THE HAGUE -- George W. Bush could one day be the International Criminal Court's next target.

David Crane, an international law professor at Syracuse University, said the principle of law used to issue an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir could extend to former US President Bush over claims officials from his Administration may have engaged in torture by using coercive interrogation techniques on terror suspects. ...
--and--

War Crimes and Double Standards
By Robert Parry

"It's also not true that any investigation is always better than no investigation. I have witnessed cover-up investigations that not only failed to get anywhere near the truth but tried to discredit and destroy whistleblowers who came forward with important evidence.

"In other words, bogus and self-interested investigations can advance bogus and self-interested history, which only emboldens corrupt officials to commit similar crimes again."

by Mickey S. Huff and Paul W. Rea
March 5, 2009

For the past eight years, American culture has seen an outburst of media-driven mythmaking. Corporate mainstream media organizations, the pundits they sponsor, and politicians from both major parties have formed a new contextual chorus singing the same refrain: "On September 11th, 2001, everything changed." From cable TV to AM radio, from the blogosphere to the town-hall meeting, Americans repeatedly hear that "this is a post-9/11 world."

Although there is some truth to this platitude of pivotal change, independently minded citizens may also wonder whether such mass media messages have become self-fulfilling prophecies. This provides an interesting point of debate about what has or has not changed in America since 9/11.

This chapter concerns itself with the ongoing phenomena of media mythmaking and how, like many Americans surmised just after 9/11, everything has not changed.¹ Corporate mainstream media have resurrected powerful myths from America's past to shape public perception in the present. Through the prism of 9/11, one can see how the corporate mass media are in fact doing more mythmaking than news reporting. Here, the authors will examine central historic American myths the corporate media and even much of the alternative independent media have extended into the post-9/11 era. This analysis looks at how media mythmaking surrounding the events of 9/11, exploiting the strong emotions these events aroused, has prevented a dispassionate inquiry of its causes or of those responsible.

Physics professor Dr. Steven Jones was forced out of Brigham Young University for his research suggesting the World Trade Center was destroyed by controlled demolition. Dr. Jones is the lead author of the first two scholarly articles in mainstream academic journals disputing the official story of 9/11 -- and a third is on the way! Kevin Ryan told us during his interview Tuesday, March 3rd that the upcoming article will include research by many respected scientists worldwide, and will for all intents and purposes seal the case that nanothermates were used in the controlled demolition of the WTC.

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009, 9:00 am PDT - 12:00 Noon EDT - 16:00 GMT

Listen live at http://noliesradio.org (or http://67.18.54.205/~nolies)

The interview will be archived for later listening after the broadcast.

Deadline for emailed questions is 9pm Pacific Time, Monday, March 9th. Not all emailed questions will be answered on the air. Email your questions now: (fb@noliesradio.org)

David Slesinger
February 2, 2009
911Courage.blogspot.com
Commentary & Transcript follow.

by Reprehensor
911blogger.com
March 7, 2009

In 1996, directors Chris Hilton and David Roberts released "An Unholy Alliance" as the second part of a trilogy of documentaries dealing with the global drug trade, with a focus on heroin and opium. The documentary offers a valuable history of the drug trade, with much rare footage, including footage of CIA favorite, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Since Hekmatyar is back in the news, now is an important time to remind people of Hekmatyar's dubious past, and his links to the heroin industry in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The CIA and the Afghan Arabs

An Unholy Alliance starts off in Peshawar, which was a major hub of activity for the CIA and the ISI, as they deployed the Afghan Mujahadin in a proxy war against the Soviet Union, beginning in 1979. Since the 1980s, CIA apologists like Peter Bergen, and former CIA station chief Milton Bearden have claimed that the CIA never directly trained the Mujahidin and the associated Arabic recruits;

Intro from 911blogger.com:
"Experimental Virus Material" - Live Avian Flu & Human Flu Viruses "Accidentally" mixed, then sent to several Euro facilities

The Czech press is all over this story, but not much so far in the US. A quick search shows this blog entry;

Baxter bird flu botch

And the following report in the mainstream Canadian press: The Toronto Sun;

Baxter: Product contained live bird flu virus

By Helen Branswell, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Last Updated: 27th February 2009, 3:26pm

The company that released contaminated flu virus material from a plant in Austria confirmed Friday that the experimental product contained live H5N1 avian flu viruses.

And an official of the World Health Organization’s European operation said the body is closely monitoring the investigation into the events that took place at Baxter International’s research facility in Orth-Donau, Austria.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 5, 2009

POLITICAL LEADERS FOR 9/11 TRUTH LAUNCHED TODAY

Political Leaders for 9/11 Truth (pl911truth.com) is today being launched as the latest formal group calling for a new investigation into the events of September 11, 2001. The organization is headed by Councilor (Senator) Yukihisa Fujita of Japan and former Senator Karen Johnson of Arizona.

This initiative is formed around a petition asking President Obama "to authorize a new, truly independent, investigation to determine what happened on 9/11."

Political Leaders for 9/11 Truth thus joins other concerned citizens’ groups calling for a new investigation, including Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, Firefighters for 9/11 Truth, Lawyers for 9/11 Truth, Medical Professionals for 9/11 Truth, Pilots for 9/11 Truth, Religious Leaders for 9/11 Truth, Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice, and Veterans for 9/11 Truth.

Independent researchers from these professions have established beyond any reasonable doubt that the official account of 9/11 is false and that the official investigations have been cover-up operations.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
GeorgeWashington2.blogspot.com
Congressman Holt Introduces Anthrax Commission Legislation - Modeled After 9/11 Commission

Are we going to fall for yet another whitewash?

Congressman Holt wants an anthrax investigation modeled on the 9/11 Commission.

Senators Leahy and White house want a torture investigation modeled on the 9/11 Commission.

But - according to the 9/11 Commission itself - the whole thing was a joke:

• The co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission (Thomas Keane and Lee Hamilton) now admit that the Commission largely operated based upon political considerations

"As I sit here tonight listening to the crap about extending troop withdrawal 19 months, instead of 16 months, and keeping 50,000 troops in Iraq as so called "advisers' or "trainers' or whatever they want to nickname them, I am outraged! I expected this, but did you? This is wrong. The occupation is wrong, and those of us in the anti-war movement have been screaming this at the top of our lungs for the last 6 years, even before the first boots were on the ground in Iraq.

Even before the campaign of "shock and awe' even lit up the skies above innocent people. What the hell are we thinking?

Mobilize on the 19th, do something loud and meaningful. Complacency is not acceptable, nor is silence. People are dying, people are crippled for life, we must act now. We owe it to the Iraqi people.'

(Washington, D.C.) -- Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today introduced the Anthrax Attacks Investigation Act of 2009, legislation that would establish a Congressional commission to investigate the 2001 anthrax attacks and the federal government's response to and investigation of the attacks. The bipartisan commission would make recommendations to the President and Congress on how the country can best prevent and respond to any future bioterrorism attack. The attacks evidently originated from a postal box in Holt's Central New Jersey congressional district, disrupting the lives and livelihoods of many of his constituents. Holt has consistently raised questions about the federal investigation into the attacks.

"All of us -- but especially the families of the victims of the anthrax attacks -- deserve credible answers about how the attacks happened and whether the case really is closed," Holt said. "The Commission, like the 9/11 Commission, would do that, and it would help American families know that the government is better prepared to protect them and their children from future bioterrorism attacks."

Sen. Leahy Proceeds With Truth Commission
Today on C-Span, 10am Eastern

Senate Judiciary Cmte. Chairman Leahy (D-VT) holds a hearing on the creation of a nonpartisan commission to investigate past national security policies. Sen. Leahy (D-VT) first called for a truth commission, which would inquire into alleged wrongdoing by past Administrations, during an event on Capitol Hill.

watch Truth Commission: C-SPAN3 at 10am (ET)

Dear Senator Leahy,

We felt compelled to write to you regarding your recent call for the formation of a "Truth Commission". According to your press comments, this Commission is supposed to look at the following:

* the politicization of prosecution in the Justice Department
* the wiretapping of U.S. citizens
* the flawed intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq
* the use of torture at Guantanamo and so-called black sites abroad

These are serious allegations of criminal activity by certain members of the Bush Administration. While we applaud your initiative in looking into these matters, we feel this approach is wrong.

As the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, you already have the responsibility and legal authority to investigate matters relating to federal criminal law without having to form a special commission. You are also bound by your oath of office to support and uphold the Constitution by ensuring that those who govern also abide by the rule of law.

The dithering and ducking going on in the Obama White House and the Holder Justice Department over the crimes of the Bush administration are taking on a comic aspect.

On the one hand, we have President Obama assuring us that under his administration, there will be respect for the rule of law, and on the other hand we have this one-time constitutional law professor and his attorney general declaiming that there is no need for the appointment of a prosecutor to bring charges against the people in the last administration, in the CIA, in the National Security Agency and in the Defense Department and the military who clearly have broken the law in serious and felonious ways.

What gets silly is that America is either a nation of laws...or it isn't. It is either a place where "nobody is above the law"...or it isn't.

There is really no middle ground here.

Andy Worthington, London-based journalist and author of "The Guantánamo Files" (Pluto Press), has released the first definitive list of the 779 prisoners held in the US prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

The list, which is the result of three years' research and writing about Guantánamo, provides details of the 533 prisoners who have been released, and includes, for the first time ever, accurate dates for their release. It also provides details of the 241 prisoners who are still held, including the 59 prisoners who have been cleared for release. Although some stories are still unknown, the stories of nearly 700 prisoners are referenced either by links to Andy's extensive archive of articles about Guantánamo, or to the chapters in "The Guantánamo Files" where they can be found.

Steve Bhaerman, Swami Beyondananda, David Ray Griffin
From Carol: I heartily recommend what should be a very enlightening conversation between two of my favorite 9/11 Truth heroes- David Ray Griffin and Steve Bhaerman. Here are details on the show from the Swami, himself:

The Caterpillar, the Butterfly, and Inconvenienter Truths

"The truth shall upset you free."
-- Swami Beyondananda

I've had some lively discussions with my cohorts (or as my friend Anodea Judith prefers, "co-hearts") at Heartland Matrix about how to deal with the darker side of the news. We all seem to agree about two things. First, the greater portion of our energy must be directed toward cohering the newly emerging butterfly organism, as the caterpillar seems to be doing just fine in deconstructing itself. Secondly, if we are going to have a look at the darkness, the most helpful thing we can do is to shine the light of love and laughter on it.

And so it is in this spirit that we interviewed David Ray Griffin on this week's Heartland Security Radio Show. Griffin is a renowned and very mainstream theologian who, for the past six years, has been investigating the official 9/11 story. I call him a "non-conspiracy theorist," because his focus is not on what might have happened, but what very likely didn't happen. Using mainstream news reports only, he manages to deconstruct the official story, leaving unanswered questions in stark contrast to the unquestioned answers we've been spoonfed.