Infowar: Laden Played it First, then America took over-- PART II

Infowar: Laden Played it First, then America took over-- PART II

By S Raghotham

Not only did the media not press the demand for evidence against Bin Laden, US TV networks went to some lengths to manufacture consent for the war

Then started the American media blitzkrieg.

The Evidence Against Bin Laden

Less than an hour after the second plane was rammed into the WTC, the American government and media had already decided who had done it - Bin Laden, who else?

To date, nobody has seen the evidence against Bin Laden. On Sept 13, just two days after the attacks, Colin Powell said at a Meet the Press that he was "absolutely convinced" that the Al Qaeda network headed by Bin Laden was responsible for the attacks. Powell also said the US "will be able to publish a report linking Bin Laden to the attacks." Powell was already talking of war too. On Sept 13, he said "Laden and Al Qaeda must be targeted…" (CNN). No such report as promised by Powell has been made available to the media publicly. In fact, not even the anti-terror coalition partners have seen any such report - Tony Blair said he had seen "irrefutable evidence," Musharaff said he had seen the evidence and was satisfied - Blair is America¿s staunchest ally, and Musharraf is now a frightened kitten.
The next day, the New York Times reported: Bush Singles Out Laden. That was the end of all inquiry. It was already time for war, with Mr Bush¿s "Make no mistake" speeches all over the television networks.

The same day, CNN presented the following under the heading: What Proof of Laden¿s Involvement?

"Investigations into who was behind Tuesday¿s terrorist attacks in the U.S. began just hours after the first plane struck the North Tower of New York City¿s World Trade Center.

Within 48 hours some 4,000 special agents and 3,000 support personnel were assigned to the case, with about 400 FBI laboratory specialists deployed to examine the forensic evidence.

Almost immediately the finger of suspicion was pointed at exiled Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden and his shadowy group of followers known as al Qaeda, or "The Base."

He has been implicated in a series of attacks on and plots against U.S. targets, and also has a well-known grudge against the United States and its people.
On top of that there is the compelling evidence that men connected with him have targeted the World Trade Center before -- in a 1993 truck bomb attack that left six dead and more than 1,000 injured.

Bin Laden has denied that he was himself involved in those attacks but nonetheless has said he supports the actions of those who carried them out. "

That was it.
Sept 20, the NYT was still acknowledging that "Law enforcement officials ... appear to have little solid evidence tying Mr. bin Laden¿s group to the attacks."

Even on October 8, when the destruction of Afghanistan had already started, the NYT reported: On Thursday, the first glimpse at the investigators¿ findings was released by British prime minister, Tony Blair, after the Americans declined to do so. But the British document includes several paragraphs that seemed to admit that some evidence was circumstantial.