9/11 updates: propaganda, tribunals & failed experiments

new a&e fbi show portrays 9/11 truthers as dope smoking terrorists
from paul joseph watson: A new FBI drama currently showing on A&E portrays 9/11 truthers as dope smoking terrorists in its pilot episode, a ploy made all the more interesting for the fact that A&E is part-owned by Hearst Corporation, which has also attempted to debunk 9/11 truth with savage hit pieces via its subsidiaries The History Channel and Popular Mechanics. The plot of the show, which stars Patrick Swayze, centers around an attempt to infiltrate a group who are suspected of smuggling Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers into Iraq. In one scene, a member of the group talks with an FBI agent who is operating undercover. “Are you a truther or a sheep?” the man asks the FBI agent. He continues, “9/11 was a false flag operation man, wake up, a self-inflicted wound to control the masses, you know there was no planes, all of them were holograms and CGI.” The man then takes a drag on a marijuana spliff and gives the FBI agent a crazed look. The insertion of the 9/11 truther caveat in the episode serves no purpose except seemingly to convince the viewer that the man is unstable and dangerous. The mention of CGI and holograms, an obsessive tenet of an extreme fringe that attempted to hijack the 9/11 truth movement a few years ago, also serves only to detract more credibility from the subject.

conspiracy? what is the truth about 9/11?

US treasury targets bin laden son, al-qaeda with iran ties
from afp: The US Treasury Department on Friday targeted one of Osama bin Laden's sons and three other alleged Al Qaeda operatives with Iranian ties under an executive order that freezes their assets under US jurisdiction and outlaws their supporters. Osama bin Laden's son Sa'ad, along with Mustafa Hamid, Muhammad Rab'a al-Sayid al-Bahtiyti and Ali Saleh Husain, are alleged to have worked for Al Qaeda in Iran, and some have ties to the Iranian government, said the department in a statement.

al-qaeda bungles arms experiment
from washington times: An al Qaeda affiliate in Algeria closed a base earlier this month after an experiment with unconventional weapons went awry, a senior U.S. intelligence official said Monday. The official, who spoke on the condition he not be named because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said he could not confirm press reports that the accident killed at least 40 al Qaeda operatives, but he said the mishap led the militant group to shut down a base in the mountains of Tizi Ouzou province in eastern Algeria.

9/11 tribunal resumes at guantanamo
from dpa: The military tribunal of the five alleged co- conspirators in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was set to resume on Monday amid speculation president-elect Barack Obama will suspend the proceedings shortly after taking office. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the plot, and four co-defendants were due to appear before the military commission for pretrial hearings, including one on whether Ramzi bin al-Shibh is mentally competent to handle his defence.

update1: boastful 9/11 suspects admit guilt
from ap: Two alleged orchestrators of the 2001 attacks on America casually declared their guilt on Monday in a messy and perhaps final session of the Guantanamo war crimes court. This week's military hearings could be the last at Guantanamo - President-elect Barack Obama has said he would close the offshore prison and many expect him to suspend the military tribunals and order new trials in the U.S. Ramzi Binalshibh and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed architect of the terrorist attacks, were unapologetic about their roles during a series of outbursts as translators struggled to keep up and the judge repeatedly sought to regain control. "We did what we did; we're proud of Sept. 11," announced Binalshibh, who has said he wants to plead guilty to charges that could put him to death. The judge must first determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial. Mohammed shrugged off the potential death sentence for the murder of nearly 3,000 people in the Sept. 11 attacks. "We don't care about capital punishment," said Mohammed, whose thick gray beard flows to the top of his white prison jumpsuit. "We are doing jihad for the cause of God."

update2: judge suspends case against 9/11 plotters
from dpa: A US military judge on Wednesday accepted a motion to suspend the criminal proceedings at Guantanano Bay, Cuba against five men accused of organizing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a spokesman for the military commissions confirmed. The ruling followed an order by US President Barack Obama to delay the proceedings so his administration could review all of the cases before the military tribunals, in what could be the first step toward closing the notorious prison camp. Miliary prosecutors filed the motion on Obama's request and the judge agreed to a 120-day suspension, the spokesman said. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-defendants face execution if convicted of murdering nearly 3,000 people. Three of the defendants, including Mohammed, are representing themselves in the case. Mohammed has said he wants to receive the death penalty.