Scholars for 9/11 Truth under Attack

The author of an article about the attack on the World Trade Center has found himself under attack for having published it in a new on-line publication, Journal of 9/11 Studies. Entitled "The Third Elephant", the article discusses evidence that a third
airplane was captured on video at the time of the WTC attack. He has now received a thinly-veiled threat against his children, who are cited by name, suggesting it would be a good idea if his article were to simply "go away".

Scholars for 9/11 Truth is a non-partisan society of experts and scholars committed to exposing falsehoods and revealing truths about the events of 9/11. The journal, which is archived at journalof911studies.com, is its latest attempt to create forums for discussion and debate about these
important issues beyond its web site, which is archived at st911.org. The author, Reynolds Dixon, a writer and Professor of English, former lecturer and Fellow at Stanford University, has withdrawn from the society.

"Threats of this kind have no place in a democratic nation", said James H. Fetzer, the founder of S9/11T. "These are the tactics of brown-shirts and totalitarians who fear the discussion of controversial questions that threaten the government's control over the governed. This is a despicable act and we are not going to back down!" He added that the organization itself will assume responsibility for the study, which Reynolds has relinquished. "We cannot allow advances in understanding what happened on 9/11 to be suppressed by threats to our members. The stakes are simply too high."

In Wisconsin, another member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth, Kevin Barrett, who has been active in efforts to inform the American people about discoveries that have been made by Scholars—including that the Twin Towers were destroyed, not by the impact of airplanes or the ensuing fires, but by sophisticated controlled demolition; that Vice President Dick Cheney gave a "stand down" order to not shoot down the plane approaching the Pentagon; and that the FBI has now confirmed that it has "no hard evidence" connecting Osama bin Laden to 9/11—confronts the loss of his job.

A Wisconsin legislator, Stephen Nass, Republican of Whitewater, has called for the University of Wisconsin-Madison to immediately fire him from his
teaching position. The UW Office of the Provost has announced that it will conduct a 10-day review of Barrett's plans for an introductory fall course in Islam and of his past performance as a teacher at UW-Madison. Provost Patrick Farrell has endorsed his freedom of speech, but "We have an obligation to insure that his course content is academically appropriate, of high quality, and that he is not imposing his views on his students."

Prominent experts and scholars who are members of S9/11T include Steven Jones, a professor of physics at Brigham Young University; Morgan Reynolds, former Chief Economist for the Department of Labor in the George W. Bush
administration; Bob Bowman, who directed research on the "Star Wars" program in both Republican and Democratic administrations; Andreas von Buelow, the former director of Science and Technology for Germany; and David Ray Griffin, professor emeritus of theology at the Claremont Graduate School and author or editor of four books on the events of 9/11.

Concern about academic freedom at UW-Madison extends beyond the Scholars group. Ron Rattner, an attorney from San Francisco, CA, for example, has written to Provost Farrell with the observation that, "When teachers are intimidated against seeking and speaking truth on a campus renowned for its liberal and progressive traditions, we are in trouble". He added, "Universities are for inquiries, not inquisitions. UW must operate in the traditions of La Follette, not McCarthy". Robert La Follette was noted as a progressive leader, while Joe McCarthy portrayed his opponents as
subversives.

Fetzer observed that the right wing is continuing to attack faculty who speak out on 9/11. "During an appearance on Hannity & Colmes (June 22, 2006), with Ollie North sitting in for Hannity, I made points about controlled demolition, the "stand down" order, and the FBI's position," he said, "but but they were more interested in whether I was discussing these things with my students than whether they were true." On a subsequent appearance on Laura Ingraham's program (June 30, 2006), "She had her staff chanting about 'nutty professors' before I was even introduced. Then, after I made some telling points at the end of the program, they edited their archived copy and cut it off after a long harangue attacking me. That is intellectually dishonest."

Many other members of S9/11T, including Morgan Reynolds and David Ray Griffin, have spoken out in defense of academic freedom and in opposition to censorship and curtailing research into 9/11. "These nasty threats against the children of one member and the freedom of speech of another", Fetzer said, "make a sorry statement about this nation on the eve of the 4th of July." Coincidentally, Fetzer will appear with Barrett at the Mid-West Social Forum on Sunday, July 9, 2006, from 9-10:30 AM, at the Student Union of UW-Milwaukee, to discuss 9/11.