By Bill Douglas

OpEd News

10 Jan 2008

In the last 48 hours, N.Y. Times best selling novelist, Steve Alten, author of, "The Shell Game," was recently shocked and dumbfounded that he’d become the victim of harassment, when someone not only put a map of his home and his personal private phone number and home address up on the internet, . . . but also either remotely accessed or intercepted personal private email between he and his publicist . . .

. . . and all because of the impending release of his new novel, "The Shell Game." http://theshellgame.net/ (See 9/11 truth links in the “911 Links” section of his site, to learn why this impending block buster novel may be causing such actions).

Having been a patriotic citizen working to expose the deceptions leading us to war, I’d personally become fascinated with Alten’s new novel, “The Shell Game.” I’d contacted him through his website after a high school English teacher told me about “The Shell Game,” because it dealt with oil, war, and deceptions leading us to war.

So, when I learned this novelist had become increasingly a victim of bizarre harassment, I suspected “why” this may have happened, and then decided it might be instructive to explain it to others. So I wrote this oped this morning. For this, in my opinion, represents yet another event in the chronology of a movement for truth that has been attacked and maligned for years now.

For the novelist who wrote, “The Shell Game,” it’s just a bizarre experience, for he’s just trying to write a good novel, and from his perspective, well if it happens to spur discussion of important issues, well that’s about as American as apple pie.

I think most people will think, if this novel has caused him to be targeted for such harassment, even before its release . . . well, it must have something “very interesting” to say. And in my opinion it does. http://theshellgame.net/

However, the bizarre harassment of this best selling author, from my perspective, is part of a long time pattern of harassment that those of us who’ve been working along side the 9/11 families who have demanded a new independent 9/11 investigation, have experienced over and over again. Even the Jersey Girls, the 9/11 widows who fought Washington to get the 9/11 Commission, were victims of it when Anne Coulter said they enjoyed their husband's deaths.

This best selling novelist may have set off to only write a good novel, but it has cast him into a world of intrigue and duplicity that many good people have lived in for years now.

So who does this story involve? The title of this OpEd, “What Do a Renowned 9/11 Physicist and a N.Y. Times Best Selling Novelist Have in Common?” actually would be more appropriately titled, what do a former Los Angeles Police Department detective, a N.Y. Times best selling novelist, a mild mannered respected physicist, an equally mild mannered and equally respected architectural design engineer, and concerned citizens demanding a new 9/11 investigation, all have in common?

This is the story of the 9/11 truth movement, and perhaps the story of how all great movements for truth and justice are deliberately sabotaged by those powers who have an interest in keeping truth from the mass public.

Let’s begin with the LAPD detective’s story, who’d become a research writer after leaving LAPD. Not long after 9/11/2001, researcher Michael C. Ruppert, a former LAPD detective, smelled something not quite right about the events of 9/11.

His nose eventually led him to call on sources he’d developed over the years as a researcher and author, with military and intelligence insiders, and discovered that mysteriously there had been many multiple war games . . . war games which do not happen that often . . . but coincidentally all were ordered by "someone" to be held on 9/11/2001. Yes, the same day as the infamous 9/11 attacks.

I personally became aware of Ruppert’s work when he did what the US media failed to do, he followed up on mainstream media’s initial insight that there had been mysterious “insider stock trades” in the days leading up to 9/11 that signaled that someone with “insider knowledge” of the coming attacks had profited obscenely by betting “against” United and American Airlines “before” 9/11, by placing put options (bets that a stock will fall) on those ill fated airlines in trades that vastly eclipsed activity on other airlines in those days. Ruppert’s research found that $5 million in “winnings” were made at a known CIA-connected financial institution called AB Brown Trust. AB Brown had been headed by the man who was the current Executive Director of the CIA, Buzzy Krongard, on 9/11. The current head of AB Brown, a friend of Krongard's, mysteriously resigned with no explanation immediately after the attacks on 9/11, and oddly $2.5 million of the winnings made against United and American Airlines by bets made the day before 9/11 . . . were never claimed.

As far as I know the man was never questioned about that, and the 9/11 Commission, led by Bush Admin. confidant Phil Zelikow, refused to look into the insider trades with any enthusiasm.

However, it was Mike Ruppert’s research into the mysteriously timed multiple war games of 9/11 that eventually evolved into his riveting research book entitled, Crossing the Rubicon. His book asks why were war games which had the effect of causing a US Air Force stand down all scheduled for 9/11/2001? Who ordered them? Was it Vice President Cheney, who appeared to have been in charge of a stand down order for our Air Force which allowed an aircraft to hit the Pentagon on 9/11, when there was still time to take it down and save many lives?

Transportation Secretary Norm Minetta’s testimony to the 9/11 Commission, for any investigator worth his/her salt, would have called for detailed questioning of Cheney, which never happened. Even more oddly the Transportation Secretary’s testimony was left out of the 9/11 Commission report. Left out by a Commission headed by Philip Zelikow a Bush Administration confidant, and co-author of a book with Condaleeza Rice, before his being forced down the throats of 9/11 family members who avidly protested a Bush Admin insider like Zelikow heading the Commission.

As Ruppert’s work dug into the underbelly of a web of intrigue regarding US intelligence connections, insider stock trades, war games, etc., the attacks on him became furious . . . but what is odd, is that many of these attacks came from a small but VERY VOCAL group of people purporting to be “9/11 truth activists.” Although the overwhelming majority of those seeking a new 9/11 were eager to hear what Ruppert’s research revealed, there were a very small , but again very LOUD and very AGGRESSIVE, number who slashed and tore at Ruppert’s reputation.

Which brings us back to the now publicly known cointelpro operations of the Vietnam War era, where undercover FBI agents pretended to be activists, in order to rip apart a movement that had much valuable information for Americans. They were used to create chaos within the peace movement, but also to spur it on to lunatic actions that would alienate the movement from the mass public. That effort in the 1960's will seem increasingly familiar to the last few years, as you read on.

Now, years after Michael Ruppert’s pioneering work investigating the events of 9/11, a mild mannered physicist, named Professor Steven Jones appears on the scene. Jones was a man dedicated to science and fact, a physics professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, who had not been a political activist in any real sense, although he had voted for President Bush in the election.

However, at the urging of others he began to examine the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11, from the perspective of a physicist. The first thing he noticed was that the global collapse of World Trade Center’s 1, 2, and later 7 . . . defied the laws of physics. The buildings should have toppled to the side, rather than falling down through all the tons of solid steel and concrete, following the laws of least resistance. But what then peaked Jones’ interest more was that the buildings all fell at near “free fall speed.”

Jones observed that the tops of Towers 1 and 2 should not have been able to fall through approximately eighty floors each at a speed that would indicate that all those many tons of solid steel and concrete "didn’t exist." Jones’ scientific mind, then led him to look at what could have made all the mass of those eighty some floors disappear from beneath the damaged tops of the buildings during the collapse. The most obvious possibility was that explosives planted within the building were detonated in a controlled demolition, just like Vegas hotels we’ve seen brought down on TV are.

Jones then asked publicly for any WTC debris samples anyone may have collected after 9/11 before the mysteriously hurried clean up that caused the collapse steel to be rushed out of the country to be recycled in India and China before a full forensics examination could be done (the most preeminent fire forensics journal in the country, Fire Engineering Magazine’s, editor cried foul. But, that’s a whole other story, and hopefully investigation).

Two people came forward to send WTC debris from the towers collapse, one a 9/11 family member who’d attended the ceremonies at ground zero and swept some up as a keepsake. What Professor Jones found when he analyzed these two separately obtained samples was indications of “thermate,” thermate being a patented control demolition steel cutting agent used to slice steel beams at an angle so that the building falls in on itself, just as the WTC towers all had on 9/11. Images in videos of WTC debris shows some steel columns cut at an angle, as thermate charges would have cut them.

Since then, Steven Jones has actually found traces of still active (un-ignited) thermite flakes in the WTC debris. Thermite is what thermate is made of, but becomes thermate when sulfur is added as an accelerant. Professor Jones work has proven that the most rational investigation of why those three towers fell on 9/11 would be a “controlled demolition” investigation.

Its worth noting here, that such an investigation would require examining and questioning those in charge of WTC security, because to plant the charges necessary to bring down the WTC buildings in the way they collapsed would take weeks, or at the least many days, to set up. A WTC security firm was Securicom. Securicom is a Kuwaiti based company that had two notable figures on its board. Marvin Bush, President GW Bush’s brother, and also GW’s cousin. Many reports by WTC employees of security anomalies including mass security grid shut downs preceded the 9/11 attacks. In fact New York Newsday reported that the normal bomb sniffing dog routines of 9/11 had been mysteriously “called off” right before the day of 9/11/2001.

So, Professor Jones opened up a serious can of worms by methodically examining the debris from the World Trade Centers and examining the pattern and speed of the collapses that day. As Jones’ work dug into the underbelly of a web of intrigue that appeared to involve WTC security issues, and exposing an increasingly unsatisfactory and even misleading NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, under the Bush Whitehouse) investigation, the attacks on him became furious . . .

In Jones' case, he was attacked by a few but very vocal people, who "claimed" to be for 9/11 truth, yet who bizarrely attacked Jones because he had found evidence of a controlled demolition of the WTC Towers. These "so called truth activists" attacked Jones because they said he was covering up something. These "activists" claimed that the WTCs were never hit by planes on 9/11, and all we saw were only "holograms" and that what actually brought down the towers were "space weapons."

FOR THE RECORD, the mainstream 9/11 truth movement knows this is insane, and that it is meant to distract and dissuade the mass public from looking at the real evidence of the events of 9/11.

Their bizarre assertions, coupled with their vicious attacks of real science based researchers and activists, like Jones, . . . harkens back to the cointelpro efforts of the 1960's. But again, what is odd and suspicious about the attacks on Jones, as it was in Ruppert’s case, is that many of these attacks came from people purporting to be “9/11 truth activists.”

Although the overwhelming majority of those seeking a new 9/11 investigation were eager to hear what Jones’ research revealed, there was this very small, but very LOUD and very AGGRESSIVE, number who slashed and tore at Jones' reputation. Jones eventually helped found "Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice stj911.org, which is highly respected by all those truly seeking a real 9/11 investigation

Which brings us back to the now publicly known cointelpro operations of the Vietnam War era, where agents pretended to be activists, in order to rip apart a movement that had much valuable information for Americans.

It’s worth noting here that the building fire and jet fuel in those buildings did not burn nearly hot enough to melt steel and in fact no steel high rise structures had ever collapsed in a global collapse the way those three WTC buildings had on 9/11 . . . before 9/11. Engineering history was made not once, but three times on 9/11.

This fact, plus Professor Jones’ physics analysis of the World Trade Center debris and collapse narrative, eventually inspired another equally mild mannered man of logic and science to examine 9/11.

Richard Gage, would eventually become the founder of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth involving about 230 professional architects and engineers who believe we’ve been lied to about the events on 9/11, and that in fact NIST is involved in a cover up of facts that point to controlled demolition as the only reasonable reason for the WTC’s global collapses on 9/11/2001. Learn more at http://www.ae911truth.org.

Here is where the story of these three men coincides with experiences I’ve had as an almost full time 9/11 truth activist working in support of the 9/11 family members struggle for a new independent 9/11 investigation, and most of the other good solid activists as well.

When the 9/11 truth movement first began I and many other good citizens eventually started asking questions and demanding answers, and we came to call ourselves “9/11 truth activists.” We became 9/11 truth activists because of early research that indicated elements of our government, if not made the attacks of 9/11 happen, certainly criminally allowed them to, at the least. Now, building evidence and the bizarre lengths government agencies have gone to to covere up facts, point to the government, or at least some in government, having a large hand in actually engineering the events of 9/11.

But what I found as an activist from the beginning was that some odd and strange people I’d never known began to attack my character relentlessly because I wanted to stick to disturbing FACTS around the events of 9/11 and not embrace their crazy “Jews did it!” or "no planes hit the WTC" religions regarding the 9/11 attacks. I and other good solid researchers were harassed, endlessly, again from that small and noisy group "claiming" to want 9/11 truth.

For a while we just thought these were random nuts, but then patterns began to form that harkens back to the now publicly known cointelpro operations of the Vietnam War era, where agents pretended to be activists, in order to rip apart a movement that had much valuable information for Americans.

I began to suspect something rotten was occurring when a 9/11 truth activist, whom I respect greatly, approached MSNBC’s Chris Matthews at a book signing event, and handed him a packet of information about disturbing questions regarding the events of 9/11. Matthews, according to my friend, looked up and sneered at my friend, “What, are you going to tell me the Jews did it?” My friend was obviously stunned.

His mind was spinning with the same question my mind was spinning with as he told me this story, “Where the hell did that come from?”

The same people, the same small group of people, who’d mercilessly attacked us, the mainstream 9/11 truth movement, for months and years, had also poisoned the media’s mind so that Matthews would not ever LOOK at REAL and DISTURBING 9/11 related facts. This small group of so called 9/11 activists, had poisoned the chances of real 9/11 truth activists exposing the American public and media to real and important research being revealed by good solid people.

What does this have to do with Richard Gage of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth (ae911Truth.org)? About a month ago, a spokesperson from the famed Simon Wiesenthal Center (which I've always been a supporter of. See below), dedicated to tolerance, testified before Jane Harmon’s Congressional Committee on Homeland Security. Something VERY bizarre happened on that day. Mark Weitzman, of the Wiesenthal Center presented a slideshow to the Congressional Committee, showing them slides of jihadist terrorist websites and organization, and while he spoke of them . . . sandwiched between these violence advocating sites, Mr. Weitzman oddly inserted a slide of the website for “Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth”?! ae911truth.org, a site involving men of science, who had no political agenda whatsoever, but a burning desire to get to the truth of why the three WTC’s had defied the laws of physics on 9/11, if the official explanation was to be believed . . . were smeared as anti-Semitic violent jihadists!

When I called Mr. Weitzman as a long time supporter of ae911truth.org, he insisted that he wasn’t talking about ae911truth.org when he was talking over the slide show about dangerous organizations. I told him that then he should make a public statement and issue a press release saying so. He hung up on me.

When I called back to the Center and complained, I was apologized to by others and promised an explanation, which never came. I contacted every Wiesenthal Center worldwide explaining that I support ae911truth.org’s work and they are not violent, or anti-Semitic, and that in fact my father was one of the first GIs to enter and liberate the Dachau concentration camp, and my father didn’t have an anti-Semitic bone in his body, nor would he allow such thought in his home. I was apologized to for Weitzman’s actions, and promised return phone calls. None came.

I am still a huge supporter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's work, but as I told them, Weitzman who claimed to be speaking for the center performed a reprehensible disservice, not only to the fine people at ae911truth.org but to all Americans who care about a search for truth. His actions were beneath the dignity of the Center.

A couple of months before this disturbing Congressional hearing, I was watching a documentary on anti-Semitism, called “Protocols of Zion.” I stayed up past my bed time to watch it, because I thought it was an important issue, and was glad such a documentary on intolerance had been made. But as the documentary progressed something very disturbing appeared. A bunch of activists in New York City carrying red and white signs with black letters reading, “Stop the 9/11 Cover Up” were marching at ground zero where the WTC towers had been. Those iconoclastic “Stop the 9/11 Cover Up” signs were designed by myself and Jan another woman who’d joined me in working for a new 9/11 investigation.

Using these particular signs, which had become a symbol for 9/11 truth worldwide, in this documentary on anti-Semitism and racism was to me yet another obvious attempt to put a stake in the heart of the 9/11 truth movement. And by using signs I HAD CREATED. We’d designed them here at my home on my computer, and we’d raised funds to send them to cities across the country to help other good people working for truth about 9/11 to hold up in their cities.

In fact I went to NYC to work with some of those good people, and marched with them at Ground Zero where this documentary clip was shot. Many of the 9/11 truth activist organizers in NYC I had met, worked with, and became friend with WERE JEWISH, themselves. Yet, for some bizarre reason, this documentary shows people carrying our “Stop the 9/11 Cover Up” signs at ground zero while a dark voice over talks of the growing forces of hateful anti-Semitic groups worldwide. I was outraged.

I called the producers of “Protocols of Zion” and explained they’d made a serious mistake and had to take my signs out of the documentary, as they led people to believe that 9/11 truth activists were something that they absolutely were not. They refused.

So from the beginning a lunatic fringe, or worse, blasts the media with anti-semetic messages, and they claim to be “9/11 truth activists” thereby not only turning the media off from looking at 9/11 physics and engineering facts, and disturbing Air Force stand down issues of 9/11 . . . but also spurring defamatory documentary footage aired nationally to discredit good citizens demanding answers to questions we deserve . . . which eventually leads to a Congressional Hearing on Homeland Security that ties 9/11 truth seekers . . . TO TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. Very disturbing chronology.

Which AGAIN brings us back to the now publicly known cointelpro operations of the Vietnam War era, where agents pretended to be activists, in order to rip apart a movement that had much valuable information for Americans.

So, in nearly seven years of 9/11 truth activism, which I wasn’t recruited for, or hired for or whatever . . . but like “most” 9/11 truth activists, simply got to a point where the official story of 9/11 departed too radically from reality . . . I’ve seen this movement evolve and grow.

I’ve seen patterns where lunatics (or worse), in my opinion pretending to be 9/11 truth activists have systematically attacked 9/11 researchers and also 9/11 activists at EXACTLY the moment they are poised to unveil significant information or achieve some major break through in exposing the mass public to 9/11 facts that may disturb them.

Of course its not only the faux activists who attack, they have allies in corporate media. We saw actor, Charlie Sheen, eviscerated by mainstream corporate media when he publicly questioned the events of 9/11. Rosie O’Donnell who’d made The View a raving success, mysteriously "lost her job" after questioning the events of 9/11.

Anytime any researchers, or activists have threatened to expose the mass American public to the fact that we’ve been lied to about the events of 9/11, there is an increasingly obvious multidimensional attempt to destroy and silence the growing numbers demanding truth . . . one at a time . . . or as a group.

What is odd now, and what spurred me to write this oped, is that now a "novelist," a fiction writer, is being harassed even before his novel has hit the book stores . . .

This should cause the average person out there in America, and any investigative media out there to ask themselves . . .

. . . what in the hell is in this action thriller novel, called “The Shell Game” that is causing a novelist to be harassed? http://theshellgame.net/

Personally, I have read it, and I know exactly what it is that threatens the powers that be. I won't tell you here. You'll have to read it yourself. BUT, you can see why it may be causing turmoil in some dark corners by simly

Personally, I’ve read it, and I know exactly what it is that threatens the powers that be. I won’t tell you. You’ll just have to read it yourself. BUT, you can see why it may be causing turmoil in some corners by simply visiting “The Shell Game” website, and viewing “911 Links. http://theshellgame.net/

Signed,

Bill Douglas, average citizen who got thrown into nearly seven years of what is now called 9/11 truth activism, because the official government story of 9/11, just does not add up.

Authors Bio: By William E. Douglas, Jr., who is author of "The Amateur Parent – A Book on Life, Death, War & Peace, and Everything Else in the Universe." Bill has been a guest columnist for the Kansas City Star, The Business Journal, and other media worldwide. His past essays include, "Exposing the 9/11 Conspiracy Wingnuts," "The Explosion of the 9-11 Truth Movement -- US Media's Dirty Little Secret," "Good Night, and Good Luck - WMD, NIST, Popular Mechanics, 9/11 and Media Crimes" and also "Why the Jewish Community Should Demand 9/11 Truth."