MOTIVES
1997 - CFR & Trilateral Comm member Zbigniew Brzezinski publishes a book urging the US to control the world's natural resources to maintain global domination despite public's uneasiness about US projecting external power and cautions it will become more difficult to get consensus on foreign policy with an increasingly diverse US society unless public perceives a massive direct external threat. (Brzezinski: 'Grand Chessboard'😉 Sept 14 - Council on Foreign Relation member Gary Hart says 9/11 attacks is chance for Bush to carry out a "new world order." (CFR)
Sept 10 - Donald Rumsfeld announces Pentagon has lost track of $2.3 trillion (CBS, DoD), attacks came near end of fiscal year & important budget information was located in the damaged area (Arlington County), large number of fatalities at Pentagon were civilian accountants, bookkeepers and budget analysts. (Pitt Post-Gazette)
Oct '01 - Only 1 1/2 months after 9/11, the 342 page USA PATRIOT ACT is signed into law. (White House)
Oct '01 - Hundreds of gold bars that was stored under WTC 4 are discovered in a delivery tunnel under WTC 5 that was being transported on the morning of 9/11 by a 10-wheel truck that was crushed along with several other cars by debris, yet no bodies were recovered. (NY Daily News, Times Online)
Nov '02 - Dept of Homeland Security is created to lead the fight against domestic terrorism. (CBS)
Poll Cites GOP Gains Since 9/11 (Washington Post), Gov't terrorist warnings boost Bush's approval ratings. (Cornell U) '9/11 effect' won Bush votes on Democratic turf near Ground Zero. (New York Post)
Military budget increase:
Sept '00 - PNAC calls to increase US defense budget, but says won't happen absent a catastrophic event like a "new Pearl Harbor." (ABC, PNAC)
Sept 5, '01 - Rumsfeld asks Senate to approve new '02 defense budget which has largest spending increase since the mid 80's. (DoD)
FY 2002 budget request is a $37.8 billion, or 11.5% increase from '01 request. (DoD)
FY 2003 budget request is a $40.1 billion, or 10.9% increase from '02 request. (DoD)
Afghanistan, opium, pipeline
July '01 - US plans to invade Afghanistan by Oct '01 (BBC, Guardian), Sept 4 - White House approves plan to invade Afghanistan (CBS, USA Today), Sept 10 - Plan awaits Bush's approval (MSNBC), Oct '01 - US invades Afghanistan. (DoD) War in Afghanistan would have been politically impossible pre-9/11. (USA Today)
July '00 - Taliban bans cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan (BBC), Mar '05, Afghanistan opium production surges. (USA Today)
1997 - Taleban are in Texas for talks with Unocal about an Afghan pipeline. (BBC)
Feb '98, Unocal rep testifies before congress that an Afghan pipeline can't happen without a single stable Afghan gov't and asks the US to use it's influence to end conflicts there. (US House of Reps)
Aug '98 - Unocal suspends Afghan pipeline activities because of deteriorating political conditions there. (Unocal)
Dec '98 - Unocal drops out of Afghan pipeline consortium. (Unocal)
1999 - US paid entire annual salary of Taliban gov't in hopes to secure a stable Afghan gov't to allow US companies to build a pipeline there to connect to the Caspian Sea. (SF Chronicle)
May '01, US gives $43 million to Afghanistan and becomes their largest donor two years in a row. (CNN)
Some say current military campaign in Afghanistan has hidden objective - revive gas pipeline and open the way for U.S. companies to build further facilities to carry central Asian oil. (BCC)
Dec '02 - Afghan gas pipeline deal signed. (BBC, SF Chronicle)
May '05 - Afghan pipeline draws closer to reality, Afghan President said project was a 'top priority.' (Christian Science Monitor)
Iraq, oil
1998 - PNAC calls for a war in Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein who they say threatens Israel and the world's oil supply. (ABC, PNAC)
Jan '01 - Bush had pre-9/11 Iraq war plan according to Treasury Dept memo. (CNN)
Bush made plans for ousting Saddam and for Iraq's oil before 9/11. (BBC)
9/11 - Barely 5 hrs after the Pentagon crash, Rumsfeld begins strike plans against Iraq. (CBS)
Feb '02 - Bush admin was warned statements that Iraq trained Al Qaeda in weapon making was fabricated, yet they would later use same statements as foundation for military action in Iraq. (NY Times, AFP)
White House officials say privately 9/11 was main reason for war in Iraq (ABC)
, Bush says US is in Iraq because of 9/11. (CNN, White House)
Jan '03 - Memo reveals Bush was determined to invade Iraq despite UN backing and discusses ways to provoke Saddam into a confrontation. (NY Times, BBC)
Sept '03 - Poll later finds 70% Americans believe Saddam-9/11 link. (USA Today)
Downing Street Memo warned Saddam not a threat and US fixed intel around their war policy. (London Times)
9/11 Panel says no evidence connecting Iraq to Al Qaeda. (Washington Post)
Oct '04 - CIA report later concludes no WMD's in Iraq as Bush used to help justify war. (CNN, BBC)
Dec '04 - Ex-CIA agent says he was sacked for not faking Iraq WMD reports. (Washington Times