By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2009--Reagan Administration treasury official and author Paul Craig Roberts said yesterday he believes the Twin Towers of of New York City's World Trade Center did not collapse from aircraft impacts, but were taken down by explosives.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, two commercial jets collided with each of the Twin Towers. U.S. government accounts consistently assert that the buildings collapsed because they were weakened by fire and mechanical damage resulting from the jet impacts. But a growing number of critics of the government's version insist the buildings were taken down by a carefully arranged sequence of explosions known as a controlled demolition. Extensive video documentation exists of the destruction of the two buildings and surrounding structures.

"Any fool can look at those films and see the buildings aren't falling down, they're blowing up," Roberts said on the Alex Jones radio program out of Austin, Texas, in a telephone interview.

Continued at www.petersnewyork.com

Today's conspiracies were yesterday's facts on the ground
Part III
William Safire hinted White House “mole” may have aided 9-11 terrorists

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2009—The discovery in my personal archives of issues of The New York Times and the New York Post from the days immediately following September 11, 2001 has become the basis for a several-part series on early reportage of the events of that day. The use of the original issues as opposed to electronic media has the advantage of easy reference, and absolute reliability regarding the source. This third essay will explore the remarkable drama surrounding the activities of President George W. Bush on that fateful day. We find that once New York Times columnist William Safire came into possession of the facts related to Bush’s 10-hour absence from Washington, he concluded that a “mole” in the White House may have cooperated with the 9-11 terrorists. He is thus joined at the hip with Robert Novak, who came to a similar conclusion in his column of the same day.

Revisiting the 9-11 newspaper archives in light of seven years of research: Part II

by Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, December 31, 2008--There's a tremendous amount of material to be gleaned from the newspaper editions that were published in the days immediately following the events of September 1, 2001. Only seven years have passed since that human tragedy was visited upon us, yet already an aura of history has surrounded it. There is a certain forgetfulness that makes revisiting the moment all that much more of a discovery, even though, with the advent of the electronic media, there is unprecedented access to the written word in all its forms.

Below are some cogent passages from The New York Times and the New York Post that I found among a personal stack of archived newspapers, dating from the days immediately following 9-11. These passages are made all the more relevant by research conducted over much of the decade. They supplement others I have already brought to the attention of readers in "Early 9-11 Reportage Reveals Surprises" (see below, also here and here).

EARLY 9-11 REPORTAGE REVEALS SURPRISES
Columnist Robert Novak among the first to use the phrase "inside job" in connection with the events of September 11, 2001

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, December 27, 2008--Married as we seem to be to the digital age, it is a great comfort to be able to occasionally resort to "hard copy," tangible pieces of inked paper upon which much of the literary wealth of the world is recorded.

Recently, while searching my "hard copy" archives, I came across some issues of the New York Times and New York Post published within days of the events of September 11, 2001.

It is interesting to observe that what are often referred to by defenders of the government's 9-11 storyline as "conspiracy theories" were first articulated by mainstream commentators and experts.

What follows are a few snippets of 9-11 related material gleaned from these early accounts.

Interestingly, columnist Robert Novak was among the first to use the phrase "inside job" in connection with the events of 9-11.

New York Post, Sept. 13, page 59
"Beyond Pearl Harbor"
by Robert D. Novak

Novak's first sentence:

GOOGLE BOOKS AND THE END OF HISTORY

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, December 15, 2008--I have often wondered why Google Inc. was interested in scanning all the world's books into its formidable Google Books database in short order. It was only a number of years ago that the company announced its ambitious project, and it has already made great, if uneven, progress in its implementation. It's a dramatic and democratic gesture, giving the proletariat access to the world's books at the touch of a keyboard. But in light of Google's cozy relationship with elitist organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the company having only a few years ago recruited its vice president for global communications from that organization, its move toward universal access to the wealth of human knowledge almost strikes one as anomalous.

SILVERSTEIN SUFFERS SETBACK IN 9-11 SUIT AGAINST AIRLINES

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, December 12, 2008--A judge ruled yesterday that Larry Silverstein can only attempt to recover $2.8 million from airlines he alleges shared responsibility for the World Trade Center disaster of 2001, commonly referred to as 9-11, the New York Post reports. Alvin Hellerstein, U.S. district court judge for the Southern District of New York, ruled that Silverstein, leaseholder for the property on which the World Trade Center stood, can only sue to recover the fair market value of his lease, and not the entire $16.2 million that would include the value of four office towers of the World Trade Center complex that were destroyed on 9-11.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, two airliners crashed into each of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Two other airliners are alleged to have crashed that same morning into the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia, and into a field in Pennsylvania.

FORMER PAKISTANI INTEL CHIEF: MUMBAI EVENTS ORCHESTRATED TO DRAW INDIA INTO MIDEAST CONFLICTS

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, December 9, 2008--Former Pakistani intelligence chief Hamid Gul said today that the recent events in Mumbai, India, in which some 170 people died in an armed siege of a hotel in that city, were orchestrated with the purpose of drawing India into the Middle East conflicts.

"The motive is very simple," Gul said. "The NATO allies are pulling out" of Afghanistan, he said in an interview today with radio personality Alex Jones. "They want to make it an Indian" cause, he said. Israel, he noted, also wanted to keep the conflict going in the region because it feared Americans could lose heart and and "go away without denuclearizing Pakistan."

Gul said America's allies were pulling out of the war zones in Afghanistan, and the United States needed to draw India into the conflict to make up for the manpower deficit.

(Original story with changes and additions may be found at www.petersnewyork.com.)

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, Sunday, November 30, 2008--Frustrated with the lack of accountability for what happened on September 11, 2001, three concerned upstate New Yorkers recently joined forces to see if they could mobilize the public to critically examine the government's version of the events of that day. One of the three managed to convince the proprietor of a local theater that a showing of the controversial documentary Loose Change Final Cut, a film critical of the government's version of 9-11, would draw a sizable crowd. The others teamed up in a supportive role to publicize the event. The result was a screening of the film last Tuesday at the Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls, New York, with a personal appearance by the film's producer, Korey Rowe. Attendance far exceeded that of any other film shown in the theater's history.

"That was a record," said the theater's executive director, Bill Woodward, of the 143 paid attendees who passed through the theater's doors. The previous high grosser was a film that brought out about 100 people, Woodward told Peter's New York.

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2008--One of the major critics of the U.S. government's version of the events of September 11, 2001 is calling for the formation of a “truth and reconciliation commission” to get to the bottom of the happenings of that day.

David Ray Griffin, author of seven books on 9-11, including his latest, "A New Pearl Harbor Revisited," all of which are critical of the government's 9-11 investigations, said on the Alex Jones radio program today that he believed the administration of incoming U.S. President Barack Obama will be more open to the establishment of such a commission. "With a new administration...there is really a chance" that there could be a new 9-11 investigation, Griffin said. Griffin described Obama as "very bright," with a strong moral compass and an appreciation of the U.S. constitution. "He and his people will be open to evidence" that contradicts government accounts, Griffin said. He also said that Obama was likely to embrace the idea of forgiveness that would be essential for a truth and reconciliation commission. "He's willing to let bygones be bygones," said Griffin.

A while back, I wrote a letter to my local newspaper, the Post-Star of Glens Falls New York. On Sunday, this letter became the subject of a column by the newspaper's editor. It begins: "We published a letter to the editor last month where a reader wrote that The Associated Press "...is not much more than a branch of the U.S. State Department or the CIA."

The editor, Ken Tingley, goes on to publish what to my knowledge is an untruth: ""Years ago there was another competing wire service, United Press International, but it went out of business." My understanding is that the wire service changed hands several times, but never "went out of business." In fact, if one types "United Press International" into one's search engine of choice, one will inevitably find the news service's website, www.upi.com.

Midway through his essay, our editor makes the following assertion: "The letter we printed was disturbing because it was simply not true." Now to me, that smacks of editor backpeddling, a disease which is unfortunately endemic in the profession.

This newspaper is to be praised for printing letters that are definitely disturbing, more often than not because they are true.

9-11 Commission staffers John Farmer, John Azzarello and Miles Kara, in a September 13, 2008 article for the New York Times ("Real Heroes, Fake Stories" http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/opinion/14farmer.html?pagewanted=1&_r=...), state:

"Contrary to the testimony of retired Gen. Larry Arnold, who on 9/11 was the commander of continental defense for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, fighters were not scrambled that morning to meet the threat posed by United 93. In fact, the fighters were sent up in response to an unrelated and mistaken report that General Arnold and others had not disclosed to the commission. Flight 93 hadn’t even been hijacked when the planes were ordered scrambled, and General Arnold’s command found out the plane was hijacked only after it had crashed. The authorization to shoot it down came after it had crashed, and was never passed on to the pilots."

But C-Span aired a recent speech by General Victor Renuart, USNORTHCOM chief, who said the following:

A matter of Rape-Speak: The New York Times on Serbia

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2008--The manner in which the New York Times serves as an instrument of the foreign policy establishment is truly remarkable. Times reporters receive training (is brainwashing a better term?) in sessions sponsored by the New York Times Foundation and the Council on Foreign Relations. These training sessions, of a sort that are regrettably common in the journalistic profession, instruct reporters on how they are to view and report on foreign affairs and other issues. As a result, Times reporters have inherited the mantle of those who have crafted foreign policy for a string of U.S. presidential administrations These reporters serve as sort of busy bees to get the program out there to the public.

FORMER U.S. SENATOR HART URGES PARTY TO SOFTEN STANCE ON RUSSIA

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, August 29, 2008--Although Democrats have generally taken a hard line toward Russia regarding its conflict with neighboring Georgia, former U.S. Senator Gary Hart said yesterday he believed his party should consider a more toned down response to the dispute between the two nations.
.
Earlier this month, Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia, where both Russian and Georgian peace keepers were stationed under an international agreement. Russia responded by invading Georgia and neutralizing its military. Both Democrats and Republicans have fallen over each other to condemn Russia's actions. But Hart, in statements made at a panel discussion sponsored by the National Democratic Institute and the Center for U.S. Global Engagement, said a "more nuanced" approach to the situation was more appropriate. Hart said he has been a participant in a recently formed commission to improve American-Russian relations. He said the commission would come out with a statement in the near future.

C-Span aired a speech Wednesday by General Victor Renuart, USNORTHCOM chief. He said the following:

"Today we have created the apparatus that could allow us to engage one of those targets and, similar to, on 9-11, if we identify them soon enough and we know that they are a threat or we can determine they are a threat we have the aparatus that allows us to potentially shoot those aircraft down before they would have the effect of creating mass casualties as we saw in some other locations. In fact on 9-11 we were attempting to do that when flight 93 hit the ground in Pennsylvania as the result of some heroic efforts by the individuals on board, but we had launched airplanes, and we were chasing that aircraft down."

This quote indicates that the intent was to shoot the plane down, not just intercept it.

Renuart says the abiilty to intercept aircraft has been improved since 9-11.

Search "victor" or other key word on the C-SPAN site to pull up the video.

Ron Paul: physical opposition to government may become necessary

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, August 20, 2008--In a radio interview today, U.S. congressman Ron Paul said it may become necessary for citizens to resort to physical opposition if the government continues to erode civil liberties and commit international acts of aggression.

Asked by radio show host Alex Jones if he believed in the use of violence or other physical action to oppose an unjust government, Paul, a one-time presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party and a contender for the Republican presidential nomination until he dropped out of the race earlier this year, answered in the affirmative.

"Well, there's always that possibility that that time will come." he said. "I believe in that."

Paul then cited Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian spiritual leader who led nonviolent demonstrations to promote the independence of India from Great Britain, and Martin Luther King, who used the same nonviolent techniques on behalf of the American civil rights movement in the 1960s, as examples of physical protest.

THE OLSON AND IVINS CASES: SUICIDE OR MURDER?

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, August 15, 2008--Frederick, Maryland is a city with deep historical roots, and one which has undergone a sort of economic revival in recent years. The downtown is bustling, filled as it is with trendy clothing stores, cafes, restaurants and antique shops. The rich architecture of a bygone era lends charm to the experience of shoppers who wend their way past each other in search of the next retail destination.

Russian masterstroke protects Iran, American public
Mini-analysis

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, August 13, 2008--Russia was able to accomplish more than to show its might in the recent action it took to protect an Eastern European enclave of disputed sovereignty (South Ossetia). It was able to open up a potential new front in the simmering conflict between the United States and Russia, and prevent American military resources from being squandered on an adventure in Iran. As a result, Russia may be the only force the American people can rely upon to stave off a disastrous expansion into the Middle East.

Commentators almost universally admit that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have left the American military overextended. The American economy is now in the worst shape it has been since the recession of the late 1970s. And the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming presidential elections will surely make any decision regarding action against Iran improbable. This may indeed be the respite Americans need to reshape foreign policy and reign in a federal government gone mad over foreign military exploits based on pretexts that have been shown to be entirely false.

EDITORIAL

SLAM DUNK!?

PETER'S NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2008--A succession of Associated Press stories has portrayed a former government scientist as the source of the 2001 anthrax-laced letters, even though no proof has been brought forward as to the scientist's guilt.

An incredible stream of anonymous government sources have been cited, with the accompanying reasons why they have requested anonymity. Of course Associated Press never mentions the unstated reason, and the most obvious one--that these sources may be trying to portray events as they would like them to be seen by the public.

Headlines such as "Answers in anthrax case may have died with suicide" by Adam Geller can only bring joy to a government anxious to put any questions about the case, which had defied solution for almost seven years, behind it. But a scrutinizing public can be only so keenly aware that the government has sorely misinformed the electorate before, and may be doing so now, with the complicity of the media.

Rob O'Flanagan of the Guelph Mercury writes about two University of Guelph professors who offer a scathing critique of the American government's version of the events of 9-11.

Land of conspiracy?
Two professors from U of G are hosting forums, arguing the 9-11 attacks in New York were part of an American plot.
July 24, 2008
Rob O'Flanagan

GUELPH

A pair of University of Guelph professors have joined a growing number of academics and filmmakers who are writing and broadcasting their doubts about the official explanation behind the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.

In a host of public forums, John McMurtry, professor emeritus of philosophy, and Michael Keefer, a professor in the School of English and Theatre Studies, have presented arguments alleging a plot on the part of the American government, business and military leaders related to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

More than 2,700 people died.

AIRLINER THAT HIT PENTAGON WAS GROUND INTO BOOK-SIZED PIECES: AUTHOR

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, July 20, 2008--The absence of sizable pieces of aircraft debris after the alleged collision of an airliner with the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 was due to the strong masonry with which the Pentagon was constructed and the high speed of the aircraft, an author of a new book on the subject contends.

Patrick Creed, co-author with Rick Newman of "Firefight", which details the rescue efforts in the aftermath of fires in the Pentagon building on 9-11, said the absence of large pieces of aircraft debris was due to the fact that the airliner alleged to have caused the damage and fires in the building was traveling "500 miles per hour hitting a masonry building."

"The majority of the wreckage was inside the building," Creed explained, noting that most of the other wreckage was "the size of a book and smaller," and "didn't look much like plane debris." Creed also noted that in many airliner disasters, there is an attempt by the pilot save the plane, a scenario that he said would not have been followed by suicidal hijackers.

House votes to approve FISA revision
Dem leadership leaves its party behind in supporting compromise

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, June 20, 2008--After a lively debate in which a phalanx of Democrats voiced their strong opposition, the U.S. House of Representatives today approved legislation to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). But the Democratic leadership appeared to have left behind the majority of its party in siding with the Republicans on the compromise legislation.

Some 105 Democrats voted for the bill, outnumbered by 128 in the party who voted against it. Only one Republican voted in opposition, 188 voting for the bill, demonstrating the strong partisan nature of the legislation and the power of the Democrats to easily sink it if they had so decided.

Gravel: Cheney and Bush should be tried for war crimes
Supports NYC initiative for new 9-11 probe

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, June 17, 2008--President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney should be tried for war crimes, former U.S. senator Mike Gravel said today. Gravel also said he supports a new investigation into the events of 9-11.

"He deserves to be prosecuted," Gravel said of Bush. "He and Cheney need to go to the Hague and stand in the dock." Gravel made the statements during an interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, a nationally syndicated radio program. The interview was aired today on radio station WBAI, based in New York City.

The Hague refers to the Dutch city selected by international treaty as the venue to prosecute war crimes. The dock is the place in the courtroom where defendants are seated in full public view while their trial is being conducted.

Bush and Cheney should be tried for their actions leading up to, and in the aftermath of, the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, Gravel implied. "What they did is criminal," he said. "Four thousand Americans have died as a result of their fraud on the American people."

NEW YORK CITY BALLOT INITIATIVE COULD BRING 9-11 UNDER RENEWED SCRUTINY

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, June 4, 2008--Can they awaken a sleeping American public? That's what a handful of critics who question the government's version of the events of September 11, 2001 are banking on. In fact, they believe they have already achieved a measure of success, and are looking to translate that into votes, not for politicians, but for the formation of a commission that will investigate 9-11 more thoroughly.

The 9-11 ballot initiative is a grass-roots movement supported by a sizable number of groups and individuals that have serious questions about the federal government's official 9-11 Commission report of four years ago. If successful, it will give New York City voters a chance to establish a new commission that will look into the events of that day in what many hope will be a more satisfactory, less politicized, manner than previous investigations.

NEW INVESTIGATION NEEDED TO PREVENT ANOTHER "9-11", SAYS ARCHITECT

By Peter Duveen

PETER’S NEW YORK, May 20, 2008--Richard Gage gives the impression of a meticulous, orderly, punctilious, almost antiseptic professional at first glance. A member of the American Institute of Architects who is attached to a West Coast firm involved in the construction of multi-million dollar projects, Gage has more than likely applied his public speaking and presentation skills to win over prospective clients. But on a recent Friday night he utilized these talents in a different venue, with an underlying passion that transcends the usual marketing pitch. Gage says he wants to save Americans from the same type of incident --or worse--that took the lives of 2,700 people in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Don't know if Bin Laden is alive or dead: foreign policy expert

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, May 2, 2008--A scholar from a major American think tank said today it is not known whether Osama Bin Laden, the Saudi Arabian businessman and religious leader portrayed by the American government as being the impetus behind the events of 9-11, is still alive.

"It is possible that he is dead. We just don't know," said Richard Weitz, a senior fellow at the Washington D.C.-based Hudson Institute, in response to a listener's question on the program Washington Journal, aired on the cable news network C-SPAN.

Former CIA honcho calls the 9-11 Commission "disastrous"

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, April 21, 2008--The 9-11 Commission completed its report in 2004, but not everybody was on board with the results. Not least among its critics is Michael Scheuer, former head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's bin Laden unit, who is now a news commentator and author.

"Of course, the 9-11 Commission was a disastrous thing for America," Scheuer said in a recent televised appearance. Scheuer was interviewing another author, Steve Coll, whose book, The Bin Ladens, on the wealthy Saudi family, was released April 1.

The interview, part of a series of programs called After Words and televised on the cable news network C-SPAN, dredged through both men's experience in dealing with and covering the bin Laden family. Scheuer headed up the CIA's bin Laden unit from 1996 to 1999.

During an exchange of views, Scheuer remarked that he was astounded by how much access the family had to the White House over the years. "I think it's a very interesting comment on the power of money," Scheuer said. "For Americans, it's got to be a very disturbing story."

PETER’S NEW YORK, April 14, 2008--Ralph Nader, the consumer activist and independent presidential candidate, seems to think that the report of the commission assigned to investigate the events of 9-11 should not be the last word.

"There are unanswered questions in the 9-11 investigation, and they should be answered," Nader said at a recent address at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. "How do you go from plausibility to evidence? You have a more independent inquiry."

On the morning of September 11, 2001, airliners collided with each of the twin towers of New York City’s World Trade Center, after which they and a third nearby office building mysteriously collapsed. Other incidents on the same day at the Pentagon and in a field in Pennsylvania were also attributed to aircraft collisions. All were pitched by the government as the result of a terrorist conspiracy, although it is widely believed that the government may have played a direct role in orchestrating the events.

GILLIBRAND: BUSH VETO BLOCKS TROOPS' RETURN FROM IRAQ
By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, March 27, 2008--Congressional initiatives to redeploy U.S. troops out of Iraq are not likely to bear fruit this year because President George W. Bush will almost certainly veto them, Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) said yesterday. Although she said she supports a small but continued presence of U.S. troops, Gillibrand held out hope that Iraqis will take more responsibility for their own security. Gillibrand answered questions on policy matters during and after a panel discussion at the Brunswick Elks Lodge in Troy, New York, on how residents of her district can save on their federal, state and local taxes.

Gillibrand said she supports measures to "redeploy the vast majority of our troops over the next year."

"Troops are being pushed to the breaking point," she said.

THE 19TH CENTURY ROOTS OF 9-11

Could the 100-year-old ideas of a French political philosopher be the impetus for the Bush Administration's record of cruelty and deceit?

PETER'S NEW YORK, March 20, 2007--T.H. Robsjohn Gibbing, in his "Mona Lisa's Mustache" (1947), attempts to show the influence of the occult on the roots of the modern art movement. On pages 73-74, Gibbings writes on the political philosopher Georges Sorel (1847-1922):

"Sorel urged, in opposition to democracy, the creation of myths as a means of promoting powerful minorities. Though the myth might be a complete lie, nevertheless, according to Sorel, leaders had for centuries achieved mastery over the common man by just such ‘noble lies,’ which were vital in their promotion of powerful leadership....

"Sorel, like Nietzsche and Pareto, propounded the morality of force and denounced what he considered the futility of elections, parliaments, and laws. The moral value of violence, he stressed, must be given an important place in the attitudes of modern society. Progress would come through struggle that involves disrespect or disregard for the law."

U.S. could take action against Iran as early as April, former weapons inspector warns

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, March 9, 2008 -- While it is impossible to predict the behavior of nations, the United States could commence military action against Iran as early as April, a former U.N. weapons inspector warned.

"I'd be very concerned about the month of April," said Scott Ritter, a U.N. weapons inspector for Iraq from 1991 to 1998, in answer to a question about when the United States could initiate military action against Iran. Ritter stated, however, that it was not possible to predict exactly if or when the United States would act.

Ritter's remarks were made following an address to a gathering at the Unitarian Universalist Society in Albany, New York yesterday. He warned of the imminent danger of military engagement between Iran and the United States.