(911blogger users: please use this post as a continuation of the first Mumbai News Thread. -rep.)

Yesterday, Outlookindia.com reported that the CIA's station chief in Delhi approached one of India's intelligence agencies, the Research and Analysis Wing, and passed on a fairly specific warning;

"In mid-September this year, the CIA station chief in Delhi sought an urgent meeting with his counterpart in R&AW to pass on some critical inputs. This was part of an understanding that Indian and American intelligence had institutionalised in the aftermath of 9/11. From its assets in Pakistan and Afghanistan, American intelligence had come to learn that the Lashkar-e-Toiba was planning to launch a major terrorist attack in Mumbai, which would be carried out from the sea."

Later in the article;

"By the middle of November, as Indian intelligence continued to check out further inputs, the pieces of an intricate jigsaw puzzle began to fall into place. Sources say they learnt that the attack would come from the sea and that the Taj Hotel would be a major target. However, it was not known whether this attack would be carried out by planting bombs in the hotel or by terrorists carrying small arms. Indian intelligence assessments were tilting towards bombs being planted and security at the hotel was beefed up accordingly to prevent terrorists from planting bombs inside the premises."

(As of 5:17pm Central Time --11.30.2008-- "Change.org" has removed the request for a new 9/11 investigation from their website. -rep.)

Initial blog post published: 2008-11-28 17:46:16

In this week's International edition of Newsweek (Dec 1, 2008), there's an article entitled "President 2.0". In reading it, I discovered that a new site (http://www.change.org/ideas) is collecting and posting ideas for the Obama administration and the top 10 ideas, the ideas that have received the most votes, will be presented to the President on Inauguration Day.

An idea was just added to suggest that a new investigation into 9/11 be conducted.

Please click the link below and VOTE for this idea. Then forward the link to everyone you know and ask that they vote for it too. It this is for real, it is an excellent opportunity to get out collective voice heard. Loud and Clear. Finally.

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/conduct_a_new_independent_investigation_into_the_attacks_of_september_11_2001

Thanks in advance.

(Image updated - 12.2.2008)

Jon Gold
11/30/2008

Donna Marsh O'Connor, mother of 9/11 victim Vanessa Lang Langer, recently posted an "idea" at change.org, "which was then promoted at both 911truth.org and 911blogger" for America to have a new investigation into the attacks of 9/11. Unfortunately, Donna's "idea" never picked up steam.

However, on 11/28/2008, Debora Blake posted a similar "idea" at change.org, and for whatever reason, that entry "took off." Within 2 days, the "idea" for a new investigation into 9/11 was #1 on the entire site with 660 votes. The #2 entry, "Pass the DREAM Act Now!," posted on 11/24/2008, only has 347 votes.

They have since deleted every "idea" calling for a new investigation into 9/11, including the #1 entry. Here is the email I just received from change.org:

Hello Jon,

We wanted to send you a note about an idea you recently voted on in the Ideas for Change in America competition titled "Conduct a new, independent investigation into the attacks of September 11, 2001"

New York Times Misleads on Taliban Role in Opium Trade

The New York Times and other major U.S. media sources commonly report on the production of opium in Afghanistan as though it were under the control of the Taliban. The facts on the ground, however, tell a different story. Who dominates the Afghan opium trade? Foreign Policy Journal investigates.

November 29, 2008

By Jeremy R. Hammond

The New York Times reported this week that the Taliban have cut back on poppy cultivation and is stockpiling opium, grossly overstating the group’s role in the Afghanistan drug trade.

“Afghanistan has produced so much opium in recent years,” the Times reported Thursday, “that the Taliban are cutting poppy cultivation and stockpiling raw opium in an effort to support prices and preserve a major source of financing for the insurgency, Antonio Maria Costa, the executive director of the United Nations drug office, says.”