September 19, 2002

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Dear BuzzFlash,

This has to be the most arrogant lie in the history of the United States:

"I don't think anybody could have predicted ... that they would try to use an airplane as missile," Rice said. "Had this president known of something more specific or known that a plane was going to be used as a missile, he would have acted on it."

-- Condi Rice Lying to the American People Sept 2001

...hey, but its ok. It has nothing to do with Clinton's zipper.

J. Johnson
Florida State University

Subj: Focus, focus, focus: It's the ELECTION, stupid!

Dear Buzz,

There is NO more important issue for America (and, probably, the world) than the upcoming election.

Control of the House and control of the senate are the issues -- the ONLY issues.

If we do NOT focus on that, nothing else will matter. If Republicans gain control of Congress, nothing you think or care about will matter.

Congress is the ONLY brake on Bush's desire to take complete control of the oil fields of the world, and control of any and every region he cares to -- including America!

Civil rights as enumerated in our beloved Constitution will no longer be in effect. With Bush controlling ALL legislation, controlling the judiciary, controlling (by de-regulation) the media, and controlling the military, what chance will we have?

NOTHING else matters right now.

Feed your families, comfort and love your loved ones, go to work; those all need to be done first.

BUT, once you have done the personal essentials, put everything else aside and PAY ATTENTION to this election season.

Iraq is part of the election problem because NONE of the domestic issues are getting any air-time, or print space.

Once Hitler had full control, did it matter what anyone in Germany thought about anything? No. Once Bush gets complete control here, will it matter what you or I think about any issues? No.

Focus, focus, focus.

To paraphrase: It's the ELECTION, stupid!

Trust me on this.

signed,

A Wide-Awake and Patriotic American

Subj: LIMBOsevic: "The 6 Al Quaeda DEMOCRATS"

Dear BuzzFlash,

On 9-15, Faux Propaganda Network thought it was meaningful to "report" that the 5 Buffalo alleged terror collaborators were "ALL REGISTERED DEMOCRATS."

On 9-18 Rush LIMBOsevic began his daily vitriol by referring to "the 6 Al Quaeda DEMOCRATS." He didn't bother to do his "just-kidding" or "lighten-up" thing. He just played it straight. In his 13 years of being despicable, nationally, this was a new low even for him.

The only consolation is that there have been other HUGELY successful personalities----like Arthur GODFREY, and a hate monger as "big" in numbers or bigger than LIMBOsevic, Father COUGHLIN in the 1920s and 1930s-----and NOBODY KNOWS THEM NOW.

I long for the day when NOBODY WILL KNOW who Rush LIMBOsevic is.

John Garza

Dear Buzz,

Bush and Rumsfeld now are pushing for Congress to vote on a resolution to give the Bush administration immediate support for a possible military strike against Iraq. And, according to the warmonger Rumsfeld, it "must come before the U.N. Security Council votes on a return of arms inspectors to Iraq."

WHY?????

PEOPLE, NOW WE MUST CALL OUR SENATORS AND HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES AND TELL THEM WE DO NOT WAR WAR WITH IRAQ!!!

I called my Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and my representative Lynn Woolsey and spoke at length with the staffworkers who answered the phones. Although none would state absolutely that each had made up her mind, all three offices did say that they did not believe Bush had made his case or presented any evidence to warrant a preemptive, unilateral strike. Lynn Woolsey's office directed me to an editorial she wrote in which she basically does state that she is opposed to war: http://woolsey.house.gov/newsarticle.asp?RecordID=101

Also, very interestingly, Dianne Feinstein's office told me that they are getting inundated with calls, the vast majority AGAINST war. He then said: "There are many more Democrats also against the war than the public knows about." That really got me going! I asked him WHY the public wasn't being informed that their Democratic representatives were against the war. I told him that they had a duty to their constituents to inform them of the reasons for NOT going to war!! That we NEEDED their voices to be heard by the American public, that we needed to know that they are fighting for PEACE and not for oil interests!!! That the Democrats are representing the will of the people, which is: NO WAR. I asked him WHY we don't know that our Democrats are against this push for war.....His response was: "It's just really complicated." Not a good enough answer of course.

I was also told by all three offices that emails are overloading their system and they don't have the staff to read them all. CALLING AND FAXING was HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (Fax machines are getting inundated too...I suggest calling.) I also left my name and zip code. It's important to tell them that you are a constituent and you will not vote for them if they support this war.

Lastly, I told Feinstein's office that I could not understand how she could be AGAINST an independent commission into the events of 9/11. He hemmed and hawwed on that one.

Below is the contact information for Feinstein, Boxer, and Woolsey. Also, the websites to contact Senators and Representatives. CALL AND URGE THEM TO NOT SUPPORT THE BUSH OIL CARTEL INVASION OF IRAQ:

U.S. SENATOR'S BY STATE: http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES http://www.house.gov/writerep/

PHONE/FAX NUMBERS:

elaine from Petaluma

Dear BuzzFlash,

I do not think a man who's daddy got him out of Vietnam, AWOL from the national guard and did not win the election, should be sending our young men and women to die so he can keep his poll numbers up.

Katie Johnson
Tampa FL.

Subj: How long did we debate WW2?

Dear BuzzFlash,

Before America was forced into WW2, we, the people of America debated getting involved with that war. We debated from September 1939 until December 1941 or approximately 28 months on whether to join the Allied Forces in that war. Now, I don't think there are too many Americans who think that was a bad war or that we should not have been involved. Why the rush to judgment now? Why are we being asked to make a decision in such a short time? Really, we have only been discussing this, as a nation, for a few weeks. You could stretch that to a few months at most. What is the rush? Why does Bush need this war, NOW? Last week he said he was a patient man, he said that numerous times. I guess patient is the next word to become a victim of Bushspeak.

All these people who support an immediate war with Iraq - how many of you have a niece or nephew, son or daughter, or a grandchild that is 17 or 18 years old? How many of you have gone with that child down to the nearest Recruitment Office & helped that child join our military? You know - sign up. Encouraged them in their patriotic duty as opposed to just waving a flag? Recent news reports state that recruitment is falling, that the military is in fact falling behind recruitment goals. Wouldn't it be a wonderful message to the nation if Jeb announced that his son had signed up? or perhaps the Bush girls? You know, to serve the country, to put the country first. To put their lives on the line while they ask the rest of us to do the same.

How many Senators & Congressmen have asked their relatives to do this? How many reporters?

The reason I ask is because I have 2 sons, aged 16 & 17 & we have been discussing this quite a lot in the past few weeks.

Linda Kekumu

To: Richard Shelby; Jeff Sessions Sent:
Thursday, September 19, 2002 3:58 AM
Subject: Why was AG John Ashcroft Flying Charter Jets in July 2001? *Fw: CBSNews.com (Ashcroft Flying High before 9-11)

Dear Senators Shelby and Sessions:

It was reported in today's Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36754-2002Sep18.html) that the CIA warned government officials in July of 2001 that "based on a review of all-source reporting over the last five months, we believe that UBL [bin Laden] will launch a significant terrorist attack against U.S. and/or Israeli interests in the coming weeks. The attack will be spectacular and designed to inflict mass casualties against U.S. facilities or interests. Attack preparations have been made. Attack will occur with little or no warning."

It was further reported that:

• Thirty-three communications were collected by the National Security Agency between May and July indicating a "possible, imminent terrorist attack,"
• In May 2001, the CIA learned supporters of bin Laden were planning to infiltrate the United States; that seven were on their way to the United States, Canada and Britain; that his key operatives "were disappearing while others were preparing for martyrdom;" and that bin Laden associates "were planning attacks in the United States with explosives."
• Two months later, in July 2001, the CIA's counterterrorism center reported that an individual who had recently been in Afghanistan indicated, "Everyone is talking about an impending attack."
• On Sept. 11, as the planes struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the FBI's Los Angeles field office received search requests for two suspected terrorists, Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, known bin Laden associates who were believed involving in plotting an attack. At the time, both were on board one of the hijacked aircraft.

In light of all of that, I recall a news report that Attorney General John Ashcroft had ceased flying commercially in July 2001 and was instead flying expensive leased private jets.

I just checked and this story is still on line at CBS. Add this to the information in the Washington Post citing warnings about imminent Al Qaeda attacks in July 2001 and something begins to really smell bad.

• What exactly was the nature of the warnings that led AG Ashcroft to cease flying commercial aviation?
• Why were these warnings not shared with the public?
• Given that it is now clear there were warnings of imminent attack months in advance, why did the President of the United States take no action what so ever to beef up air security?
• Why did the President of the United States take no action to increase continental Unites States military alert levels to include such basics as having jet fighters at US military installations on alert status? (Fighters on alert status could likely have prevented the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon on 9-11.)
• Why is the President of the United States stonewalling by "refus(ing) the (congressional) panel's request to put on the public record what Bush had been told about bin Laden and possible attacks prior to Sept. 11?

There are many, many questions that must be answered. There is also the unseemly and indeed shamefully unpatriotic appearance of this administration attempting to use the tragedy of 9-11 and the beating of war drums on Iraq for purely partisan political gain. I expect better from my Senators.

Now is not the time for politics. Now is the time for statesmen to secure their place in history. Find out why AG Ashcroft knew not to fly commercial jets but hundreds and thousands of others did not.

The CBS News article follows below.

Sincerely,

Alan Atwood

---------------------------------------------------

Ashcroft Flying High

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2001

Fishing rod in hand, Attorney General John Ashcroft left on a weekend trip to Missouri Thursday afternoon aboard a chartered government jet, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/26/national/main303601.shtml

Dear BuzzFlash,

So I wonder how many of the media's kids will fight in the war against Iraq? the way the media is biting at the bit for war, I am sure you all would want your kids to sign up. So have the bush girls signed up?

km

Subj: 24 women in N. Bush's recovery house....

Dear Buzz and MWO,

PLEASE, do something to protect the rights of the women in the recovery house where Noelle Bush was caught with crack cocaine. I have worked as an advocate for poor and homeless women and others caught in the system for more than 20 years.

The staff of this place has already caved and broken their own rules to protect a Bush daughter. The women who made the 911 call were courageous, but it is possible that the vindictive Bush family, or friends of the Bush family, could hurt these women. The children could be placed in foster care (in Florida, that's a frightening thought). The women could be tossed out of the treatment center. They could lose state benefits, or other benefits they are receiving. The list is endless when it comes to retaliation.

We all read the transcript, posted on all the websites, and we listen to the tape of the 911 call. Now, we must move to protect the women of courage who made that call. Please, Buzz and MWO or anyone else who has the ability to do so, contact those women and monitor the situation. Have someone in a position of GREAT POWER represent them to make certain that they are protected. The system is ugly. Courageous whistle blowers are punished, now more than ever.

Thank you - Ann Oliver

Subj: Let the Impeachment trials begin

Dear Buzz:

"...[i]n July 2001, for instance, the CIA warned senior government officials that "based on a review of all-source reporting over the last five months, we believe that UBL [bin Laden] will launch a significant terrorist attack against U.S. and/or Israeli interests in the coming weeks."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36754-2002Sep18.html

..and Bush was in Crawford talking to his cows. Thanks to our dear right wing friends, we now know that lying about sex is a high crime. What do you call this folks? I call it TREASON.

Let the Impeachment Trials begin.

Genevieve Thomas
San Diego, CA

I emailed this to several senators from various states.

Dear Senator

I cannot believe that the leadership of the Democrat Party are dropping to their knees to give Bush exactly what he wants. I refuse to believe that I am seeing a congress whipped around like a kite on a windy day. Why vote on a resolution on Iraq now. If you give him what he wants he will not care what the UN says. He will not wait for weapons inspectors to assure us that the need to invade is there.

I know you think that I am some kind of nut, but I will warn you now. No good can come of this. If you give him the power and he moves on his own while there is a lame duck session, or you are on recess and just for the sake of argument he is right and Iraq does have these weapons, then what happens to our troops? Who explains that they were wiped out because we became so arrogant that we thought we were invincible? What if he is wrong and we become the aggressors who invade a country without cause? Do you not think for one minute that the rest of the world will not turn on us? What other world conflicts or worse yet terrorist attacks on our country do think that would spark?

If you do this because you think that if you give him enough rope he will hang himself, then God forgive you all if this goes wrong and he uses his grab for power to ensure that he remains in office and casts the world back into the dark ages. Because believe me if that happens the people of this country and the rest of the world will blame you. Yes, you, and the leadership of the Democrat party who gave him the belief that he was invincible and could do no wrong. And believe me even he will make you look like the evil one. After all it will be you who said it would be all right.

Stop and think about what happened in Kuwait. We didn't say yes and we didn't say no to a tyrant, and he thrust across the border and nearly caused the entire region to explode into war. What would be the difference with this, if he moves before the UN finishes? This is a dangerous enough world without us taking the lead role and showing other countries that it is all right to kick in your neighbors door and remove them because you think that they might be a threat.

I urge you to do all in the name of humanity to stop this resolution from coming to a vote before the next session of congress, and the people have spoken. We might surprise you and give you the house and increase the majority in the senate. If so then we have told you by popular vote, not by some questionable poll that we want security. Security in the form of prescription drug plan, social security, education healthcare, a stable economy, restoration of our civil liberties and peace.

Listen to those who know and have the ability to do forward looking. Stand up and grow a spine. We need to stand up to anyone who challenges the Constitution and the security of our nation, both foreign and domestic. I presently see a threat from both.

Mike Andrews
Pawtucket, RI

Subj: Excerpt from Newsweek

Dear BuzzFlash,

How do we know Iraq has biological weapons? We gave them to Iraq. Read excerpt

HOW WE CREATED SADDAM

But Saddam had to be rescued first. The war against Iran was going badly by 1982. Iran’s “human wave attacks” threatened to overrun Saddam’s armies. Washington decided to give Iraq a helping hand. After Rumsfeld’s visit to Baghdad in 1983, U.S. intelligence began supplying the Iraqi dictator with satellite photos showing Iranian deployments. Official documents suggest that America may also have secretly arranged for tanks and other military hardware to be shipped to Iraq in a swap deal—American tanks to Egypt, Egyptian tanks to Iraq. Over the protest of some Pentagon skeptics, the Reagan administration began allowing the Iraqis to buy a wide variety of “dual use” equipment and materials from American suppliers. According to confidential Commerce Department export-control documents obtained by NEWSWEEK, the shopping list included a computerized database for Saddam’s Interior Ministry (presumably to help keep track of political opponents); helicopters to transport Iraqi officials; television cameras for “video surveillance applications”; chemical-analysis equipment for the Iraq Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC), and, most unsettling, numerous shipments of “bacteria/fungi/protozoa” to the IAEC. According to former officials, the bacteria cultures could be used to make biological weapons, including anthrax.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subj: What's the Hurry?

Dear BuzzFlash,

Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that I saw Dubya standing next to Blair, when a reporter asked him about Saddam that he replied "I am a patient man"? I've seen him say this at other times also.

So what's the hurry now? He wants a decision "Yesterday" from Congress to give him full powers to wage war or to carry out whatever other idea he and his chickenhawks cook up. A ready-made recipe by them so that he and his party can paint anyone that thinks otherwise, or wants to wait for a debate, as unpatriotic. I'm getting furious at our party for being so wishy-washy and scared of this labeling. That's exactly what Gore let them do to him, when he disputed the overseas ballots and the Bushites with the press on their side started calling him unpatriotic and he fell for it.

They are letting the Bushites have their way again. The Dems made some mistakes with some rush decisions after the 9/11 catastrophe for fear of being labeled unpatriotic. Is this pressure from the Bushites among other things, because they do not want to give the opposition and the anti-war demonstrations any chance to be heard? Is it now because his ratings in Aug. and early Sept. started going down? Is the possible debate on domestic matters agitating him so that he cannot wait?

We are all entitled to our beliefs, I just thought that our party was for the people and for Peace.

Tania