“Who has a book of all that monarchs do,
He’s more secure to keep it shut, than shown.
For vice repeated’s like the wandering wind,
Blows dust in others’ eyes, to spread itself.”
(Pericles, act 1, sc. 1)
As Dr. Johnson noted, the “industry of observation has divided the most miscellaneous and confused assemblages into proper classes”. For example, the entomologist ranges the insects of the summer, that torment us with their punctures and stings, by their several tribes.
The persecutors of truth may be likewise comfortably distinguished into the Official Ignorers, the Fantastical and the Hoarders of Pseudo-Secrets. Of these, the latter two are easily dismissed, and though their nominal intention is to reveal, their actual effect is to harm the truth.
The Fantastical may be ranged with those who swear to having watched space aliens land in New Mexico. The Hoarders of Pseudo-Secrets are pleased with imagining that they know something not yet commonly divulged. And as few have the time or inclination to verify the veracity of the pseudo-secrets, their hoarders depend on public uninterest to support their arguments – on the theory that what is paid-no-attention-to is true.
By far, however, the most dangerous and effective persecutors of truth are the Official Ignorers, namely those shrouded by the protective mantle of government. Government which, being “by the people for the people”, could never willingly feed lies to or commit crimes against the alleged sources of its power and the justifiers of its existence.
Thus the timorous are awed by silence and the credulous mistake it for the confidence that the official version of events is nothing but the truth, so help me God, etc.
Therefore, when an eminent member of the Ignorers breaks ranks with the tribe, he merits, at least, our attention. Such is the case of Senator Bob Graham, ex Governor of the State of Florida, who was part of the original Joint Committee Government Investigation of 9/11. At the end of this article I will provide the link to the related video, but here is a summary.
As we know, today, the very democratic government of Saudi Arabia is not only a strenuous ally of the US but a proxy-ally of Israel – by promoting terrorist attacks and belligerence with Iran and feeding arms to the “rebels” in Syria.
As the readers may recall, 15 out of the 19 hijackers of 9/11 were Saudis. Very soon after the event and while the planes were still grounded throughout the US, Prince Bandar (then ambassador of Saudi Arabia in the US), obtained authorization (from President Bush) for a plane load of Saudis (140) to leave the US for Saudi Arabia from Lexington, Kentucky. This on the ground that the security of the fleeing Saudis was at risk – given the nationality of the 9/11 hijackers. The naive citizen may logically ask, “Why these 140? Surely there were more than 140 Saudis in the US at the time”, but let that go.
How Prince Bandar knew so quickly the nationality of the hijackers raises some questions. However, when their name became known, as the readers may also recall, it turned out that the FBI had them all in their terrorist list. Two of them had even participated in the “summit of terrorists’ that occurred in Kuala Lumpur some time before 9/11.
The reaction of the US (meaning Bush) to the request from Bandar is surprising. A mass murder of US citizens had been committed. And people who may have info about it are gingerly allowed to leave the country without any interrogation or investigation about any possible related knowledge
After the fact the FBI, officially stated that had they known of the “escape” flight they would have liked first to interrogate some of the passengers.
The explanations as to why the Saudis were let go are “murky”. Among these, the special relationship with Saudi Arabia, the special relationship of the Saudi ruling family with the Bush family, the need to maintain the credibility of Saudi Arabia – the country being a source of stability and an ally of the US.
Among the passengers there were various members of the Bin Laden family that, in turn, had close relations with the Saudi ruling family
The US government (meaning Bush) was not “curious” about what the Saudis on board knew, for reasons that, to this day, remain unknown.
In the year prior to 9/11 there was a deliberately created culture of protection around the Saudis. A culture exceeding the official “lack of curiosity”.
At the onset of his presidency, the head of the CIA, Richard Clark, advises Bush that that the greatest terrorist threat to the security od the United States is the network of Bin Laden’s Al-Qaida. And yet Richard Clark – the “Tsar of Anti-Terrorism” – is soon after demoted. Clark testified that after the demotion, he could not “gain anyone’s attention”, as to the developing plot, as he was not being part of the cabinet.
There was a “culture of protection” of the Saudis, up and down the ranks of the federal government.
Early in the year at Orlando, a man arrived from Saudi Arabia and was seen by one the agents as suspicious. Why would a person fly in for a few days from so far away before he turned around and went back? There have been instances of professional hit men brought in to commit a murder, who immediately left the country.
The custom agent was suspicious & refused entry to this Saudi. He was severely chastised by his office and warned that his “career was over”. The man prevented from entry into the US was probably the 20th missing hijacker, to complete the crew of 5 people per plane.
If, even at the level of custom agents acceptance of Saudis was an endorsed policy, we can imagine what it was higher up in the ranks of the federal government.
Other than the “culture of protection” (of the Saudis) the FBI’s general message to the field was that they were no longer interested in terrorism. The agent who tried to get a warrant to get the computer of one of the terrorists, testified that she could never obtain that warrant.
There were other instances. One most intriguing and central figures in the Saudi relationships to the hijackers was a retired Saudi professors who boarded various Saudi nationals in his house. Among the boarders were two of the hijackers. It turns out that the retired professor was also an agent of the FBI. And the FBI managed to prevent the Government Joint Investigation Committee from interrogating an obviously very relevant source.
Senator and ex-Governor of Florida, Bob Graham, is left to wonder (and wonder publicly) about an ominous possibility. Namely, what it would mean for the US if the 9/11 terrorists had their network of support, with funds, protection, anonymity etc. right inside the government of Saudi Arabia.
It would mean a complete overturning of the premises of the US’ relationship with Saudi Arabia. And for others (but this Bob Graham does not say), the even more ominous suspicion that 9/11 was a repetition on a grander scale of the “Remember the Maine” incident. The US Navy ship “Maine” was deliberately sunk in 1898 to justify the American invasion of Cuba. Or a repetition of the completely invented “Golf of Tonkin” incident to justify the invasion of Vietnam.
Readers may wish to refer to the article of Nov 23, 2011 – link
http://yourdailyshakespeare.com/shakespeare-and-the-anniversary-of-kennedys-assassination/equalities
and read the official frightening proposals of “Operation Northwood” submitted to President Kennedy. Kennedy fortunately refused but, in the estimation of many, that refusal sealed his doom.
Incidentally, (or rather ominously), much of the Joint Panel Investigative Committee report remains classified. A very “democratic” answer to the questions that are (or should be) troubling for more than a few citizens – at least those who were not in line at 1 AM of Black Friday at the stores of Walmart.
Video by Sen. Bob Graham
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37006.htm
In the play. Pericles solved the riddle but the solution is the discovery of the incestuous relationship between King Antiochus and his daughter. Pericles declines to explain the true meaning of the riddle but lets Antiochus know indirectly that he understood very well what is going on.
Shakespeare at Work. Explain why the matter should be kept quiet.