[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [HumanRights] Qumsiyeh report

[C. G. Estabrook]

I freely confess to substantial ignorance but not disingenuity.  I 
really did not know what the four of us were tending to sweep under the 
rug -- and I'm still not quite sure.

The facts of historical incidents are almost always difficult to come 
by, and we can usually do no better than probabilities, but they can be 
sorted into the more and less probable.

[1] Was there guilty knowledge of the planning for the 911 attacks by a 
person or persons within the US (or Israeli) government?  It is 
possible, but I think highly unlikely.

[2] Were several thousand people killed by a group of jihadists 
motivated by the oppression of the Palestinians, the sanctions against 
Iraq, and the military presence of the US in Saudi Arabia and the 
subservience of that and other Arab governments to it?  I think the 
probability approaches certainty, although remember that the USG in the 
person of the FBI director was unwilling to say definitely that Osama 
bin Laden was the source of the attack for a year after 911.

Given that, it seems to me that the obsessive concern to show that [1] 
is so, is a distraction from opposing the murderous imperialism of the 
US in the ME, and even from understanding what the sources of that 
imperialism are.

In a less important fashion (and mostly after the fact), the desire to 
show a conspiracy behind the Kennedy assassination led to some bad 
historical and political readings of the Vietnam War -- notably in 
Oliver Stone's movie.

Suppose it's true that a group within the government, perhaps in the 
OVP, helped plan 911, suspended air cover, had explosive charges placed 
in the buildings, etc.  Would that obviate the US imperial interests in 
the ME, the real reason for the war?  Would proof of it bring the war to 
an end?

Of course we'd like to know, but to substitute such questions for 
analysis of and opposition to the war seems to me a mistake, because of 
the low probability.  --CGE


Morton K. Brussel wrote:
> I mean 911 skepticism of the standard explanations, esp. of the report 
> by the 911 commission:  The reference I was alluding to is to Tachell 
> Guardian article, "surely not Palestinian issues".
> Did you know what I meant? If so, your reply is disingenuous. If not, 
> ignorance. I thought I was quite explicit about what I was referring 
> to.  --mkb
> 
> 
> On Sep 23, 2007, at 1:51 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
> 
>> Sorry, Mort -- I'm not following.  What do Ricky, Carl, Chomsky and 
>> Cockburn "sweep ... under the rug as being too unworthy or 
>> irrelevant"? Surely not "Palestinian rights, Palestinian justice."  Do 
>> you mean "911 Truth"? --CGE
>>
>>
>> Morton K. Brussel wrote:
>>> Many no this list will remember Mazin Qumsiyeh who continues a 
>>> courageous struggle for Palestinian rights, Palestinian justice. His 
>>> Wheels of Justice rolls on.
>>>  Many of his references here are worth reading and contemplating, 
>>> notably those by Christison and Whitlock on the israel/Palestine 
>>> issue and Tatchell of the Guardian on the 911 controversy. Perhaps 
>>> Ricky should look at that, and Carl, Chomsky, Cockburn and others not 
>>> tend to sweep it under the rug as being too unworthy or irrelevant, 
>>> now, to consider.  --mkb
>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>> *From: *Mazin Qumsiyeh <qumsi001 at hotmail.com 
>>>> <mailto:qumsi001 at hotmail.com>>
>>>> *Date: *September 21, 2007 10:50:44 AM CDT
>>>> *To: *<wheelsofjustice at lists.riseup.net 
>>>> <mailto:wheelsofjustice at lists.riseup.net>>
>>>> *Subject: **[HumanRights] Two action alerts and more*
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Justice Forgotten: Whatever Happened to Palestine? CounterPunch
>>>> By KATHLEEN CHRISTISON
>>>> "the truth is that the anti-war movement today cares little about 
>>>> justice for those who are different, whom it considers "other," and 
>>>> this gravely undermines the movement's impact. It cares least of all 
>>>> about justice for those whom Israel considers enemies. Ultimately, a 
>>>> little outrage is in order. The anti-war movement needs a new focus, 
>>>> concentrated on achieving universal justice around the world first, 
>>>> as a prerequisite for a true peace. Only this new approach can 
>>>> accomplish the peace community's aims."
>>>> http://www.counterpunch.org/christison09202007.html
>>>>
>>>> 9/11 - the big cover-up? Even the chair of the 9/11 Commission now 
>>>> admits that the official evidence they were given was 'far from the 
>>>> truth'...by Peter Tatchell, The Guardian (UK), Sep. 12, 2007
>>>> http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/peter_tatchell/2007/09/911_the_big_coverup.html 
>>>>