could also make the claim it was but an honest mistake, maybe. However this is as well dubious when one considers the Administrations actions on Day Two.

Day Two saw a NYTimes article basically calling into question the Bush travels the day of the attacks. The WH reaction? To spend most of that day countering and defending the travels. All done before the SS and FBI came-out and denied any threat existed that they were aware of.

Why would the WH create this? Why would they then defend what they knew to be false? Not offhand, but spend most of the second day? Why? What is to be gained by defending this action we now know to be based on threats which didn't exist? Why not just say it is none of your damn business NYTimes? What was so damn important? So important they spent the very next day, even bothering with it?

Why did Bush, after hearing that WTC One had been hit, continue to read to preschoolers? for a complete half-hour?

Why wasn't the Capital evacuated until after Bush had landed at Barksdale AFB if the threat was so severe? Why didn't the WH alert Congress?

What was Bush trying to prove? what was he trying to create in the minds of the American People? That he, like you, was scared to death? and thus he was unaware of what happened? he was caught as much off- guard as the rest of us?

Did you continue to do normal stuff the minute you heard the WTC had been hit by an airliner? How did Bush do it? How was he able to just ignore a major unfolding news event?

Did it make you feel better, more secure to learn your President was hightailing it as far from DC as was possible?

Why, needs to be asked until a real answer is forthcoming.

-- (move@long.please), October 04, 2001.

Did you continue to do normal stuff the minute you heard the WTC had been hit by an airliner? How did Bush do it? How was he able to just ignore a major unfolding news event? Did it make you feel better, more secure to learn your President was hightailing it as far from DC as was possible? ... Yes it did! The President had no business going to Washington until the situation was secure. There were reporters aboard Air Force One on the flight from Florida, you moron. I suggest you read their comments as to what was going on with the President and Commander in Chief.

And exactly how did Bush *just ignore* what was going on?? He did exactly the right things with the information he had. If anything, this shows just how naive and unprepared we Americans are for a terrorist attack, the massive confusion and uncertainty on that day were unbelievable. Thank god someone had the foresight to close our airspace and order all planes to land immediately or many other cities could today be facing the pain the NYC is facing. I know just how little you liberal ass sucking scums value human life, especailly American lives, but get over it, Bush is the President and Commander in Chief. IF this was on Clinton's watch, he'd still be hiding in Canada with the other cowards!

-- Gary (gcphelps@yahoo.com), October 04, 2001.

How did Bush ignore what was going on? By continuing to read to kids for a full 30 minutes after he was told a commercial jetliner had crashed into the World Trade Center complex. Does this indicate "interest"? he ignored it. How one could ignore it is beyond logic.

If Bush had legitimate information from "their sources", why not just name their sources? If it was the CIA, why not just name them? Why claim it was the Secret Service when in fact it was not? What was the business about a mole and secret codes about?

If Air Force One was a Target, why put Bush in it?? and then fly to LA, and then Neb? By the time the flight to Nebraska departed, AFO was probably one of five aircraft left flying, does this sound like a smart move to you?

Was he even on AFO? ask the reporters onboard, he was there. Why? with information AFO was a target, why was Bush onboard? Maybe you Bush fans need to get-in on this.

-- (move@long.please), October 04, 2001.

If Air Force One was a Target, why put Bush in it??

Well Gary? Was this the "right move"?

-- (move@long.please), October 04, 2001.

Look, the man continued to read big picture books for 30 minutes after he learned a commercial jetliner had crashed into a National Icon. 30 minutes where I suspect at least Andy Card was watching CNN and has the sense to realize this ain't just a crash but a major event and Dubya has to be taken elsewhere. THIRTY MINUTES went by with people jumping out of the WTC on CNN and Dubya sat.

He then boarded what he was told was a Target, and flew west.

I am trying very hard to just chalk all this up to the standard Dubya is a moron, but can't somehow.

-- (move@long.please), October 04, 2001.

If the Bush Administration lied about this AFO business, why believe anything they say?

Why are so many ready to believe the same folks they wouldn't but a month ago? Did the Federal Government all of a sudden become honest?

-- (move@long.please), October 04, 2001.

Oh great, another Bush ass-kisser. Sheesh Gary, it's hard for anyone to get you people to see any sense when you are so IN LOVE with the idiot. Is your $300 tax rebate really more valuable to you than knowing the truth?

Anyone with half a brain knows what Dubya did. I saw his face on TV about a half hour after the WTC was attacked. It took a while to get through his thick skull, but after he finished playing with the kids, he started to realize what had happened. Then he got scared. He was white as a ghost, scared shitless. The first thing that went through his mind was "Uh-oh, I bet they're going to try to get ME!" So then he goes flying off to Nebraska to hide in an underground nuclear-proof bunker, the safest place he could think of. Screw the rest of the people, he's got to save his OWN ass!

A while later, his staff informs him that it doesn't look good to be such a chickenshit, no one is trying to kill him and he has the best security in the world. They tell him that he is going to have to address the nation, and it won't look good to be seen on television sitting in a bunker 300 feet underground. Eventually they help him get up the nerve to go back to Washington, even though he would rather go back to Texas and be with his Mommy.

When the media started asking questions about this peculiar panic and running off to hide, they made up a story to make it sound like he was being brave.... "Oh, even though we were informed that Air Force One was a target, the President said he wanted to be in Washington. It was a very brave and heroic act by the President to return to Washington."

LMAO!!! Yeah, right!

-- (repugs@are.idiots), October 04, 2001.

Early reports were that the airliner which crashed in PA may have been shot down. Then there were more detailed reports, with quotes from ATCs, that an F16 had been dispatched and was in "hot pursuit" (quotes from the story) of the airliner ,and had flown rings around it- ATCs had watched on radar for 7 minutes. Later reports denied any F15, but said a small business jet was simply passing by in the air, some 17 miles distant. THen there were no further such reports, but instead passengers were claimed as heroes.

Now, I don't know what happened, but the funny thing is I can no longer find those earlier stories.

Somethig else strange- a passport survived the fiery crash into a building, but the black box recorder somehow did not?

-- Whatdidgoon (LittleDiscrepancies@Build.Up), October 04, 2001.

Der Furher was readink to mein children.

-- Geobbels at the (Reichtst@g.com), October 04, 2001.

Yes, cowardly liberal scum, Bush DID the right thing! You don't have any facts to back up anything you claim now, do you?

-- Gary (gcphelps@yahoo.com), October 04, 2001.

"By continuing to read to kids for a full 30 minutes after he was told a commercial jetliner had crashed into the World Trade Center complex."

Where did you get this bullshit? He split right after the TV appearance. In other words, he cancelled the kids show.

"Why wasn't the Capital evacuated until after Bush had landed at Barksdale AFB"

Another crock of shit.

And where did you get that crap about him flying to LA?

He didn't make the choice to head for a bunker, the SS did! And that decision wasn't made until the Pentagon was attacked. You got that genius, the fucking Pentagon was attacked!!!

What a moron.

-- (big@bad.doomer), October 04, 2001.

hey tony baloney, try getting a hold of some freaking facts, will ya?? you just looking more stupider all the time!!

KTAR 620am did an interview with Ann Compton, a liberal reporter, who was aboard the Air Force One as the Commander in Chief, President Bush left Florida... None of the bullshit posted by the liberal scum maggots on this thread are backed up by a single fact, you must've learnt this trick from slick willy....

-- Gary (gcphelps@yahoo.com), October 04, 2001.

Bush left as soon as he heard about the attacks. He didn't want to panic the children or the nation, so he didn't do so in a hectic rush, but the claim that he continued to read to children for 30 minutes "while people jumped from the building" is ludicrous.

Nice try.

-- Stephen M. Poole (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), October 04, 2001.

Plenty of dorks here with CONSPIRACY theories about the Federal government - no different than the idiots claiming that the Murrah Building was blown up by the ATF.

Gee, I wish we had Clinton and Gore cuz they are so BRAVE!!! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

-- libs are idiots (moreinterpretation@ugly.com), October 04, 2001.

If Air Force One was a Target, why put Bush in it??

-- (tap@tapping.tapfingers), October 09, 2001.

Bush can get on any plane to get to any destination. Air Force one may have been a target but not as simple a target as the WTC or pentagon. By its mobility, it can survive a variety of attacks and therefore a 'safe haven' for our president.(1) Since aircraft (the commercial type) may have had explosives on it planted by the terrorists, the military aircraft known as Air Force one is the least likely compromised with terrorist bombs.(2)

Since Air Force one may have been a target, the military correctly flew the president to a number of alternate sites. Also the military flew fighter jet escorts back to DC to protect against any further attacks from terrorists.(3)

At one of the alternate sites, the president was in direct contact with other military and government organizations through a variety of 'protected' communications.

Now stop making yourself look like a moron.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), October 09, 2001.

The original post is the Gary North thesis. The man just keeps on going and going.

-- (Roland@hatemail.com), October 09, 2001.