Greens Cite Reasons for a New, Independent 9/11 Probe

In this issue: The Cobb-LaMarche Campaign: A New Era for the Greens THE MYSTERY OF THE 2004 ELECTIONS COBB CALLS FOR GREEN PARTY UNITY Green Party backs lawsuit against nation's big power suppliers GP activist Shasby dies of West Nile Virus Greens reach out at LA Lotus Festival Greens Cite Reasons for a New, Independent 9/11 Probe Keeping It Green in L.A. County Greens Call Kerry Indistinguishable From Bush on Israel and Palestine Should Greens Support Nader? Presidential Politics and the Future of the Green Party The San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness. Greens to Democrats: End the Occupation, Bring the Troops Home Now San Diego South Bay Greens Fight Chula Vista Plans LaMarche Calls for Heath Care for All Fall 2004 Cartoons

More investigation needed: Bush conflicts of interest; who paid for the 9/11 hijackings; the role of US foreign policy; exploitation of 9/11 to justify war on Iraq.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Leaders of the Green Partycalled the results of the 9/11 Commission avaluable first step in the probe of the September11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., but called for morefar-reaching investigation into the failure todiscover and prevent the attacks and into theWhite House's response to the attacks.

"Instead of merely extending the currentcommission, which Sen. Kerry favors, we need tosee a new, independent Commission to continue tothe investigation into the 9/11 attacks, withfamily members of 9/11 victims given a prominentrole," said Patrick Driscoll, Green candidate forCongress in California (5th District).

Greens note that, contrary to President Bush'sclaims that Americans are now safer, the U.S.response to 9/11 has increased the risk ofterrorism throughout the world. At home, theresponse has included curtailment of civilliberties, including the detention of thousandsof Americans without being charged with anycrime.

"There has been little discussion of how U.S.policy in the Middle East may have motivated theattacks and may lead to possible futureterrorism," said Peggy Lewis, co-chair of theGreen Party of the United States. "Thesepolicies include Bush's support for Sharon'soccupation of Palestine and apartheid in Israel,as well as the the invasion of Iraq based onfraudulent claims that Saddam Hussein was animmediate threat to the U.S. These policies areturning Arabs and Muslims against the U.S. Bushrhetoric about 'evil-doers' acting on their ownblind hatred of the West has aggravated, notclarified, the causes of terrorism."

The 9/11 Commission's report documented thefailure of intelligence, incompetency of the BushWhite House in responding to warnings, and roleof both the Clinton and Bush administrations infailing to take threats seriously. But Greenscite a list of other points that have not beenadequately investigated:

• The role played by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan:as John O'Neill, the FBI's former top bin Ladeninvestigator, said shortly before his death inthe World Trade Center, "All the answers,everything needed to dismantle Osama bin Laden'sorganization can be found in Saudi Arabia";O'Neill also said that America's failure to stopbin Laden could be traced to oil
• How and why Bush officials exploited 9/11 tojustify invasion of Iraq, which, as the 9/11Commission noted, had no participation in theattacks and only marginal contact with al-Qaeda
• The influence of the Saudi ruling family onU.S. policy: the House of Saud has been a majorsource of funding for both terrorists and forBush family investments ($1.4 billion); both theClinton and Bush administration impeded FBIinvestigations into Saudi Arabia
• The role of the Pakistani IntelligenceService: why did Mahmood Ahmed, Director ofPakistan's secret service, order $100,000 to bewired to lead hijacker Momahmed Atta?
• How the CIA trained and armed al-Qaeda andother terrorists before 9/11, especially in theAfghan war against the Soviet Union; how Pakistanand the U.S. enabled the Taliban, a totalitariantheocracy, to come to power
• Details of negotiations that took placebetween the US government and the Taliban before9/11 relating to the construction of a pipelinethrough Afghanistan
• The extent of FBI and CIA surveillance on thehijackers before 9/11: Several were apparentlyclosely monitored, especially Mohammed Atta
• Which organizations, governments, orindividuals financed and supported thehijackings: pinning the attacks on 'bin Laden' isas vague as calling 'the Mob' responsible fororganized crime, especially given the role ofAtta, an Egyptian citizen, in planning theattacks

  
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