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Hello, and welcome to my space. Unlike most "myspace" spaces, this site is not all about me. Instead my mission is to inform everyone about the conspiracy behind 9/11 and the movement to reveal the truth about what really happened.
I hope you will take an hour or two of your time to read through this page and click some links. There is an enormous amount of information contained on this page. I welcome your comments, suggestions, arguments, etc.
Disclaimer: While I do consider myself to be a liberal, or progressive thinker, this page is not simply about politics and party lines. Liberals, conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Socialists, etc. are all welcome. I hope to reach you all through this site. Pass on the knowledge.
"Sadly, I think the main reason people choose to believe the government's version of events despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, is because it's easier, and safer. If you ignore most of the evidence, and accept as plausible whatever ridiculous explanation the T.V. provides, your life remains simple, and you get to sit on your ass and watch more T.V. If on the other hand, you pluck your head from that same ass and realize you've been lied to, as a citizen in a democratic society, you're instantly burdened with being responsible for doing something about it. Every citizen of the United States has a civic duty to participate in their government, and keep themselves informed of its actions, or government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" isn't possible. You were warned that "eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, " but you chose to ignore your government, and believe whatever they told you, and because of this, Americans have lost their freedom. Although presidents and senators are public servants, unlike the dog catcher and mailman, they wield a lot of power over people's lives, and that's why they have to be watched, and scrutinized."
-Jolly @ 911Truth.org
Background - Pre 9/11 Attack
1. Pearl Harbor, A U.S. incident of False Flag Terrorism
a. Info - False Flag Terrorism is when a government attacks its own people then blames others in order to justify its goals. Many people believe that the U.S. knew of the incoming Japanese attack. The U.S. Navy had cracked the Japanese code 15 months before the attack. The government also knew a week before the fateful Sunday that the attack was coming. But the President (FDR) did nothing to stop the attack; instead he used the attack to his advantage. During a time when most U.S. citizens opposed entering WWII, an attack on America was the only event that could trigger a response large enough to change the minds of the American people. Pearl Harbor parallels 9/11 perfectly in that it was a deciding factor in the minds of the American people. The attack boosted patriotism and allowed the Bush Administration to jump into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, just as FDR used Pearl Harbor to his advantage.
b. Links
i. Day of Defeat: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor
ii. What Really Happened? - Pearl Harbor
iii. Pearl Harbor: Mother Of All Conspiracies
iiii. Pearl Habor Conspiracy - lots of good info
c. Books
i. Pearl Harbor Mother of all Conspiracies by Mark Emerson Willey
ii. Day of Deceit: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor by Robert Stinnett
2. Hitler and Reichstag Fire - Another Example of "False Flag Terrorism"
a. Info - In February of 1933, the Reichstag building, which was where the German Parliament met and did business, was set ablaze. Hitler and his Nazi Party blamed the Communists (dubbing them terrorists) and thus began Hitler's Rise to power. In actuality, many believe that the Nazi's were behind the fire in one way or another. Hitler utilized the "attack" to suspend the civil liberties of the German people. On March 23, 1933, the "Enabling Act" was passed, giving Hitler full, unchecked dictatorship powers. Once again, many parallels can be drawn between the Reichstag Fire and 9/11. Take a look at the links below for more detailed information and analysis.
b. Links
i. Hitler and the Reichstag Fire
ii. What Really Happened? - Compares 9/11 to the Reichstag Fire
iii. How Hitler Became a Dictator
3. Other instances of "False Flag Terrorism"
a. 1950s Israelis bombed Egypt, blamed Arabs
b. Russian KGB apparently conducted a wave of bombings in Russia in order to justify war against Chechnya and put Vladimir Putin into power.
c. Herman Goering summed up this process during the Nuremberg Trails after WWII when he said:
"Naturally the common people don't want war...But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament or a communist dictatorship...All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
4. The Northwoods Document
a. Info - The declassified memo from 1962 is an example of manufacturing an enemy, an even more sinister plan than the McCollum memo. This document, marked TOP SECRET, and signed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, L.L. Lemnitzer but rejected by President Kennedy, called for committing acts of terror against US citizens and then blaming these acts on Cuba to justify a war. The document boldly suggests that "We could blow up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba.." as well as other manufactured scenarios carefully designed to generate what the document itself calls "PRETEXTS TO JUSTIFY US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN CUBA". The Northwoods plan also asserts that "Casualty lists in US newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation." showing that they were concerned about swaying public opinion in support of their manufactured war. While the Northwoods plan was not implemented in the 60's resulting in war with Cuba, the document proves beyond debate that elements within the "Military Industrial Complex" have covertly conspired to manufacture enemies where none exist.
b. Links
i. Operation Northwoods - View the document and other related info here
ii. What Really Happened? - Operation Northwoods
iii. - U.S. Military Wanted to Provoke War with Cuba - from ABCnews.com
k. Books
c. Body of Secrets by James Bamford
5. U.S. trained Mujahideen (Al-Qaeda) to Fight Communist Russia
a. Info - Towards the end of the Cold War, the United States decided to back Afghan rebels fighting the invading Soviet Army. The U.S. reportedly financed, trained and armed the Mujahideen warriors in an attempt to help bring down the Red Army. Between 1985 and 1992, U.S. officials estimate that between 12,000 and 35,000 foreign fighters (Muslim radicals) from various countries were trained in bomb making, sabotage and guerrilla warfare tactics in Afghan camps that the CIA helped to set up. It is also reported that the rebels were given tons of arms including hundreds of Stinger missiles. It is through this process of recruiting foreign fighters that brought in Osama Bin Laden to the ranks of the Mujahideen. Bin Laden then created Al-Qaeda, a conglomerate of quasi independent Islamic terrorist cells spread across at least 26 countries. Once the Soviets had retreated, the Mujahideen rebel armies began battling with each other, vying for power in the war torn nation. Check out the following links for a more in depth analysis, including more descriptive facts and timelines.
b. Links
i. Wikipedia Article -Mujahideen
ii. How We Trained Al Qaeda
iii. Stingers, Stingers, Whos Got the Stingers: We Gave Them to the Mujahideen
iv. Afghanistan, the CIA, bin Laden, and the Taliban
6. Government was warned of the threat, but was negligent in stopping the attack
i. Warning from the Philippines
ii. Three years prior to 9/11, the U.S. warned Saudi Arabia that Bin Laden may attack using planes
iii. Former Taliban leader warned U.S. of 9/11 plot
iv. Presidential Daily Briefing, August 6, 2001 Bin Laden determined to strike in USA
v. CIA Warned Of U.S. Attack In '95
7. Project for the New American Century (PNAC)
a. Info - From Wikipeida.org: The PNAC is a controversial organization. Some have raised concerns that the project has been proposing military and economic, space, cyberspace, and global domination by the United States, so as to establish American dominance in world affairs (Pax Americana) for the future, hence the term "the New American Century", based on the idea that the 20th century was the American Century. Some analysts argue that the American-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, commenced in March of that year under the code name Operation Iraqi Freedom, is the first major step toward implementing these objectives. An interesting quote comes from a PNAC policy document entitled Rebuilding Americas Defenses(this policy has been compared to Hitler's infamous Mein Kampf). The quote: "Further, the process of transformation (increasing Americas defenses), even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event like a new Pearl Harbor." Yet another bit of knowledge that could potentially prove that the U.S. government was in on the 9/11 attacks.
b. PNAC Members - Dick Cheney, Lewis Scooter Libby, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Jeb Bush, Richard Perle, and many other political figures. See the wikipedia link below for a full listing.
c. Links
i. PNAC official site
ii. A site dedicated to reveal more in depth info and analysis about the PNAC
iii. Tons of information on PNAC ideals, lists of members, agendas, etc. A must read.
iv. Read Rebuilding Americas Defenses in its Entirety
The Attack
1. Bush reaction while reading to school children
a. Info - At around 9:00 a.m. on September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush was reading to a classroom of students in the Emma E. Booker elementary school in Sarasota, Florida. The President was told of the 1st plane hitting the WTC North Tower before joining the students. He believes the cause is pilot error. During the reading session, Chief of Staff Andrew Card informs Bush that a second plane his hit the South Tower. Bush then visits with the children for 5-7 more minutes before leaving the room for a briefing, which followed by a short speech. Bush, the Commander in Chief, then left the school. Another interesting point: In a interview soon after the attacks, the President stated that he "was sitting outside the classroom waiting to go in, and I saw an airplane hit the tower -- the TV was obviously on, and I use to fly myself, and I said, 'There's one terrible pilot.' And I said, 'It must have been a horrible accident." The problem with this story is that there was no live footage of the first plane hitting; a video was later released that depicted the attack. The links below help document my summary above.
b. Links
i. THE Video of Bush reading to the children and being told of the attacks
ii. Timeline of the attacks and Bush's reaction on 9/11
iii. Bush's lie about seeing the first plane hit the Tower
iii. An Interesting Day: President Bush's Movements and Actions on 9/11
2. NORAD - North American Aerospace Defense Command
a. Info - NORAD is the U.S. defense shield that usually protects our country from various airborne attacks. It is an elaborate system used to track the airspace over our country and was even used to "track" Santa Clause last Christmas. "Any time an aircraft deviates from its course, air traffic controllers request a military intercept according to military response code 7610-4J." But NORAD did not stop the hi-jacked planes from hitting the Twin Towers on 9/11. So what went wrong? Well White House officials, the military and the 9/11 Commission all have somewhat different stories and timelines on what happened on 9/11 and when and why the interceptor jets were or were not scrambled. One reason for NORADs confusion was that there were multiple "war games" being conducted on 9/11. Ironically these "war games" simulated hijackings, planes crashing into buildings and a bio-warfare attack. These games entitled "Operation Northern Vigilance" and "Operation Vigilant Warrior and Vigilant Guardian" confused various NORAD and other government officials, causing the breakdown of normal operating procedures. View the following links for more elaborate info and specifics.
b. Links
i. The official NORAD government site
ii. Good description of NORAD and its purpose
iii. "IGNORAD" by Scott Shuger
iii. Great wealth of info about NORADs response
3. Various people received warnings prior to the Attacks
a. Info - It appears that there were various accounts of intelligence agencies revealing information to important government officials that some sort of attack was to happen on September 11, 2001. Check out the links for more info, as there is really too much to list here.
b. Links
i. San Francisco Mayor, Willie Brown claims he was warned
ii. Author Salman Rushdie
iii. List of various warnings can be found here
4. Suspicious stock trading prior to the 9/11 attack
a. Info - Many put options were purchased for both United Airlines and American Airlines a few days before the attack. Put options are defined as an option contract giving the owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell a specified amount of an underlying security at a specified price within a specified time. Put options become more valuable as the price of the underlying stock becomes worth less. So if traders had insider knowledge that the attack was going to happen, and assumed that after the attack airline stocks would depreciate, then it would be in their best financial interest to purchase as many put options as possible. As of today, there are millions of dollars of unclaimed put options. According to the Wall Street Journal (reported Oct. 2) there was also an unusually high volume of five-year U.S. Treasury note purchases prior to the attacks which are among the best investments in the event of a world crisis, especially one that hits the U.S.
b. Links
i. Criminal Insider Trading Linked to CIA
ii. Revealing 9/11 Stock Trades Could Expose the Terrorist Masterminds
iii. "Profits of Death - Insider Trading and 9/11
c. Articles
i. Black Tuesday: Worlds Largest Insider Trading Scam? by The Institute for Counter Terrorism (ICT), located in Herzliya, Israel (9/19/01)
5. Pakistani Official wired money to Terrorist Atta, possible CIA connection?
a. Info - Evidence has been found that shows that Pakistani Lieutenant-General Mahmoud Ahmad wired $100,000 to the ring leader of the 9/11 attacks, Mohammad Atta. Prior to the 9/11 attacks, Ahmad met with CIA Director George Tenet in Washington. Ahmad was actually still in Washington when the 9/11 attacks were carried out. In the days following the attacks, Ahmad met with the Deputy Secretary of State, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Secretary of State Powell.
b. Links
i. See the connection between Ahmad, Atta and the CIA here
ii. CNN - Suspected Terrorist Leader was Wired Funds from Pakistan
iii. The Pakistan Connection
6. Time table of September 11
a. Timeline
8:15 A.M - Flight 11 was commandeered.
8:42 A.M - Flight 175 was commandeered.
8:46 A.M - Flight 77 was commandeered.
8:46 A.M - 1 World Trade Center was hit by a 767 jetliner.
9:03 A.M - 2 World Trade Center was hit by a 767 jetliner.
9:16 A.M - Flight 93 was commandeered.
9:38 A.M - The Pentagon was hit by a jetliner.
9:59 A.M - 2 World Trade Center collapsed.
10:28 A.M - 1 World Trade Center collapsed.
5:20 P.M - 7 World Trade Center collapsed.
b. Links - Other Versions of the Timeline (good references)
i. Excellent timeline with lots of pictures, videos, etc
ii. CNN - Timeline of 9/11
iii. National Geographic's version of the timeline
7. Leaseholder of WTC Larry Silverstein and his Insurance Policy
a. Info - Larry Silverstein took over as the leaseholder of the World Trade Center complex about six weeks prior to the attack. Silverstein also took out an enormous insurance policy which specifically covered acts of terrorism. Quoting the British Financial Times of September 14, 2001, the American Reporter wrote that the lease has an all-important escape clause: If the buildings are struck by an act of terrorism, the new owners' obligations under the lease are void. As a result, the new owners are not required to make any payments under their lease, but they will be able to collect on the loss of the buildings that collapsed or were otherwise destroyed and damaged in the attacks. See section 9. Controlled Demolition or Pulling of Building 7 below for more on Silversteins controversial actions. In February of 2002, Larry Silversteins company won a settlement of $861 million from Industrial Risk Insurers for the collapse of Building 7 (a building that he ordered be demolished). Currently Silverstein is in a legal battle over the policy on other two Towers, and is expected to receive between $3.5 - $7 billion.
b. Links
i. BBC News - Insurance Battle over Twin Towers
ii. What Really Happened? - Article on Larry Silverstein
8. Did Flight 77 Hit the Pentagon?
a. Info - The official story is that Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:38 A.M. on 9/11. Many people question the physics of the crash and wonder why there is no pictures, videos, etc of the actual impact. The government has released a succession of 5 still images that create a video, but they show very little. Some believe a missile or other device was used, but that theory is difficult to prove and has come under fire by many anti-conspiracy theorists. Most informed 9/11 theorists believe that a plane did indeed hit the Pentagon, and that the missile theory is an anti-conspiracy tactic which will be used to disinform the people and therefore attempt to discredit all other 9/11 truth theories. Also, there has been evidence found inside the Pentagon (landing gear pieces, engine pieces, etc.) but the evidence is few and far between. Another interesting point is that according to a Citgo store manager, Jose Velasquez, within minutes after the alleged attack, FBI officials arrived at his nearby store and confiscated the stores video footage. I wish more evidence, such as this tape and other video footage would be released, then this Pentagon mystery could be solved.
b. Links
i. FBI Claims 84 Videos Show NO Flight 77 Impact
ii. Photos of Flight 77 Wreckage Inside the Pentagon
iii. This site shows the dimensions of the Pentagon, the plane, etc and tries to prove that a Boeing 757 did strike the Pentagon
9. Controlled Demolition or Pulling of Building 7
a. Info - The story behind 7 World Trade Center is summed up like this. After the planes hit the Towers, Building 7 caught fire. The building burned until about 5:00 P.M. Then it was decided by Larry Silverstein (the owner of the WTC complex and holder of a enormous insurance policy on the buildings) and others to pull the building. To pull a building is a term that means to have a controlled demolition. Videos of the collapse can be found here View the collapse of Building 7 Here . The collapse eerily resembles that of the Twin Towers that fell earlier on that fateful day in American history. The similarities of all 3 collapses lead others in the 9/11 Truth Movement and myself to believe that controlled demolition brought down all 3 buildings. See my next topic for more info. View the links below for detailed info on what happened to the building, info on Larry Silverstein, and other related info.
b. Links
i. A site dedicated to Building 7
ii. Describes various aspects of the demolition of Building 7
iii. Photos and videos compare the collapse of Building 7 to other buildings
iii. Wikipedia article on Larry Silverstein
iii. Video excerpt covering this topic, very informative
10. Controlled Demolition/Steven Jones
a. Info - Steven Jones, a Physics Professor at Brigham Young University, has written an intriguing, scholarly paper that argues that fires alone did not bring the Towers down. Instead, his hypothesis is that pre-positioned explosivescaused the buildings to collapse. By using scientific knowledge, combined with the available data, evidence and testimony, Prof. Jones has created a potential smoking gun. Other important facts regarding this topic include the following
i. Firefighter and other eyewitness testimony (including news reporters) that they heard explosions in the Towers
ii. The fact that the buildings were indeed designed and built to withstand this specific kind of attack
iii. The strange way that the buildings imploded (which happens during a controlled demolition)
iv. Unannounced drills, buildings being strangely evacuated, the removal of bomb sniffing dogs prior to 9/11
v. Marvin Bush was a principal for the company who installed and provided security for the Towers and American Airlines (see link below)
vi. Watch the video of the collapses, the Towers seem to crumble, turning to complete dust, instead of simply crashing to the ground
vii. The speed at which the Towers fell was faster than gravity alone could have caused
viii. The 3 World Trade Center buildings are the only steel structure buildings to ever collapse from fires. See the link below.
Other steel structure buildings that have withstood hours of fire
I urge you to research this topic and/or check out the links provided. This topic is the best hard evidence to dispute what really happened on 9/11.
b. Links
i. THE PAPER written by Stephen Jones, a must read
ii. Firefighter speaks out, reveals truth about bombs in WTC
iii. Marvin Bushs company running security
iv. Do some research yourself!
11. Flight 93 - Passengers fought terrorists or plane shot down by U.S. jets?
a. Info - The official story regarding Flight 93 is that brave civilians forced their way into the cockpit, forcing hijackers to intentionally crash Flight 93, apparently because they feared the passengers would overwhelm them. Alternative theories (which usually make more logical sense include: 1) a bomb went off in the plane that caused the crash, which raises the question of how did a bomb get passed security? 2) That the plane was shot down by U.S. jets. Either theory seems feasible and eyewitness accounts state that another aircraft was seen flying close to the large airliner. Other interesting tidbits include the Coroner who responded to the crash claiming that he found no bodies and no blood at the scene of the crash. This is yet another question (and another potential lie fed to us by the government) that must be answered through investigation. Read on for more detailed info, or do a Google search to find more.
b. Links
i. Donald Rumsfeld says plane "shot down" over Pennsylvania
ii. Site dedicated to Flight 93 and an investigation into what happened to it. Great info here.
12. Names of the Terrorists
a. Info - About two days after the 9/11 attacks, the FBI released a listing of the names of the men who were engaged in the attack. These 19 names were found using intelligence information, flight manifest logs, and passports found on site. Later reports aired that 6 (some say 5 or 7) of the suspected terrorists are still alive! They apparently had their identities stolen and are totally innocent. In September 2002, Robert Mueller (then the CIA Director) told CNN twice that there is "no legal proof to prove the identities of the suicidal hijackers." Therefore, it could be argued that the hijackers were not terrorists, not Islamic radicals, or not members Al- Qaeda. Once again more questions must be raised, especially to investigate the claims that passports and ID cards were found in the wreckage of the attacks. After the huge explosions, fire, the collapse, etc. you want me to believe that a piece of paper is still in tact? While this subject on the names of terrorists isnt in itself a major mistake, it just gives one more example of the sloppy investigating and misleading of information given to the American public. Once again, there is no proof that al Qaeda flew the planes into the buildings.
b. Links
i. List of high-jackers and flight paths of the plans
ii. Miracle evidence
ii. More on the passports found near Ground Zero
Post Attack
1. Bush Anti - Conspiracy quote
a. Info - This quote is from President Bushs address at the 56th Session of the United Nations Assembly, November 10, 2001, New York.
i. "Let us never tolerate outrageous conspiracy theories concerning the attacks of September 11th - malicious lies that attempt to shift blame away from the terrorists themselves, away from the guilty."
ii. In my eyes, this quote is a direct attack at anyone who might question the governments official story about what happened on September 11. This quote attacks our freedom of speech and seeks to do harm to those (like myself) who believe that there is more to the story than they want us to know. In reality, these outrageous conspiracy theories scare President Bush and everyone else that is part of the true conspiracy.
b. Links
i. Read the entire speech here
2. Immediate Cleanup Of Ground Zero
a. Info - In the first few weeks following the attack, the tons of scrap from the fallen Towers was sold to various scrap yards in New Jersey and New York. The scrap was then re-sold to other recyclers in the U.S. and various foreign countries. This scrap metal was clearly crime scene evidence in the most controversial attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, therefore it should have been analyzed by independent parties and held for future reference. A few pieces of the steel were kept for analysis, but this is merely a drop in the bucket when one realizes how much steel and other scrap was removed from Ground Zero.
b. Links
i. 9/11 Research - WTC Steel Removal
ii. Twin Towers Steel Set for US Warship.
ii. Fireman's Assault on Cover-Up
3. Black Boxes
a. Info - There are 2 types of black boxes: Cockpit Voice Recorders and Flight Data Recorders. Either of these two boxes would be extremely beneficial in discovering what really happened in the jets on 9/11. According to the official government story, none of the black boxes from the jets that crashed into the Towers were ever recovered. There are a few reasons why this story is questionable. First, the black boxes are made with near indestructible materials; it is there sole purpose to survive the heat, damage, and elements during and after a plane crash and then allow investigators to play back what really happened. Second, firefighter Mike Bellone claims that FBI agents joined him in a search in which they located 3 of the 4 black boxes. He was then confronted by the FBI and told not to say anything about them. If this is true, it is yet another page in the book of schemes behind the 9/11 cover-up. Also, please note that the black boxes from Flight 77 (Pentagon) and Flight 93 (Pennsylvania) have been recovered, but as of yet no info or clips from these boxes has been released. What are they trying to hide? These black boxes would prove that terrorists took over the flights. Maybe there were never terrorists at all? We demand proof!
b. Links
i. New Cover-up Revealed? 9/11 Black Boxes Found
ii. Black Box Cover-up
ii. Flight 77 Black Boxes
4. Did Bin Laden Really Confess?
a. Info - While we have all heard of the tape in which Osama Bin Laden takes the credit for the successful attacks on America on September 11, 2001, many question the authenticity of the tape itself. Some theorists believe that the tape shows a fake Bin Laden (see links below for an analysis of the different Bin Ladens). Some say that in the confession video Bin Laden is wearing a gold ring, which is apparently forbidden in the Muslim world. Some also question the translation of the video, the way it was discovered (by the CIA, whereas most of the other videos were from Al Jazeera TV), etc. Also, Bin Laden actually denied any involvement in the 9/11 attacks (link - Bin Laden Denial )
Research this one folks, and let me know what you find
b. Links
i. This site compares the Bin Laden tapes
ii. A Fair and Balanced examination of the video
5. Misuse of Patriotism after 9/11 and the Misleading of the American People into War
a. Weapons of Mass Destruction - When it was all said and done, Saddam Hussein (Iraq) in fact did not possess weapons of mass destruction. After being bombarded with various threats of mustard gas, nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, etc., the American people were deathly afraid of what this Iraqi leader might attack us with. This terribly misleading information was used to take advantage of the American people and led us into the war in Iraq.
i. Various quotes from the Bush Administration and other government officials on Iraq�s WMD
b. Iraq/al-Qaeda Link - It is also common knowledge that Iraq and Saddam Hussein did not have any legitimate ties. The 9/11 Commission stated the fact that it has found no "collaborative relationship" between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Yet another documented instance where the Bush Administration has lied to the American people.
i. Washington Post : al-Qaeda - Hussein Link Is Dismissed
ii. CBS News: Iraq-Qaeda Links Doubted
6. Patriot Act
a. Info - On October 24, 2001, the United States government hastily passed the Patriot Act. The attacks on 9/11 allowed the government to pass this Act which limits Bill of Rights protections, reduces some basic Civil Liberties, and increases overall government powers. Here is an example:
i.Section 215 modifies the rules on records searches. Post-Patriot Act, third-party holders of your financial, library, travel, video rental, phone, medical, church, synagogue, and mosque records can be searched without your knowledge or consent, providing the government says it's trying to protect against terrorism.
While this power may seem minor, it may be just the beginning of ever increasing governmental powers (See Hitler and the Reichstag fire for a parallel). This controversial Act is up to be renewed in early 2006, contact your Senator/Congressperson if you oppose this Act.
b. Links
i. Read the Patriot Act HERE
ii. A Guide to the Patriot Act - Should You Be Scared?
iii. Wikipedia article about the Patriot Act
7. Who benefits from War/Terrorism? The Military Industrial Complex
a. Info - Military-Industrial Complex usually refers to the combination of the U.S. armed forces, arms industry and associated political and commercial interests, which grew rapidly in scale and influence in the wake of World War II, although it can also be used to describe any such relationship of industry and military. It is sometimes used to refer to the iron triangle that is argued to exist among weapons makers/military contractors, the Pentagon and the United States Congress.
b. Quote - In his farewell address, President Eisenhower warned the American public when he said:
"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 the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberty or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."
c. Companies Involved
Lockheed Martin - awarded $20.7 billion in contracts.
Raytheon - awarded $8.5 billion in contracts .
Northrop Grumman - awarded $11.9 billion in contracts.
Boeing - awarded $17.1 billion in contracts.
General Dynamics Corp - awarded $9.6 billion in contracts.
Halliburton - awarded $8 billion in contracts.
Though this does not include all corporations involved in the Military Industrial Complex, it does represent the biggest players.
d. Links
i. Arms Companies: Profiting From 9/11 and War (PDF file)
ii. See how your tax money is spent
iii. View the various connections between military firm big shots and government officials
8. Increase in Governmental Powers (Martial Law/Police State)
a. Info - The attacks on 9/11 allowed the government to increases its powers in various ways. While these increases seem marginal when looked at one at a time, the combination of these somewhat minor increases lead to an overall decrease in civil liberties and the broad increase in governmental powers. Examples include the recent NSA secret spying scandal, the infiltration of various peace groups, mass arrests of protestors, etc. We are being robbed of our freedoms, and it is our government, NOT the terrorists who are taking these rights from us.
b. Examples to research
i. CIA Secret Prisons/Torture
ii. Guantanamo Bay
iii. VIPER Teams
iv. NSA Spying on Citizens
v. Fuji Spy Blimp
vi. Pier 57 READ THIS you will be amazed
vii. More on Pier 57
viii. Wikipedia Article on Pier 57 scandal
ix. US Accused of Torture Policy
x. CIA's Secret Prisons
c. Martial Law info
i. Is America Preparing for Martial Law?
ii. Wikipedia Article - Martial Law