No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden, is set to be released under the Dutton imprint of Penguin Publishing House next month. Subtitled The Autobiography of a Navy Seal, this book will be the first direct account of the events. Articles published after bin Laden’s death were accounts from officials who had debriefed the members of SEAL Team 6, not the members of the teams themselves.

The book is written by one of the navy seals who participated in the mission firsthand, under the pseudonym Mark Owen. The author was the leader of one of the teams during the mission that killed bin Laden on May 2, 2011. For their protection, the names of all of the SEALs on the mission have been changed. Scheduled television interview will feature the author in disguise, with his voice altered.

Co-author Kevin Maurer is a journalist that has worked for the Navy SEALs six times and is the author of four books.

Penguin plans on printing 300,000 copies for the release on September 11, 2012 and continuing through the holiday season. The book is expected to be a bestseller.

So far, the book is the best kept secret of the company. While described as a “blow-by-blow narrative of the assault, beginning with the helicopter crash that could have ended Owen’s life straight through to the radio call confirming Bin Laden’s death” and “an essential piece of modern history” by the publisher, other officials were caught off guard by the announcement.

John Kirby, Navy spokesman, told the New York Times that “The author did not seek Navy support/approval for this book.”

George Little, Pentagon press Secretary, told the Times that “he had not read the book and was unaware that anyone in the department had reviewed it.”

CIA spokesman Preston Golson said “As far as we can determine, this book was not submitted for pre-publication review.”

Tommy Viater, National Security Council spokesman, said “We learned about this book today from press reports,” and added, “We haven’t reviewed it and don’t know what it says.”

It is unclear whether any legal action or attempt to stop the publication will be taken as of this time. This is indeed possible: all 10,000 copies of a book by a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer who described operations in Afghanistan were destroyed before publication because the book hadn’t been reviewed by official.

The book has the potential to impact the upcoming 2012 election, putting one of President Barack Obama’s achievements in the limelight before voters cast their ballots. According to the Washington Post, it may also raise issues on their aggressive campaign toward information leaks, while supposedly allowing the press in on many secrets.

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Alexandria, U.S.A. — Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) commented on the announcement of the first U.S. Navy nomination for director of the Missile Defense Agency, Rear Adm. James D. Syring for appointment to the rank of Vice Admiral.

“The Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta announced that the President of the United States, has nominated Navy Rear Admiral James D. Syring for appointment to the rank of Vice Admiral and for assignment as Director, Missile Defense Agency to replace the current, Lt. General Patrick O’Reilly who is currently under investigation by the Defense Department’s Inspector General’s office whom have recommended the Pentagon leadership take corrective action against him.

This marks the first time in history that the United States Navy will have the Directorship and Command of the Missile Defense Agency and its predecessor organizations since the initiation of the Strategic Defense Initiative proposed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. The United States Air Force, the United States Army and a Presidential appointed civilian have overseen and commanded the development, acquisition and research of missile defense since 1983.

The United States Navy is the main service and platform for U.S. sea based missile defense around the world which will have 28 current Ballistic Missile Defense Capable Aegis Ships in its fleets by the end of 2012 and the President’s planned European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) is dependent on the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense systems both on land and sea. The United States Navy is focusing on Directed Energy, Electronic Magnetic Force, in the Electric Rail Gun for future technologies and developments, all of which are applicable to missile defense.

Rear Admiral Syring is currently serving as program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C.

Image Courtesy of  jim.greenhill

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New York, U.S.A. - New evidence shows that the September 11th activities of former President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were falsely reported by official sources.

The 20-member 9/11 Consensus Panel analyzed evidence from press reports, FOIA requests, and archived 9/11 Commission files documents to produce eight new studies.

The international Panel also discovered that four massive aerial practice exercises traditionally held in October were in full operation on 9/11. The largest, Global Guardian, held annually by NORAD and the U.S. Strategic and Space Commands, had originally been scheduled for October 22-31 but was moved, along with Vigilant Guardian, to early September.

Although senior officials claimed  no one could have predicted using hijacked planes as weapons, the military had been practicing similar exercises on 9/11 itself — and for years before it.

The Panel, discovering widespread reports of confusion and delays in the defense response, looked into who was overseeing the air defenses after the second Tower was hit at 9:03 A.M.

Official sources claimed neither Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Joint Chiefs of Staff Acting Chairman General Richard Myers (filling in for General Hugh Shelton), nor  war-room chief General Montague Winfield were available to take command until well after the Pentagon was struck about 9:37.

Yet emerging documents and memoirs show that top leaders were engaged earlier — and later discussed a shoot down of the “let’s roll” Flight 93 before debris was scattered widely around its alleged Shanksville, Pennsylvania crash site.

Most intriguing is the mystery of who was running the Pentagon’s war-room during the critical early hours.

These findings follow hard on the Kuala Lumpur Tribunal’s May 15th verdict that Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld were guilty of torture and war crimes.

The Consensus Panel has completed 25 educational studies (using a medical consensus model) offering the “best evidence” regarding specific official claims about 9/11.

Its goal is to “provide a ready source of evidence-based research to any investigation that may be undertaken by the public, the media, academia, or any other investigative body or institution.”

Image Courtesy of   PaulSteinJC

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama landed close to Wall Street at 8AM EDT where the couple and the former presidential couple George W. Bush and his wife Laura greeted victims families at Ground Zero’s North Memorial Pool. At 8.40AM, the American National Anthem was sung as the US flag was raised on the main stage.

The reading of the names of those who died continued all through the service. The Telegraph reports how pairs of relatives of the victims took turns to read out around ten names each and finishing with their deceased relative to whom they addressed a personal message.

To mark the moments when each plane hit the towers, moments of silence was held during the ceremony. A third silence was held to mark the attack on the Pentagon while the fourth marked the fall of the South Tower. At around 10AM EST, the fifth silence of the day marked Flight 93, the United Airlines plane whose passengers managed to overcome the hijackers, as it crashed in a Pennsylvanian field, killing all onboard. The final moment came at 10.28AM EST and marked the collapse of the second tower.

At the Pentagon ceremony, US Defense Security Leon Panetta said: “We will never forget the human cost paid by this generation – the more than 6,200 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines lost in the line of duty. Like those taken from us on 9/11, we feel their absence every day. Today we think of their families who have suffered tragedy and heartbreak, but shown extraordinary resilience and strength. We think of the thousands of veterans who carry the seen and unseen wounds of war with them every day.”

Bill Clinton released a statement in honor and remembrance of the victims and their loved ones. He thanked those left behind who had the courage and strength to help others in need: “Because we live in the most interdependent age in history, it is difficult to be open to the positive forces sweeping the world while closing our borders to the negative ones. So we also honor the service of those who have worked so hard for the last decade to keep America safe, free, and still open to people of every race, culture, and faith.”

According to The Telegraph, 422.000 New Yorkers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of the events during September 11, 2001.

The air quality around Ground Zero took nine months to return to pre-9/11 levels and it is estimated that over 2.500 contaminant were released by the fallen buildings. The Telegraph reported that many rescue workers and survivors fell ill from exposure to the toxic air and 75 of the recovery personal has since been diagnosed with blood cell cancers.

At 9.15AM GMT, a morning service of ‘remembrance and reconciliation’ was held today at Grosvenor Chapel in London, UK for the families of British 9/11 victims. Deputy US ambassador to Britain, Barbara Stephenson was attending. Later at around 11AM GMT, the memorial service at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral began.

Outside the US Embassy in London, extremists were burning the American flag in protest. British Muslim extremist Anjem Choudary encouraged all followers of Islam to join, according to British The Daily Mail, as a response to plans of one church to stage an ‘International Burn-A-Koran day’. The leader of a Protestant church in Gainesville, Florida, Pastor Terry Jones is the man behind the idea of public burning of Islam’s holy book but his plan has faced criticism in the US.

Nonetheless, Mr. Choudary said to The Daily Mail “We have called for the people to burn the American flag so that instead of being humiliated or being intimidated they can make this day a day to remember the atrocities being committed in Muslim lands and to expose the aggressor.”

Violent clashed broke out between Osama bin Laden-supporters and London police in the streets outside the American embassy this morning, local time, as protesters were trying to storm the embassy. The Daily Mail reported that the protest comes amid heightened security in London in anticipation of a possible al-Qaeda attack — and only a few days after the British capital was singled out as a major recruiting ground for the terrorist organization.

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The tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks went as planned this past sunday. There was much to remember about that day. The lives lost and thousands of families upended, the lifesaving first responders at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the heroes of United Airlines flight 93.

Unfortunately, this event also reminded American citizens that there’s still insecurity and terrorist threats. The memories remain intact. After ten years, the story is so precise, so detailed, it seems that the attack on the Twin Towers in New York was in fact just last week. And just like the memories of that day, some are still assailed by the fear and insecurity left behind after the tragedy of September 11.

The State Department told that it had not received specific threats from Al-Qaeda or similar groups, but explains that people who were traveling or living outside America should take extra care. The State Department warned that anyone who wanted to leave the country had to register on the website of the State Office, embassy or consulate.

Alert notes were published, stating that previous attacks have been planned for important dates and that Americans abroad should keep alert. The tenth anniversary of the twin towers was remembered around the world. Ceremonies were held in several countries to commemorate the lives lost or destroyed and Obama encourages all U.S. citizens to participate in the event.

Some people do not accept the government’s version of the status quo. They believe that the government continues to play with people’s fear, to get American citizens to cooperate with the government. In the past, the government used Communism to scare the population and today the focus has moved to Al-Qaeda.

Conspiracists think that they are playing a game to get what they want: have everybody in USA united. The United State government insists that they are cautious, and they alert people only for public safety. Their responsibility is to make precautions and give people all the necessary information to be sure that everything is going to be normal.

For last Sunday’s event, the government and the city of New York was anxious that people’s lives were safe as they went to Ground Zero. John Coburn, EJay Weiss and Todd Stone, three artists who took on the task of expressing 9/11 in different art forms, showed their works in commemoration.

At least two dozen other September 11-related museum and gallery exhibitions were also being presented throughout the city. The Alice Austen House Museum and the Fire Department Retirees of Staten Island hosted the annual Remembrance of September 11 in honor of the 343 colleagues who lost their lives. The ceremony was held on the front lawn, overlooking the Manhattan skyline.

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In July 2010, the Department of Homeland Security launched a national: “If You See Something, Say Something” public awareness campaign. This program was designed to raise public awareness of indicators of terrorism and violent crime, and to emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the proper state and local enforcement authorities. Originally, this campaign was specifically for New York’s MTA and subway, but this campaign is now the motto for every situation, from airports to buses to other public areas. This campaign came in play in the early hours of June 17, 2011.

On Friday, June 17, 2011, the FBI captured 22-year-old U.S. Marine Corps reservist, Yonathan Melaku, of Alexandria, Va., after FBI observed Melaku inside Arlington National Cemetery in the early morning hours when the cemetery was closed. Authorities traced his car to a wooded area near the Pentagon. After initial search of the vehicle, there was no immediate threat found. Bomb experts searched Melaku’s backpack after authorities found a package labeled ammonium nitrate as well as spent firearm ammunition. Ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer, can be used in explosives. Bomb experts found the items were “non-explosive and inert;” however, the items are undergoing further testing. Authorities also found a notebook containing references to al Qaeda.

In addition to his arrest, Melaku already faces pending charges in Loudoun County, Va., for a line of vehicle break-ins. Melaku is a naturalized U.S. citizen and joined the U.S. Marine Reserves in 2007 where he had risen to the rank of Lance Corporal in the Combat Engineer Support Company. He has never been deployed abroad, but has been awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal.

Federal prosecutors announced June 23 that another arrest was added towards Melaku in connection with five separate shootings at military buildings in northern Virginia between October and November 2010. Law enforcement officials say that Melaku possessed explosive-making materials similar to those used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, as well as writings about terrorist organizations such as the Taliban. He is charged with two counts of destruction of property and two counts of carrying, using and shooting a gun in the commission of a violent crime.

The first shooting was reported on Oct 17, 2010, at the U.S. Marine Corps Heritage Museum in Triangle, Va. Prince William County police reported then that 10 rounds from a 9mm handgun were fired at the building in the early morning from about two football fields away. Two days later, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency reported at around 5am that shots were heard near the Pentagon South parking lot and A&E Drive in Arlington County. Police found three marks consistent with bullet damage. At 8 am on Oct 26, bullet damage was discovered at the Marine’s recruiting substation in Chantilly, Va. Though the building was under renovation at the time, police found bullet fragments. Three days later, someone discovered several more bullet holes at the National Museum in Triangle, Va. More than $94,000 was spent fixing the damage from both shootings and all bullets from the five shootings came from the same firearm.

Police found video recordings on Melaku’s home computer placing him near the U.S. Marine Corps Heritage Museum. The affidavit states that the video shows Melaku shooting a gun and making statements about shooting the military building before. After firing the gun he shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” which translates to “God is Great!”

As of now, he faces at least 10 years in prison

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The Obama administration is working to provide dissidents with a new tool in their struggle against corrupt regimes: covert communications networks that cannot be shut down by official censors.

According to The New York Times, the government’s plans range from parallel cellphone networks to a futuristic “Internet in a suitcase.”  The innocent-looking piece of luggage could easily be smuggled across a border and provide a highly-portable wireless connection that would give dissident groups a link to the outside world.  In essence, each ‘suitcase’ would act like a miniature cellphone tower and provide the ability to transmit information without using official networks.

In Afghanistan, the State Department and the Pentagon have spent $50 million to create an independent cellphone network to circumvent the Taliban’s attacks on official telecommunications services.  The US is also working to enable mobile phone users to send files directly from phone to phone via Bluetooth.

The recent uprisings in the Arab world have underscored the Internet’s  ability to foment widespread opposition.  Consequently, despots from Cairo to Damascus have sought to block their citizens’ access to the Internet in order to stifle uprisings.  During uprisings in 2009, Iran launched an “Internet slowdown” which made it much more difficult for activists to use social media to mobilize support for their cause.

“No matter how much circumvention the protesters use, if the government slows the network down to a crawl, you can’t upload YouTube videos or Facebook postings,” said Collin Anderson, a liberation-technology researcher who spoke to the New York Times.  “They need alternative ways of sharing information or alternative ways of getting it out of the country,” he continued.

Not all strategies are high tech, however.  In North Korea, America has shown an interest in local dissents who bury Chinese cell phones near the border for use in making clandestine calls.  Among other things, these calls have helped coordinate efforts to smuggle North Korean defectors across the border into China.

The New York Times quoted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying that “There is a historic opportunity to effect positive change, change America supports.”

“So we’re focused on helping them do that, on helping them talk to each other, to their communities, to their governments and to the world,” she continued.

The United States has a long history of using technology to undermine hostile regimes.  In 1940, it began using shortwave radio broadcasts to counter Nazi propaganda in Latin America.  The Voice of America began broadcasting behind enemy lines after America entered World War II.  And during the Cold War, it worked to counter Soviet propaganda.

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This year marks the ten year anniversary of the horrific events that have come to be known collectively as “9-11.”  On September 11, 2001- the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil was carried out.  The official story, which emerged rather quickly, was that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda were the masterminds behind the attacks.  It seemed to make sense and the explanation allowed Americans to have someone to blame.

In the months following the attacks, more questions about the official explanation began to appear.  The 9-11 “truthers,” as they are often called, range from those that believe the government knew about the impending attacks and chose to ignore it to those that believe the attacks were an inside job, with the U.S. government carrying out the attacks in order to justify a war in the Middle East.  The attacks also allowed the Bush administration to decrease civil liberties by passing legislation such as “The Patriot Act” and, more than likely, helped Bush win a second term.

Truthers point to a variety of different events on that day that they believe is reason to be skeptical about the official story.  They note that the Pentagon attack happened over an hour after the attack on New York City and point out that there was no response from Andrews Air Force Base, just 10 miles away.  Hani Hanjour, the supposed pilot of that plane, failed as a Cessna pilot on his first flight in a Boeing but was somehow able to execute a difficult aerobatic maneuver to strike the Pentagon.  The attack on the Pentagon hit the just-renovated side, which was largely empty and opposite from the high command. There is also considerable debate on the famed flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania.  Many family members and loved ones received last minute phone calls from passengers on that plane.  Did cell phones work on planes in 2001?  I tried to turn on my cell phone many years later on a plane and it did not work.  The scattering of debris found over the field has always suggested that the plane was shot down, not driven into the ground.  Truthers maintain that the buildings in New York City were brought down by controlled demolition and not by the planes that crashed into the buildings.  Even the staunchest believer in the official story questions why building #7 was destroyed, even though it was not hit by a plane that fateful day.

Although, there are plenty of other questions and inconsistencies that truthers point out when debating 9-11, those are the major arguments.  The government has attempted to define the 9-11 truthers as part of a fringe movement, but a large part of Americans have some doubt of the official story.  The truth movement has websites devoted to the conspiracy, books, and movies.  One famous documentary about 9-11, Loose Change , is highly critical of the official explanation and offers a thorough critique of the official explanation.  The movie, in its entirety, can be viewed on YouTube.

Whether you believe that bin Laden was responsible or not, questions surrounding the tragedy should not be dismissed or taken lightly.  Our country often attempts to vilify anyone who questions the government or official explanations.  But, it shouldn’t be that way.  We should not blindly follow any person or any explanation, because we are not sheep.  And if history has taught us anything, government is not infallible and has committed much more evil acts than what 9-11 truthers believer.

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