CONFIRMED: "Bin-Ladin Hunt PHONEY"-Bush Admin NEEDED Him To JUSTIFY Military Expansionism(Juan Cole)

[kpete]

George Bush, with his "war on terror" project, has transformed the middle east and Afghanistan into an inflamed bomb ready to explode, but has not found out anything about his beloved lost Usamah Bin-Ladin so far.

Monday, November 17, 2008
Afghan article says US Bin-Ladin hunt phoney

The USG Open Source Center translates an article from the Persian Afghan press alleging that French troops were at one point close to capturing Usamah Bin Ladin in Afghanistan, but that American forces stopped them from doing so. It says that a forthcoming French documentary containing interviews with the French soldiers provides proof for the allegation. The argument is that the Bush administration needed Bin Ladin to be at large in order to justify its military expansionism.

Afghan article says US Bin-Ladin hunt phoney
Hasht-e-Sobh
Friday, October 3, 2008
Document Type: OSC Translated Text

Afghan article says US Bin-Ladin hunt phoney

Text of article, "Bin-Ladin on the run? The rumour which was fact", by Afghan independent secular daily newspaper Hasht-e Sobh on 29 September

So, the rumour was right: French soldiers trapped Usamah Bin-Ladin, but were not allowed by the Americans to arrest the apparent fugitive leader of Al-Qa`idah. A Bin-Ladin documentary just released by French documentary cinema examines this issue, an issue which has led to heated debate in the French media.

... Watching this revealing French documentary changes the rumours into disturbing facts."Bin Laden, the failings of a manhunt", produced by Emmanuel Razavi and Eric de Lavarene, two French filmmakers and reporters, assesses and confirms the claims of French soldiers that they could have killed Usamah within two operations, but the American forces prevented them. This film has not been broadcast publicly yet and is to be broadcast by Planet, a French network. ...

Facing the facts in this Usamah film is a bitter and disturbing experience and will make you nervous and wish that what it is that you are watching is just a baseless rumour, or a figment of Hollywood's imagination. But it is not. The pictures are real and you are facing a debate in documentary form. The only justification for the bloody presence of America in Afghanistan is the ambiguous existence of Usamah Bin-Ladin and the Al-Qa'idah terrorist network. ...

more at:
http://www.juancole.com/2008/11/afghan-article-says-us-bin-ladin-hunt.html

[blm]

1. Exactly as most of us at DU realized soon after ToraBora.

Few would listen....even most of our best known Dem lawmakers.

[understandinglife]

33. Sadly, yep. And, then the matter of all whom have died, needlessly, since.

[BrklynLiberal]

51. Absolutely. Why did it seem so obvious to us, and not to those whose business

this is supposed to be. The folks in Congress were supposed to be the ones with the inside info on this.

They should have been able to deduce the ulterior motives of BushCo!!

[Art_from_Ark]

86. But their "inside info" was spoon-fed to them by bu$hco

And they didn't want to seem "unpatriotic" or "disrespectful of the pResident (sic)" by questioning it.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

101. Plus they had "past administrations" like the Clintons, who advised them on their IWR vote. ...n/t

[Cleita]

62. Posts like this make me want to bang my head against the wall

all over again. :banghead: Yes, we all knew back then, so it makes me believe they knew as well but did what they did to preserve their political careers. In the near future, when Obama and the new Congress are well ensconced and doing business in Washington, I hope all those Congressional Representatives and Senators are called upon to explain why they ignored the will of the people and rolled over for the Bush administration. Yes, I want investigations into the way these wars happened and were conducted. All the dead and all those whose lives have been irreparably ruined, need answers and justice.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

102. There were a lot of dems who should have been voted out of office for not seeking accountiblity....

...but we wanted to gain even more control of the house and senate. I'm hoping that their will be a lot of want-to-be dem reps who will challenge all the dem enablers in future elections. It's not right that dems who were blind enough to led us into this quagmire, still have their jobs.

[blm]

108. Most of the Dem party did not want to cross Bush on ToraBora so they sided with him

and unfortunately, taking sides with Bush publicly on ToraBora meant taking sides AGAINST Kerry who would end up to be our 2004 nominee, and who repeatedly pointed to ToraBora's failures since Jan.2002, but with NO echo chamber from his own party.

[GalleryGod]

103. Read the definitve account by the Delta team leader, Title: "Kill Bin Laden"

All your questions are answered. And a few that everyone here wouldn't know to ask.
Thanks!:patriot:

[Christa]

2. Sobering thoughts from the article:

Seven years of suicide bombing and explosions, blood and violence, unmanned fighter planes, and old vehicles full of explosives, all to catch a long-bearded Arab whom America apparently hates? And an Arab who worked for the CIA in the name of Allah, and who now, also in the name of that same Allah, has conducted a jihad against that same CIA?

[burythehatchet]

3. Pity us nutroots, having said this loud and clear since 2002

we moonbats and conspiracy theorists

[sinkingfeeling]

5. And extremely 'un-American'.

[ima_sinnic]

6. really, as though it weren't obvious to anyone with half a brain cell

but no, we have to do our patriotic duty and swear allegiance to the "hunt" for "Osama bin Ladin" and "al Qaeda" "leaders."

[blm]

7. there will still be some here who will continue to claim all this is 'tinfoil' as they rush to

defend those famous Dems who sided with Bush on ToraBora.

[mopinko]

16. i need to make a button-

proud to be a moonbat.
also have had- i (heart) my :tinfoilhat:
on the back burner for a while. i got the sneaky suspicion that if president obama really does what we sent him there to do, we are gonna get a lot of chances to say i told you so.

[racaulk]

57. Once again, when compared to the American public at large, DU is ahead of the curve. n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

64. And iirc,

Rahm Emmanuel was right there with the name-calling. He's just as complicit as anyone in the Bush administration.

[TankLV]

75. and "looney left wing" according to som asshole DU'rs even THIS DAY!

[NoSheep]

83. I'm actually crazy! A crazy moon-bat conspiracy theorist!

:crazy:

[liberal N proud]

4. Shocking

The bu$h regime lied to the world and more over, the American people.

:sarcasm:

[moodforaday]

35. All sarcasm aside,

they did of course lie, but now Obama says he'll go after Bin Laden, too.

How long can a hoax continue after most people have already recognized it as a hoax?

[lelgt60]

37. "most people have recognized it as a hoax"...don't think so n/t

[fla nocount]

47. Idjits to the left and idjits to the right,

won't think so either.

[truedelphi]

46. Obama also basically told "Sixty Minutes" Good job there Brownie!"

Er, Paulson.

And referred to him almost lovingly as Hank.
Oh well <sigh>

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Patchuli]

76. I think I wouldn't rush to judge Obama that fast...nt

[truedelphi]

97. Hoping you are right.

Maybe Mr Kucinich will fill him in on what Erlichman's former assistant is really all about.

[Patchuli]

119. I'm willing to bet he knows what he needs to already...nt

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

8. Icing on the cake

The GOP would truly rot away and die if bin Laden was captured or killed within moments of Obama's inauguration. It would be sweet sweet revenge for the way that Reagan's Middle East insiders completely screwed Jimmy Carter during the Iran Hostage Crisis.

[judy]

12. There is a difference between captured and killed

I hope that if Obama pursues Bin Laden, (if such OBL is still alive), he will use the law enforcement approach and captures him instead of killing him, to give him a fair trial with due process.
If Osama is really responsible for the attacks of September 11th 2001, which we don't know for sure and in what capacity (since it is known that the attacks were planned in Germany and not Afghanistan), then he should not be killed. Killing him would create a martyr and give birth to many more suicide attackers.
I hope Obama realizes soon, that war is not the answer to terrorism.
I am not sure Hillary as Secretary of State will help him realize that.

[bluesmail]

25. I read that Osama Bin Laden isn't even on the FBI's wanted list.

:shrug: and :tinfoilhat:

[4lbs]

27. Yes. He is. He's right there on the FBI's most wanted list.

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted.htm


Scroll down. He's the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorist".


He's also on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list.

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/fugitives.htm

[bluesmail]

31. It's funny because I think I read it here on DU

[4lbs]

34. Yeah, it's funny when someone claims he's no longer on the FBI list when he's actually been there

since the first WTC attack, in 1993.

Osama Bin Laden's been on the FBI most wanted list for 15 years now.

[moodforaday]

36. He's on the list allright,

but he's on it for the original WTC bombing, not for 9-11.

[Pastiche423]

44. Please get your facts straight

What has been said here over and over again, is that OBL has NEVER been on the FBI's Most Wanted list for the September 11 attacks.


Which is true!

Me thinks you need to read more carefully.

[14thColony]

99. I think you replied to the wrong person

SurferBoy is saying the same thing you're saying.

[Pastiche423]

100. No, he isn't saying the same thing

What he seems not to have realized is that the people he's referencing believe that OBL is on the FBI's Most Wanted list for 9/11, specfically.

Or I could have misunderstood since he did not mention OBL.

[npk]

111. Uh, maybe you should get your facts straight

And learn how to read. The poster clearly stated that Bin Laden was already on the FBI Most Wanted list prior to 2001. The FBI can't keep adding him every time he commits a mass murder. Jesus F Christ. He also didn't state that Bin Laden was specifically on the list for the attacks on 9/11. Why are you attacking the poster anyway.

[Pastiche423]

118. Read post #85

[NoSheep]

85. not for 9/11. never has been.

[12string]

73. what you read

was that he is not wanted for 9/11.

[NoSheep]

84. DING! We have a winner!

[mhatrw]

112. What you read is that he's not on the Most Wanted List in connection to

the attacks of 9/11.

[The Doctor.]

59. Close... he's on the list,

He's just not wanted in connection with 9/11.

The just don't have any evidence tying him to that particular attack.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

30. Even if Bush's military captures OBL now, it will be the glory of the military and not Bush. . . nt

[cherokeeprogressive]

39. It would have been the glory of the military and not * even if it happened in 2001.

[Chulanowa]

98. A trial will never happen for Osama, fair or not

Here's a quick flashback to a few weeks ago. The right is making a huge stink about William Ayers, the goober who, forty years ago, blew up a statue (twice!) For three years after he did that the FBI led a rigorous manhunt for Ayers and his associates, and were finally tipped off and caught him... And then let him go without any prosecution. Why? Was Tricky Dick soft on terror?

No. Because the FBI had committed egregious breaches of several people's basic rights in their pursuit of William Ayers, and to bring him to a trial would throw those crimes wisdde open, ruin the careers (and possibly lives, via suicide) of several higher-ups in the FBI, and possibly even all the way up into the Nixon Administration. Trust in the nation's top law enforcement agency would be shaken even more when faith in it was already at an all-time low, and the end result? A complete executive-branch shakedown at huge taxpayer expense to prosicute a pothead who blew up a statue. So they let him go.

That was just overzealous FBI agents stepping over the line with regards to the rights of about twenty people.

Imagine the results of the bin Ladin trial, a man who the United States has persued since the early 90's, a man who has been the rationale for nearly five thousand American soldiers killed and many more wounded, the embezzlement of our economy and the complete destructuring of the civil rights of every American in the nation, and on top of that, the guy in question was hired, trained, funded, and equipped by the CIA under the command of St. Ronny the Senile, who knows what further horrors and crimes lurk in the mysteries of an administration twenty years gone? We would find out!

And that's why Osama bin Ladin will receive a bullet to the face after his usefulness as a propaganda tool is up. By any administration - don't kid yourself, Obama won't be bringing this guy into a trial, except perhaps, maybe, in a one-week Afghani kangaroo court trial for the murder of some dude in the hills, with a swift execution, like a trunicated version of what Saddam got (for about the same reasons). Putting Osama bin Ladin on the stand in even an unfair trial, would blow the lid right off of every stupid, sick, illegal ittle secret that's been percolating through the Executive Branch for the latter decades of the 20th century. This would be a huge, huge embarassment and wound to the United States, and could very well lead to other nations filing huge suits, or even arresting a number of our politicians - which, again, let's not be fooled, would undoubtedly contain a number of guys playing on "our team".

No, Osama will die. Probably by his own entourage, who will sell the news, receive pardons for the Karszai government, and live out their happy merry lives guying all the roast lizard that a few million American dollars each can get them in Waristan. ANY trial would be deemed too damaging to America's image domestic and abroad, too threatening to the bureaucrats making the call, to ever be allowed to happen.

That said, it could be a very... cleansing experience for America. The final chop of the axe against the tree of imperialism

[go west young man]

104. So very true.

Hence the reason Saddam Hussein was rushed to the gallows. He knew too much.

[tekisui]

9. OUT OF AFGHANISTAN NOW!

It is the 21st Century Vietnam. We need to get out now, before we get more stuck there than we have been in Iraq.

[Freddie Stubbs]

56. We just elected a President who has promised to INCREASE the number of troops in Afghanistan:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25676250/

[backscatter712]

68. Maybe now we'll do Afghanistan right.

I mean actually shutting down Al Qaeda like we were supposed to do in Afghanistan, and maybe leaving the country better than when we went in - actually holding their government to civil rights standards, driving the Taliban out of existance and getting the local farmers able to make a living growing something other than opium.

[Two Americas]

78. many have tried

Many countries have tried to "do Afghanistan right" for centuries. I don't think it is possible.

[go west young man]

105. Of course he'll do it right! can you say Lee Hamilton?

:sarcasm:

Barack Obama’s Foreign Policy Adviser Picks Tell Us All We Need To Know About Him
Michael Jackman
sst911.org
July 11, 2008

Instead of media pundits blowing a bunch of hot air about Barack Obama’s former pastor, there should be a real discussion and examination of who he has picked as his foreign policy advisors. These choices will have far more of an impact on our country than which church Obama attended or where he stands on the various partisan wedge issues. Among the More..13 advisors selected, there are some alarming choices. Especially when you consider Obama’s antiwar rhetoric on the stump.

The first advisor I will mention is former Indiana Congressman and Democrat, Tim Roemer. He was a member of the 9/11 Commission, and a representative of the war-profiteering weapons makers Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which also happen to be the world’s largest defense contractors. While in office, Roemer voted for the Iraq War and said this: “The threat from Saddam is grave and growing and it’s something we’re going to have to address in the not-too-distant future.” That statement mirrors the rhetoric of Bush and Cheney exactly. Why would a President Obama, who spoke out against the war in 2003, be interested in someone like Roemer’s advice?

It gets better. Also onboard is Washington insider and notorious cover-up artist Lee Hamilton. It’s interesting to note that Hamilton, a Democrat, has been called upon several times to bail Republicans out of huge scandals. Democrat Hamilton was Co-Chair of The 9/11 Commission and the White House actually preferred dealing with him over fellow Co-Chair and Republican, Thomas Kean. Accordng to NY Times reporter, Phil Shenon, the White House’s “best support on the Commission came from an unexpected corner, from Lee Hamilton.” Maybe this is because Hamilton is old pals with Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and David Addington.

During the 1980s, when Reagan and Bush Sr. were in power, Hamilton was the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and chaired an inquiry into the Iran-Contra scandal. Also on the committee was Congressman Dick Cheney. Hamilton certainly dropped the ball on this investigation: he was well aware of a press report indicating that the Reagan Administration was illegally funneling weapons and money to the anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua, yet when the White House denied it, Hamilton simply took their word for it.

Hamilton would later admit that when he looks into allegations, he dislikes “going for the jugular.” Indeed, Senator Tom Daschle opposed Hamilton’s co-chairing of the 9/11 Commission, stating that Hamilton doesn’t have “a taste for partisan fights,” and seems to “always assume the best about people, Republicans included.” Hamilton would also tell Frontline that he didn’t indict Reagan or Bush because he didn’t think it would be “good for the country.” He gave this same answer to 9/11 family member Bob McIlvaine, who lost his son on 9/11, when McIlvaine had requested declassification of some vital 9/11 evidence.

Hamilton remained good friends with Dick Cheney, and, as Vice-Chairman of the 9/11 Commission, was tasked with looking into Cheney’s actions, before, during and after 9/11.

Another coverup which Hamilton took part in was the 1980 “October Surprise” incident. In 1992, there was a task force, chaired by Hamilton, to look into allegations of a plot to delay the release of U.S. hostages in Iran until after the 1980 presidential election, thus depriving President Carter of any credit for their upcoming release. The key figures involved were former CIA Directors, George H.W. Bush, and William J. Casey. There were allegations that the two had met secretly in Europe to broker a deal with the Iranians. Both of their alibis were dubious at best, and Casey’s even changed several times, but Hamilton still accepted it. Journalist Robert Parry who has extensively researched the case had this to say about the task force and its kid’s-glove treatment: “The Bush Administration flatly refused to give any more information to the House task force unless it agreed never to interview Mr. Bush’s alibi witness, and never to release that person’s name. Amazingly, the task force accepted those terms.”

Hamilton also refused to extend the 1992 investigation when yet more incriminating evidence was made available, according to the task force’s chief counsel, Larry Barcella. It’s also known that Hamilton was aware of classified documents from a Russian national security report detailing what Russian Intelligence knew of the October Surprise. Apparently, Russian Intelligence uncovered documents showing that William Casey had indeed traveled to Europe in 1980 to meet with the Iranians to delay the hostage release. With full knowledge of this information, and other intelligence reports on the matter from other countries, Lee Hamilton publicly exonerated President George H.W. Bush.

Lee Hamilton’s judgment and loyalty to this country are questionable to say the least.

These have been just a few of Obama’s advisor choices, which also include former Clinton Administration officials. I encourage everyone to look into this issue. Don’t just take my word.

If Obama is the next President, do you think he will support investigations of any kind into this criminal Administration? Maybe he’ll say he won’t because he doesn’t think it will be “good for the country,” and that America should move on, and heal. That’s not something I’m supporting. That is why I am supporting former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney for President, who unlike Obama, actually has experience standing up to the Military Industrial Complex, and doing the right thing while serving in Congress. Obama seems to have sold out rather quickly, and his whole “change” rhetoric is rather hollow. I don’t buy it and neither should you.

Student Scholars for 9/11 Truth
www.sst911.org


Now back to the dungeon!

[Name removed]

10. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[n32571]

11. If the MSM would run with this,

I think we could get the right wingers to impeach the ba$tard for us!

[hvn_nbr_2]

18. "heated debate in the French media" (from the OP)

Meanwhile, Americans know nothing of the debate because GOPPravda won't tell us. Just like Downing Street Minutes, what really happened in Fallujah, and a thousand other stories.

Welcome to DU, BTW.

[bbgrunt]

13. ...and then we can begin to glimpse the truth about 9-11.

[kirby]

14. This is news?

John Kerry complained of this in the 2004 campaign! 60-minutes has reported it, as have numerous other outlets.

[nolabels]

15. Didn't we first have to buy into the meme of Bin Ladin being the culprit and mastermind

Still surprised that even here so many believe what they are told about it :crazy:

[tiptoe]

28. agree n/t

[laststeamtrain]

17. K & R. There must come a historical reckoning for all this.

That combination of war profiteers, double agents & psychopathic nihilists known as the Bush administration must be brought to justice.

[Ian David]

19. Just like how the Cylons let Colonel Tigh escape to rejoin the insurgents on Battlestar Galactica.

See:

Precipice (Battlestar Galactica)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Precipice" is the second episode of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. It aired immediately following the first episode, "Occupation" on October 6, 2006.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipice_(Battlestar_Galactica)

[lutefisk]

20. I doubt the Teflon Chimp is exactly shaking in his little boots over this

It's over. He and his associates got away with everything. Just a few more trillion to loot and he's back in Dallas giving us the finger and smirking.

He should be brought to justice and held accountable, but I just don't see that happening.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

21. Didn't we just elect this Usama guy president?

That's what Rush tells me so it must be true.
Sarah P.

[Stagecoach]

22. I'll never forget Tora Bora

I remember seeing Geraldo Rivera reporting from over there and explicitly saying they had Bin Laden surrounded in that cave and the military wanted to go in after him, but they got word from the administration not to go in, but keep it surrounded and give Bin Laden 36 hours to surrender before going in. And I remember thinking, "what?????? This guy is responsible for killing thousands of people, you were so gung-ho to get him for what he did.....and now you're wanting to be a nice guy and give this guy a 36 hour grace period to surrender?" It was a total change of heart. That there didn't pass the smell test for me at all. They knew he wouldn't surrender! Sure enough, the 36-hours expired, they go in there and Bin Laden's gone.

[midnight]

23. Before we let Osama Bin Laden go in Tora Bora, we wanted

expansion in Iraq. Those of us here at D.U. knew about the lies thanks to the Downing Street Memos, and then there was the WMD that Dr. Kelly said were not existant, and asked for more time. The drums of death were beating and so they killed him and then went in and created five million orophans. Some of us here at D.U. said no to this war before it was started. Now let's bring them home....

[Politicalboi]

24. Well Duh!

Our government always makes the bad guys. Al CIAda is us too. Most of it is just bullshit but there are some groups that do wish us death but for the most part this whole middle east crap is just that. I hope Obama gets to the bottom of this instead of feeding it. And this bailout is another example of theft from Americans again. Just like the 2.3 Trillion dollars gone missing at the Pentagon 09/10/01. Bush's whole assministration has been a theft starting with the 2000 election to this day with the bailout.

[bluesmail]

29. That's telling it like it is. Al-quaydah was created by the US Govt.

'We need to fight them over there', but they returned fire, so what we did was take it to another level with bigger weapons, but they had those exact weapons, we need to out smart them, Lockheed develop us more weapons. MIC = $$$

[spanone]

26. tell me again, why are we fighting in iraq and afghanistan???

[Marr]

32. This isn't any sort of MIHOP validation-- I don't know why so many

seem to be interpreting is as such. This is about fearmongers letting their favorite bogeyman run free so they can continue fearmongering.

I do wonder though-- how much influence did Bush's dearest business partners, the Saudi royal family, have on this decision?

[4lbs]

38. About a month or so ago, CNN's Christianne Amanpour was on Bill Maher's show.

She said that she believed that Osama Bin Laden was now no longer in Afghanistan/Pakistan, but instead sipping tea in a villa somewhere in Europe.

I thought it was interesting how matter-of-factly she said it.

Hmmmm......

[Martin Eden]

40. Goldberg lives!

Orwell's novel was more prophecy than fiction.

[moggie]

49. That would be Goldstein

[Martin Eden]

71. oops -- I had a brain fart

and I don't even watch pro wresting:banghead:

[McCamy Taylor]

41. More breaking news, Water is wet, Sky is blue, Bush is dumb, Cheney says f**k you.

[fascisthunter]

42. Bush and His Cabal are Corporate Terrorists

who have murdered and stolen... these fuckers belong in prison!

[malaise]

43. Duh

It's all phoney. The entire war on terror has been a lie.

[Karenina]

45. The DUDE is long-gone.

[SpiralHawk]

48. Republicons are an abomination before the sight of All that is Good and Holy

And Commander AWOL Bush squats atop the steenkin republicon heap of lies to the good people of the United States of America

Why do republicons lie so often to America?

[earth mom]

50. MIHOP/LIHOP all the way!

:puke:

[melonkali]

52. The 1998 Congressional Record, oil pipeline, Afghanistan, Taliban

February 12, 1998 -- Unocal's John Maresca testifies to a House committee that in order to build an oil pipeline, it will be necessary to wrest Afghanistan from the Taliban. That entire transcript is on the net, but I've linked to the 2002 article below because it gives additional info.

(For some reason, the URL function here doesn't work on this link -- I had to split the link address up into three parts in order to display it so you can type it in your address line, if you want to access the article.)

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/
Central_Asia_watch/
Don't%20Mess_Unocal.html


Don't Mess with Unocal
The war against terrorism may really be a battle over oil
by Craig Rosebraugh
Toward Freedom magazine, January 2002

<snip>
. . .evidence emerged that the alleged war on terrorism may be yet another war for oil and political power in the Middle East and Central Asia. It wouldn't be the first time that the US went to war for oil, as George Bush the senior proved in Iraq.

In 1995, the US-based Unocal oil company signed a tentative agreement with the Turkmenistan government to research the possibilities of constructing an oil pipeline to Pakistan by way of Afghanistan. As the project developed, Unocal began to seek the agreement of the Taliban, who had recently risen to power. On two separate occasions, in February and December 1997, Taliban officials were flown to the US to meet with, and be wined and dined by, Unocal executives.

<snip>

Taliban officials issued two demands to both companies before any agreement could be reached. They wanted Unocal and Birdas to construct an open pipeline, one that could be tapped into from Afghanistan for local consumption. Second, they wanted the companies to get involved in building roads, water supplies, telephone lines, and electrical power lines. While Birdas agreed to meet the demands and build an open pipeline, Unocal refused, preferring a closed pipeline for export only.

<snip>

Despite an increasing lack of cooperation from the Taliban, Unocal continued to push the project. Testifying before the House US Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on February 12, 1998, Unocal representative John Maresca discussed the importance of the pipeline project-and the increasing difficulties in dealing with the Taliban. "The region's total oil reserves may well reach more than 60 billion barrels of oil. Some estimates are as high as 200 billion barrels .... From the outset, we have made it clear that construction of the pipeline we have proposed across Afghanistan could not begin until a recognized government is in place that has the confidence of governments, leaders, and our company."

A second pipeline was proposed in
1997, this time by the Central Asia Gas Pipeline Consortium, or CentGas, in which Unocal held the major interest.

<snip>

"As with the proposed Central Asia oil pipeline, CentGas can not begin construction until an internationally recognized Afghanistan Government is in place."

<snip>

In an August 30,1998, interview with the BBC, Unocal spokeswoman Terry Covington stated that Unocal "believes the project is both economically and technically feasible and can still be carried out once a stable government is in place in Kabul."

Due to the rising concerns of financial backers about the instability of Afghanistan, Unocal pulled out of CentGas in December 1998.

<snip>

An article in the March 23, 2000, Business Recorder, titled "Unocal trying to re-enter Turkmen gas pipeline project," stated that "the US company is in dialogue with the Afghan authorities seeking guaranteed protection for its personnel while working on the Afghani terrain."

Enron, another US-based oil company, also has a strong presence in the region through its involvement in a pipeline project from Turkmenistan to Turkey by way of Azerbaijan and Georgia. Headquartered in Houston, TX, it was the largest contributor to George Bush the junior's presidential campaign, giving at least $550,000 to Bush himself and an estimated $1.8 million to the Republican Party during the 2000 election.

<snip>

To the US government, the financial interests and political power to be gained within the Middle East and Central Asia regions are extremely important. By ousting the Taliban, which put up so much resistance to US economic interests, it may succeed in installing a puppet regime in Afghanistan, thereby gaining control of oil resources sure to produce billions in revenues.

[AntiFascist]

53. The Religious Right loves their Bin Ladin n/t

[Deep13]

54. Wow! I am so shocked that Bush would do that!

Oh, wait-a-minute! That's what I have been assuming he did every since he let bin Laden escape in 2002. I totally predicted that. So did just about everyone else one this website. Holy crap, Bush really is as bad as we assumed he was!

[Iggo]

55. The word "Duh" comes to mind. (n/t)

[jeff30997]

58. I'm convinced that bin Laden have been dead for several years.

I wonder who made all those audio tapes that were declared "authentic" by the CIA ? They sure badly

need their boogieman to be alive and dangerous.

[lovuian]

60. Osama is Bush and Bush is Osama

MaBus
its the evil of our time

[NorCalDem]

61. Um, this is old news to people who pay attention... n/t

[tclambert]

63. "War on Terra." You spelled it wrong.

As in war on the whole wide world. It's the one case where Georgie used the right word, though it was clearly an accident.

And if I were a high ranking Al Qaeda-ist, I would kill bin Laden myself, disappear the body, and claim he was still alive, putting out the occasional video with look-alikes, etc. That way, Bush could never catch him, see. And the CIA would unintentionally help by saying things like they were 80% sure the latest video was not really bin Laden. 80%? Ha!

But we know this hasn't happened because . . . um, . . . hmm.

[underpants]

69. It created the "Security bubble" as Noami Klein details in "The Shock Doctrine"

it is now a $200 Billion per year industry

[HamdenRice]

65. The French have been way out front on these issues, perhaps ...

because pissed off French intelligence has been leaking the truth about 9/11 and the wars like a sieve:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x678886

[dpbrown]

66. Fear is all about the boogieman. Without him, there is nothing.

Of COURSE Bush wouldn't let bin Laden be captured.

[L0oniX]

67. There is no Usamah Bin-Ladin anymore and hasn't been for years.

I knew this a long time ago and I am sure others here did too. You didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. Just imagine someone with kidney failure and needing dialysis on a regular basis living in the mountains of Pakistan/
Afghanistan. Of course then figure in the liars we have in the military (AK Jessica Lynch, Pat Tillman, etc) and the Bush syndicate of habitual liars. Of course there is the Photo Shopped pictures of Usamah Bin-Ladin. I don't believe anything our military or Bush admin tells us and only a freeper would believe them.

[JackRiddler]

70. Very intreesting, can't wait to see it, sadly...

this thread has once again been derailed by the no-planes nonsense (an inoculation against thinking about Sept. 11) and all the brave warriors who rush up to thankfully take the bait and denounce it.

The point is that the War on Terror was a planned phantom, and Bin Ladin almost certainly the professional patsy willing to play the starring villain's role. Or dead. But not target number one, as we all realized long ago.

[Psyop Samurai]

88. Thank you. /nt

[Turbineguy]

72. Treason

[TankLV]

74. I imagine we'll see this trickle of revelations soon turn into a flood of PROOF of all of our WORST

suspicions of these WAR CRIMINALS...

but somehow, Nancy still needs "proof" before STARTING impeachment proceedings...

Well, now we no longer need impeachment proceedings - we need CRIMINIAL PROSECUTIONS!!!

[2Design]

77. yes - the day before 911 - alternet.org had an article on them building up the military

and the only thing missing was an enemy and they hit the 'trifecta' is what bush said

[wildbilln864]

93. and didn't Bush....

write about a new Pearl Harbor event or something IIRC in his diary? And the PNAC wrote in 2000 about the need for a "new Pearl Harbor event" in order to catalyze the public into supporting invading Iraq and others? And "Able Danger" was buried. They were following the alleged hijackers. Things that make me go hmmm!? :dilemma:

[WillyT]

79. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[tocqueville]

80. see my post here before everyone jumps to conclusions

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4483380

[Gore1FL]

81. I'm from Missouri

and someone is going to have to SHOW ME the (translated) film first.

Incompetence and Hubris always seemed likelier.

[wildbilln864]

82. that's what I've been saying all along!

UBL is dead! k&r

[ksimons]

87. can't keep the burro moving if you take away it's carrot nt

[Waiting For Everyman]

89. I'm not surprised.

Bin Laden had a million dollar bounty on his head and nobody turned him in? Bullshit.

[wildbilln864]

92. a $25 million dollar bounty you mean. nt.

:hi:

[Waiting For Everyman]

96. Yes, thank you. That much moreso...

With all the mercenaries there are in the world, I have to believe that for $25 mil, surely one of them would've gone renegade and brought Dumbya OBL's head, if he wanted it that bad.

[wildbilln864]

110. yes, agreed.

but I think he was dead in December of 2001.

[sce56]

90. I rember the NightLine show where a special ops operative said we had them on the run then were told

to stand down for 48 hours while they waited the Pakistani air force ferried out a bunch of Taliban or AlQueda to Pakistan!

The following pictures were taken by Richard Levin that day, he is not using these to talk conspiracy just his way of remembering the loss of that day and he did a good job of documenting the collapse of the second tower. All photos were taken with a 35mm SLR camera, using a 28-70 zoom or a 70-200 telephoto zoom, a 2x telephoto extension and a tripod
The originals are posted here http://www.reservoir.com/extra/wtc/ I suggest you download and look more closely at them! To see explosions going off between ten and twenty floors below the collapse is quite revealing also note the explosive ejection of material way below the collapse lots of things that happened that day that made no sense like the pictures below showing explosions and the red glow of explosions below the collapsing wave! Explain these pictures as the normal way a building that was designed to take the impact a a airliner collapses just like in a controlled demolition. And as far as the fire bending steel well if that is the case quit using your gas range it will bend the steel there too and your stove will collapse! As for eyewitnesses you have to see William Rodriguez's story http://www.william911.com/ this guy is for real and his story is quite different than the official Conspiracy theory!

[petwlkr]

91. DUH!!

:eyes:

[wildbilln864]

94. Welcome to DU. nt

:hi:

[Kitty Herder]

95. I'm shocked. Who would have ever guessed?

:sarcasm:

[Wizard777]

106. That leave one question. Was OBL still in the employ of Bush Sr. or the CIA on 9/11?

When you consider that the mission wa pretty much guarded by government official before and after. It looks like LIHOP will have to yield to MIHOP.

[Wizard777]

107. If this is true it's Treason.

[dee_from_ott]

109. Watch Movie Here

http://video.google.ca/videosearch?hl=en&q=the%20search%20for%20osama%20bin%20laden&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#

they usually have documentaries up on google.

I'm not saying whether I believe what's proposed or not. Although I don't think it's so far fetched in the grand scheme of Afghanistan's occupation

*cough* oil pipelines

[Swagman]

113. no problem ! John McCain knows how to get him..

[yurbud]

114. k & r

[goforit]

115. Don't forget the Bush protected thriving crop of Poppies!!! in Afghanastan.

[DrDan]

116. of course -and KKKarl knew that in 2004

the general public would believe the R's would be better at trying to catch him than the D's.

There never was any intention of catching him.

[valerief]

117. Only the backwash believed his "hunt" was real. MIHOP all the way. nt