According to Jay Bookman (Atlanta Journal Constitution) the Bush administration's National Security Strategy, released September 20, 2002, marks a significant departure from previous Administration strategies, which he attributes largely to the attacks of 9/11. In essence, the new strategy lays out a plan for permanent U.S. military and economic domination of every region on the globe, unfettered by international treaty or concern. To meet the demands of empire, a much larger military presence over the globe is advocated, in addition to the roughly 130 nations in which US troops are already deployed. This strategy is derived directly from conservative think-tank policy dating as far back as 1992, when it initially drew so much criticism that it was withdrawn and repudiated by president Bush Senior. Now, because of 9/11, it's back again, without the benefit of public debate. (seeAccess Atlanta, now archived)
According to journalist John Pilger, the conservative think tank Project for a New American Century (PNAC) proposed two years ago that what was needed for America to dominate the world and its resources was "some catastrophic and catalysing event"like a new Pearl Harbor." According to Pilger's report, "The attacks of 11 September 2001 provided the 'new Pearl Harbor,' described as 'the opportunity of ages.' The extremists who have since exploited 11 September come from the era of Ronald Reagan, when far-right groups and 'think-tanks' were established to avenge the American 'defeat' in Vietnam." The PNAC notes that the concept of "weapons of mass destruction" is a rather unimportant pretext for the beginning an endless war. The PNAC was founded by Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz (deputy defense secretary), and others, including Richard Perle. Pilger cites a quote from Perle from a recent interview. Perle said "This is total war. We are fighting a variety of enemies. There are lots of them out there. All this talk about first we are going to do Afghanistan, then we will do Iraq... this is entirely the wrong way to go about it. If we just let our vision of the world go forth, and we embrace it entirely and we don't try to piece together clever diplomacy, but just wage a total war... our children will sing great songs about us years from now." (London New Statesman, 16 December 2002, pilger.carlton.com)
On October 27, 2002 The Los Angeles Times reported a leaked August 16, 2002 report from Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's influential Defense Science Board 2002. The board "recommends creation of a super-Intelligence Support Activity, an organization it dubs the Proactive, Preemptive Operations Group, (P2OG), to bring together CIA and military covert action, information warfare, intelligence, and cover and deception. Among other things, this body would launch secret operations aimed at 'stimulating reactions' among terrorists and states possessing weapons of mass destruction" that is, for instance, prodding terrorist cells into action exposing themselves to 'quick-response' attacks by US forces.'" (10/27/02 LA Times;see also 11/5/02 Asia Times)
The Bush scheme calls for protection from the "enemy," by measures such as the Patriot Act, and the Homeland Security Act. Judicial Watch, an non-partisan public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, in its special report Fatal Neglect: The US Government's Continuing Failure to Protect American Citizens from Terrorists, notes "The unfortunate consequence of this major [homeland security] reorganization is that it does very little, if anything, for speeding critical intelligence information to the users who need to know." The report predicts continued American casualties due to terrorist activities because of government negligence. The report continues, "On the Sunday May 26, 2002, edition of NBC's 'Meet The Press,' [Tom] Daschle told host Tim Russert that Vice President Cheney had asked him not to investigate the events of September 11, during a conversation on January 24, 2002, and that President Bush had made the same request of him during a conversation of January 28 2002." 9/11 failures have been rewarded with bonuses, promotions, and budget increases. Just prior to the worst breach of national security in American history, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld confirmed in Congressional testimony that the Department of Defense had undocumentable 'adjustments' of $2.3 trillion of taxpayer money. The immediate outcome of 9/11 was more money for the Department of Defense.
Among the onerous provisions of the "Homeland Security Act" is a project to collect a "Total Information Awareness" (TIA) package for 300 million Americans, to be managed by convicted felon John Poindexter, Iran Contra point man. This project, in the words of the New York Times, seeks to "use the vast networking powers of the computer to 'mine' huge amounts of information about people." Senator Robert Byrd (D W.Va) was quoted in the Congressional Record of 11/14/02: "This [Homeland Security Act] is a hoax. To tell the American people they are going to be safer when we pass this is to hoax." The New York Times (11/12/2002) reported that Senator Richard Shelby, ranking Republican of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said at a hearing last month, "The American people must know the full story has yet to be told."
On August 15, 2002 Rena Golden, executive vice-president and general manager of CNN International, claimed that the press has censored itself over 9/11 and the Afghanistan war. "Anyone who claims the US media didn't censor itself is kidding you. ... And this isn't just a CNN issue"every journalist who was in any way involved in 9/11 is partly responsible." (8/15/02 Press Gazette)
In the wake of damaging Congressional inquiry revelations, Bush on September 20, 2002, reversed course and now says he backs efforts of lawmakers to form an "independent commission." Newsweek reports that Bush had virtually no choice. "There was a freight train coming down the tracks," says one White House official. But Bush wants to control the direction of the investigation, and the White House continues to refuse to turn over documents showing what Bush knew before 9/11. (Newsweek, 9/22/02) In an editorial published November 29, the New York Times suggested the White House initially appointed Henry Kissinger as commission chairman "to contain an investigation it has long opposed."

For real homeland security, the 9/11 attacks must be investigated by a truly independent commission. Judicial Watch proposes steps to achieve government accountability and ensure the defense of the American public, including elimination of the Department of Homeland Security, establishment of commission independent of politicians to investigate the government's 9/11 failures, and legal action against government officials who allowed the attacks to happen. Literally hundreds of internet sources, as well as BBC and Canadian broadcasts ask questions and offer information which challenge the American mainstream media version of the events. A group identified as the 9/11 Truth Alliance is now organizing a national grassroots campaign to establish a "shadow citizens commission" to follow the workings of the government commission. Sign the online petition for an independent investigation at www.petitiononline.com/11601TFS/petition.html (now over 17,000 signatures).

Recommended websites are

Recommended videos are The Great Deception- What Really happened on 9-11? by Barry Zwicker, aired by Vision TV in Canada and BBC Television's indictment of Bush and the CIA in the online video 9-11 Terror Complicity.

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