These events have
provided a pretext for a War on Terror that has replaced the Cold War as
a global conflict framework within which military invasions and
occupations have taken place, as well as violations of international law
and human rights and a widespread assault on the civil rights crucial
to democracies.
Global military spending, which began a rapid downswing
after the end of the Cold War, has, with the help of the official
account of the 9/11 attacks, risen to Cold War levels and continues to
rise.
The focus on military solutions to complex human problems has
sidetracked humanity at the very moment when international cooperation
is most required to address genuine challenges that humanity faces.
In the meantime, the
credibility of the official reports on the 9/11 attacks (by the 9/11
Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and other government or government-appointed agencies) has
been questioned by millions of citizens in the United States and
abroad, including victim family members, expert witnesses and
international legal experts.
The International Center for 9/11 Studies has therefore decided to
sponsor four days of International Hearings in the city of Toronto,
Canada on the 10th anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001.
During these Hearings, which will be broadcasted via the Internet,
various expert witnesses will present the best available evidence into
the case, discovered in the ten years since the 9/11 events occurred.
Objectives of the Hearings:
(1) To present evidence that the U.S. government’s official
investigation into the events of September 11, 2001, as pursued by
various government and government-appointed agencies, is seriously
flawed and has failed to describe and account for the 9/11 events.
(2) To single out the most weighty evidence of the inadequacy of the
U.S. government’s investigation; to organize and classify that evidence;
to preserve that evidence; to make that evidence widely known to the
public and to governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental
organizations.
(3) To submit a record and a summary of the Hearings, together with
signed Statutory Declarations by witnesses, to relevant governments,
groups and international agencies with the request that a full and
impartial investigation be launched into the events of September 11,
2001, which have been used to initiate military invasions and to
restrict the rights of citizens.
(4) To engage the attention of the public, the international
community and the media through witness testimony as well as through
media events broadcasted via the Internet during the four day event.
Location of the Hearings
The Hearings are international, and the location outside the U.S. is
intended to give that message. At the same time, there are good reasons
to choose a location reasonably close to the attacks of September 11,
2001 so that people directly associated with the events, such as
victims’ families, can travel to the Hearings. Toronto is a 9-hour
drive from New York City. Toronto’s Ryerson University has been chosen as the site of the actual hearings.
Participants
The key participants in the Hearings will be moderators, witnesses,
and an independent panel comprised of respected international citizens.
Moderators will guide the witnesses and panel through the presentation
and discussion of evidence. Witnesses (chiefly expert witnesses, but
possibly eyewitnesses as well) will speak of their research findings or
experiences and, where appropriate, will formally submit evidence to the
panel. An international panel of distinguished citizens will listen to
the witnesses, examine their evidence, raise questions and engage in
discussion, and submit a report after the conclusion of the Hearings.
Each day of the Hearings will have one or more themes. For example,
day 3 of the Hearings (Sept 10, 2011) will focus on the destruction of
the World Trade Center. The following individuals have agreed to
participate as expert witnesses on this day: Niels Harrit, David Chandler, and Jon Cole.
The Hearings will be moderated by Michael Keefer (Canada) and Matthew Witt (United States) and the final report will be edited by the American attorney James Gourley.
Themes on days 1, 2, and 4 will include: al-Qaeda, air defense
failures, anomalies of Flights 77 and 93, the nature of false flag
terrorism, and psychological resistance to accounts that challenge the
official one. Peter Dale Scott, David Ray Griffin, Laurie Manwell, Graeme MacQueen, Lance DeHaven-Smith, and Kevin Ryan are
some of the confirmed witnesses. The Hearings will also include
addresses, during the day and in the evenings, by eyewitnesses and by
members of 9/11 victims families.
Who is the Sponsor?
The lead sponsor of these Hearings is the International Center for
9/11 Studies. Established by U.S. attorney James Gourley, the Center is
currently known best for its success in gaining the release of
approximately four terabytes of video evidence held (and kept from the
public) by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Organizing and Planning Structure
A Steering Committee, an Advisory Committee and several Working
Groups have been set up to coordinate the planning of the event. The
Steering Committee currently consists of James Gourley, Laurie Manwell,
Graeme MacQueen, Kevin Ryan and Adnan Zuberi. The Advisory Committee is
an international group consisting of about a dozen experts, 9/11 family
members, and people of influence. Working Groups include
video-conferencing and recording, communications, media relations and
fundraising.
Call for Support
The Toronto Hearings Steering Committee would like to make an appeal
to all citizens around the world who are sincerely committed to
discovering the truth about the attacks of September 11. Let’s make
2011 the year of evidence-based research, truth, transparency and
justice pertaining to the events of 9/11. If you cannot spare the time
to attend or follow the entire Toronto Hearings, please consider making a
generous donation (
http://torontohearings.org/donations/) to the International Hearings Project. With your generous help, truth and justice will prevail.
September 11, 2011
marks the 10th anniversary of the events in New York and Washington that
have played a dramatic role in modern history.
