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which would alarm the American population and stampede them angles, as complained about by CBS correspondent Lou Young, into supporting a military attack on Cuba. Under consideration in who asked, "What are they afraid we're going to see?" Operation Northwoods were plans: « Why has the NYPD liaison to the FBI been sent packing as a * to create "a series of well-coordinated incidents" in or around "security risk", as reported in the October 16 New York Times? the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to include inciting | Whose security is at risk? The FBI's? What is it that the Bureau riots and blowing up ammunition stores, aircraft and ships; does not want NYPD to know? * to "develop a Communist Cuba terror campaign in the Miami * How could an obviously sophisticated terrorist plan, involving area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington"; perhaps as many as 100 persons and in the works for five years, * to "sink a boatload of Cubans en route to Florida (real or sim- escape the notice of our intelligence services, especially the FBI ulated)...foster attempts on the lives of Cuban refugees in the and CIA? And why, instead of cashiering those responsible for United States"; this intelligence failure and totally restructuring these agencies, * to explode bombs in carefully chosen locations and coordinate —_are we doubling their budgets? with the release of "prepared documents" pointing to Cuban * Why did the WTC South Tower collapse first, when it was not complicity; as extensively damaged as the North Tower which burned for * to use fake Russian aircraft to harass civilian airliners; almost an hour and a half before collapsing? * to make "hijacking attempts against civil air and surface ¢ Why did many witnesses claim to hear further explosions craft", even to simulating the shooting down of a civilian airliner. within the buildings? And why did the destruction of the towers Kennedy rejected Operation Northwoods and senior military appear more like a controlled implosion than a tragic accident? officers ordered the documents destroyed. But someone slipped « Why did FBI Director Robert Mueller acknowledge that the up and the papers were discovered by the Assassination Records list of named hijackers might not contain their real names? Review Board and recently released by the National Archives. Doesn't everyone have to show a photo ID to claim a boarding On a more recent event, The New York Times (October 28, pass? Where was the normal security? 1993) reported that an informant ¢ Why was there a discrepancy of named Emad Salem was involved 35 names between the published early in 1993 with Middle Eastern ter- passenger lists and the official death rorists connected to Osama bin Laden, toll on all four of the ill-fated to develop a bomb for use against Why w: her iscr n flights? Internet columnist Gary New York's World Trade Center. y as there a d ae sue cy North reported that "the published Salem, a former Egyptian Army offi- of 35 names between the names in no instance match the total cer, wanted to substitute a harmless published passenger lists and listed for the number of people on powder for the explosive, but his plan os board". Why the discrepancy? to thwart the attack was blocked by an the official death toll on ¢ As none of these listed passen- FBI official who apparently did not all four of the ill-fated flights? gers had an Arabic-sounding name, want to expose the inside informant. how did the government know The attack was allowed to proceed. which ones were the hijackers? The February 26, 1993 explosion in ¢ Why did the seat numbers of the the WTC resulted in six deaths, more hijackers, given in a cellphone call than 1,000 casualties, and damage in from Flight Attendant Madeline excess of half a billion dollars. Amy Sweeney to Boston Air Traffic Control, not match the seats We now see that creating crises to further political goals was a _ occupied by the men the FBI claims were responsible? methodology well understood and utilised in the 20th century. Is * Since Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister claimed five of the pro- this the game today? Let's examine the September 11 attacks. claimed hijackers were not aboard the death planes and in fact are still alive, and a sixth man on that list was reported to be alive and QUESTIONS OVER THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS well in Tunisia, why are these names still on the FBI list? Superficially, it all seemed straightforward enough. According * Why were no names of the named hijackers on any of the pas- to the official story, about 19 suicidal Middle Eastern terrorists, senger lists? If they all used aliases, how did the FBI identify their hearts full of hatred for American freedom and democracy, them so quickly? hijacked four airliners, crashing two into the twin towers of New * Why did one of the named hijackers take luggage on a suicide York City's World Trade Center and a third into the Pentagon. flight, then leave it along with an incriminating note in his car at The fourth reportedly crashed in western Pennsylvania after pas- the airport? sengers attempted to fight the terrorists. ¢ As for the overall investigation into the September attacks, by But many disturbing questions have arisen. Among them: late October US authorities conceded that most of their promising ¢ Why was the US military preparing war plans against leads for finding accomplices and some of their long-held suspi- Afghanistan months before the September 11 attacks? Were they cions about several suspects have unravelled, according to the just looking for some event to propel the normally disinterested New York Times. Since more than 800 people have been arrested American public into a war, as in the past? and more than 365,000 tips have been received from the public, ¢ How could paper documents incriminating bin Laden be why has nothing substantial been forthcoming in the largest US found intact at the WTC, but the planes' "black box" flight criminal investigation in history? recorders—designed to withstand crashes—were damaged * Why, of the nearly 100 people still being sought by the beyond use? Federal Bureau of Investigation, is none seen as a major suspect? « Even days and weeks after the WTC attack, why were news * Why are we bombing Afghanistan, when apparently no listed cameramen prevented from photographing the ruins from certain hijackers were Afghans but instead Arabs from various Middle Why was there a discrepancy of 35 names between the © published passenger lists and _ the official death toll on — QUESTIONS OVER THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS Superficially, it all seemed straightforward enough. According to the official story, about 19 suicidal Middle Eastern terrorists, their hearts full of hatred for American freedom and democracy, hijacked four airliners, crashing two into the twin towers of New York City's World Trade Center and a third into the Pentagon. The fourth reportedly crashed in western Pennsylvania after pas- sengers attempted to fight the terrorists. But many disturbing questions have arisen. Among them: ¢ Why was the US military preparing war plans against Afghanistan months before the September 11 attacks? Were they just looking for some event to propel the normally disinterested American public into a war, as in the past? ¢ How could paper documents incriminating bin Laden be found intact at the WTC, but the planes' "black box" flight recorders—designed to withstand crashes—were damaged beyond use? « Even days and weeks after the WTC attack, why were news cameramen prevented from photographing the ruins from certain 16 = NEXUS all four of the ill-fated flights? www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2001 — JANUARY 2002