We are entering the stretch run for the most important mid-term elections in our lives. At stake America, is your very soul. At stake is the precious liberty that so many have fought and died for. At stake is our form of government. Currently, we are governed by a would-be-king. A man who brazenly admits to ignoring over 800 laws in this country. A man who thinks nothing of condoning torture, calling it a "necessary tool" in his never ending war on terror. Our would-be-king has consistently thumbed his nose at the American people. He has reinserted his destruction of the Social Security System, despite the protests of all of America. He has lied right to our faces about always using the FISA Court, until it was revealed that he actually was illegally wiretapping US citizens. What has he done since then? Has he recognized the error of his ways? No, he has gone after the whistleblowers who would dare question the almighty ruler of the "free" world. Why has our would-be-king been allowed to commit these and so many more egregious examples of totalitarianism? Because Congress has abdicated its duty to you, to him.
There has been no Congressional oversight and no checks and balances in this country for the past 5 years and it needs to stop this November. Make no mistake about it though, the ruling party will not go without a fight and that fight is expected to get real nasty, the closer we get to Election Day. We can expect new terror threats, bin Laden tapes, the capture of the number 2 guy in al Qaeda for the 7th time, and possibly even a new "attack". All will be designed to scare the public and get them to vote republican in the fall. Never mind that the GOP track record on terror has actually been abysmal. Never mind that terrorist attacks in which people have been killed or wounded have quadrupled since 2001. The GOP has not only drunk the George Bush Kool-Aid, they have received a transfusion of their blood with it. They have no singular accomplishments to run on. The economy is one housing bubble pop away from a deep, protracted recession. Foreclosures are the highest in history. Bankruptcy is harder to accomplish and millions less people are covered by health insurance. Millions more people are living in poverty and nearly all children are being left behind by a do-nothing Republican Party; or as I like to call them, The Rubber Stamp Gang. The first salvo in the GOP offensive is slated to be fired by the GOP media machine and it consists of the vilest form of revisionist history.
The ABC Corporation has decided to air a two-night docudrama, entitled "The Path to 911." For the uninformed, ABC is owned by Disney, who also refused to run Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 because it was critical of Bush, costing their stockholders over 200 million dollars. They claimed at the time that they did not want to appear partisan, even though at the same time, ABC was carrying Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on nearly all of their national radio stations. That hypocrisy aside, it is time to officially bury the right-wingnut fantasy talking point that the media has a liberal bias. This docudrama, officially confirms what we have all known for some time. The increased deregulation under George W. Bush has created a corporate media machine, wielded by the GOP when they wish to deceive the American people. This 911 docu-farce is the quintessential example of that.
For background of this piece of propaganda trash, we need to look no further than the author of the series. The writer of "The Path to 9/11" is an avowed conservative, Cyrus Nowrasteh. Last year, Mr. Nowrasteh spoke on a panel titled, "Rebels With a Cause: How Conservatives Can Lead Hollywood's Next Paradigm Shift." He has been quoted as describing Michael Moore as "an out of control socialist weasel," and conducted interviews with right-wing websites like FrontPageMag. Although he claims the Docu-lie-fest is an "objective" historical presentation, Nowrasteh also said it shows how Clinton had "frequent opportunities...in the 90s to stop Bin Laden in his tracks - but lacked the will to do so." He has referenced Clinton's "lack of response" to Al Qaeda "and how this emboldened Bin Laden to keep attacking American interests." The purpose of The Path to 911 is to lay the blame for that sad day, at the feet of Bill Clinton, and to absolve George Bush. Never mind that Bush had nine months to listen to the warnings of the Clinton Administration, who kept trying to tell Bush that al Qaeda was the # threat to this country. Never mind that Bush ignored the security briefing entitled, "bin Laden determined to attack in the United States." Never mind that Bush was clearing brush for a month while al Qaeda drew up their plans. Never mind that Bush came into power with one goal on his mind, the removal of Sadaam Hussein and paid no attention to anything else. To hear Nowrasteh and ABC tell it, that is all understandable, because it was really all Bill Clinton's fault. Never mind that according to Roger Cressy, National Security Council senior director for counterterrorism in the period 1999-2001, "Mr. Clinton approved every request made of him by the CIA and the U.S. military involving using force against bin Laden and al-Qaeda" Never mind that Clinton tried to pass a 1996 omnibus anti-terror legislation, the price tag for which stood at $1.097 billion, only to have the GOP whittle it down to next to nothing. Never mind that when Clinton tried to ban American companies from doing business with banks that laundered al Qaeda money, he was thwarted by the GOP, who referred to the measures as "totalitarian." Never mind that George Bush upon entering office immediately withdrew the US from a Clinton agreement where 20 nations had agreed to close tax havens used by al Qaeda. None of this matters in the world of fake news. Packaging what they want you to believe is all that matters, particularly two months out of an election.
It is not just the writer that is suspect; the "facts" in this docu-sleaze are also fabricated. Remember the goal is to lay blame for that horrific day at the feet of the democrats and to absolve the republicans, two months before a crucial election. In a key scene from the docu-pile-of-horse-manure, we see a CIA field operative radioing the White House to tell National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger, that they have "Osama bin Laden within sight." The heroic CIA agent begs for the go-ahead to take out public enemy number one only to have his line go dead, not-so-subtly indicating that Berger was too panicked to give the order to take bin Laden out and hung up on the agent. One problem with this scene America. It is all fake. None of it even remotely happened. Richard Clarke, former Counterterrorism Czar under three presidents (two of which were republican) has stated that, "this depiction is "utterly invented" and "180 degrees from what happened." Clarke went on to say that there were no military or CIA personnel on the ground in Afghanistan that ever saw bin Laden. In fact, the CIA Director at the time actually recommended not engaging a strike because the Intel was single sourced and there were no guarantees bin Laden would even be there. The 911 Commission Report, which Nowrasteh claims was his inspiration, actually concluded, "President Clinton had given the green light to every "operation that had been cleared by the C.I.A. to kill bin Laden." This can lead us to only one conclusion. The writer is lying. He has fabricated the entire scene in the docu-dung to give the impression that Clinton passed on a golden opportunity to take out public enemy number one. Since he is lying, thus so is ABC.
That is not the only inaccuracy. At one point in the film, a CIA character complains that "ever since the Washington Post disclosed that we intercepted his calls, [Osama bin Laden] stopped using phones altogether." The only problem with this is that the 911 Commission actually concluded it was the decidedly conservative Washington Times that published the bin Laden phone story, not the more moderate Washington Post. Subtle? Maybe, but it speaks to the overall tone of this docu-hitpiece. Even the minor framing and backdrop, had to be phrased to slam democrats and protect republicans.
You want to know how biased this docu-fabrication is going to be, look no further than how ABC has handled the promotion of it. Advanced copies of this film have been provided to Rush Limbaugh, as well as right wing bloggers Patterico and Hugh Hewitt. This of course is to start the drum beat going throughout the GOP corporate media machine about the film and to play up the lies, as fact. Bill Clinton, Sandy Berger and Madeline Albright have also requested an advance copy and have been denied by ABC. When the public outcry reached the doors of ABC, their tepid response was that the film was a dramatization, not a documentary and that they would run a disclaimer saying it was not a documentary. As if lying is ok, as long as it is not a documentary. Do you want to know how sick ABC is in their pursuit of lies and ideology over truth? They have sent letters to 100,000 high school teachers urging them to explain to their students how they can watch the film! Indoctrinating the youth of this country to a "dramatization" that is riddled with outright lies designed to blame the only administration that paid any attention to al Qaeda prior to 911 and excuse the one administration that is most at fault for doing nothing but clearing brush while America's enemies plotted against her, is beyond irresponsible and despicable.
Remember America, there are reasons why everything happens. There are reasons why ABC is releasing this docu-garbage two months before the most important mid-term elections of our lives. They are banking on the perceived gullibility of the American people. They cannot escape two truths however. One is that this piece of trash represents the worst results of media consolidation we can imagine. A world where lies are packaged and sold to you and when it is pointed out that it is lies, the company shrugs it's collective shoulders and says, "so what, it is a dramatization." The second undeniable fact is that even if people buy the lies, the GOP has made us less safe over the past five years. The statistics do not lie.
Take the power back this November America. Return true Congressional oversight and checks and balances to our democracy. Send the message to our would-be-king that he does not have the right to torture people in your name, ignore over 800 laws and contribute to the lies that infest our society through Corporate Media. We can do better than a communist media structure in this country. Tell ABC in no uncertain terms that there is a price to pay for lying to the American people. It is time to boycott not only the advertisers, as Rob Kall has suggested, but ABC in general. Email them, fax them, and call them. Let them know that your American pride and overall sense of what is right is not for sale. The truth still matters in this country, even if ABC has forgotten it. Here is a link where you can add your name to the outraged in this country that feel playing politics with the memories of 911 is simply not tolerable:
Awhile back the GOP whipped their base into a frenzy over another "dramatization", called The Reagans. They felt it inaccurately portrayed Ronald Reagan, their deified President. In this case, they are on the other side, defending a dramatization that deals with horrific events of 911, in a way that tramples the truth, denigrates the lives lost on that day, and cheapens our national discourse. They do so with a straight face America. It is what they stand for. They have no conscience about using the collective sadness and fear of a nation against themselves, using a Corporate media machine to feed you lies bundled up as "drama", in the hopes that you do not restore the democracy to this country in November. Show them that they are mistaken.
Anthony Wade, a contributing writer to opednews.com, is dedicated to educating the populace to the lies and abuses of the government. He is a 41-year-old independent writer from New York with political commentary articles seen on multiple websites. A Christian progressive and professional Rehabilitation Counselor working with the poor and disabled, Mr. Wade believes that you can have faith and hold elected officials accountable for lies and excess.
The actual target of the ABC smear is alive and well and Mr. Clinton can and should fight for himself first. Now, if neither he, nor his illustrious wife does that ( although there seem to be a letter to ABC from his attorney), people do not have to support him. Clinton is a smart man, although absolutely immoral. He sold this country to the wolves in the Y2000. If he does not care about his own legacy, why should people fight for it? As for the 9/11 truth- give me a break! There was no trial. As such we will have what we have- chaos of myths. If only Clinton comes out and tells us what really happens we could see to it that he is respected again. He owes it to all of us.
by
Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 2:49:55 PM
This should not be taken as a defense of clinton, but rather an exposing of lies. Clinton was far from perfect, but that does not give anyone the right to completely reinvent history with a goal of affecting an election.
by
Anthony Wade (153 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 621 comments)
on Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 2:59:17 PM
and all you have written is true. Only politics is politics.
Clinton, like no one else knows the truth. He must be the first to show it, especially if it smears him personally. We all understand- it is a part of the campaign before the November elections. One word from Clinton himself- and it blows right into their faces. He knows... Otherwise I surely think, you are right.
by
Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 3:09:33 PM
But i have always thought Clinton was compromised in some way, that has resulted in his low-key life since leaving office. He may not be able to respond
by
Anthony Wade (153 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 621 comments)
on Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 3:47:57 PM
Thanks to the FOIA, a great deal of our history has been let out and has been published. What bothers me most is that every thing I learned through grade 12 was mostly misinformation or wrong. Most of what was available at the University level showed that most of what I was taught was wrong but the information was missing to fill in the details. Yet, that is the way it was reported. Yellow journalism has created our history for us and reinforced the idea that we live in a country with a free press. Nothing can be further from the truth. It's all bought and paid for BETWEEN those who own the gold.
by
Jim Reinhart (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 60 comments)
on Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 10:51:20 PM
Bush, Clinton does it really matter? There's only one important question for every man in the United States: Did the US gov't allow/participate in 9/11?
The answer to that question would explain the illegal wire-taps, the banning of books like "America Deceived" from Amazon, the detaining of dissenters in fences miles away from events, the no-bid contracts, and the multiple wars based on lies.
How can the gov't be innocent in 9/11 when we have caught it lying so many times (WACO, Ruby Ridge, no WMDs, ETC., ETC., ETC., ETC.)?
In law, if you determine a person lies ONCE during his testimony, it can be assumed that he lied in the remainder of his testimony. How come we do not hold the gov't to the same standard as it holds us to?
Final link (before Google Books bends to pressure and drops the title):
America Deceived - Book
by
Lorring II (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 86 comments)
on Friday, September 8, 2006 at 6:50:28 AM
the following is an excerpt from 9/6/06 Press Release for KEEP HOPE ALIVE,
"Before Sept. 11, I did not give too much thought for others beyond my rural community ... but afterward I wanted to understand why a small group of people hated America so much they would target and murder innocent people. Being a Christian, I also sought to resist evil with good, and began the search to do both."
Keep Hope Alive documents the real-life story of Khaled Diab, a 1948 Palestinian Muslim refugee from Upper Galilee who made his way to America and into a career in the Defense industry with top-secret clearance during the Cold War. The book opens with Fleming's imaginative discussion of a group of friends around Khaled's olive-wood kitchen table in Buffalo, N.Y., the morning after Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination. Topics of conversation include the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the treasures of the Nag Hammadi library and the stages of the soul. These topics are intricately woven into a provocative and cohesive story.
Khaled and his family move to Orlando, Fla., and friends and loves come and go. Newly wed at the age of 78 he ponders the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 and is compelled to take positive action. With the help of many friends, he founds the nonprofit, nonpolitical Olive Trees Foundation for Peace (OTFFP).
"Keep Hope Alive documents the history of this organization of American Jews, Christians and Muslims who came together to raise awareness and funds to begin to replant the olive trees the separation wall has destroyed," writes Fleming. "To date, 30,000 trees have been rooted. All royalties paid to me for this work will be donated to the OTFFP which is now connected to the YWCA in Bethlehem and YMCA in Jerusalem's Keep Hope Alive Olive Tree Campaign."
Keep Hope Alive is a reflection of recent and ancient history and, its author says, "We all can do something positive and everyone who purchases this book will be contributing to a mini-Marshall Plan in Gaza this planting season which begins in November."
Details on
http://www.wearewideawake.org/ to order a FREE copy of KEEP HOPE ALIVE and receive a 100% TAX Deductible donation through the 501 3c OTFFP
by
Eileen Fleming (150 articles, 54 quicklinks, 267 diaries, 584 comments)
on Friday, September 8, 2006 at 7:30:31 AM
between a reaction of an individual and a political opportunity. If we look at the ABC thing as just some soap opera directed towards individuals, we can surely just change the channel. But the point is that now, especially before Nov. elections it is a weapon. It is a very poisonous weapon and it has to be exposed as such and also be used by the ones who want the Dems to win as an opportunity to expose why that weapon is used. Let's not be so naive to think that ABC spent $40mln just to show some innocent drama. It is war. TV is one of the most powerful weapons and so far GOP uses it much more and much better than the Dems. As such I disagree that it can be ignored or we better read some book or whatever. Book is book and weapons are weapons. It is a test as all the others were: will the Dems respond or not. They most likely will not. And another barrage of lies will be released.
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Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Friday, September 8, 2006 at 9:09:10 AM
will the dems repond? when they started the Docu wars
Panurg
You do remember the DNCs support for Michael Moore's "DocuDramas" right? Then why are you suprised when your enemy retaliates in kind?
/You would think the left innoncent of all propaganda in their protestations of the MEDIA corps response. Maybe its true the left does suffer from short attention span syndrome.
by
Vulture (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 150 comments)
on Friday, September 8, 2006 at 10:48:47 AM
I just want the left or whatever you call them to fight the fight they are entitled to if they really feel like it. And to tell the truth, they did not use the Fahrenheit 911 either. They chickened out so quickly. The movie was good ( I guess you don't think that way but I don't care, sorry). It could be used much more efficiently and much more harmfully but exactly due to the chickening of Kerry and Co that did not happen. You seem to argue for a political memory? So do I.
by
Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Friday, September 8, 2006 at 11:54:19 AM
...Clinton's regime supported Islamic terrorists, then you are woefully misinformed.
OSAMAGATE, by Professor Michel Chossudovsky
click here
Clinton supported Islamist terror groups in the Balkans, and he did not extradite bin Laden from Sudan, even though they repeatedly offered him for extradition.
You Democrats are willfully ignorant of a lot. Of course Bush allowed 9-11, and it was on his watch, so his whole crew should be under arrest for high treason. But, it's not just Republicans covering this up. It's lots of Democrat thugs, too. Until you get past the partisanship and get some morality, this nonsense will continue unabated.
Still, Clinton has murdered more Iraqis than Bush Jr. Eight years of deadly sanctions, where were the Democrats on that human rights issue? Pathetic.
Security chiefs on both sides of the Atlantic repeatedly turned down the chance to acquire a vast intelligence database on Osama bin Laden and more than 200 leading members of his al-Qaeda terrorist network in the years leading up to the 11 September attacks, an Observer investigation has revealed.
They were offered thick files, with photographs and detailed biographies of many of his principal cadres, and vital information about al-Qaeda's financial interests in many parts of the globe.
On two separate occasions, they were given an opportunity to extradite or interview key bin Laden operatives who had been arrested in Africa because they appeared to be planning terrorist atrocities.
None of the offers, made regularly from the start of 1995, was taken up. One senior CIA source admitted last night: 'This represents the worst single intelligence failure in this whole terrible business. It is the key to the whole thing right now. It is reasonable to say that had we had this data we may have had a better chance of preventing the attacks.'
He said the blame for the failure lay in the 'irrational hatred' the Clinton administration felt for the source of the proffered intelligence - Sudan, where bin Laden and his leading followers were based from 1992-96. He added that after a slow thaw in relations which began last year, it was only now that the Sudanese information was being properly examined for the first time.
Last weekend, a key meeting took place in London between Walter Kansteiner, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, FBI and CIA representatives, and Yahia Hussien Baviker, the Sudanese intelligence deputy chief. However, although the intelligence channel between Sudan and the United States is now open, and the last UN sanctions against the African state have been removed, The Observer has evidence that a separate offer made by Sudanese agents in Britain to share intelligence with MI6 has been rejected. This follows four years of similar rebuffs.
'If someone from MI6 comes to us and declares himself, the next day he can be in Khartoum,' said a Sudanese government source. 'We have been saying this for years.'
Bin Laden and his cadres came to Sudan in 1992 because at that time it was one of the few Islamic countries where they did not need visas. He used his time there to build a lucrative web of legitimate businesses, and to seed a far-flung financial network - much of which was monitored by the Sudanese.
They also kept his followers under close surveillance. One US source who has seen the files on bin Laden's men in Khartoum said some were 'an inch and a half thick'.
They included photographs, and information on their families, backgrounds and contacts. Most were 'Afghan Arabs', Saudis, Yemenis and Egyptians who had fought with bin Laden against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
'We know them in detail,' said one Sudanese source. 'We know their leaders, how they implement their policies, how they plan for the future. We have tried to feed this information to American and British intelligence so they can learn how this thing can be tackled.'
In 1996, following intense pressure from Saudi Arabia and the US, Sudan agreed to expel bin Laden and up to 300 of his associates. Sudanese intelligence believed this to be a great mistake.
'There we could keep track of him, read his mail,' the source went on. 'Once we kicked him out and he went to ground in Afghanistan, he couldn't be tracked anywhere.'
The Observer has obtained a copy of a personal memo sent from Sudan to Louis Freeh, former director of the FBI, after the murderous 1998 attacks on American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. It announces the arrest of two named bin Laden operatives held the day after the bombings after they crossed the Sudanese border from Kenya. They had cited the manager of a Khartoum leather factory owned by bin Laden as a reference for their visas, and were held after they tried to rent a flat overlooking in the US embassy in Khartoum, where they were thought to be planning an attack.
US sources have confirmed that the FBI wished to arrange their immediate extradition. However, Clinton's Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, forbade it. She had classed Sudan as a 'terrorist state,' and three days later US missiles blasted the al-Shifa medicine factory in Khartoum.
The US wrongly claimed it was owned by bin Laden and making chemical weapons. In fact, it supplied 60 per cent of Sudan's medicines, and had contracts to make vaccines with the UN.
Even then, Sudan held the suspects for a further three weeks, hoping the US would both perform their extradition and take up the offer to examine their bin Laden database. Finally, the two men were deported to Pakistan. Their present whereabouts are unknown.
Last year the CIA and FBI, following four years of Sudanese entreaties, sent a joint investigative team to establish whether Sudan was in fact a sponsor of terrorism. Last May, it gave Sudan a clean bill of health. However, even then, it made no effort to examine the voluminous files on bin Laden.
I cannot talk for others but I personally have no illusions about the Dems or Clinton. If you read thee first of my comments above I call him a totally immoral person and that includes his policies, etc. But even the most cruel critic of Clinton would agree, I hope, that Clinton's goals were least harmful to this country than Bushe's. Bush is mad. Clinton was and is just a crook. Tough choice, I agree. Also when I said that Clinton owed the people I meant that for his previous behavior ( and he sold this country to Bush) he has to repent and do something because the danger we are facing also encroaches on him personally. He is too smart not to see that. It is unfortunate that people of this country have so miserable choices but that's what we still have and that is good to have at least some.. Otherwise, of course, all that you listed is true or mostly true. I wrote this in my diaries under ' Clintonian Plague' and others. So, I hope we think clearly. Only those thoughts are sad...
by
Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 7:46:05 AM
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