Will Truth Commission expose 9-11 &

UFO secrets?
March 6, 7:55 AM · 14 comments

Senator Leahy at Truth Commission Hearing. Photo:AP

On March 3, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Senator Patrick Leahy, held a

hearing on creating a nonpartisan "commission of inquiry" to investigate wrongdoing
during the eight years of the Bush administration. The proposed “Truth Commission”
focuses on a number of areas since 9-11 where the Bush administration broke the law in
the "war against terrorism". According to a statement released by Leahy, “Nothing has
done more to damage America’s place in the world than the revelation that this Nation
stretched the law and the bounds of executive power to authorize torture and cruel
treatment.” Six expert witnesses spoke at the hearing on behalf of or against Leahy’s
proposed Truth Commission which he believes will help restore America’s “moral
leadership.” Leahy’s proposal needs to be expanded to investigate all wrong doing in the
Bush administration. A Truth Commission with a broad mandate can expose many areas
in addition to those pointed out by Leahy where laws were violated in classified
programs. Getting witnesses to emerge to reveal these violations has the potential to
expose many secrets, including unanswered questions about 9-11 and the facts behind the
UFO phenomenon.

Leahy’s proposal is a compromise between those wanting Attorney General Eric Holder
to investigate wrong doing during the Bush administration, and those seeking, in the
words of Leahy, to “obstruct and delay” such an investigation. Leahy further elaborated
on the merits of his “middle ground” position:

Over the last month, I have suggested a middle ground to get to the truth of what went on
during the last several years, in a way that invites cooperation. I believe that that might
best be accomplished though a nonpartisan commission of inquiry…. Such a commission
of inquiry would shed light on what mistakes were made so that we can learn from these
errors and not repeat them.”
If a Truth Commission goes ahead, then former Bush administration officials are given
amnesty to testify about all they knew. According to Leahy:

People with first-hand knowledge would be invited to come forward and share their
experiences and insight, not for purposes of constructing criminal indictments, but to
assemble the facts. If needed, such a process could involve subpoena powers, and even
authority to obtain immunity to secure information, in order to get to the whole truth. Of
course, this avenue would be pursued in consultation with the Justice Department and
would not rule out prosecution for perjury."

A Truth Commission will encourage many former officials, in exchange for amnesty, to
testify about all they know and did. Many illegal activities can be revealed that occurred
in classified programs that provide cover for those authorizing such activities. The idea of
restricting a Truth Commission solely to the Bush administration’s policies in dealing
with detained prisoners, however, should be dismissed. A much broader mandate is
needed.

Truth and Consequences Panel - Senate Judiciary Committee - March 4, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX4Oa3OBJf8

While a Truth Commission will allow the truth to emerge, it also gives wrong doers an
escape strategy from potential prosecution. This will upset some since the historical
results of Truth Commissions have been mixed. Critics of Leahy’s Truth Commission
view it as unnecessary since the Department of Justice has all the power it needs to
conduct an investigation and to prosecute wrong doers. When Leahy first proposed his
idea of a Truth Commission at Georgetown University in Feb 9, 2009, one of the most
trenchant criticisms came from George Washington University Law School Professor,
Jonathan Turley. Turley said the proposed Truth Commission is a “shameful” effort to
“block the investigation” of “war crimes” by the Bush administration.

Turley and other "Truth Commission" critics overlook the high standards of evidence
needed to successfully prosecute criminal cases. For example, the criminal investigation
into the leaking of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame's name lasted more than three years
(December 2003 - March 2007) and resulted in the conviction of a single person many
regard as a scapegoat - Lewis “Scooter” Libby. More senior officials responsible for
authorizing Valerie Plame’s name for political purposes were never prosecuted since
documentary evidence was hidden and/or destroyed. A Truth Commission would be
more likely to have the truth emerge on Bush administration policies since it would
not be burdened by the high evidentiary standards needed for criminal prosecution.

If Leahy’s Truth Commission goes ahead with a broader mandate to explore all wrong
doing in the Bush administration, then truth will emerge about more issues rather than
soley the treatment of terrorism detainees. Three months after President Bush began
office on January 20, 2001, a Press Conference was held at the National Press Club in
Washington DC., concerning UFOs. Twenty two witnesses came forward on May 9,
2001, to reveal evidence that UFOs are intelligently guided vehicles of possible
extraterrestrial origin, and governments are illegally suppressing the release of this
information. Four months later, the world was absorbed by events on September 11, and
interest in the May 9 UFO Press Conference quickly waned. There has been relatively
little interest in a possible relationship between 9-11 and UFO secrets revealed at the May
9, 2001 Press Conference. A Truth Commission will do much to release the secrets
behind unanswered questions concerning 9-11 and the truth behind the UFO
phenomenon.