ADDRESS OF MICHAEL C

ADDRESS OF MICHAEL C. RUPPERT

FOR THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB – SAN FRANCISCO

TUESDAY AUGUST 31, 2004

THANK YOU FOR THAT GRACIOUS INTRODUCTION.

LET ME BEGIN BY THANKING PAT LAMKEN FOR INVITING ME TO BE HERE

TODAY AND FOR HER EFFORTS TO ARRANGE – WHAT IS CERTAINLY

FOR ME – A HISTORIC LANDMARK IN MY 26 YEARS OF WORK TO BRING

TO LIGHT INFORMATION – VITALLY IMPORTANT, LIFE AND DEATH,

INFORMATION – WHICH HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY IGNORED BY THE

MAINSTREAM MEDIA. THIS INFORMATION HAS ALSO REMAINED

COMPLETELY UNADDRESSED OR EVEN PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY

THOSE ELITES IN BOTH AMERICA AND THE WORLD THAT DETERMINE

AND SHAPE PUBLIC POLICY AND DIRECT THE COURSE OF HUMAN

EVENTS.

I SAY THIS WITH THE FULL AND COMPLETE AWARENESS THAT I AM

TONIGHT STANDING PARTIALLY IN THE MIDST OF THOSE ELITES AND

THAT THOSE ELITES ARE LISTENING.

I HAVE LONG BEEN AWARE OF THE STATURE AND PRESTIGE OF THE

COMMONWEALTH CLUB, FOR ITS ABILITY TO ATTRACT SOME OF THE

WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL SPEAKERS; ALSO FOR ITS REPUTATION

FOR BI-PARTISANSHIP; AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR ITS

WILLINGNESS TO PRESENT CONFLICTING OR OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS. MY APPEARANCE HERE TONIGHT NO DOUBT MARKS A DEPARTURE FOR

THE CLUB EVEN FROM THAT INSPIRING RECORD.

WITH TODAY’S REMARKS I INTEND TO ESTABLISH A WHOLE NEW

DEFINITION OF “CONFLICTING VIEWPOINT.”

I APPLAUD THE CLUB’S RECORD AND AM MINDFUL THAT, HAD IT NOT

BEEN FOR THE DANGEROUS AND EPOCHAL HISTORICAL EVENTS

TAKING PLACE AROUND US, I WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN AFFORDED

SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY AS THIS. BECAUSE CLEARLY, MY WRITING AND

PUBLIC SPEAKING HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT WHERE WE ARE TODAY

IS EXACTLY WHERE I SAID WE WOULD BE IF SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL

WAS NOT CHANGED ABOUT HOW WE BOTH VIEW THE WORLD, AND HOW

WE INTERACT WITH IT.

BEFORE PREPARING THIS SPEECH, OF COURSE, I DID SOME RESEARCH

TO SEE WHO HAD SPOKEN HERE BEFORE.

I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT I FOLLOW ON THE HEELS OF SUCH

NOTABLES AS FORMER CIA DIRECTOR JAMES WOOLSEY AND TWO

MEMBERS OF THE KEAN COMMISSION ON 9/11: SLADE GORTON AND

RICHARD BEN-VENISTE. THESE ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO I WOULD CALL

“KINDRED SPIRITS.” I ALSO SAW THE NAME OF HOMELAND SECURITY

SECRETARY TOM RIDGE AND FORMER TREASURY SECRETARY ROBERT

RUBIN. THESE ARE ALSO LEADERS OF WHOM I HAVE BEEN SHARPLY

CRITICAL IN THE PAST AND WILL BE SHARPLY CRITICAL OF IN THE

FUTURE.

I ALSO SAW NAMES LIKE JOHN KERRY, JOHN EDWARDS, DENNIS

KUCINICH, JOE LIBERMAN AND MADELEINE ALBRIGHT.

MY RECORD AS A JOURNALIST AND LECTURER SHOWS THAT I HAVE

NOT EMBRACED, AND HAVE INDEED BEEN FIERCELY CRITICAL OF, MOST

OF THESE OPINION MAKERS. WHILE I AM MORE INCLINED TO FIND

KINSHIP WITH DENNIS KUCINICH, I ALSO STATE CATEGORICALLY THAT

NO POLITICAL LEADER WHO DOES NOT ADDRESS THE REAL CAUSES OF

THE PROBLEMS FACING US WILL EVER BE CONSIDERED BY ME AS A

TRUE KINDRED SOUL – OR AS A POLITICAL CHAMPION FOR THE

FUTURE.

SUCH PRAISE AND ENDORSEMENT I OFFER ONLY TO THE LIKES OF MY

GOOD FRIEND, THE HONORABLE CYNTHIA MCKINNEY OF GEORGIA, AND

TO FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HOUSING CATHERINE AUSTIN

FITTS. I HEARTILY RECOMMEND THEM TO THE CLUB AS POTENTIAL

SPEAKERS FOR FUTURE EVENTS.

I ALSO SAW THE NAMES OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS AND INDEPENDENT OR

INTERNATIONAL VOICES LIKE AL FRANKEN, JANE GOODALL, ARIANNA

HUFFINGTON, THE RABBI MICHAEL LERNER, NORMAN MAILER, TED

TURNER, HANS BLIX AND KING ABUDULLAH II.

IN LOOKING AT THIS LONG LIST OF PRESITIGIOUS SPEAKERS I WAS

VERY AWARE THAT THE LIFE’S WORK OF MICHAEL RUPPERT DID NOT

PLACE ME IN ANY CATEGORY THAT FIT WITH THESE PEOPLE. FOR THE

MOST PART – I HAVE LONG CONSIDERED THEM TO BE PART OF A

SERIOUS PROBLEM RATHER THAN PATHFINDERS TO ITS SOLUTION.

THAT REALIZATION BROUGHT TO MIND WHAT WAS PERHAPS THE

SINGLE MOST MEMORABLE LINE FROM THE 1992 VICE-PRESIDENTIAL

DEBATES IN WHICH ROSS PEROT’S RUNNING MATE, RETIRED NAVY

ADMIRAL JAMES STOCKDALE – A MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER AND

VIETNAM POW – ASKED, “WHO AM I?” AND “WHY AM I HERE?”

I AM NOT PRONE TO OVER-ANALYZING SUCH OPPORTUNITIES. I HAVE

ALWAYS SAID THAT, IF GIVEN THE CHANCE, I WOULD WALK INTO THE

LION’S DEN OR THE DEVIL’S BEDROOM TO MAKE MY CASE AND THAT IS

WHAT I INTEND TO DO TODAY. THIS IS AS CLOSE AS I HAVE COME THUS

FAR TO EITHER. FOR HERE, I CAN SEE TONIGHT PARTS OF THE ELITE

WHOSE CONSCIOUSNESS AND ATTITUDES MUST BE CHANGED IF

HUMANITY IS TO EVEN PARTIALLY MEET THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE “IN

OUR FACES.”

FOR ANY OF YOU WHO MIGHT BE EITHER LIONS OR DEVILS I HOPE THAT

YOU HAVE HAD A GOOD MEAL RECENTLY AND ALSO THAT YOU HAVE

CHECKED YOUR PITCHFORKS AT THE DOOR. I ALSO IMPLORE THAT

YOUR EARS BE OPEN AND YOUR MINDS ACCESSIBLE.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO REALIZE THAT A GLOBAL CRISIS IS CASTING

ITS SHADOW ACROSS THE ENTIRE PLANET, AND WHO WISH BETTER TO

UNDERSTAND ITS DYNAMICS, I AM HERE TO OFFER SOME OF MY

EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING AS A “MAPMAKER” WHO HAS NO

ALLEGIANCE TO PARTISAN POLITICS OR ANY DESIRE EXCEPT TO TELL

YOU THE TRUTH, NO MATTER HOW DISQUIETING IT MAY BE, OR HOW

DIVERGENT IT MAY BE FROM WHATEVER CHERISHED BELIEFS YOU MAY

HOLD; FROM WHATEVER COSOMOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES YOU MAY

BELIEVE IN; OR FROM WHATEVER ECONOMIC OR OTHER PERSONAL

INTERESTS YOU MAY HAVE.

A SPIRITUAL TEACHER ONCE TOLD ME THAT MY PROBLEM WAS NOT

THAT I THOUGHT HIGHLY OF MYSELF; NOT THAT I THOUGHT LOWLY OF

MYSELF; BUT THAT I THOUGHT CONSTANTLY OF MYSELF. IN THAT VEIN,

LET US ALL TONIGHT TRY TO THINK OF ISSUES LARGER THAN

OURSELVES, OUR PERSONAL INTERESTS, OUR WANTS, OR OUR FEARS.

VIEWED FROM ALMOST ANY PERSPECTIVE; BE IT GEOPOLITICS,

ECONOMICS, CLIMATE, SPREADING WARFARE THAT THREATENS TO

UNLEASH A GLOBAL ORGY OF BLOODLETTING, RISING ENERGY PRICES,

DOCUMENTED ENERGY SHORTAGES, FRESH WATER SHORTAGES,

BIOLOGICAL WARFARE, THE REPRESSION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES AT HOME

AND ABROAD, OR ANY OF A DOZEN OTHER ISSUES; PLANET EARTH AND

ALL OF ITS INHABITANTS ARE IN GREAT DANGER. THIS IS NOT A TIME

TO THINK OF NATIONAL SECURITY. IT IS A TIME TO THINK OF

PLANETARY SECURITY – INDEED, OF PLANETARY SURVIVAL.

AND I MUST RECOGNIZE ALSO THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN

AFFORDED THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY,

HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE CONSISTENT SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY;

THE REASEARH AND ACTIVISM; THE COURAGE AND

DISENFRANCHISEMENT, AND ABOVE ALL THE LOYALTY OF ALL THOSE

PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED MY NEWSLETTER, “FROM THE

WILDERNESS”, GROW IN JUST SIX YEARS FROM 68 TO MORE THAN

15,000 MONTHLY READERS WORLDWIDE. TODAY OUR WEB SITE AT

WWW.FROMTHEWILDERNESS.COM AVERAGES MORE THAN 12,000

VISITORS A DAY.

THESE INCLUDE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC

LEADERS, PROFESSORS AT MORE THAN 30 UNIVERSITIES, RESPECTED

JOURNALISTS, AND POLITICAL LEADERS IN MANY COUNTRIES.

IF ANYTHING HAD AN IMPACT ON MY THINKING AS I PREPARED THESE

REMARKS IT WAS MY AWARENESS THAT THESE LOYAL SUPPORTERS

ARE THE PEOPLE ON WHOSE BEHALF I PRESUME TO SPEAK. IT IS THEIR

VOICE AND THEIR COMMITMENT WHICH HAS GIVEN RISE TO MY VOICE. I

COULD NOT AND WOULD NOT BE HERE WERE IT NOT FOR THEM.

BUT I ALSO, IF I MAY BE THAT BOLD, PRESUME TO SPEAK FOR ALL

MANKIND, REGARDLESS OF RELIGION, ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY,

GENDER, SEXUAL PREFERENCE, BANK ACCOUNT OR ANY OTHER

ARTIFICIAL DISTINCTION.

THIS IS NO TIME TO BE SHY.

THIS IS NOT A TIME WHEN MEN AND WOMEN OF GOOD CONSCIENCE

CAN AFFORD TO BE POLITCALLY CORRECT OR BE GUIDED BY ANYTHING

EXCEPT A WILLINGNESS TO DISCARD EVERY “CHERISHED” BELIEF OR

OPINION WHICH STANDS IN THE WAY OF AN ACCURATE AND FEARLESS

APPRAISAL OF THE WORLD AROUND US.

AS I HAVE SAID SO MANY TIMES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS WHILE

DELIVERING MORE THAN 40 LECTURES ON THE TRUTH AND LIES OF 9/11

AND PEAK OIL, IN EIGHT COUNTRIES: THE EVENTS IN THE FIVE YEARS

FOLLOWING THE ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH WILL DETERMINE THE

COURSE OF HUMAN HISTORY FOR THE NEXT 500 YEARS OR MORE.

I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE RECORD OF MY LECTURES AND

WRITINGS, WHEREIN I HAVE COME TO BE KNOWN AS A MAN WHO BACKS

UP EVERYTHING HE SAYS AND PRESENTS IT TO HIS AUDIENCES FOR

VERFICATION, HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH HOW THE BOARD OF

GOVERNORS REACHED ITS DECISION TO EXTEND THIS INVITATION.

FOR MANY YEARS NOW NOT A SINGLE FACT, CITATION OR PIECE OF

EVIDENCE, PRESENTED IN MY LECTURES, OR IN MY BEST-SELLING

VIDEO, “THE TRUTH AND LIES OF 9/11” HAS BEEN PROVED INACCURATE.

I AM KNOWN AS A MAN WHO DOES NOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO TAKE HIS

WORD ON FAITH BUT WHO ASKS AND EVEN EXPECTS PEOPLE TO

CHALLENGE HIS RESEARCH, EVALUATE IT, AND REACH THEIR OWN

CONCLUSIONS.

OPERATING UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE PAST CREDIBILITY OF

MY RESEARCH HAS PRODUCED A RECORD WHICH GOT ME IN THE DOOR

AT THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB, I AM TODAY, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME

AND FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT, GOING TO DISPENSE WITH MY CUSTOMARY

SLIDE PRESENTATION. I FULLY EXPECT THAT ANYONE WHO

CHALLENGES OR DISAGREES WITH MY ASSERTIONS WILL GO OUT AND

DO SOME CHECKING FOR HIM OR HER SELF.

ALMOST EVERYTHING I PRESENT TO YOU TODAY WILL BE FULLY

DOCUMENTED – BY MEANS OF APPROXIMATELY 1,000 ENDNOTES – IN

MY SOON TO BE RELEASED BOOK, “CROSSING THE RUBICON: THE

DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE AT THE END OF THE AGE OF OIL.”

THE BOOK, PUBLISHED BY NEW SOCIETY PUBLISHERS, SHOULD BE

AVAILABLE FOR SALE FROM THE FTW WEB SITE WITHIN 2-3 WEEKS AND

IT WILL GO ON SALE NATIONALLY, THROUGH ALL MAJOR OUTLETS, BY

MID-OCTOBER.

SEPTEMBER 11TH

BOTH HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD I AM NOT

ALONE IN BELIEVING THAT THE ATTACKS OF SEPTMEBER 11TH WERE

FACILITATED, ORCHESTRATED AND EXECUTED BY THE UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF

MISUNDERSTANDING AND CONCLUSION JUMPING ABOUT THESE

ASSESSMENTS THAT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE EVIDENCE. I WAS

TRAINED AS A POLICE OFFICER AND DETECTIVE, AND FOR MANY YEARS

NOW I HAVE BEEN AN EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST BECAUSE

I HAVE ADHERED TO STRICT EVIDENTIARY AND INVESTIGATIVE

STANDARDS.

THE 9/11 ATTACKS WERE THE RESULT OF DELIBERATE PLANNING AND

ORCHESTRATED EFFORTS BY IDENTIFIABLE LEADERS WITHIN THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT, AND THE ENERGY AND FINANCIAL SECTORS, TO SEE A

PEARL HARBOR-LIKE ATTACK WHICH WOULD PROVIDE THE AMERICAN

EMPIRE WITH A PRETEXT FOR WAR, INVASION AND THE SEQUENTIAL

CONFISCATION OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS RESERVES, OR THE KEY

TRANSPORTATION ROUTES THROUGH WHICH THEY PASS. 9-11 WAS A

PREMEDITATED MURDER AND IN MY BOOK, AND HERE TONIGHT, I WILL

NAME SOME OF THE SUSPECTS WHO COMMITTED THE CRIME. IN MY

BOOK I WILL SHOW YOU OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE OF THEIR GUILT

WHICH I WOULD BE PROUD AND CONFIDENT TO PLACE EITHER BEFORE

A DISTRICT ATTORNEY OR A JURY.

HISTORICALLY, THE ASSERTION THAT THE UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENT WOULD ORCHESTRATE AN ATTACK UPON AMERICAN

INTERESTS HAS AMPLE PRECEDENT. FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY

ADVISOR ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI DESCRIBED THE NEED FOR SUCH AN

EVENT IN SEVERAL PLACES IN HIS 1997 BOOK “THE GRAND

CHESSBOARD.” IT WAS I WHO FIRST BROUGHT THIS BOOK TO WORLD

ATTENTION IN LATE 2001. THE PROJECT FOR A NEW AMERICAN

CENTURY MADE REFERENCE TO THE NEED FOR SUCH AN ATTACK IN ITS

2000 REPORT “REBUILDING AMERICA’S DEFENSES.” DECLASSIFIED TOP

SECRET DOCUMENTS DISCLOSED BY AUTHOR JAMES BAMFORD IN HIS

BOOK, “BODY OF SECRETS” TELL US THAT IN 1962 THE JOINT CHIEFS

HAD APPROVED A PLAN CALLED “OPERATION NORTHWOODS” WHICH

WAS A COVERT OPERATION THAT WOULD SHOOT DOWN AMERICAN

AIRCRAFT AND STAGE ATTACKS ON AMERICAN MILITARY FACILITIES

WITH THE INTENT OF BLAMING THOSE ATTACKS ON FIDEL CASTRO AND

PROMPTING THE SUBSEQUENT US INVASION AND OCCUPATION OF

CUBA.

THE DECLASSIFIED NORTHWOODS DOCUMENTS CAN BE SEEN AND

DOWNLOADED FROM THE FTW WEB SITE. BUT ONCE VIEWED, THEY

CANNOT BE IGNORED.

THEREFORE IT CANNOT BE SAID THAT SUCH A THING HAS NEVER BEEN

CONCEIVED OF OR CARRIED OUT BY AMERICAN POLITICAL LEADERS.

FROM THE SINKING OF THE BATTLESHIP MAINE, TO THE GULF OF

TONKIN, AND INDEED, EVEN TO PEARL HARBOR ITSELF, HISTORY TODAY

PROVIDES US WITH ABUNDANT DOCUMENTATION OF US GOVERNMENT

COMPLICITY IN VARYING DEGREES IN SIMILAR ATTACKS. THE BOOK

“DAY OF DECEIT” AND OTHER RECORDS FROM THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

HAVE SHOWN US THAT THE ROOSEVELT ADMINISTRATION HAD BROKEN

THE JAPANESE CODES WELL BEFORE DECEMBER 7TH, AND THAT A

CONSCIOUS DECISION WAS MADE TO ALLOW THE ATTACK ON PEARL

HARBOR TO TAKE PLACE. THIS WAS INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE

NECESSARY IMPETUS FOR US ENTRY INTO THE SECOND WORLD WAR

AT A TIME WHEN GREAT BRITAIN WAS BUCKLING UNDER THE MILITARY

BLITZKRIEG, AERIAL BOMBING AND U-BOAT WARFARE OF THE THIRD

REICH.

CROSSING THE RUBICON IS A DETECTIVE STORY THAT GETS TO THE

INNERMOST CORE OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS. IT PLACES 9/11 AT THE

CENTER OF A DESPERATE NEW AMERICA, CREATED BY SPECIFIC,

NAMED INDIVIDUALS IN PREPARATION FOR PEAK OIL: AN ECONOMIC

CRISIS LIKE NOTHING THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.

SIMPLY DEFINED, PEAK OIL IS THAT MOMENT IN TIME WHEN GLOBAL OIL

– AND NATURAL GAS – PRODUCTION BEGINS AN IRREVERSIBLE AND

PERMANENT DECLINE WHICH WILL NOT YIELD OR GIVE WAY

REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH MONEY AND EFFORT IS SPENT TRYING TO

CHANGE IT.

WITH DEMAND STILL ACCELERATING RAPIDLY IN BOTH THE US AND THE

INDUSTRIALIZED AND DEVELOPING WORLD, THE ARRIVAL OF PEAK OIL

LITERALLY DESCRIBES A POINT OF OVERSHOOT IN WHICH ECONOMIC

AND ECOLOGICAL STASIS – LET ALONE GROWTH – BECOMES

UNSUSTAINABLE. OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST THREE YEARS,

“FROM THE WILDERNESS” HAS PIONEERED THE INVESTIGATION AND

DOCUMENTATION OF THIS CRISIS. WITH THE INVALUABLE RESEARCH

AND WRITING OF FTW’S ENERGY EDITOR DALE ALLEN PFEIFFER, A

GEOLOGIST, AND THROUGH MY OWN TRAVELS AND RESEARCH IN THE

US, FRANCE AND GERMANY, WE HAVE DRAWN UPON THE EXPERTISE

OF THOSE WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN THE OIL INDUSTRY (MANY

OF WHOM HAVE LEFT IT), INDEPENDENT SCIENTISTS AND ACADEMICS

HAVING NO CONNECTION TO THE ENERGY INDUSTRY, BUSINESS AND

FINANCIAL LEADERS, INTERNATIONAL BODIES SUCH AS THE

INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, AND ACTUAL WORLD EVENTS TO

DRAW ATTENTION TO WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST SERIOUS THREAT

FACING MANKIND IN ITS ENTIRE HISTORY.

IT IS MY BELIEF, AS I SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT THAT PLANET EARTH IS –

PLUS OR MINUS ONE YEAR – AT THE ALL TIME PEAK OF HYDROCARBON

ENERGY PRODUCTION. SIMPLY PUT, WE HAVE USED HALF OF ALL THE

OIL GOD PLACED ON THIS PLANET, AND EVERY DROP, EVERY BARREL

EXTRACTED FROM THE GROUND FROM NOW ON WILL BECOME

PROGRESSIVELY MORE EXPENSIVE, OF LESSER QUALITY, AND MUCH

HARDER TO OBTAIN. WE HAVE PICKED THE LOW HANGING FRUIT. AS

ALL EXPERTS AGREE, PEAK IS SOMETHING WE WILL ONLY KNOW OF A

CERTAINTY AS WE VIEW IT IN OUR REAR VIEW MIRRORS.

THE ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001 WERE THE PRETEXT FOR THE

AMERICAN, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, THE BRITISH AND ISRAELI

EMPIRES TO BEGIN SEIZING, BY FORCE, THOSE ENERGY SUPPLIES

NEEDED TO SUSTAIN THEIR POWER, HEGEMONY (WHETHER REGIONAL

OR GLOBAL) AND THEIR TEETERING ECONOMIES.

THE ATTACKS OF 9/11 WERE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH AN AMAZING

ORCHESTRATION OF LOGISTICS AND PERSONNEL. FORMER NATIONAL

SECURITY AIDE AND COUNTER-TERROR ADVISOR RICHARD CLARKE

HAS POSTULATED THAT SUCH A CONSPIRACY COULD NEVER BE KEPT A

SECRET. TOO MANY PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, HE SAID.

ON THIS POINT I DISAGREE WITH CLARKE COMPLETELY AND POINT TO

THE FACT THAT THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, WHICH DEVELOPED THE

ATOM BOMB AND THE STEALTH FIGHTER PROJECT WERE BOTH

SUCCESSFULLY KEPT SECRET. THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN

BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS FAR EXCEEDED THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT REQUIRED TO EXECUTE

9/11.

HOWEVER, I MUST EXPRESS A DEEP DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO CLARKE.

FOR IN HIS BOOK “AGAINST ALL ENEMIES” HE LEFT A COMPELLING TRAIL

OF BREAD CRUMBS, CONTRADICTIONS TO THE SWORN TESTIMONY OF

OUR HIGHEST LEADERS, AND HARD EVIDENCE WHICH PROVIDED ME

WITH MUCH OF THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO SAY THAT NOT ONLY

CAN I NAME SOME OF THE US GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO

PERPETRATED THOSE ATTACKS, I CAN ALSO IDENTIFY THE PRIME

SUSPECT – OR MR. BIG – WHO PLAYED THE COMMAND ROLE IN

EXECUTING THEM. MR. CLARKE IS NOT A STUPID MAN AND I CAN ONLY

CONCLUDE THAT HE LEFT THOSE CRUMBS FOR OTHERS TO FIND.

ALL OF THIS OF COURSE STANDS IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE REPORT

OF THE SO-CALLED INDEPENDENT COMMISSION WHICH INVESTIGATED

THOSE ATTACKS. BEFORE I START NAMING NAMES, LET ME FIRST TAKE

A LOOK AT WHY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PRESENTED BY THE KEAN

COMMISSION CAN, OR SHOULD, BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT CHALLENGE.

THE KEAN COMMISSION

A RECENT STORY IN THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE REPORTED ON

HOW ONE US SENATOR, MARK DAYTON OF MINNESOTA, FOUND SOME

EGREGIOUS INCONSISTENCIES IN THE FINAL REPORT OF THE KEAN

COMMISSION. THE STORY SAID THAT DURING A RECENT HEARING

EVALUATING THE KEAN REPORT:

“DAYTON TOLD LEADERS OF THE SEPT. 11 COMMISSION THAT,

BASED ON THE COMMISSION'S REPORT, A NORAD

CHRONOLOGY MADE PUBLIC A WEEK AFTER THE ATTACKS

WAS GROSSLY MISLEADING. THE CHRONOLOGY SAID THE FAA

NOTIFIED THE MILITARY'S EMERGENCY AIR COMMAND OF

THREE OF THE HIJACKINGS WHILE THOSE JETLINERS WERE

STILL AIRBORNE. DAYTON CITED COMMISSION FINDINGS THAT

THE FAA FAILED TO INFORM NORAD ABOUT THREE OF THE

PLANES UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD CRASHED.

“AND, HE SAID, A SQUADRON OF NORAD FIGHTER PLANES

THAT WAS SCRAMBLED WAS SENT EAST OVER THE ATLANTIC

OCEAN AND WAS 150 MILES FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., WHEN

12 THE THIRD PLANE STRUCK THE PENTAGON – ‘FARTHER THAN

THEY WERE BEFORE THEY TOOK OFF.’

“DAYTON SAID NORAD OFFICIALS ‘LIED TO THE AMERICAN

PEOPLE, THEY LIED TO CONGRESS AND THEY LIED TO YOUR

9/11 COMMISSION TO CREATE A FALSE IMPRESSION OF

COMPETENCE, COMMUNICATION AND PROTECTION OF THE

AMERICAN PEOPLE.’ HE TOLD KEAN AND HAMILTON THAT IF

THE COMMISSION'S REPORT IS CORRECT, PRESIDENT BUSH

‘SHOULD FIRE WHOEVER AT FAA, AT NORAD ... BETRAYED

THEIR PUBLIC TRUST BY NOT TELLING US THE TRUTH.’”

WHAT SENATOR DAYTON DID NOT FULLY FOCUS ON WAS THAT, JUST A

FEW SHORT WEEKS BEFORE RELEASING ITS FINAL REPORT, THE KEAN

COMMISSION UNILATERALLY CHANGED THE TIMES OF CERTAIN KEY

EVENTS, NEGATING AND OVERRULING TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE

PRESENTED UNDER OATH, WITHOUT HAVING RECEIVED A SINGLE NEW

PIECE OF EVIDENCE – EITHER FORMALLY OR INFORMALLY – THAT

CONTRADICTED OR CHANGED THE EVIDENCE ALREADY RECEIVED.

I’M SURE THAT THERE ARE SOME ATTORNEYS IN THE ROOM TONIGHT. I

WONDER HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD ACQUIESCE TO THE JUDGE IN A

CRIMINAL TRIAL SUBMITTING AND RULING ON EVIDENCE THAT NEITHER

THE DEFENSE NOR PROSECUTION HAD PRESENTED DURING TRIAL, BUT

WHICH THE JUDGE HAD SOMEHOW PRODUCED, WITHOUT

EXPLANATION, FROM HIS OR HER CHAMBERS. HOW WOULD YOU REACT

IF THE JUDGE THEN RULED ON THE BASIS OF THAT EVIDENCE, MAKING

NO ATTEMPT TO RECONCILE THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY EITHER

SIDE?

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE JURY?

13 WHILE SENATOR DAYTON WAS ASTUTE ENOUGH TO NOTE SOME

GLARING INCONSISTENCIES AND CONTRADICTIONS IN A HIGHLY

MANIPULATED AND FREQUENTLY ALTERED EVIDENTIARY RECORD, HE

MISSED, OR CHOSE TO IGNORE OTHER ELEPHANTS SITTING

COMFORTABLY IN THE LIVING ROOM OF ONE OF THE MOST SHAMELESS

PIECES OF DISHONEST PUBLIC ACCOUNTING IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

THESE INCLUDE THE FACT THAT THE COMMISSION INEXPLICABLY

INTRODUCED, AT THE LAST MINUTE, A COMPLETELY NEW TIMELINE OF

EVENTS SURROUNDING THE RESPONSES OF THE FAA, NORAD AND THE

PENTAGON ON 9/11 IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO PREVIOUSLY SWORN

TESTIMONY AND EXHIBITS FROM THESE COMMANDS. IN MOST CASES

THIS EVIDENCE WAS PRESENTED BY THE SAME MEN WHO ACTUALLY

MADE KEY DECISIONS THAT DAY.

WHY?

IN ITS MERE CONSTITUTION, THE KEAN COMMISSION’S MEMBERS

WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO EVEN APPROACH THE BAR OF

JUDICIAL IMPARTIALITY IN AN AMERICAN COURTROOM TO DECIDE SUCH

AN IMPORTANT CASE. THEY – EVERY ONE OF THEM, INCLUDING YOUR

TWO RECENT SPEAKERS – WOULD AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN

IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFIED FROM PROVIDING, AS WAS MANDATED BY

LAW, “A FULL ACCOUNTING” OF THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH.

IN DESCRIBING TO YOU SOME OF THESE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, I

WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST

JIM RAREY WHO DID A MAGNIFICENT JOB OF CATALOGUING THE

HISTORIES OF THE WOLVES AND THE FOXES WHO MANAGED THE HEN

HOUSE OF SEPTEMBER 11TH’S HISTORICAL RECORD.

THE FOLLOWING IS ONLY A PARTIAL DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE

MORE OBVIOUS CONFLICTS WITHIN THE KEAN COMMISSION.

THOMAS KEAN (CHAIRMAN)

THOMAS KEAN IS A DIRECTOR (AND SHAREHOLDER) OF AMERADA HESS

CORPORATION, WHICH IS INVOLVED IN THE HESS-DELTA JOINT

VENTURE WITH DELTA OIL OF SAUDI ARABIA, OWNED BY THE [KHALID]

BIN MAHFOUZ AND AL-AMOUDI CLANS. THIS COMPANY WAS INVOLVED

IN THE INITIAL PLANNING FOR A TRANS-AFGHAN OIL PIPELINE JUST

PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 11TH. KHALID BIN MAHFOUZ, ONCE A SENIOR

EXECUTIVE WITH THE LEGENDARY ORGANIZED CRIME BANK BCCI, IS

SAUDI ARABIA’S LARGEST BANKER AND HIS CLIENTS INCLUDE BOTH

THE SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY AND THE SAUDI BINLADIN GROUP OF

COMPANIES.

COINCIDENTALLY, THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY IS ALSO A

MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, TOGETHER WITH

ANOTHER PROMINENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

AMERADA HESS, FORMER SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY NICHOLAS

BRADY.

IT IS ALSO WORTH MENTIONING THAT THOMAS KEAN ALSO SITS AS COCHAIRMAN

OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY PROJECT (HSP) UNDER THE

AUSPICES OF THE CENTURY FOUNDATION. IN THIS CAPACITY, KEAN

HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE

CENTURY FOUNDATION, WHICH PARTIALLY LAID THE GROUNDWORK OF

THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY LEGISLATION.

JOURNALIST WAYNE MADSEN HAS SHOWN WITH AMPLE

DOCUMENTATION THAT GEORGE W. BUSH ALSO HAD BUSINESS

RELATIONS WITH KHALID BIN MAHFOUZ, WHEN HE WAS IN THE TEXAS

OIL BUSINESS. BOTH GEORGE W. BUSH AND KHALID BIN-MAHFOUZ

WERE ALSO IMPLICATED IN THE BCCI SCANDAL CLOSELY TIED TO THE

IRAN-CONTRA AND SAVINGS AND LOAN SCANDALS.

OTHER LINKS BETWEEN BUSH AND MAHFOUZ CAN BE FOUND THROUGH

INVESTMENTS IN THE CARLYLE GROUP, AN AMERICAN INVESTMENT

FIRM MANAGED BY A BOARD ON WHICH FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE

H.W. BUSH HIMSELF ONCE SAT. THE YOUNGER BUSH PERSONALLY

HELD SHARES IN ONE OF CARLYLE’S OWNED COMPANIES, CATERAIR,

BETWEEN 1990-94.

LEE HAMILTON (VICE CHAIR)

IN 1987, HOUSE SPEAKER JIM WRIGHT (WHO LATER RESIGNED IN

DISGRACE) APPOINTED HAMILTON TO CHAIR A COMMITTEE

INVESTIGATING THE IRAN/CONTRA AFFAIR.

WHEN A QUESTION WAS RAISED ABOUT CIA/CONTRA DRUG

SMUGGLING, THE RESPONSE WAS RELEASE BY HAMILTON OF A

CURSORY REVIEW THAT CONCLUDED THERE WAS NO TRUTH TO THE

CHARGES. THE CIA RELEASED A REPORT IN OCTOBER OF 1998

(VOLUME II OF THE CIA INSPECTOR GENERAL’S REPORT ON IRANCONTRA

DRUG TRAFFICKING), THAT RECEIVED ALMOST NO PUBLICITY

YET ADMITTED THE DRUG CONNECTION AND DIRECT CIA INVOLVEMENT

IN THE TRANSSHIPMENT OF THOUSANDS OF KILOS OF COCAINE.

HAMILTON PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE SO-CALLED OCTOBER SURPRISE

OF 1980-81 IN WHICH IT WAS CHARGED THAT THE REAGAN-BUSH

CAMPAIGN TEAM WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SECRETLY NEGOTIATED

WITH IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT TO DELAY RELEASE OF

THE AMERICAN HOSTAGES HELD AT THE US EMBASSY IN TEHRAN. THE

DEAL WAS THAT THE HOSTAGES WOULD BE RELEASED AFTER THE

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SO THAT JIMMY CARTER COULD NOT BENEFIT

FROM THEIR EMANCIPATION DURING THE CAMPAIGN. IN THIS

PROGENITOR OF THE IRAN-CONTRA SCANDAL MILITARY WEAPONS

WERE PROMISED TO THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IN EXCHANGE FOR ITS

COOPERATION. THE EVIDENCE WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO WARRANT

CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS WHICH WERE ULTIMATELY CHAIRED BY

THEN CONGRESSMAN HAMILTON.

AS MOST OF US WHO ARE OLD ENOUGH RECALL, THE HOSTAGES WERE

NOT RELEASED UNTIL THE VERY DAY OF RONALD REAGAN’S FIRST

INAUGURATION IN JANUARY OF 1981. THIS WAS ONE OF HISTORY’S

GREAT COINCIDENCES.

FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, VETERAN WASHINGTON JOURNALIST

SARAH MCLENDON WAS THE GRAND DAME OF THE WHITE HOUSE

PRESS CORPS. UNTIL HER JANUARY 2003 DEATH (AT 92) SHE WAS A

REVERED AND ACTIVE JOURNALIST KNOWN FOR HER FEISTY

CONFRONTATIONS WITH PRESIDENTS AND THE POWERFUL DATING TO

THE TRUMAN ADMINISTRATION. IN HER LATER YEARS SHE HAD A

GREAT HABIT OF APPEARING TO BE ASLEEP IN HER WHEELCHAIR UNTIL

THE MOMENT WHEN SHE WOULD WAKE UP AND POUNCE ON HER PREY

WITH INCISIVE QUESTIONS THAT REVEALED SHE HADN’T MISSED A

WORD OF WHAT HAD BEEN SAID. ONCE, ON NATIONAL TELEVISION AND

IN THE MIDDLE OF A LIVE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CONFERENCE, SHE

EVEN DARED TO QUESTION PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ABOUT THE

ABUNDANTLY DOCUMENTED RECORD OF CIA AND ARKANSAS STATE

GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN DRUG SMUGGLING OPERATIONS AT

ARKANSAS’ MENA REGIONAL INTERMOUNTAIN AIRPORT DURING THE

1980S.

IN 1994 AND 1995, WHILE LIVING IN WASHINGTON, I WAS A REGULAR

ATTENDEE AT MCLENDON’S WEEKLY STUDY GROUP AT THE NATIONAL

PRESS CLUB AND LATER AT HER RESIDENCE ON CONNECTICUT

AVENUE. AFTER SHE PASSED, THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB RENAMED

ONE OF ITS CONFERENCE ROOMS AS “THE MCLENDON ROOM.” IN 1992

MCLENDON OFFERED HER OBSERVATIONS ON HAMILTON’S BEHAVIOR

AS THE CHIEF “FACT-FINDER” AND CHAIR OF THE OCTOBER SURPRISE

AND IRAN-CONTRA COMMITTEES.

“I DECLINED TO WITHDRAW THE REPORT I MADE THAT

CONGRESSMAN HYDE ELICITED AND OBTAINED A PROMISE

FROM CHAIRMAN LEE HAMILTON, D., IND. OF THE HOUSE TASK

FORCE ON OCTOBER SURPRISE, THAT THE GROUP WOULD

CLEAR PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH OF GOING TO PARIS TO

CINCH A DEAL OF WEAPONS FOR IRAN IN EXCHANGE FOR

RETAINING AMERICAN HOSTAGES TO BE DELIVERED TO

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN AND NOT TO OUTGOING

PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER. HYDE SAYS HE MADE NO SUCH A

DEAL AND I MUST REMEMBER THAT HAMILTON IS A

DEMOCRAT. THAT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. HAMILTON HELD A

PRESS CONFERENCE TO CLEAR BUSH BEFORE THE

INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEAL BETWEEN THE REAGAN-BUSH

CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE AND THE IRANIANS

HAD EVEN STARTED. HAMILTON THEN ADMITTED HE HAD NOT

INTERROGATED WITNESSES OR TALKED WITH HIS SPECIAL

ATTORNEY HIRED TO INVESTIGATE THE MATTER.”

IRAN-CONTRA, IN ALL ITS HORRIFIC CORRUPTION, WAS EFFECTIVELY

“MANAGED” BY LEE HAMILTON IN THE HOUSE AND JOHN KERRY (AMONG

OTHERS) IN THE SENATE THROUGHOUT THE LATE 1980s TO CONCEAL

THE GREATEST CRIMES OF THE ERA; CRIMES COMMITTED BY A LITANY

OF WELL-KNOWN GOVERNMENT OPERATIVES. AT THE TIME, HAMILTON

WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE

ON INTELLIGENCE.

WHILE MANY ACTIVISTS REGARD 2004 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL

CANDIDATE KERRY AS SOMETHING OF A HERO FOR BRINGING MANY

DETAILS OF IRAN-CONTRA DRUG ACTIVITIES TO LIGHT (AND INTO THE

PUBLIC RECORD), OTHERS, MORE DEEPLY VERSED IN THE EVIDENTIARY

RECORD, SUSPECT THAT HE ALSO DID A MASTERFUL JOB OF KEEPING

SOME OF THE MOST DAMAGING IRAN-CONTRA SECRETS — ESPECIALLY

RECORDS OF CIA PROPRIETARY COMPANY OPERATIONS — HIDDEN. I

AM AMONG THE LATTER GROUP.

MANY FIGURES WHO CAME UNDER CRIMINAL AND INVESTIGATIVE

SCRUTINY IN IRAN-CONTRA, LIKE JOHN POINDEXTER, ELLIOT ABRAMS,

RICHARD ARMITAGE, DICK CHENEY, OTTO REICH, COLIN POWELL AND

JOHN NEGROPONTE, RETURNED (WITH LITTLE OR NO CONGRESSIONAL

OPPOSITION) TO SERVE IN THE CURRENT BUSH ADMINISTRATION

AFTER THE 2000 (SO-CALLED) ELECTION.

VETERAN AP JOURNALIST BOB PARRY, WHO BROKE THE FIRST MAJOR

STORY LINKING DRUG SMUGGLING TO CONTRA SUPPORT ACTIVITIES,

ONLY TO LATER LOSE HIS JOB, OFFERED SOME ADDITIONAL

OBSERVATIONS ON LEE HAMILTON IN HIS INDEPENDENT WEB

NEWSLETTER CONSORTIUM NEWS.

”ONE OF THE KEY CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS FIGHTING

THIS REAR-GUARD ACTION WAS REP. DICK CHENEY OF

WYOMING, WHO BECAME THE RANKING HOUSE REPUBLICAN

ON THE IRAN-CONTRA INVESTIGATION. CHENEY ALREADY

ENJOYED A FAVORABLE REPUTATION IN WASHINGTON AS A

STEADY CONSERVATIVE HAND.

”CHENEY SMARTLY EXPLOITED HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH REP.

LEE HAMILTON, D-IND., WHO WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE IRANCONTRA

PANEL. HAMILTON CARED DEEPLY ABOUT HIS

REPUTATION FOR BIPARTISANSHIP AND THE REPUBLICANS

QUICKLY EXPLOITED THIS FACT.”

NOT ONLY DID HAMILTON FAIL TO FIND ANY WRONGDOING BY TOP

OFFICIALS IN EITHER INVESTIGATION, HE WAS EVEN “SATISFIED” WITH

THE PERFORMANCE OF MARINE LIEUTENANT COLONEL OLIVER NORTH

IN THE IRAN-CONTRA HEARINGS. AS ONE COMMENTATOR CONNECTED

TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVES OBSERVED:

“NORTH APPEARS BEFORE THE HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE

ON INTELLIGENCE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS ROLE IN

A CONTRA RESUPPLY OPERATION. HE LIES CONVINCINGLY: HE

HAS "NOT IN ANY WAY, AT ANY TIME VIOLATE[D] THE

PRINCIPLES OR LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE BOLAND

AMENDMENT," WHICH BANS FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR THE

NICARAGUAN COUNTERREVOLUTIONARIES. COMMITTEE

CHAIRMAN LEE HAMILTON, D-IND., PRONOUNCES HIMSELF

SATISFIED WITH NORTH'S "GOOD FAITH." WHEN NORTH'S

SUPERIOR, JOHN POINDEXTER, IS TOLD OF HIS SUCCESSFUL

DECEPTION OF CONGRESS, POINDEXTER E-MAILS OLLIE: ‘WELL

DONE.’”

PHILIP ZELIKOW (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

PERHAPS NO MORE GLARING CONFLICT OF INTEREST ATTRACTED

OPPOSITION FROM VICTIM FAMILIES AND 9/11 ACTIVISTS THAN THAT OF

THE COMMISSION’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PHILIP ZELIKOW. CONCERNS

WERE RAISED WHEN IT WAS DISCLOSED THAT ONLY TWO COMMISSION

MEMBERS AND ZELIKOW MIGHT BE ALLOWED TO SEE CERTAIN

CLASSIFIED PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS, INCLUDING THE MUCH

BALLYHOOED AND PUBLICLY DEBATED PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEFING

(PDB) OF AUGUST 6, 2001.

PERSONALLY, I VIEWED THE AUGUST 6TH PDB AS A RED HERRING AND A

HUBRISTIC PRETEXT OVER WHICH THE COMMISSION COULD MAKE A

SHOW OF “BATTLING” THE WHITE HOUSE FOR INFORMATION. THE PDB,

TITLED, “BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO STRIKE IN US” WAS EVENTUALLY

RELEASED IN A ONE AND A HALF PAGE VERSION THAT WAS PRESENTED

TO THE WORLD AS “COMPLETE.”

NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. THE

RESPECTED GERMAN PAPER DIE ZEIT PUBLISHED A STORY IN OCTOBER

OF 2002, WELL BEFORE THE PDB BECAME AN ISSUE, STATING THAT THE

PDB WAS ACTUALLY ELEVEN AND ONE HALF PAGES LONG. SINCE I HAD

DOCUMENTED SO MANY OTHER CLEAR, DIRECT AND CREDIBLE AND

APPARENTLY MORE DETAILED WARNINGS OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS, THE

AUG 6 PDB WAS A NON-ISSUE FOR ME. IN “CROSSING THE RUBICON” I

WILL DOCUMENT MORE THAN A DOZEN SPECIFIC WARNINGS WHICH

FORETOLD HIJACKED AIRLINERS BEING CRASHED INTO THE WORLD

TRADE CENTER DURING THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 9TH. OTHER

WARNINGS, SUCH AS MASSIVE INSIDER TRADING ON FINANCIAL

MARKETS FROM HONG KONG TO TOKYO, TO CHICAGO, TO NEW YORK,

TO LONDON AND BERLIN TOLD THOSE WHO WERE WATCHING THAT THE

AIRLINES INVOLVED WOULD BE UNITED AND AMERICAN.

THE INSIDER TRADING, ACKNOWLEDGED AND DOCUMENTED BY THE

LIKES OF CBS NEWS, BLOOMBERG, AND RESPECTED FINANCIAL

COMMENTATORS WAS GIVEN THE COMPLETE BRUSH OFF BY THE KEAN

COMMISSION IN ITS FINAL REPORT. ALL IT SAID WAS THAT OSAMA BIN

LADEN AND AL QAEDA DID NOT MAKE THE TRADES. IN MY BOOK I WILL

GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHO DID.

THE CONTROVERSY ARISING FROM THE PUBLIC DEBATE OVER ZELIKOW

FORCED EVEN THE NEW YORK TIMES TO COMMENT ON SOME OF HIS

MORE OBVIOUS CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.

“ADVOCATES FOR THE FAMILIES SAID THEY WERE ALARMED

BY THE COMMISSION’S DISCLOSURE ON THURSDAY THAT

ONLY ONE OF THE 10 COMMISSIONERS WOULD HAVE ACCESS

TO A WIDE RANGE OF THE BRIEFINGS, AND THAT THE ONLY

PERSON FROM THE COMMISSION WITH SIMILAR ACCESS

WOULD BE ITS STAFF DIRECTOR, PHILIP ZELIKOW, WHO HAS

CLOSE TIES TO CONDOLEEZZA RICE AND OTHER SENIOR

OFFICIALS IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

“THE COMMISSION HAS PREVIOUSLY REJECTED A REQUEST

FROM VICTIMS’ FAMILIES TO LIMIT MR. ZELIKOW’S

RESPONSIBILITIES SHARPLY IN LIGHT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT

OF INTERESTS INVOLVING THE WHITE HOUSE.

“THE FAMILIES’ ADVOCATES SAID THE DECISION TO HAVE MR.

ZELIKOW BE ONE OF ONLY TWO COMMISSION OFFICIALS WITH

WIDE ACCESS TO THE HIGHLY CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS — THE

OTHER IS JAMIE S. GORELICK, A DEMOCRATIC COMMISSION

MEMBER WHO WAS DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL IN THE

CLINTON ADMINISTRATION — RAISED NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT

THE INVESTIGATION’S IMPARTIALITY…

“MR. ZELIKOW, WHO WROTE A BOOK WITH MS. RICE IN 1995,

WAS ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S TRANSITION TEAM FOR

THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND HAS ACKNOWLEDGED

HAVING CONTACTS EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH KARL ROVE,

PRESIDENT BUSH’S CHIEF POLITICAL ADVISER, ABOUT MR.

ZELIKOW’S SCHOLARLY WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF

VIRGINIA.

WHAT’S MORE, ZELIKOW HAD BEEN SERVING AS A MEMBER OF

PRESIDENT BUSH’S FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY BOARD (PFIAB)

SINCE 2001 AND HE ALSO MADE A SEPTEMBER 2002 PUBLIC STATEMENT

SAYING THAT US MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ WOULD BE BASED

UPON A DESIRE TO PROTECT ISRAELI INTERESTS RATHER THAN ANY

REAL THREAT FROM IRAQ.

PERHAPS THE WORST CONFLICT OF INTEREST WAS THE FACT THAT

ZELIKOW HAD ADVISED THE INCOMING BUSH ADMINISTRATION ON

TERROR-RELATED INTELLIGENCE MATTERS AND HAD SEVERAL

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BIN LADEN AND AL QAEDA IN 2000-2001 WITH

RICHARD CLARKE. BY RIGHTS, HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WITNESS

TESTIFYING UNDER OATH BEFORE THE COMMISSION INSTEAD OF ITS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. WHEN MANY OF THE VICTIM FAMILIES LEARNED

OF THIS THEY WERE JUSTIFIABLY OUTRAGED AT AN ARRANGEMENT

THAT WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN PERMITTED IN A COURT OF LAW.

IN SPITE OF ALL THE CONTROVERSY, AND CALLS FROM MANY FOR HIS

RESIGNATION, ZELIKOW REMAINS SECURELY IN PLACE AT THE KEAN

COMMISSION TO THIS DAY.

23 JAMIE GORELICK

FREELANCE JOURNALIST JIM RAREY WRITES:

“CONSIDERED ONE OF THE FIFTY MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN

THE COUNTRY, CFR MEMBER JAMIE GORELICK IS CURRENTLY

VICE-CHAIR OF THE GIANT MORTGAGE LENDER AND INSURER

FANNIE MAE. FROM MARCH 1994 UNTIL SHE JOINED FANNIE

MAE IN MAY 1997 SHE WAS DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE

NUMBER TWO SPOT IN JANET RENO’S DEPARTMENT OF

JUSTICE.

“IN MAY 1995, THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY LAW

ENFORCEMENT POLICY BOARD WAS ESTABLISHED TO MEET

QUARTERLY AND DISCUSS MUTUAL CONCERNS OF THE

ATTORNEY GENERAL AND DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL

INTELLIGENCE. THE BOARD WAS CO-CHAIRED BY GORELICK

AND DCI GEORGE TENET. OTHER MEMBERS INCLUDED ALL OF

THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THE ASSISTANT

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INTELLIGENCE AND RESEARCH

AND THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT GENERAL COUNSEL.

“THIS IS THE SAME TIME FRAME (SPRING OF 1995) IN WHICH

THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT APPRISED THE FBI, CIA AND

STATE DEPARTMENT OF “PROJECT BOJINKA” AN ISLAMIC

TERRORIST PLOT WHICH INCLUDED HIJACKING COMMERCIAL

AIRLINERS AND FLYING THEM INTO THE PENTAGON, WORLD

TRADE CENTER TOWERS AND, SEVERAL OTHER BUILDINGS.

“THE BCCI SCANDAL INVOLVED A NUMBER OF POWERFUL

INDIVIDUALS. CLARK CLIFFORD AND ROBERT ALTMAN WERE

THE TOP TWO OFFICERS IN FIRST AMERICAN, THE NEW NAME

GIVEN FINANCIAL GENERAL BANKSHARES WHEN IT WAS TAKEN

OVER BY BCCI (KNOWN AS THE BANK OF CROOKS AND

CRIMINALS INTERNATIONAL IN THE CORRIDORS OF

WASHINGTON) WITH THE HELP OF THE JACKSON

STEPHENS/LIPPO WORTHEN BANK AND THE ROSE LAW FIRM.

“FIRST AMERICAN IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN USING THE

NOTORIOUS PROMIS SOFTWARE.

I WILL HAVE A GREAT DEAL TO SAY ABOUT THIS LEGENDARY

“SPYWARE” IN “CROSSING THE RUBICON.”

BACK TO JIM RAREY:

“WHEN BCCI AND FIRST AMERICAN WERE EXPOSED, THE

LEGAL DEFENSE TEAM FOR CLARK CLIFFORD AND ROBERT

ALTMAN ATTRACTED A BEVY OF WELL-KNOWN NAMES

INCLUDING ROBERT FISKE (LATER THE FIRST “INDEPENDENT

COUNSEL” INVESTIGATING WHITEWATER AND VINCE FOSTER’S

“SUICIDE”), ROBERT BENNETT (LATER ATTORNEY FOR BILL

CLINTON), AND JAMIE GORELICK…

“IN 1998, WHILE AT FANNIE MAE, GORELICK SERVED ON

CLINTON’S CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE NATIONAL SECURITY

ADVISORY PANEL AS WELL AS THE PRESIDENT’S REVIEW OF

INTELLIGENCE.”

AT ONE POINT IN THE KEAN COMMISSION HEARINGS, A BRIEF STIR WAS

CAUSED WHEN REPUBLICAN PARTISANS CHARGED THAT GORELICK

BORE SOME PERSONAL BLAME FOR THE ATTACKS BY VIRTUE OF

HAVING CREATED AN “INTELLIGENCE WALL” BETWEEN THE FBI AND THE

CIA.

THERE WAS NO WALL. A 2001 RAND CORPORATION STUDY, WHICH I

QUOTE IN MY BOOK, OFFERED GREAT PRAISE FOR THE WORKING

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE FBI AND THE CIA. IT DOCUMENTS A

NUMBER OF INSTANCES WHERE SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION AND

INFORMATION SHARING BETWEEN THE BUREAU AND THE CIA ACTUALLY

PREVENTED A NUMBER OF AL QAEDA AND OTHER TERRORIST ATTACKS

AGAINST US INTERESTS.

THERE IS ALSO NO WALL BETWEEN THE KEAN COMMISSION AND THE

GOVERNMENT IT HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH INVESTIGATING.

GORELICK ALSO HAS OIL CONNECTIONS. MRS GORELICK SITE ON THE

BOARD OF THE WORLD’S PREMIER OIL DRILLING FIRM,

SCHLUMBERGER.

GORELICK WAS ONE OF FOUR COMMISSION MEMBERS ALLOWED TO

REVIEW PRESIDENTIAL INTELLIGENCE RECORDS AND MAKE NOTES

BEFORE REPORTING TO THE COMMISSION. IT APPEARS THAT THE

WHITE HOUSE HAD VERY LITTLE TO WORRY ABOUT.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR RECENT GUESTS WHO CAME HERE

PROMOTING THE FINAL 9/11 REPORT. JIM RAREY TELLS US:

RICHARD BEN-VENISTE

BEN-VENISTE IS A HIGH-VISIBILITY WASHINGTON ATTORNEY

AND DEMOCRATIC POWER BROKER. HE WAS DEMOCRAT

COUNSEL TO THE SENATE WHITEWATER INVESTIGATION

26 WHERE HE BLOCKED INQUIRIES ABOUT WEBSTER HUBBELL’S

HIRING BY THE LIPPO GROUP AND OTHERS ADMINISTERED BY

TRUMAN ARNOLD.

ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST DANIEL

HOPSICKER, BEN-VENISTE THEN TURNED AROUND AND

DEFENDED ARNOLD (THE MAN HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE

INVESTIGATING) BEFORE KEN STARR’S WHITEWATER GRAND

JURY, FOR WHICH HE WAS ROUNDLY CRITICIZED.

HOPSICKER ALSO REVEALS THAT ARNOLD HAD FURNISHED A

$2 MILLION AIRPLANE TO HIS FRIEND WALLY HILLIARD FOR $1.

HILLIARD, HOPSICKER SAYS, OWNED THE FLIGHT SCHOOL IN

VENICE, FLORIDA WHERE (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL

ACCOUNTS) FOUR OF THE ISLAMIC TERRORIST PILOTS WERE

TRAINED THAT FLEW THE SUICIDE MISSIONS ON 9/11.

ANOTHER OF BEN-VENISTE’S CLIENTS WAS BARRY SEAL, THE

DRUG RUNNING CIA ASSET OF IRAN/CONTRA AND MENA,

ARKANSAS NOTORIETY. IN FACT, HOPSICKER RELATES BENVENISTE

TOLD THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, “I DID MY PART BY

LAUNCHING HIM (SEAL) INTO THE ARMS OF VICE PRESIDENT

BUSH WHO EMBRACED HIM AS AN UNDERCOVER OPERATIVE.”

SLADE GORTON

SLADE GORTON IS A FORMER SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF

WASHINGTON. AFTER HE LOST HIS REELECTION BID IN 2000,

HE JOINED THE SEATTLE LAW FIRM OF PRESTON, GATES &

ELLIS, WHICH SPECIALIZES IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

IF JURY SELECTION RULES WERE BEING USED, GORTON

WOULD PROBABLY BE DISMISSED FROM CONSIDERATION FOR

THE COMMISSION FOR CAUSE [A TECHNICAL TERM FOR

CONFLICT OF INTEREST]. TWO DAYS AFTER THE 9/11 ATTACKS

HE TOLD A PUBLIC-TELEVISION AUDIENCE THERE WAS

NOTHING GOVERNMENT INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS COULD

HAVE DONE TO THWART THE ATTACK, ACCORDING TO THE

SEATTLE TIMES. THE TIMES QUOTES GORTON AS SAYING, “I

DOUBT WE CAN EXPECT TO GET TOO MUCH INSIDE

INFORMATION NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.”

GORTON SERVED TWO YEARS ON THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE

COMMITTEE. HE SAYS THAT EXPERIENCE AND HIS PERSONAL

FRIENDSHIP WITH TRENT LOTT WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS

APPOINTMENT BY LOTT.

EVERY COMMISSION MEMBER HAS DEEP CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WITH

RESPECT TO 9/11 AND ITS INVESTIGATION OF THE GOVERNMENT

AGENCIES CHARGED WITH PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT

DAY. I WILL DISCUSS ALL OF THEM IN MY BOOK. ONE, APPARENTLY,

WHO DID NOT, IS FORMER GEORGIA SENATOR MAX CLELAND, WHO AT

ONE POINT CALLED THE COMMISSION A SHAM. CLELAND RESIGNED

FROM THE COMMISSION BEFORE ITS INVESTIGATION WAS COMPLETE.

WHAT HAPPENED ON 9/11?

WHILE THESE ATTACKS WERE ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS

HOMICIDES EVER COMMITTED, THE INVESTIGATION AND

"PROSECUTION" OF THAT CASE BY MEANS OTHER THAN DICK CHENEY'S

"WAR THAT WILL NOT END IN OUR LIFETIMES" HAS NEVER EVEN

APPROACHED THE LEGAL AND LOGICAL STANDARDS GOVERNING ALL

SUCH INVESTIGATIONS. NO REAL CASE HAS EVER BEEN MADE THAT

WOULD PASS FIRST MUSTER OF EVEN A JUNIOR ASSISTANT DISTRICT

ATTORNEY.

WITHOUT SUCH A COURT PROCESS, WE ARE FORCED TO EMPLOY

ANALOGIES AND METAPHORS. BUT THERE REMAINS TO US THE MOST

SUCCESSFUL, FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGY FOR THE PROSECUTION OF

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR: DEMONSTRATING THAT A SUSPECT (OR

SUSPECTS) DID, OR DID NOT, POSSESS THE MEANS, MOTIVE, AND

OPPORTUNITY TO COMMIT THE CRIME.

TO DATE, THE CASE THAT 9/11 WAS PERPETRATED SOLELY BY OSAMA

BIN LADEN AND AL QAEDA HAS NEVER BEEN PROVED, EVEN TO THE

MOST RUDIMENTARY STANDARDS. IN FACT, SOME 35 MONTHS AFTER

THE ATTACKS THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE SUCCESSFUL 9/11

PROSECUTION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. THE ONLY CONVICTION

THAT HAD BEEN SECURED, A GERMAN PROSECUTION AGAINST MOUNIR

EL MOTASSADEQ, CHARGED WITH AIDING THE SO CALLED HAMBURG

CELL OF MOHAMMED ATTA, WAS OVERTURNED IN 2004 BECAUSE THE

US GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO PRODUCE KEY WITNESSES SUCH AS

KHALID SHAIKH MUHAMMAD OR RAMZI BIN AL-SHIBH AND OTHER

EVIDENCE RELEVANT TO THE CHARGES. EVERY DEFENDANT IN A

WESTERN CRIMINAL CASE HAS THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE

USED AGAINST HIM AND TO CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES.

TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS TO THE 9/11 RESEARCH

COMMUNITY, THE MYSTERIOUS AND INEXPLICABLE FAILURE OF THE

NATION’S AIR DEFENSES THAT DAY REMAINS THE MOST GLARING AND

GAPING HOLE IN THE KEAN COMMISSION’S ACCOUNT AND IN THE

GOVERNMENT’S VERSION OF EVENTS. SCRAMBLING FIGHTER

AIRCRAFT WAS A ROUTINE OCCURRENCE FOR YEARS BEFORE 9/11.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAS TOLD US THAT FIGHTER AIRCRAFT WERE

SCRAMBLED AND FLYING BESIDE ERRANT COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE

AIR TRAFFIC WITHIN MINUTES OF THE SLIGHTEST DEVIATION SOME 67

TIMES IN THE CALENDAR YEAR PRECEDING JUNE 1 2001. THIS IS ONE

OF MANY AREAS WHERE THE KEAN COMMISSION NOT ONLY FAILED TO

LOOK BUT ACTUALLY ALTERED EVIDENCE IN THE PREPARATION OF ITS

FINAL REPORT.

FOR ME, THE PIVOTAL EVIDENCE ABSOLUTELY DEMONSTRATING

DIRECT GOVERNMENT COMPLICITY IN, AND MANAGEMENT OF, THE

ATTACKS WAS FOUND IN A NUMBER OF UNDISPUTED, YET VIRTUALLY

UNADDRESSED WARGAMES THAT I WILL SHOW WERE BEING

CONDUCTED, COORDINATED AND/OR CONTROLLED BY VICE PRESIDENT

DICK CHENEY OR HIS IMMEDIATE STAFF ON THE MORNING OF

SEPTEMBER 11TH. THE NAMES OF THOSE WARGAMES ARE KNOWN TO

INCLUDE: VIGILANT GUARDIAN, VIGILANT WARRIOR, NORTHERN

GUARDIAN, NORTHERN VIGILANCE, AND TRIPOD II. ALL HAVE BEEN

REPORTED ON BY MAJOR PRESS ORGANIZATIONS RELYING ON

UNDISPUTED QUOTES FROM PARTICIPATING MILITARY PERSONNEL.

THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN CONFIRMED BY NORAD PRESS RELEASES. ALL,

EXCEPT FOR NORTHERN VIGILANCE AND TRIPOD II HAD TO DO WITH

HIJACKED AIRLINERS INSIDE THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES,

SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE NORTHEAST AIR DEFENSE SECTOR WHERE

ALL FOUR 9/11 HIJACKINGS OCCURRED.

ACCORDING TO A CLEAR RECORD SOME OF THESE EXERCISES

INVOLVED COMMERCIAL AIRLINE HIJACKINGS. IN SOME CASES FALSE

BLIPS WERE DELIBERATELY INSERTED ONTO FAA AND MILITARY RADAR

SCREENS AND THEY WERE PRESENT DURING (AT LEAST) THE FIRST

ATTACKS. THIS EFFECTIVELY PARALYZED FIGHTER RESPONSE

BECAUSE, WITH ONLY EIGHT FIGHTERS AVAILABLE IN THE REGION,

THERE WERE AS MANY AS 22 POSSIBLE HIJACKINGS TAKING PLACE.

OTHER EXERCISES, SPECIFICALLY NORTHERN VIGILANCE HAD PULLED

SIGNIFICANT FIGHTER RESOURCES AWAY FROM THE NORTHEAST U.S.

– JUST BEFORE 9/11 – INTO NORTHERN CANADA AND ALASKA. IN

ADDITION, A CLOSE READING OF KEY NEWS STORIES PUBLISHED IN THE

SPRING OF 2004 REVEALED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT SOME OF THESE

DRILLS WERE “LIVE-FLY” EXERCISES WHERE ACTUAL AIRCRAFT, LIKELY

FLOWN BY REMOTE CONTROL – WERE SIMULATING THE BEHAVIOR OF

HIJACKED AIRLINERS IN REAL LIFE. ALL OF THIS AS THE REAL ATTACKS

BEGAN. THE FACT THAT THESE EXERCISES HAD NEVER BEEN

SYSTEMATICALLY AND THOROUGHLY EXPLORED IN THE MAINSTREAM

PRESS, OR PUBLICLY BY CONGRESS, OR AT LEAST PUBLICLY IN ANY

DETAIL BY THE SO-CALLED INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION MADE ME

THINK THAT THEY MIGHT BE THE HOLY GRAIL OF 9/11.

THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY TURNED OUT TO BE.

ONLY ONE WARGAME EXERCISE, VIGILANT GUARDIAN, WAS MENTIONED

IN A FOOTNOTE TO THE KEAN COMMISSION REPORT AND THEN IT WAS

DELIBERATELY MISLABELED AS AN EXERCISE INTENDED TO INTERCEPT

RUSSIAN BOMBERS INSTEAD OF A HIJACK EXERCISE IN THE

NORTHEAST SECTOR. EVEN THEN, A DELIBERATE LIE WAS TOLD TO

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AS NORAD COMMANDER RALPH EBERHART

TESTIFIED TO THE COMMISSION THAT THE EXERCISE ACTUALLY

EXPEDITED US AIR FORCE RESPONSE DURING THE ATTACKS.

WHEN MICHAEL KANE, A BRILLIANT YOUNG NEW YORK ACTIVIST AND

BUDDING INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER APPROACHED GENERAL

EBERHART ON AN FTW ASSIGNMENT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE

COMMISSION’S LAST PUBLIC HEARING AND ASKED FOR INFORMATION

ON THE OTHER EXERCISES, EBERHART’S ONLY RESPONSE WAS, “NO

COMMENT.”

AND AN ADDITIONAL NON-MILITARY BIOWARFARE EXERCISE CALLED

TRIPOD II, BEING “SET UP” IN MANHATTAN ON SEPTEMBER 11TH WAS

UNDER THE DIRECT COORDINATION OF FEMA AND – BY WHITE HOUSE

DIRECTIVE – THE IMMEDIATE CONTROL OF THE VICE PRESIDENT. THE

SET UP FOR THAT EXERCISE CONVENIENTLY PLACED A FULLY STAFFED

FEMA, NEW YORK CITY AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COMMAND POST

ON MANHATTAN’S PIER 29 IN TIME FOR IT TO BE CONVENIENTLY USED

AS THE COMMAND POST AFTER THE TWIN TOWERS HAD COLLAPSED.

THERE ARE MANY, MANY AREAS WHERE THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT AND

THE FINDINGS OF THE KEAN COMMISSION ARE CONTRADICTED BY

HARD EVIDENCE, OFFICIAL RECORDS, MAINSTREAM NEWS

INVESTIGATIONS AND EVEN SWORN TESTIMONY. BOTH THE LOS

ANGELES TIMES AND THE NEW YORK TIMES HAVE NOTED SOME OF THE

LESSER, BUT NO LESS GLARING, INCONSISTENCIES. IN MY BOOK I WILL

PROVIDE YOU WITH MANY MORE.

IN MY BOOK I WILL MAKE SEVERAL KEY POINTS:

1. I WILL NAME RICHARD CHENEY AS THE PRIME SUSPECT IN THE MASS

MURDERS OF 9/11 AND WILL ESTABLISH THAT, NOT ONLY WAS HE A

PLANNER IN THE ATTACKS, BUT ALSO THAT ON THE DAY OF THE

ATTACKS HE WAS RUNNING A COMPLETELY SEPARATE COMMAND,

CONTROL AND COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WHICH WAS SUPERCEDING

ANY ORDERS BEING ISSUED BY THE NMCC, OR THE WHITE HOUSE

SITUATION ROOM. TO ACCOMPLISH THAT END HE RELIED ON A

REDUNDANT AND SUPERIOR COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM MAINTAINED

BY THE US SECRET SERVICE IN OR NEAR THE PRESIDENTIAL

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER – THE BUNKER TO WHICH HE AND

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR CONDOLEEZZA RICE WERE REPORTEDLY

“RUSHED” AFTER FLIGHT 175 STRUCK THE WTC’S SOUTH TOWER. I WILL

DEMONSTRATE THAT THE SECRET SERVICE POSSESSED RADAR

SCREENS WHICH GAVE THEM, AND THE VICE PRESIDENT, WHOSE SIDE

THE NEVER LEFT, WITH REAL-TIME INFORMATION AS GOOD AS OR

BETTER THAN THAT AVAILABLE TO THE PENTAGON;

2. I WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT IN WHAT ARE CALLED NATIONAL SPECIAL

SECURITY EVENTS THE US SECRET SERVICE IS THE SUPREME US

AGENCY FOR OPERATIONAL CONTROL WITH COMPLETE AUTHORITY

OVER THE MILITARY AND ALL CIVILIAN AGENCIES.

3. I WILL ESTABLISH CONCLUSIVELY THAT IN MAY OF 2001, BY

PRESIDENTIAL ORDER, RICHARD CHENEY WAS PUT IN DIRECT

COMMAND AND CONTROL OF ALL WARGAME AND FIELD EXERCISE

TRAINING AND SCHEDULING THROUGH SEVERAL AGENCIES,

ESPECIALLY FEMA. THIS ALSO EXTENDED TO ALL OF THE CONFLICTING

AND OVERLAPPING NORAD DRILLS ON THAT DAY.

4. I WILL ALSO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE TRIPOD II EXERCISE BEING

SET UP ON SEPT. 10TH IN MANHATTAN WAS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO

CHENEY'S ROLE IN NUMBER 3 ABOVE.

5. I WILL ALSO PROVE CONCLUSIVELY THAT A NUMBER OF PUBLIC

OFFICIALS, AT THE NATIONAL AND NEW YORK CITY LEVELS, INCLUDING

THEN MAYOR RUDOLPH GIULIANI, WERE AWARE THAT FLIGHT 175 WAS

EN ROUTE TO LOWER MANHATTAN FOR 20 MINUTES AND DID NOTHING –

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING – TO ORDER THE EVACUATION OF OR WARN THE

OCCUPANTS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. ONE MILITARY OFFICER

WAS FORCED TO LEAVE HIS POST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATTACKS AND

PLACE A PRIVATE CALL TO HIS BROTHER - WHO WORKED AT THE WTC -

WARNING HIM TO GET OUT. THAT WAS APPARENTLY AN ACT OF

DESPERATION BECAUSE NO OTHER PART OF THE SYSTEM WAS TAKING

ACTION.

6. I WILL ALSO SHOW THAT THE ISRAELI AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS

ACTED AS PARTNERS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE AMERICAN

GOVERNMENT TO HELP IN THE PREPARATION AND, VERY POSSIBLY,

THE ACTUAL EXECUTION OF THE ATTACKS."

ISRAEL

I MUST NOW DIGRESS TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT ISRAEL.

ISRAEL IS A COUNTRY. JUDAISM IS A RELIGION.

IT IS NO MORE PROPER TO SAY THAT THE ACTIONS OF THE ISRAELI

GOVERNMENT ARE ABOVE CRITICISM THAN IT IS TO SAY THAT

CRITICISM OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IS A CRITICISM OF ALL

AMERICANS.

THERE ARE MANY DIRECT CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ISRAELI

INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES AND THE EVENTS OF 9/11 INCLUDING A

REPORT FROM THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, SHOWING

THAT MORE THAN 100 ISRAELI COVERT OPERATIVES WERE

FUNCTIONING INSIDE THE UNITED STATES JUST BEFORE AND DURING

THE ATTACKS. SOME OF THESE OPERATIVES WERE PLACED IN

EXTREMELY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO FOUR OF THE 9/11 HIJACKERS IN

SOUTH FLORIDA AND SAN DIEGO. ISRAELI COMPANIES SUCH AS

AMDOCS, COMVERSE AND ODIGO HAD DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO THE

EVENTS OF 9/11. A “FORMER” ISRAELI ANTI-TERROR OPERATIVE WAS

ON BOARD AMERICAN FLIGHT 11.

TO SAY THAT ISRAEL PLAYED A CRIMINAL ROLE IN THE ATTACKS IS NOT

THE SAME THING AS SAYING THAT ISRAEL PERPETRATED THE

ATTACKS. A KEY QUESTION ASKED BY ANY HOMICIDE INVESTIGATOR

IS CUI BONO? WHO BENEFITS. AND ON THIS ACCOUNT WE CAN FIND

ONLY THREE COUNTRIES, THE US, BRITAIN AND ISRAEL THAT HAVE

NEVER WAVERED IN THEIR SUPPORT OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS

HAPPENED SINCE 9/11.

TONIGHT, EVEN AS I SPEAK, AN ISRAELI SPY SCANDAL IS SPREADING

THROUGH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE PENTAGON AND REVELATIONS

FROM BREAKING NEWS STORIES STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THE

INFORMATION BEING PROVIDED TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT

CARRIED WITH IT THE SANCTION OF SOME OF THE SAME PEOPLE I

HAVE CHARGED IN “CROSSING THE RUBICON” WITH PERPETRATING THE

ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH. TONIGHT I PREDICT THAT THE CURRENT

SCANDAL WILL OVERLAP AND CONNECT WITH THE RECENT ARREST BY

SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHORITIES OF SIR MARK THATCHER, SON OF

FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER, FOR HIS

ROLE IN SPONSORING AN ABORTED COUP IN THE WEST AFRICAN

NATION OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA. THE MOTIVE: BRITISH COMMERCIAL

ACQUISITION OF OIL RIGHTS IN A REGION THAT – AS I HAVE BEEN

WRITING FOR TWO YEARS NOW – IS DESTINED TO BECOME THE NEXT

REGIONAL ZONE OF CONFRONTATION.

WEST AFRICAN NATIONS FROM SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, TO NIGERIA, TO

SIERRA LEONE, TO SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE, TO CHAD, TO CAMEROON

TO ANGOLA ARE ALL FEVERISH OIL-RUSH BOOM TOWNS WHERE

NATIONS, MONEY, MILITARY MIGHT, COVERT OPERATIONS AND

INTRIGUE ARE CONVERGING WITH LIGHTNING SPEED TO CONTROL OIL

RESERVES. ALTHOUGH MUCH SMALLER THAN THE RESERVES OF THE

MIDDLE EAST, THESE AFRICAN RESERVES ARE CRITICAL SWING AND

LESSER SUPPLIERS OF OIL IN A WORLD WHERE – AS WE TOO WELL

KNOW – THE REMOVAL OF JUST A MILLION BARRELS A DAY FROM

GLOBAL SUPPLY CAN WREAK ECONOMIC HAVOC. AFRICA’S PRICELESS

ENERGY TAKES ONLY ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO REACH AN AMERICAN

GAS TANK AS OPPOSED TO THE SIX WEEK JOURNEY REQUIRED FOR OIL

FROM THE MIDDLE EAST.

LAST SPRING, JUST AFTER THE US OCCUPATION OF IRAQ, IT WAS

DISCLOSED THAT THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAD ENTERED

NEGOTIATIONS WITH US REPRESENTATIVES TO EXPLORE THE

POSSIBILITY OF REBUILDING A DEMOLISHED PIPELINE FROM NORTHERN

IRAQ TO THE ISRAELI PORT OF HAIFA.

TO LEVEL A CHARGE OF ANTI-SEMITISM AT ME OR ANYONE ELSE WHO

DARES TO CRITICIZE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT ACTIONS IS TO ARGUE

THAT ISRAEL AND ALL OF JUDAISM IS A MONOLITHIC STRUCTURE,

SHARING ONLY ONE VIEWPOINT. IT IS TO SAY THAT BEING A JEW

MEANS BEING A LIKUDNIK. IT IS TO OVERLOOK THE ENORMOUS

DISSENT WITHIN ISRAEL OF GROUPS LIKE WOMEN IN BLACK, NOT IN

OUR NAMES, AND THE ALMOST 700 COMMISSIONED AND NONCOMMISSIONED

OFFICERS FROM THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES WHO

HAVE REFUSED TO SERVE IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. IT IS TO

IGNORE THE FACT THAT THE NEPHEW OF BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS

REFUSED COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE AND RISKS JAIL FOR THAT

DECISION.

I LOOK IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM AND I SEE MY DEAR FRIEND, AGENT

AND PUBLICIST KEN LEVINE. LAST SPRING I WAS PRIVILEGED TO

PARTICIPATE IN A SEDER AT THE HOME OF HIS INCREDIBLE 92 YEAROLD

MOTHER.

I STOP AND GIVE THANKS FOR JAMEY HECHT, PH.D., A POET, ENGLISH

LITERATURE PROFESSOR, GREAT FRIEND AND AMERICAN JEW WHO

EDITED “CROSSING THE RUBICON.”

IN THE SAME BREATH I ALSO THINK OF AND THANK MY DEAR FRIEND

DR. FAIZ KHAN, A MUSLIM IMAM AND EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN

WHO LEFT HIS POST AT JEWISH HOSPITAL IN BROOKLYN AND RUSHED

TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TO RENDER AID ON SEPTEMBER 11TH.

HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST DOCTORS ON THE SCENE AND HE WAS ONE

OF THE LAST TO LEAVE.

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR STEREOTYPICAL THINKING IN A TIME OF

CRISIS. AS FAIZ KHAN SAID TO ME ONCE, A PARADIGM IS WHAT YOU

THINK ABOUT SOMETHING BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT IT. IT IS THESE

TRAPS WHICH WE MUST ALL AVOID.

I WILL SAY ONE MORE THING BEFORE LEAVING THE SUBJECT OF 9/11

TONIGHT. I LIKE MANY AMERICANS AND MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE

WORLD HAVE SERIOUS LINGERING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COLLAPSE

OF THE TWIN TOWERS, WHAT IT WAS THAT ACTUALLY STRUCK THE

PENTAGON AND WHAT – IN THE NAME OF GOD – IT WAS THAT CAUSED

THE COLLAPSE OF WTC 7, A BUILDING THAT HAD NOT EVEN BEEN

STRUCK DURING THE ATTACKS.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE WAS QUICKLY DESTROYED

AND SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS IS NOT AVAILABLE TO US TO ANSWER THESE

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. IN ORDER TO MAKE THE STRONGEST LEGAL

CASE POSSIBLE I HAVE AVOIDED DISCUSSIONS OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

– OPEN TO ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE AND SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGE – AND

CHOSEN TO DO WHAT ANY GOOD POLICE OFFICER MUST DO; KEEP MY

EYE ON THE SUSPECTS. IT DOES NOT TAKE A SCIENTIST TO PROVE

THAT GEORGE BUSH, DICK CHENEY, DONALD RUMSFELD, CONDI RICE,

GENERAL RALPH EBERHART, GENERAL RICHARD MYERS, FBI DIRECTOR

ROBERT MUELLER, JOHN ASHCROFT AND GEORGE TENET LIED TO THE

AMERICAN PEOPLE.

THERE IS A RECORD THAT PROVES THIS AND THAT IS THE RECORD I

WILL PRESENT TO YOU IN “CROSSING THE RUBICON.”

BUT ON THE SUBJECT OF WTC 7 I WILL, IN MY BOOK, EXPLAIN WHY THAT

PARTICULAR BUILDING HAD TO BE DESTROYED. AND ALTHOUGH I

CANNOT PROVE TO YOU HOW THE TWIN TOWERS WERE COLLAPSED, I

WILL SHOW YOU WHO PERFORMED THE REQUISITE STUDIES THAT

WOULD HAVE BEEN ESSENTIAL TO PULL OFF THAT FEAT.

PEAK OIL

I TURN NOW TO THE MOTIVE FOR THE MURDERS. PEAK OIL IS NO

SECRET. ITS CHIEF OPPONENT IS SOMETHING CALLED DENIAL – WHICH

IS NOT A RIVER IN EGYPT.

DICK CHENEY KNEW ABOUT IT. I WILL SHOW YOU THAT IN MY BOOK.

HIS NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY DEVELOPMENT GROUP – YOU KNOW,

THE ONE THAT REFUSED TO RELEASE ITS RECORDS SPARKING A

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS AND A SUPREME COURT RULING, KNEW

ABOUT IT. I WILL SHOW YOU THAT IN MY BOOK TOO.

OIL AND NATURAL GAS ARE INDISPENSABLE TO OUR WAY OF LIFE. THE

WORLD CONSUMES TEN CALORIES OF HYDROCARBON ENERGY FOR

EVERY CALORIE OF FOOD THAT IS EATEN. ALL COMMERCIAL

FERTILIZERS ARE MADE FROM NATURAL GAS. ALL PESTICIDES ARE

MADE FROM PETROLEUM. ALL IRRIGATION, PLOWING, HARVESTING

38 AND TRANSPORT IS ACCOMPLISHED BY EITHER OIL POWERED

MACHINERY OR OIL OR NATURAL GAS GENERATED ELECTRICITY.

THERE ARE BETWEEN 600 AND 700 MILLION INTERNAL COMBUSTION

POWERED VEHICLES ON THE PLANET AND THE DEMAND FOR THEM IS

EXPLODING EXPONENTIALLY, ESPECIALLY IN CHINA WHERE GM’S SALES

ROSE 300% IN ONE YEAR ALONE. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL

GEOGRAPHIC THIS LAST JUNE THERE ARE SEVEN GALLONS OF OIL IN

EVERY TIRE. WANT TO SUDDENLY BUILD 600 MILLION NEW VEHICLES

THAT RUN ON SOMETHING ELSE, HYDROGEN PERHAPS? HOW MUCH OIL

WILL BE REQUIRED TO DO THAT? TO MINE AND MELT THE ORE? TO

TRANSPORT IT TO FACTORIES THAT DON’T EXIST, USING ELECTRICITY

THAT ISN’T THERE? TO MAKE THE PAINTS, SOLVENTS AND ALL OF THE

PLASTIC NEEDED? ALL PLASTIC IS MADE FROM OIL.

HYDROGEN IS A CRUEL JOKE THAT CREATES FALSE HOPE. A RECENT

STUDY FROM EV MAGAZINE REPORTED THAT THE AVERAGE LIFE

EXPECTANCY OF A VERY EXPENSIVE FUEL CELL ENGINE WAS JUST 200

HOURS. COMMERCIAL HYDROGEN IS NOW MADE FROM NATURAL GAS.

WE’RE NEARLY OUT OF THAT TOO.

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH HAS SEEN IT REPLACE JAPAN AS THE

WORLD’S SECOND LARGEST IMPORTER OF OIL AND CHINA IS NOW

COMING INTO DIRECT ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL COMPETITION WITH

THE US FOR WHAT OIL REMAINS.

I HAVE ATTENDED TWO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES ON THE

SUBJECT OF PEAK OIL AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CIVILIZATION; ONE IN

PARIS IN 2003 AND ONE IN BERLIN THIS YEAR. FOR ALMOST THE ENTIRE

YEAR BETWEEN THE PARIS AND BERLIN CONFERENCES THE ICONS OF

THE MAINSTREAM PRESS – THE ONES KNOWN AND EMPLOYED TO

MOLD PUBLIC AND BUSINESS PERCEPTION – HAVE BEEN

ACKNOWLEDGING PEAK OIL’S REALITY, SOMETIMES RELUCTANTLY,

SOMETIMES LESS THAN DIRECTLY, BUT ALSO SOMETIMES VERY

BOLDLY. CNN, THE BBC, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE ECONOMIST;

DOZENS OF MEDIA GIANTS HAD BEGUN TO RESPOND, LIKE A GIANT

SHIP TURNING SLOWLY IN THE WATER. THE SHIP HAS CLEARLY

CHANGED COURSE, BUT WAS IT ENOUGH? WAS IT IN TIME? I HAVE

SAVED CLOSE TO 200 OF THESE STORIES.

LOOKING AT JUST A FEW OF THEM MAKES THE POINT WELL ENOUGH.

• “THE END OF CHEAP OIL” – NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (COVER

STORY) – JUNE 2004.

• “WHAT TO USE WHEN THE OIL RUNS OUT” – BBC – APRIL 22, 2004

• “ADIOS CHEAP OIL” – INTERPRESS NEWS AGENCY – APRIL 27, 2004

• “G7: OIL PRICE THREATENS WORLD ECONOMY” – MOSCOW TIMES

– 4/26/04

• “WORLD OIL CRISIS LOOMS” – JANE’S -- 4/21/04

• “US PROCURING THE WORLD’S OIL” – FOREIGN POLICY IN FOCUS

– JANUARY 2004

• “ARE WE RUNNING OUT OF OIL? SCIENTIST WARNS OF LOOMING

CRISIS” – ABC NEWS.COM – 2/11/04

• “BLOOD, MONEY, AND OIL” – US NEWS – 8/18/03

• “SOARING GLOBAL DEMAND FOR OIL STRAINS PRODUCTION

CAPACITY” – WALL STREET JOURNAL – 3/22/04

• “CHECK THAT OIL” – WASHINGTON POST – 11/14/03

• “CHINA’S DEMAND FOR FOREIGN OIL RISES AT BREAKNECK PACE”

– KNIGHT RIDDER –1/26/04

• ’WORLD OIL AND GAS RUNNING OUT’ – CNN – 10/02/03

• “DEBATE RAGES ON OIL OUTPUT BY SAUDIS IN FUTURE” – THE

NEW YORK TIMES – 2/25/04

• “FOSSIL-FUEL DEPENDENCY: DO OIL RESERVES FORETELL BLEAK

FUTURE?” – SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE – 4/02/04

• “THE END OF THE OIL AGE: WAYS TO BREAK THE TYRANNY OF OIL

ARE COMING INTO VIEW. GOVERNMENTS NEED TO PROMOTE

THEM” – THE ECONOMIST – 10/23/03

THE SUBJECT OF PEAK OIL IS ONE WHICH REQUIRES A LITTLE STUDY

TO GET YOUR BRAIN AROUND. IT DOES NOT, HOWEVER, REQUIRE

MUCH SCIENCE EXCEPT FOR BASIC ARITHMETIC.

DISCOVERIES OF LARGE OIL DEPOSITS HAVE BEEN IN STEEP DECLINE

SINCE 1962. DEMAND, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS BEEN SOARING.

TO QUOTE MY ENERGY EDITOR DALE ALLEN PFEIFFER, A GEOLOGIST:

IT APPEARS THAT THE YEAR 2007 WILL BE IMPORTANT. A NEW STUDY

PUBLISHED IN PETROLEUM REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT PRODUCTION

MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND BY 2007. THE STUDY IS

A SURVEY OF MEGA PROJECTS (THOSE WITH RESERVES OF OVER 500

MILLION BARRELS) AND THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE OVER 100,000

BARRELS PER DAY OF OIL). MEGA PROJECTS ARE IMPORTANT NOT

ONLY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE THE BULK OF WORLD OIL PRODUCTION,

BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BETTER NET ENERGY PROFILE THAN

SMALLER PROJECTS, AND THEY PROVIDE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL PROFIT

THAN SMALLER PROJECTS.

BEAR IN MIND THAT THE PLANET CONSUMES A BILLION BARRELS OF OIL

(OR TWO MEGA FIELDS) EVERY ELEVEN AND ONE HALF DAYS.

THE DISCOVERY RATE FOR MEGA PROJECTS HAS DWINDLED TO

ALMOST NOTHING. THIS CAN BE SEEN IN THE DATA FOR THE LAST FEW

YEARS. IN 2000, THERE WERE 16 DISCOVERIES OF OVER 500 MB; IN

2001 THERE WERE ONLY 8 NEW DISCOVERIES, AND IN 2002 THERE

WERE ONLY 3 SUCH DISCOVERIES. FROM FIRST DISCOVERY TO FIRST

PRODUCTION GENERALLY TAKES ABOUT 6 YEARS. IF THE NEW

PROJECT CAN MAKE USE OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, THEN THE

START UP TIME MIGHT BE CUT TO 4 YEARS.

IN 2003 SEVEN NEW MEGA PROJECTS WERE BROUGHT ON STREAM.

2004 EXPECTS TO SEE ANOTHER 11 PROJECTS START PRODUCING.

2005 WILL BE THE PEAK YEAR FOR BRINGING NEW PROJECTS ON

STREAM, WITH 18 NEW PROJECTS EXPECTED TO BE BROUGHT ON

STREAM IN THAT YEAR. IN 2006, THE PACE DROPS BACK TO 11 NEW

PROJECTS. BUT IN 2007 THERE ARE ONLY 3 NEW PROJECTS

SCHEDULED TO BEGIN PRODUCTION, FOLLOWED BY 3 MORE IN 2008.

THERE ARE NO NEW PROJECTS ON TRACK FOR 2009 OR 2010. AND ANY

NEW MEGA PROJECT SANCTIONED NOW COULD NOT POSSIBLY COME

ON STREAM ANY SOONER THAN 2008.

THE STUDY POINTS OUT THAT CURRENTLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE

WORLD'S OIL PRODUCTION COMES FROM DECLINING FIELDS, WITH A

LIKELY OVERALL DECLINE RATE OF ABOUT 4%. AS A RESULT, GLOBAL

PRODUCTION CAPACITY IS CONTRACTING BY OVER 1 MILLION BARRELS

PER DAY EVERY YEAR. NEW PRODUCTION IS THE ONLY THING

OFFSETTING THIS DECLINE.

OF COURSE RECENT EVENTS HAVE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THE

FRAGILITY OF A GLOBAL PRODUCTION SYSTEM THAT IS OPERATING AT

FULL TILT. SABOTAGE AN IRAQI PIPELINE ONE DAY THE PRICE GOES

UP. ANNOUNCE THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN IS EASING UP ON RUSSIAN OIL

GIANT YUKOS AND THE PRICE DROPS. ANNOUNCE THAT PUTIN IS

MOVING TO SELL OF ITS ASSETS AND CONFISCATE ITS CASH, THE

PRICE SOARS. WORRY THAT HUGO CHAVEZ OF VENEZUELA MIGHT BE

OUSTED IN A VIOLENT COUP AND THE PRICE JUMPS. WATCH CHAVEZ –

WHO IS DESPISED BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION – WIN HIS SEVENTH

ELECTION IN AS MANY YEARS AND THE PRICE DROPS.

BY THE WAY, THAT IS SEVEN MORE ELECTIONS THAN GEORGE BUSH

HAS WON.

IN SPITE OF REPEATED ASSURANCES FROM THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT

THAT THEY CAN AND ARE INCREASING PRODUCTION THE EVIDENCE IS

GROWING THAT THEY CANNOT. FTW WAS THE FIRST TO REPORT, A

YEAR BEFORE THE NEW YORK TIMES DID, THAT SAUDI ARABIA MAY

HAVE ACTUALLY PEAKED. NEW STUDIES ARE REPORTING THAT SAUDI

WELLS IN THE MOTHER OF ALL OIL FIELDS GHAWAR ARE SHOWING 55%

WATER CUT. THAT MEANS THAT 55% OF WHAT IS PUMPED OUT EVERY

DAY IS THE SAME SEAWATER THAT WAS PUMPED IN TO PUSH THE OIL

UP. EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT WHEN THE WATER CUT GETS TO

BETWEEN 70 AND 80% THE FIELD COLLAPSES.

THE RUSH TO PRODUCE MORE OIL IS HASTENING THE DESTRUCTION

OF FIELDS THAT COULD LAST LONGER OTHERWISE.

EVENTS THEN SEEM TO CONFIRM THESE WORRIES ABOUT SAUDI

ARABIA. SAUDI REASSURANCES ARE NOW BEING CHUCKLED AT BY

MAJOR FINANCIAL COMMENTATORS, AND SAUDI PLEDGES TO INCREASE

PRODUCTION ARE HAVING LESS AND LESS EFFECT ON THE MARKETS.

GHAWAR, THE SUPER GIANT OF ALL FIELDS WAS DISCOVERED MORE

THAN 60 YEARS AGO. IT HAD ESTIMATED RESERVES OF ALMOST 100

BILLION BARRELS OF OIL. PROFESSOR MICHAEL KLARE HAS TOLD US

THAT, IN ORDER TO KEEP PACE WITH ACCELERATING OIL DEMAND, THE

WORLD WILL HAVE TO DISCOVER THREE NEW GHAWARS IN THE NEXT

10 TO 15 YEARS JUST TO MEET DEMAND. THERE WAS ONLY ONE

GHAWAR. THERE HASN’T BEEN ANOTHER ONE SINCE.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PALTRY AND RAPIDLY DIMINISHING RATE OF

DISCOVERY FOR THE SO-CALLED MEGA FIELDS, THE PROSPECTS

BECOME JUST A BIT MORE CHILLING. IN THE YEAR 2003, FOR THE FIRST

TIME SINCE THE 1920s ACCORDING TO A LEADING PETROLEUM

CONSULTING FIRM, NOT A SINGLE SO-CALLED MEGA FIELD – 500

MILLION BARRELS OR MORE – WAS DISCOVERED.

BY 2007, PRODUCTION CAPACITY WILL HAVE DECLINED BY 3-4MN B/D.

YET THIS DECLINE WILL BE OFFSET BY 8MN B/D OF NEW CAPACITY

DRAWN FROM THE MANY NEW PROJECTS EXPECTED TO COME ON

STREAM OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. THIS LEAVES A SURPLUS OF 4MN

B/D IN SPARE CAPACITY. YET GLOBAL DEMAND IS GROWING BY OVER 1

MBPD EACH YEAR. SO 3 YEARS OF DEMAND GROWTH WILL REDUCE

OUR SPARE CAPACITY TO 1MN B/D BY THE START OF 2007. AS VERY

LITTLE NEW CAPACITY IS SET TO COME ON STREAM IN 2007, THAT

REMAINING 1 MBPD SPARE CAPACITY WILL LIKELY DISAPPEAR BEFORE

2008.

IN THE SHORT TERM OIL PRICES ARE GOVERNED BY MARKET FORCES

RATHER THAN GEOLOGY WHICH WILL TELL US, AS OPPOSED TO

INVESTMENT AND ECONOMICS, HOW MUCH OIL WE CAN ULTIMATELY

EXTRACT. THE IRONY IS THAT WHEN THREE NEW MEGA FIELDS COME

ONLINE ALL AT ONCE THE PRICES MAY ACTUALLY DROP. THAT WILL

NOT CHANGE THE OUTCOME. SPECULATION AT PRESENT IS NOT A BIG

A FACTOR AS IT COULD BE. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH

INVESTMENT BANKER MATTHEW SIMMONS THAT A MARGIN

REQUIREMENT OF 50% SHOULD BE PLACED ON ALL OIL FUTURES

TRADING WORLDWIDE.

THE UPSHOT OF ALL THIS IS THAT THE OIL SUPPLY APPEARS

SUSTAINABLE, BARRING MAJOR WARS OR DESTRUCTION ON

INFRASTRUCTURE UNTIL 2007. WITH SO MUCH NEW PRODUCTION

COMING ON STREAM, THERE MAY EVEN BE PERIODS OF PRICE

WEAKNESS. HOWEVER, IT IS LIKELY THAT WE WILL BEGIN SUFFERING

OIL SHORTAGES AFTER 2007, ESPECIALLY IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO

DISRUPT A PORTION OF THE PRODUCTION. IF NEW PROJECTS ARE NOT

FOUND, AND ONLINE BY 2008, THEN BY THE END OF THAT YEAR WE ARE

CERTAIN TO SEE SEVERE SHORTAGES WITHOUT ANY CAUSE OTHER

THAN RISING DEMAND.

BUT THERE IS ANOTHER FACTOR TO THIS OIL CALCULUS. SO MANY

COMPLAINTS ARE BEING VOICED THAT A MAJOR PART OF THE

PROBLEM WITH CURRENT OIL PRICES HAS TO DO WITH A LACK OF

REFINERIES. PEOPLE POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE 18 DIFFERENT

GRADES OF GASOLINE IN THIS COUNTRY MATCHING VARIOUS STATE

LAWS. WHY, THEY DEMAND, ARE NO MORE REFINERIES BEING BUILT.

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE AND IT IS A DIRECT AND IRREFUTABLE

CONFIRMATION OF PEAK OIL. THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT – AS

MATTHEW SIMMONS SAYS – IS UNCERTAIN. ACCORDING TO SIMMONS

IT TAKES 5-7 YEARS AND ABOUT $150 MILLION TO BRING A COMPLEX

REFINERY ONLINE. THE COST OF THE REFINERY IS PAID FOR BY THE

SALE OF THE OIL.

THE REFINERIES ARE NOT BEING BUILT AND MASSIVE EXPENSIVE

EXPLORATION PROJECTS ARE NOT BEING UNDERTAKEN BECAUSE THE

OIL COMPANIES UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS VERY LITTLE OIL LEFT TO

FIND.

FINDING 10 NEW NORTH SEA FIELDS… SOMEWHERE

BY 2015, GLOBAL OIL DEMAND IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY OVER

TWO-THIRDS, THAT IS 60 MBPD BEYOND CURRENT GLOBAL

CONSUMPTION OF BETWEEN 75 AND 80 MBPD. TO MEET THAT DEMAND

WE WILL HAVE TO FIND THE EQUIVALENT OF 10 NEW NORTH SEA OIL

FIELDS WITHIN A DECADE. IN THE MEANTIME BRITAIN’S NORTH SEA,

JUST LIKE ALASKA’S NORTH SLOPE DID A DECADE AGO, IS RUNNING

DRY. RIGS ARE SHUTTING DOWN AND EMPLOYEES ARE BEING LAID

OFF. YET WE ARE HARD PRESSED NOW TO DISCOVER EVEN ANOTHER

MEGA-SIZED FIELD.

TO QUOTE FORMER BRITISH ENVIRONMENTAL MINISTER MICHAEL

MEACHER, WE ARE FACING, "THE SHARPEST AND PERHAPS THE MOST

VIOLENT DISLOCATION (OF SOCIETY) IN RECENT HISTORY."

I SHOULD ADD THE MEACHER, ALONG WITH FORMER GERMAN CABINET

MINISTER AND FORMER PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY ANDREAS VON

BUELOW HAS STATED PUBLICLY AND IN WRITING THAT THE ATTACKS

OF SEPTEMBER 11TH WERE PERPETRATED BY THE US GOVERNMENT.

THERE ARE MANY OUT THERE WHO JUST REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT OIL

AND NATURAL GAS ARE RUNNING OUT. SOME INSIST THAT OIL IS

CREATED AUTOMATICALLY AND INFINITELY BY THE EARTH’S CORE,

DISPUTING ALL KNOWN SCIENCE SHOWING OTHERWISE. THERE ARE

THOSE WHO INSIST THAT ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES CAN BE SNAPPED

INTO PLACE IMMEDIATELY TO ALLOW FOR INFINITE ECONOMIC AND

POPULATION GROWTH.

ASIDE FROM LOOKING AT THE EVENTS SINCE 9/11 AND SEEING THAT

THEY MATCH A WORLD OF DIMINISHING ENERGY LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT

SOME RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE WORLD AND SEE WHAT

THEY TELL US.

BRITAIN’S LARGEST ELECTRICITY PROVIDER HAS ANNOUNCED THAT

PRICES WILL SOAR AS MUCH AS 40% NEXT YEAR. WHOLESALE ENERGY

PRICES HAVE DOUBLED IN THE LAST YEAR AS BLOOMBERG HAS

ANNOUNCED THAT THE DECLINE IN NORTH SEA PRODUCTION IS

CREATING A TRADE GAP WHICH IS NOW THREATENING TO CAUSE

WIDESPREAD UNEMPLOYMENT.

IN MARCH REUTERS REPORTED THAT ARGENTINA, FACING ITS WORST

ENERGY CRISIS IN15 YEARS, IS BECOMING UNSTABLE TO THE POINT OF

THREATENING THE SECURITY OF THE ENTIRE REGION. IT HAS CUT ITS

NATURAL GAS EXPORTS TO CHILE BY 15%, WHICH IS THREATENING

CHILEAN POWER GENERATION. ARGENTINA IS NOW MOVING INTO THE

WORLD OIL MARKET IN SEARCH OF OIL FOR POWER GENERATION AND

TRANSPORTATION AS ITS OWN DOMESTIC SUPPLIES HAVE DWINDLED.

THE BBC REPORTED RECENTLY THAT HIGH OIL PRICES ARE

THREATENING MANY ASIAN ECONOMIES.

JUST TWO WEEKS AGO THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ORDERED AN

EMERGENCY FUEL REVIEW IN ANTICIPATION OF FUTURE CRISES. IN

JUNE IT CONDUCTED A TEST TO SEE HOW THE GOVERNMENT AND

COUNTRY WOULD RESPOND TO A “DISRUPTION” IN OIL SUPPLIES.

ON AUGUST 25TH IT WAS REPORTED THE BRAZIL WAS OPENING

NEGOTIATIONS WITH ECUADOR TO REPLACE DIMINISHING OIL

SUPPLIES.

CHINA, IN THE MIDST OF RAPIDLY DIMINISHING HARVESTS, A GROWING

ECONOMY AND EXPANDING POPULATION IS FEARING A MAJOR FOOD

CRISIS. THIS, EVEN AS HONG KONG, HANGZHOU, AND SHANGHAI ARE

FACING MANDATORY BLACKOUTS WHICH ARE DISRUPTING

MANUFACTURING, TRADE AND RETAIL ACTIVITY. CHINESE OIL IMPORTS

HAVE INCREASED BY 15% IN JUST THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2004 ALONE.

GERMANY HAS MOVED TO INSTITUTE HOME ENERGY PASSPORTS, AND

UNDERTAKEN SERIOUS AND WELL PLANNED EFFORTS TO REDUCE

ENERGY CONSUMPTION. CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER, IN THE WAKE OF

RECENT REVELATIONS THAT SHELL – WHICH DOWNWARDLY REVISED

ITS RESERVE ESTIMATES FOUR TIMES IN ONE YEAR – CALLED UPON

THE G8 NATIONS TO MOVE TO MANDATE TOTAL AND VERIFIABLE

TRANSPARENCY IN ALL OIL RESERVE FIGURES.

INDIA, WHOSE OIL IMPORTS JUMPED 23% IN ONE MONTH, HAS MOVED

TO CREATE A STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE.

INDONESIA, A MEMBER OF OPEC HAS ANNOUNCED THAT ITS OIL

PRODUCTION WILL DROP SIGNIFICANTLY BY 2008.

JAPAN, IGNORING STIFF OPPOSITION FROM WASHINGTON, HAS SIGNED

A MAJOR OIL CONTRACT WITH IRAN, AT THE SAME TIME THAT IT IS

FEUDING WITH CHINA, VIETNAM AND THE PHILIPPINES OVER

RELATIVELY SMALL OIL AND GAS DEPOSITS IN THE SPRATLY ISLANDS

OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. IN ANTICIPATION OF PENDING MILITARY

CONFLICT IN THE REGION CHINA HAS DECIDED TO BUILD A PIPELINE

THROUGH BURMA TO THE INDIAN OCEAN SO THAT TANKERS

SUPPLYING CHINA’S GROWING THIRST WILL NOT HAVE TO TRAVEL

THROUGH A REGION THAT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS.

THREE BILLS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN THE JAPANESE PARLIAMENT

THAT WOULD SUSPEND ITS NON-VIOLENT CONSTITUTION AND PERMIT A

FULL SCALE REARMAMENT.

RUSSIA, HAVING RECENTLY ADMITTED THAT ITS OIL RESERVES WERE

FINITE AND THAT PRODUCTION MIGHT START TO DECLINE SHARPLY

WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL BUILD A

PIPELINE FROM ITS SIBERIAN FIELDS TO THE PACIFIC PORTS OF

VLADIVOSTOK AND SAKHALIN THUS AGREEING TO SELL ITS OIL TO

JAPAN, KOREA AND THE PHILIPPINES. RUSSIA’S OTHER CHOICE WAS

TO HAVE THE PIPELINE TERMINATE IN CENTRAL CHINA.

THIS WEEK IN PETROLEUM, AN INDUSTRY JOURNAL HAS REPORTED

THAT NON OECD COUNTRIES HAVE BEGUN TO HOARD PETROLEUM AND

ARE BUYING ALL THEY CAN EVEN AT WHAT SOME ANALYSTS CALL

“INFLATED” PRICES.

IN THAILAND, MANDATORY EVENING CURFEWS HAVE BEEN IMPOSED

TWO NIGHTS A WEEK REQUIRING ALL BUSINESSES TO SHUT DOWN IN

ORDER TO CONSERVE ENERGY.

ON AUGUST 24TH BRITAIN’S OIL DEPLETION ANALYSIS CENTER

CONFIRMED, CITING DATA FROM PETROLEUM REVIEW THAT DAILY OIL

DEPLETION IS NOW EXCEEDING ONE MILLION BARRELS PER DAY. IN

OTHER WORDS, EVERY DAY, THE WORLD IS PRODUCING 1.14 MILLION

BARRELS PER DAY LESS THAN IT DID THE DAY BEFORE. BY ANALYZING

DATA FROM THE 18 LARGEST OIL PRODUCING NATIONS PETROLEUM

REVIEW CALCULATED THAT PRODUCTION FROM THESE COUNTRIES

PEAKED IN 1997 AT 24.7 MILLION BARRELS PER DAY AND THAT BY 2003

IT HAD FALLEN TO 22.1 MILLION BARRELS PER DAY.

ON AUGUST 21 THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE POSED A GREAT QUESTION.

IF OIL PRICES ARE SOARING AND THERE’S INSATIABLE DEMAND, WHY

ISN’T THERE A BOOM IN HIRING AND CORPORATE EXPANSION? THE

CHRONICLE, PAYING DUE HEED TO THE FINANCIAL MARKETS, OFFERED

THE DUBIOUS EXPLANATION THAT THE OIL COMPANIES JUST DIDN’T

WANT TO OVERDO THINGS AND LOOK GREEDY. IN FACT, ALL OVER THE

WORLD OIL COMPANIES ARE DOWNSIZING, SELLING OFF ASSETS,

LAYING OFF EMPLOYEES AND MERGING. JUST LAST WEEK IT WAS

ANNOUNCED THAT FRENCH GIANT TOTAL WAS CONSIDERING A TENDER

OFFER TO PURCHASE ROYAL DUTCH SHELL.

AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, RISING OIL PRICES HAVE FORCED

MAJOR AIRLINES LIKE UNITED TO CONSIDER RAIDING CORPORATE

PENSION FUNDS IN ORDER TO OFFSET RISING OIL COSTS AS AN

ALTERNATIVE TO BANKRUPTCY.

IN THE MEANTIME, IN THE WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY OF LIBERIA, THERE

ARE REPORTS OF 10 YEAR-OLD MERCENARIES BEING RECRUITED TO

FIGHT IN GUERILLA CONFLICTS IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND

THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF RECRUITS. I WONDER IF SENATOR CHUCK

HAGEL OF NEBRASKA WILL SEE ANY OF THEM. HE JUST LEFT ON AN

ENERGY “SAFARI” TO SCOUT WEST AFRICAN PROSPECTS, JUST ABOUT

A YEAR AFTER NATO ANNOUNCED IT WAS SHIFTING ITS FOCUS TO

WEST AFRICA AND THE US DELIVERED SIX OBSOLETE WARSHIPS TO

THE NIGERIAN NAVY.

THIS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IS JUST THE BEGINNING. AND NEITHER

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE HAS EVEN REMOTELY ADDRESSED THE

REAL ISSUES OR DARED TO TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THE WORST.

THE ONE OVERRIDING CONCERN I HAVE SEEN EXPRESSED

EVERYWHERE IS “OH, NO. WE CAN’T DO THAT. IT WILL CRASH THE

MARKETS.”

IS THAT THE SUM TOTAL OF HUMAN EXPRESSION AND ACHIEVEMENT?

THE MARKETS?

TO CLOSE THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU

QUOTES FROM TWO DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMEN WHOSE NAMES

MIGHT CARRY A BIT MORE WEIGHT IN THIS ROOM THAN MICHAEL

RUPPERT.

THE FIRST IS FROM SIR CHARLES GALTON DARWIN WHO IN 1952, JUST

ONE YEAR AFTER I WAS BORN, WROTE:

“THE FIFTH REVOLUTION WILL COME WHEN WE HAVE SPENT

THE STORES OF COAL AND OIL THAT HAVE BEEN

ACCUMULATING IN THE EARTH DURING HUNDREDS OF

MILLIONS OF YEARS. . . . IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT BEFORE

THEN OTHER SOURCES OF ENERGY WILL HAVE BEEN

DEVELOPED . . . BUT WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE DETAIL

[HERE] IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE WILL BE A VERY GREAT

DIFFERENCE IN WAYS OF LIFE. . . . WHETHER A CONVENIENT

SUBSTITUTE FOR THE PRESENT FUELS IS FOUND OR NOT,

THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT THERE WILL HAVE TO BE A

GREAT CHANGE IN WAYS OF LIFE. THIS CHANGE MAY JUSTLY

BE CALLED A REVOLUTION, BUT IT DIFFERS FROM ALL THE

PRECEDING ONES IN THAT THERE IS NO LIKELIHOOD OF ITS

LEADING TO INCREASES OF POPULATION, BUT EVEN PERHAPS

TO THE REVERSE.”

I HAVE INSISTED FOR MANY YEARS NOW THAT ANY FUNDAMENTAL

CHANGE IN THE CURRENT HUMAN PARADIGM, A CHANGE THAT WILL

REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, IS IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL WE, COLLECTIVELY

AND AS A SPECIES, CHANGE THE WAY MONEY WORKS.

IN “CROSSING THE RUBICON” I WILL EXPLAIN JUST HOW AND WHY THE

WORLD’S CURRENT ECONOMIC SYSTEM IS HASTENING AND

WORSENING A CALAMITY OF UNIMAGINED PROPORTIONS. THIS ALL

BEGAN FOR ME SOME 27 YEARS AGO WHEN, AS A YOUNG POLICEMAN, I

DISCOVERED THAT THE CIA WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE DRUG

TRADE. THE PURPOSE OF THAT INVOLVEMENT LED ME TO DISCOVER,

AND PROVE USING US SENATE HEARING RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS

FROM THE CIA ITSELF THAT AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT – PERHAPS THE

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT – IN US ECONOMIC SUPREMACY WAS THE

51 MAINTENANCE OF A FLOW OF AS MUCH AS $600 BILLION A YEAR IN

DRUG PROFITS THROUGH US FINANCIAL MARKETS AND INSTITUTIONS.

WHAT WE ARE WITNESSING NOW IS A COLLISION: A COLLISION OF A

FINANCIAL SYSTEM RELYING ON FRACTIONAL RESERVE BANKING,

DEBT-FINANCED GROWTH, AND A FIAT CURRENCY SYSTEM WITH A

PLANET AND ENERGY RESOURCES THAT ARE FINITE, LIMITED, AND

RUNNING OUT. INFINITE GROWTH IS BATTLING WITH FINITE ENERGY.

ONE IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE OTHER AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY

NO DOUBT AS TO WHICH SIDE WILL WIN.

IN NOVEMBER 2002 JAMES KENNETH GALBRAITH WROTE AN ARTICLE

TITLED “THE UNBEARABLE COSTS OF EMPIRE”

NONE OF THESE PROBLEMS WILL BE CURED SO LONG AS WAR

REMAINS OUR DOMINANT POLITICAL THEME. BUT SERIOUS

THOUGH THEY ARE, THEY PALE IN COMPARISON WITH THE

LARGER PROBLEM OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE-ANDFINANCIAL

ORDER UNDER CONDITIONS OF PERMANENT WAR.

IT IS A STRAIGHTFORWARD FACT THAT IF GLOBAL OIL

PRODUCTION STARTS TO DECLINE BUT U.S. CONSUMPTION

DOES NOT, EVERYONE ELSE WILL BE REQUIRED TO CUT

PURCHASES AND USES OF OIL. BUT HOW CAN OIL PRICES BE

HELD STABLE FOR AMERICANS YET BE MADE TO RISE FOR

EVERYONE ELSE? ONLY BY A POLICY OF CONTINUING

DEPRECIATION IN EVERYONE ELSE'S CURRENCY. SUCH A

POLICY OF DOLLAR HEGEMONY AMID WORLDWIDE FINANCIAL

INSTABILITY, OF CRUSHING DEBT BURDENS AND DEFLATION

THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPING WORLD, IS PERVERSE. IT

WILL MAKE OUR TRADING PARTNERS' EXPORTS CHEAP,

RENDER THEIR IMPORTS DEAR AND KEEP THEIR REAL WAGES

LOW. IT WILL PRICE AMERICAN GOODS OUT OF WORLD

MARKETS AND LEAD TO UNSUSTAINABLE DEPENDENCE ON

FOREIGN CAPITAL. IT WILL BE A POLICY, IN SHORT, OF

BEGGAR-ALL-OF-OUR-NEIGHBORS WHILE WE LIVE ALONE, IN

INCREASING IDLENESS AND INSIDE THE DOLLAR BUBBLE.

THIS IS THE POLICY THAT BUSH AND CHENEY ARE ACTUALLY

IMPOSING ON THE REST OF THE WORLD. BUT THEY CANNOT

MAKE IT LAST. IT WILL MAKE LIVES MISERABLE ELSEWHERE,

GENERATING EVER MORE RESISTANCE, TERRORISM AND

MILITARY ENGAGEMENT. MEANWHILE, WE WILL NOT

EXPERIENCE EVEN GRADUAL EXPOSURE TO THE CHANGING

ENERGY BALANCE; WE WILL THEREFORE NEVER MAKE THE

INVESTMENTS REQUIRED TO ADJUST, EVEN EVENTUALLY, TO A

WORLD OF SCARCE AND EXPENSIVE OIL. IN THE END,

THEREFORE, THAT WORLD WILL ARRIVE MUCH MORE

ABRUPTLY THAN IT OTHERWISE WOULD, SHAKING THE

FRAGILE EDIFICE OF OUR OIL ECONOMY TO ITS FOUNDATIONS.

AND WE WILL SOMEDAY FACE A DOUBLE EXPLOSION: OF

ANGER AGAINST OUR ARROGANCE AND OF ACTUAL

SHORTAGE AND COLLAPSING LIVING STANDARDS, WHEN THE

CONFIDENCE OF INVESTORS IN THE DOLLAR FINALLY GIVES

WAY.

COMPARED WITH THIS FUTURE, A NEW COMMITMENT TO

COLLECTIVE SECURITY, TO A NEW WORLD FINANCIAL

STRUCTURE, TO A RATIONAL ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION

POLICY, AND TO SPENDING TO MEET OUR ACTUAL DOMESTIC

NEEDS WOULD BE A BARGAIN. AT THE END OF THE

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WAS

ASKED WHAT TYPE OF GOVERNMENT THE FRAMERS HAD GIVEN OUR NEW COUNTRY. HE FAMOUSLY REPLIED, "A REPUBLIC, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT."

IN 49 BC JULIUS CAESAR, FRESH FROM A BATTLEFIELD VICTORY IN

CENTRAL ITALY ORDERED HIS LEGIONS TO CROSS A SMALL CREEK

CALLED THE RUBICON. UNDER THE LAWS OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC,

THE ARMY WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER THE CAPITAL CITY.

AS JULIUS CAESAR CROSSED THE RUBICON, THE ROMAN REPUBLIC

DIED AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS BORN.

OUR TASK, IF WE AND MUCH OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION ARE TO SURVIVE,

IS NOT TO KEEP OUR REPUBLIC, BUT TO TAKE IT BACK.

THANK YOU,