Nooshin Navidi
On August 6, 2001, the White House received an official memo titled: "Bin Laden Determined to Attack within the United States." The title of this memo is casually uttered by Condoleezza Rice in answer to a question during her testimony before the 9/11 commission.This comes after she poorly & *repeatedly* dodges important questions about this memo and other similar tips given to her and the administration about the threat and why no measures were taken to prevent the 9/11 tragedies. This is only one of many disturbing clips featured in this film, which goes on to expose mounds of damning & documented evidence that the Bush administration not only HAD been warned repeatedly about the threat (and specifically about planes used by terrorists as weapons to blow up several important buildings), but that they had already taken steps to protect themselves and their families during their own travels and stays abroad. Time and time again, Bush, Cheney, Rice, Ashcroft, Fleischer and others in the Bush administration denied ANY knowledge of threats when questioned in interviews & press conferences. The evidence leaves no doubt as to their knowledge and subsequent failure to prevent the attacks.I'm not really much of a conspiracy-theory type, but seriously, how can anyone learn these facts and still fail to be troubled by them? The warnings could not have been more specific, practically connecting the dots FOR the CIA and the administration. We also learn about researcher, Paul Thompson, and his critical role in exposing the multiple conflicts in media reports (beginning at the 29-minute mark.) His research made it twice as hard to watch clips of the press conferences given at the time by Bush and his officials feigning ignorance when they were more than aware of the threats. The media managed to miss lies and inconsistencies in a number of press conferences and interviews.We may never know the complete truth behind the horrific events of 9/11, and it would be naive to give the other countries involved a Get-out-of-Jail-Free card, but it's impossible to watch this film and not feel outraged at our own government.
pcurley
This movie is intended as a "lite" introduction to the more fevered 9-11 conspiracy theories without quite donning the tinfoil hats. How could the military have so rapidly responded to Payne Stewart's plane in 1999, but not to the 9-11 hijackings? Answer: Because the military didn't respond rapidly in 1999. It took 81 minutes, far more time than the military had on 9-11. Why didn't the 9-11 Commission Report mention the collapse of Building 7? Because it was irrelevant; nobody died there and in fact the collapse of the building was anticipated by the FDNY. At its heart this film is dishonest; the filmmakers (and several of the subjects of the film) believe in the full-bore conspiracy theories, but they chose to cloak themselves in the guise of "Just asking questions" because they sense that the public disagrees with their paranoid world view.
slurm23
i don't comment often on movies here, but this documentary is an extraordinary exception to the rule. i've seen a lot of the 9/11 stuff out there - from countless news shows, investigative reports and documentaries on mainstream media here in Europe as well as in the States to the pretentious and self-indulging "fahrenheit 911" and even to the far-out Alex Jones and "loose change" stuff. this is the first movie that asks exactly the right questions in an objective, detached and unbiased way (except if you consider the search for truth as some kind of bias).. i guess it should have been expected that in the end only the families (and in large part the strong and courageous women in those families) would be able to muster the necessary efforts for this quest for truth..having received an academic education i tend to be careful about claims without proof or indication to the source.. i wasn't there and therefore i don't know what exactly happened on 9/11, but throughout human history being somewhat skeptical to the official version has always served societies best. the approach of this movie, the families of the 9/11 victims and the "timeline project" of Paul Thompson come closest to scientific research given the financial and organizational limits of ordinary citizens and independent reporters..the movie doesn't give answers and will most likely be rejected by the nowadays thriving conspiracy theory community.. it doesn't rely too much on emotions or dwell on human pain and therefore will most likely miss the attention of a mainstream audience.. it only gives a brief but nevertheless important account of established hard facts and the still unanswered questions that arise as a result.since 9/11 has been the catalyst for not only going to war in Iraq, but also changing and abolishing many laws that were created to protect the civil liberties of Americans and Europeans alike the importance of this event can't be overstated. therefore i can only recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in an mostly accurate overview of what still needs answering in regard to this tragic event.as 9/11 will dominate the political agenda for years to come it is IMHO paramount to demand those questions answered and have some accountability realized in politics as well as in the media. we owe it to our children to ensure that not just SOME measures are taken against the threat of terrorism but that it's the RIGHT ones.. to ensure that not just ANY countries are invaded by our troops but the RIGHT ones.. only if those decisions are made on a sound foundation will there be success in the war on terror and future generations can live in a world made safer by our emancipation from official versions of world events and the unanimously consensual corporate media...
David Nelson
This film is necessary to watch if someone wants to know what facts were left out of the official 9/11 Commission Report. While steering clear of conspiracy theories and "what-if" scenarios, this film nonetheless explains much of what has been missing from our national discussion about the terrorist events of that day. All in all, the film is a damning examination of Bush Administration officials who got spanked by the now-famous Jersey Girls for doing less for U.S. citizens than they did for themselves and the Bin Laden family. Truth to power. That President George W. Bush has still not admitted what this film, and its many contemporaneous news sources, proved about his actions shows him to be a liar or an incompetent.