All theories about 11 Sep are conspiracy theories

[Kai Frederik Lorentzen]

http://911blogger.com/news/2008-04-21/daniele-ganser-all-theories-about-911-are-conspiracy-theories

"Ganser's premise is that conspiracies are nothing unusual or new in the 
field of historical research. At least since the assassination of Julius 
Caesar in classical Rome more than 2000 years ago, conspiracies have 
been an element of the political fight for influence and power.

He defines a conspiracy as, «a secret agreement between two or more 
persons to engage in a criminal act.»

He continues: «As 9/11 was a criminal act which was definitively not 
planned and carried out by one single person alone but by at least two 
or more persons who agreed on the plan before it was implemented, 9/11 
must be classified as a conspiracy.»

*MOST CORRECT?* «It is important to stress that all theories about 9/11 
are conspiracy theories. Once we realize that none of the theories can 
be dismissed on the grounds that it is a «conspiracy theory», the real 
question becomes: Which conspiracy theory correctly describes the 9/11 
conspiracy?» asks Ganser.

The historian thereby is in disagreement with the many who laugh at the 
critics of the official explanation of 11/9 as it is expressed in three 
reports (see fact box).

*THREE THEORIES:* Ganser presents three main theories about the 
conspiracy of 11/9. He does not himself address the issue of which 
theory most correctly describes what actually happened:

1. The so-called surprise theory: Offered by the Bush administration and 
the 9/11 Commission report (2004), it claims that Osama bin Laden 
conspired with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Mohamed Atta, and other men to 
attack the US on 9/11. The surprise theory argues that 9/11 was a Muslim 
conspiracy. It concedes that there were rumours about a looming attack, 
but insists that the US intelligence community, including the NSA, CIA, 
FBI, DIA, and other intelligence services, along with Pentagon, were 
unable to prevent the conspiracy. (NSA: National Security Agency, DIA: 
Defence Intelligence Agency, red. anm.)

2. Let It Happen On Purpose: (LIHOP theory). Like the surprise theory, 
it assumes that Osama bin Laden conspired with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 
Mohamed Atta and other men to attack the US on 9/11. In stark contrast 
to the surprise theory, however, the LIHOP theory claims that persons 
inside the US government deliberately allowed the attacks to be carried 
out in order to be able to start a number of wars that had been planned 
in advance. The LIHOP theory thus argues that 9/11 was a combined Muslim 
and Jewish-Christian conspiracy, in which the latter outwitted the former.

3. Make It Happen On Purpose: (MIHOP theory). It argues that criminal 
persons within the US government, Pentagon and the intelligence 
community, carried out the attacks themselves in order to be able to 
start a number of wars that had been planned in advance. The MIHOP 
theory thus argues that 9/11 was primarily a Christian or 
Jewish-Christian conspiracy, in which Muslims, if involved at all, were 
involved only in minor ways.

Ganser is in agreement with theologians who point out that no true 
Christians, Jewish, or Muslim values - including love and respect for 
other human beings - can be found in the crimes of 9/11, and that it is 
therefore fundamentally wrong to link any of the three largest 
monotheistic religions of the world to the crime. If religion played a 
role in the fanatic crime at all, then it was misguided religion.

*TWO COUNTER-ARGUMENTS:* Ganser discusses the two most important 
arguments against theories 2 and 3, which are:

Argument 1 against the Lihop- and Mihop-theory: Civilized, western 
governments in general, and the US government in particular, would never 
do anything as evil as to allow the 11/9-attacks, yet alone plan them.

Argument 2 against the Lihop- og Mihop-theory: If the 11/9-attacks were 
carried out by forces within the US own government, it would not have 
been possible to keep it a secret for so long.

*RAISES DOUBT:* As stated, Ganser does not address which of the three 
theories is correct. However, he has conducted so much research on 
secret warfare executed by western governments that he would not 
altogether dismiss the more moderate Lihop or the more alarming Mihop 
theory.

In order to understand why the Swiss historian doesn't think arguments 1 
and 2 against the Lihop- and Mihop-theories in themselves are viable, we 
need to look at his own research:

Ganser is an expert on the use of the Strategy of Tension by western 
governments, for example during the Cold War. This involved implementing 
a terror attack on public places and then placing the blame on a 
political opponent.

In his book on Nato's secret army, Operation Gladio, he describes 
state-supported terror attacks during the 60's and 70's in Europe. These 
took place chiefly in Italy, but also in Beligium, Turkey and Greece. 
Secret forces were trained and equipped by the American CIA and the 
British counterpart, MI6.

*FALSE FLAG?:* But would American authorities really have sacrificed 
their own citizens?

Ganser refers to «Operation Northwoods», a plan devised by the Pentagon 
in the 60's. This involved performing a series of strategy-of tension 
operations, designed to shock the US public and discredit Castro. Among 
other actions, the US officers suggested developing a fake "Communist 
Cuban campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in 
Washington", faking a Cuban air force attack on a civilian jetliner, 
"sink(ing) a boatload of Cuban refugees", and blowing up a US ship in 
Cuban waters and then blaming the incident on Cuban sabotage. This is 
recorded listed among the ideas defended by General Lyman Lemnitzer.

But Operasjon Northwoods was never implemented. At the time, President 
John F. Kennedy and his secretary of defense, Robert McNamara, opposed 
such operations, which included killing US citizens and involved a 
large-scale manipulation of the American population.

However, Ganser makes a point of stressing that the strategy of tension 
was prominently advocated by the highest ranking officer in the Pentagon 
– General Lyman Lemnitzer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – as a 
pretext to convince the US public of the need to invade Cuba and 
overthrow Castro.

*KEPT SECRET:* Further, is it possible to keep such cynical plans a secret?

Yes, believes Ganser. Operation Northwoods was a marked secret by the 
Pentagon. Only 40 years later, in April 2001, was is made public.The 
distinguished US researcher James Bamford engrossed himself in the 
material and produced in 2002 the book, «Body of Secrets: An Anatomy of 
the Ultra Secret National Security Agency». In this he wondered whether 
Operation Northwoods was the most corrupt plan ever created by the US 
government. He concluded:

«(I)n light of the Operation Northwoods documents it is clear that 
deceiving the public and trumping up wars for Americans to fight and die 
in was standard, approved policy at the highest levels of the Pentagon.»

It is on the basis of this type of research that Daniele Ganser fears 
that arguments 1 and 2 against the Lihop- and Mihop-theories are 
insubstantial."

MIHOP sounds very implausible to me, but I wouldn't want to go so far to 
say that LIHOP is impossible.


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