"We'll Never Forget" -But Have We?

Allegations Brought to Inspectors General
Some staff members and commissioners of the Sept. 11 panel concluded that the Pentagon's initial story of how it reacted to the 2001 terrorist attacks may have been part of a deliberate effort to mislead the commission and the public rather than a reflection of the fog of events on that day, according to sources involved in the debate.

Let me back up a bit, all that believe the entire story that we've been told about 9-11, please raise your hands. Now you can close this window if your hand is up, if not -let us move on. Here is one of the most complete timelines developed from 9-11 (posted on http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/project.jsp?project=911_project). Well, why even talk about Sept. 11, 2001 -we all know what happened, right? I want to talk about it because that is the catalyst for what the current administration -led by George W. Bush, has used to launch unparalleled offensives both at home and abroad. I think that it is important to know the whole story -don't you? [PS -where's the plane in the picture]?

There are so many stories out there, how do you know what is real? One example is a Post article on the FAA and their tapes from Sept. 11. Even VanityFair.com is getting a piece of the action.

The chief of U.S. air defenses testified that if his command had been notified immediately of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings and ordered to intervene, U.S. fighter jets would have been able to shoot down all four of the airliners that were seized by terrorists and that ultimately crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

This is just the tip of the iceberg -but I'm sure you'll be heraing more about the 'official story' in weeks to come (as you know, the memorial is right around the corner).

Meanwhile, the Middle East continues in it’s celebration of democracy. I knew that Bush’s “domino theory” would work (although a State Department report disputed Bush's claim).

Recently on national television, Vice President Cheney warned that withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq would prompt the collapse of governments in other countries in the region, namely Pakistan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, putting them in the hands of radical Islamist rulers. Cheney has it exactly backwards!

Quickies:

President Jalal Talabani said Wednesday that Iraqi forces will take over security of all provinces in the country by the end of the year. Currently U.S. forces handle security in 17 of Iraq's 18 provinces. U.S. troops are fighting to turn around the "insurgent stronghold" in Ramadi.

A sign in the U.S. headquarters advises soldiers to "be polite, be professional, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet."

As expected, President Bush on Monday nominated anti-regulatory zealot Susan Dudley to head the obscure but “super-powerful" Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Clean Air Watch said the move was "like naming Mel Gibson as a special Mideast Peace Envoy."

As mentioned above -officials on the 9/11 Commission have concluded that the Pentagon's initial claims that it scrambled jets to apprehend United Flight 93 were "part of a deliberate effort to mislead the commission" about its bungled response to the attacks, and that the false statements may have "violated the law."

"Freedom fries" and "freedom toast" are off the congressional menu. Three years after House Republicans trumpeted the new names to get back at the French for snubbing the coalition of the willing in Iraq, both fries and toast have been returned to their traditional names.

(Sources: AP, Washington Post, NY Times, EvangelicalRight, Center For American Progress, VanityFair.com, Randi Rhodes, FOXNews, CommonDreams, niemanwatchdog.org, White House website)