9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out, Vol. 1

by David Ray Griffin (editor), Peter Dale Scott (Editor)

Were the military and the FAA really that incompetent? Were our intelligence-gathering agencies really in the dark about 9/11? How could so much go wrong at once, in the world's strongest and most technologically sophisticated country? Both the government and the mainstream media have tried to portray the 9/11 truth movement as led by people who can be dismissed as "conspiracy theorists." This volume shows this caricature to be untrue. Coming from different academic disciplines as well as from different parts of the world, the authors are united In the conviction that the official story about 9/11 is a huge deception manufactured to extend Imperial control at home and abroad.

Genres: Politics, History, Conspiracy Theories, Nonfiction

247 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2006

About the author

Dr. Griffin, a retired emeritus professor of Philosophy of Religion and Theology at the Claremont School of Theology, has published over 30 books and 150 articles. His 9/11 books have been endorsed by Robert Baer, William Christison, William Sloane Coffin Jr., Richard Falke, Ray McGovern, Paul Craig Roberts and Howard Zinn.

Reviews

[Marcel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work in a library, so the last thing I normally do is write book reviews after hours. However, this book is so important that I make this exception.

If you do not read another book this year, read this book!

Chapters were written by various experts in various fields of endeavor, such as a former military officer present in the Pentagon on 9/11, a physicist expert on why the twin towers could not have collapsed from plane collision and fire (a third building fell in on itself without the help of an airplane!), a historian and others. A careful reading should concern you that the conspiracy theory that the 9/11 commission bought line, hook and sinker from orchestrated evidence and controlled witnesses is not the logical theory at all. The logical theory is that since jet fuel does not burn hot enough to melt structured steel, it probably didn't, that since no building comparable to the World Trade Center towers have ever fallen due to fire, either before 9/11 or since, that these probably didn't, that since airplanes are intercepted across the US all of the time by the military whenever they stray from course, that it is not probable that four planes got away with their actions on 9/11 without knowledge of the US military. These and many other startling facts will have you gasping at the implications.

Another theory was never considered by the 9/11 commission--that the three towers were felled by explosives and steel-melting incendiary material such as to make the buildings "implode", that the four planes were allowed to fly to their destinations (save the one brought down either by its passengers or some other means before arriving at its destination--the third WTC building?). Now that thermite has been discovered in the dust of 9/11, the incendiary means is confirmed.

If you want to stay up all night trying to digest information that will scare you to death and make you wonder about our fellow American citizens and what they might be capable of doing, read this book! If you want to sleep at night, remain happily unaware of possibilities that strike fear into the hearts of American patriots, you might want to skip this read.

There, I'm done...

[Pelvis Resley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Truther" sampler, the
best topic primer. Jet fuel
can't melt steel towers!

[Steven H · Rating 1 out of 5]

9/11 "INTELLECTUALS" MOSTLY DISCUSS THE "POLITICAL" IMPLICATIONS

This 2007 book contains essays by many prominent 9/11 researchers, including editors David Ray Griffin and Peter Dale Scott; Steven E. Jones; Kevin Ryan, etc. The editors note in the Preface, "the official account of 9/11 is false and this false account has been used to support an agenda that had been worked out in advance---the further extension of the American empire... Some of the chapters in this volume focus primarily on reasons to doubt the official account of 9/11. Some of them focus primarily on the way that 9/11 has been exploited to further the American empire."

One writer observes that "Unlike the painstaking reconstruction of civilian aircraft that we have witnessed in past decades... any physical remains of the aircraft that hit the Pentagon were quickly carted away to some unknown location, so we have no physical evidence that the aircraft really was Flight 77 or even a Boeing 757." (Pg. 28-29)

Another essay, after noting that al-Qaeda was "supported and expanded by US intelligence programs, both during and after the Soviet Afghan War," suggests that "Congress should rethink their decision to grant still greater powers and budget to the agencies responsible for fostering this enemy in the first place." (Pg. 77)

As a justification for 9/11, one essayist suggests that when former CIA director Robert Gates observed the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, it led him to think "about how to create a new enemy to sustain the enormous budgets of the CIA and the military-industrial complex." (Pg. 108) Another essayist suggests that neoconservatives selected Iraq because it would be a "pushover on the battlefield; and a strategic site with the world's second largest proven oil reserves and a central location for establishing military bases... and satisfying Israeli demands for regime change in Baghdad." (Pg. 124)

Not the best book for analyzing the "facts" of 9/11, this collection gives voice to some of the often unstated ideas about the political/policy reasons why 9/11 might have been "permitted."

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all anthologies, this was a mixed bag... still I very much am interested in the book's subject and without any bias there's obviously something rotten to the core with our official 9/11 story. The book does an admirable job of outline many of the major technical issues with the story. Still, Many aspects of 9/11 were untold... so called conspiracy theory including insiders in FedGov accounting for misspent money were in building 7. The forensic investigation team was sent on assignment. There were financial deals about to break WTC and yet the owner was miraculously saved by insurance settlement. Mossad Israelite people dancing on NYC building tops. Analysis of harddrives Lost to obscurity. Etc. Etc. etc. There are many non-books that have done even better jobs telling All the cover-up stories. But this book Does capture at least a few; especially FAA stand-down and POTUS bobble-head W keeps talking to school kids! Wow, if America really does believe official stories about 9/11, we're more stupid than I thought!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading, brings up many interesting points and contradictions.

[SalvatoreBe Balls · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, this book is a waste of time and a fountain of misinformation. The authors are still pushing the dispicable conspiracy theory that Islamic terrorists had nothing to do with 9/11. A missile hitting the Pentagon? Explosives made the Towers fall? The authors only do harm with their wild ideas. The 43rd President, may very well be the most vile traitor in history. President Bush may have known even the smallest details about the imminent attacks and then deliberately interferred with every government agency, including NORAD. The attacks could have been stopped but the traitors in the Bush Executive branch were the enablers. They certainly were not the protectors! Now watch President Obama get blamed for the next big attack.

Good book only because it gets people thinking. Bad book because it goes down the wrong conspiracy path. Crying wolf, when it is the wrong wolf. Your time would be better spent reading how to stop the next attack. I suggest reading "Nuclear Terrorism The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe" by Grant Allison. An accurate, well written book that explains the terrible nuclear threat that America faces in the 21st Century.

In the meantime, I am very worried that terrorists will detonate a nuclear bomb in DC on January 20th 2008. They could wipe out not only our newly sworn in President, but also the entire line of succession. Except, Robert Gates who for some reason will be the only member of the new cabinet who will not attend the inauguration. So, a Bush crony will be the next President. Oh, the Neocons and the military industrial complex will be so thrilled!

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I want from a 9/11 book is a smoking gun. This book is not that. It is lots of careful, thoughtful discussion of the many loose ends odd happenings and coincidences around 9/11, in the context of discussion of America's imperial nature.

The latter is not news, folks. Since at least the 80's with Kennedy's Rise and Fall of the Great Powers this idea has been mainstream. Since at least the Spanish American war (in which the colt 45 handgun was developed for the extra "stopping power" needed to put down those feisty Philippinos so they'd stay down) the USA has been an empire.

So no news here folks, nothing to see unless you are somehow interested in this topic without having been exposed to any mannered discourse of such.

[Roman Skaskiw · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 9/11 truth movement essays from career states persons, diplomats, physics professors, etc. Profoundly troubling. I continue to search for adequate rebuttals. The recent History Channel "debunker" was a sensational hit piece against the movement.

Two Problems with a book on it: 1) I read very slowly. 2) The indy press has more up to the minute information and is quicker to digest.

The book did provide very patient, studied insights into discrepancies and omissions from the official account of the tragedy.