Australian Union President Questions 9/11, PM Responds
Shannon Deery, Stephen McMahon From: Herald Sun October 20, 2010 12:27PM
Source: Herald Sun
UPDATE 7.51pm: JULIA Gillard has dismissed as "stupid and wrong" a senior union official's belief that the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy but has refused to discipline him.
Kevin Bracken, the president of the Victorian Trades Hall and secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, sparked anger this morning after claiming the attacks were not the result of terrorist activity.
"I believe the official story is a conspiracy theory that doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny," Mr Bracken told ABC talk-back host Jon Faine.
"In my mind the buildings were imploded."
Faine initially thought the call was a hoax.
"I challenge you to a public debate," Mr Bracken said to Faine.
"Aviation fuel doesn't get hot enough to melt steel and no high rise steel frame building before or after September 11 has ever collapsed due to fire."
Faine described the claim as a "nutter theory".
The Federal Opposition seized on the comments in Parliament today, with Victorian MP Josh Frydenberg asking Ms Gillard what action she would take against Mr Bracken “to send a message that such remarks are unacceptable”, The Australian reported.
“Obviously I don’t agree with the remarks, obviously they are stupid and wrong,” Ms Gillard said.
“The Labor Party is a large organisation, people join it as individuals – we don’t dictate what people think.”
After being accused by Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne of not answering the question on discipline, Ms Gillard said: “If it is the intention of the Leader of the Opposition to expel every member who says something stupid, I’ll start sending him a weekly list.”
In Victoria, Shadow Attorney General Robert Clarke said Mr Bracken's comments were a direct insult to Australian soldiers serving in Afghanistan.
"It strikes at the very heart of the West's struggle against terrorism and it is a disgrace that while Australian soldiers are serving and dying in Afghanistan that Mr Bracken make these wild claims that undermine the very reason for their presence in Afghanistan," he said.
Mr Clarke called on Premier John Brumby to condemn these comments in the strongest possible terms and for the outspoken union leader to be disciplined.
"The Trades Hall Council needs to consider Mr Bracken's future as its president and the MUA needs to consider his future as their secretary,'' he said.
"These comments can't stand they need to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.''
Trades Hall secretary Brian Boyd said Mr Bracken did not speak on behalf of the organisation.
"The official Trades Hall position is not to entertain that theory," Mr Boyd said.
"We had almost 3000 working people killed in that terrorist attack. It was a terrorist attack, and we condemn it."
Mr Boyd said Mr Bracken's views had caused many debates behind the walls of Trade Hall.
"He is welcome to his views and we've discussed his theories," he said.
"But I totally disagree."
Mr Boyd said he stood by his colleague despite his extremist views.
"99 per cent of the time Kevin's a very good president," he said.
MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin distanced the union from the comment, releasing a statement saying its position on the attack was "unambiguous".
"The 9/11 tragedy was a result of a terrorist attack by international terrorists who claimed responsibility," he said.
"It is the MUA's position - one that I passionately support as national secretary - that this attack is one of the greatest affronts and abuses of human and civil rights in contemporary history."
This is not the first time Mr Bracken has voiced his controversial opinions on the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon.
In 2006 he told The Australian he believed the attacks only worked because the US Government was in some way involved.
"If they want to stop terrorism they've got to look at who was really behind September 11," Mr Bracken said at the time.
"It couldn't have happened unless there was participation from key elements of the American military and government and security services. I am not saying the whole lot were involved. But I believe the official story for September 11 doesn't stack up."
Mr Bracken said in 2006 his views on the terror laws and September 11 were his own, and he was not speaking on behalf of the union.
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Victorian Trades Hall Council support a new investigation?
Hello all,
For the record on the 28th of March 2008 the Victorian Trades Hall Council passed this motion after lengthy debate supporting a thorough and independent inquiry of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. From the minutes of the meeting on the 28th of March 2008;
“That this meeting of VTHC Executive Council calls for a thorough, independent enquiry into the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11.
The events of that day have been used to start pre-emptive wars “that will not end in our lifetime”. They have been used to attack civil liberties and legal principles that have been the cornerstone of civilized communities.
There is an urgent need to reassess the way we view the world after September 11 and we call for proper investigation into the events around that day.”
While I agree that they have not officially supported any theory around the events of 9/11 they do agree a new investigation is warranted!
It might be prudent to remind the VTHC and the media of this fact!
Victorian Trades Hall Council
Telephone: (03) 9659 3511
Fax: (03) 9663 2127
Email: hatkinson@vthc.org.au
Kind regards John Bursill - Australian 9/11 Truth Movement
Comment from NZ911Truth.org to the Sun Herald - SUPERB!
This comment was submitted today by New Zealand 9/11 Truth Spokeswoman Helen Waddington to the Herald Sun. I hope it's published because it is humorous, cutting and factual; exactly what we need in readers comments at news papers!
Thank you Helen for once again show us the way it's done:)
COMMENT TO HERALD SUN - 21 OCT 2010
Helen Waddington
www.nz911truth.org
Bravo Mr Bracken, a truely courageous Aussie! Thanks also to the Editors of this paper for reporting on this story. I have just listened to the Radio interview with Mr Faine of the ABC who did a great job of preventing Mr Bracken from sharing the available scientific evidence with the listeners and promoting the official conspiracy theory! This theory involves a sickly man with a laptop computer, hooked up to a dialysis machine in a cave in Afghanistan, leading a band of boozing, whoring, coke-sniffing, pork chop eating, suicidal "Muslims" who unerringly guided their hijacked planes directly into their targets, some of them despite being unable to successfully fly single-engine Cessnas. They were also able to bring down a 47 storey steel framed building in 6.5 seconds despite not flying a plane into it. The multi-billion dollar defense US system was defeated; not even the Pentagon, the most heavily defended building in the world, escaped the miraculous piloting feats of the kamikaze "Muslims".
No fiction writer would dare to use such a preposterous contrivance, yet many people believed George Bush when he told that story. What followed was a series of illegal wars of aggression, wars that continue to this day. I would like to see an end to the senseless killing of innocent people in the Middle East, but this won't happen until the truth about 9/11 is exposed.
Thanks again to Mr Bracken for being on the side of truth, not defending a Big Lie.
--END--
Kind regards John
Just did a Pod cast with Kevin for Visibility 911...
..should be up at the site by Monday!
Very interesting short interview 33 minutes.
Kind regards John
Today's news............he's sticking to the story:
Bracken stands firm despite PM slap down Melissa Jenkins
October 21, 2010 - 1:29PM
A union leader is sticking to his belief the official story behind 9/11 is a lie despite the prime minister slapping him down.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has described Peter Bracken's remarks as "stupid and wrong".
But the Victorian secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia and Victorian Trades Hall Council president stood by his comments on Thursday and called for an investigation into the tragedy that claimed 10 Australian lives.
Advertisement: Story continues below "Do I stand by my comments that the official story doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny? One hundred per cent I do," he told AAP.
"They're not just my views, they're the views of a lot of people."
Mr Bracken said no steel frame, high rise building had ever collapsed before or after September 11 due to fire.
He said there was no explanation for the free-fall speed collapse of World Trade Centre 7, which was across from the World Trade Centre.
"If it can't be explained, there must be something else besides what they are trying to officially tell us," Mr Bracken said.
"Prime Minister Gillard is doing what politicians have done in this country for a long time and they've answered the agenda of shock jocks.
"We should be having debate on issues. We shouldn't be ridiculed because we have a different opinion."
Mr Bracken called on the federal parliament to investigate what happened on 9/11.
"I believe there has been enough debate generated that there should be a proper investigation into the events of September 11," he said.
"There is not enough rational debate about issues in this country, that's why we've been at war in Afghanistan for so long and we've never even debated it.
"We're at war in Iraq, you know our young people are being killed because of lies."
A federal parliamentary debate on Australia's role in Afghanistan entered its third day on Thursday.
Vote Support
Show your support and vote in this poll showing support for his 9/11 stance.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/trades-hall-president-kevin-br...
Awesome.
Thanks for voting!
Do you think Kevin Bracken's comments were reasonable?
* Yes 65.19% (4493 votes)
* No 34.81% (2399 votes)
Total votes: 6892
He wont back down!
Kevin is ROCK solid!
Regards John
Herald Sun Poll: 70% Support Bracken on 9/11
http://911truthnews.com/herald-sun-poll-70-support-bracken-on-911
Kevin Bracken Demands Right of Reply by 9/11 Truth News
Thanks John!
Hats off to a man of profound strength of character.
It was painful to listen to the scathing arrogance of the the host, from ABC, aka Newcorp. Murdoch, yeah, that talk host was owned by the "boys", the mafia like operation that seems to be our government./War profiteers interactive entity,? Sure seems like it. Media are their partners in it all. That vile shill/host just identified himself as either a Robotican like chump, or an employee of the United States Propaganda Ministry. There is so much back scratchin' goin' on, it's a regular orgy of blood money. Disgusting beyond words.
Kevin Bracken is an international hero. Humanity is who he serves. Our hearts all go out to him. Historic breakthroughs are happening in this campaign to permeate the well sculpted psychosis of the masses, Shock and awe administered and engineered by the war profiteering media complex's elites. Those walls are breaking down. Humanity is seeing it. The ones that are turning their head the other way, as more and more comes out, are getting tired of turning their head.
We really are going to have problems with the upcoming attempts by the FCC to start censoring.
http://visibility911.com/activate/node/112
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!
Kevin is great mate of mine and he is TRUE BLUE as they say!
Kevin has been there since day one in Australia being vocal since 2006 on the issue. He is a hero and a legend. He also has rather large testicles:) it would seem being bashed by out PM directly...ouch!
I am a delegate for the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association and an ex Delegate for the the Electrical Trades Union so you could say we are working comrades against the elite mongrels that run this planet:)
Happy days here in the front line in Australia.
I've more good news coming...the first Australian TV interview with a 9/11 Truth Advocate!
Kind regards John
WOW
Please post video as soon as it happens.
Holy dooley mate!
Great stuff John.
I dare say you're a legend yourself for your work on behalf of 911 truth in Australia.
Related! The MUA of Victoria also called for a new investigation
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/union-rejects-officials-9...
Tittle: Union rejects official's 9/11 comment
THE Maritime Union of Australia has distanced itself from comments made by one of its officials who says the September 11 terrorist attacks on America were an "inside job".
MUA Victorian branch secretary and Victorian Trades Hall Council president Kevin Bracken told ABC Radio the 2001 attacks were not properly understood.
"In my mind, the buildings were imploded," Mr Bracken said today.
"Aviation fuel doesn't get hot enough to melt steel and no high rise steel frame building before or after September 11 has ever collapsed due to fire."
MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin later today distanced the union from the comment, releasing a statement saying its position on the attack was ``unambiguous''.
"The 9/11 tragedy was a result of a terrorist attack by international terrorists who claimed responsibility,'' he said.
"It is the MUA's position - one that I passionately support as national secretary - that this attack is one of the greatest affronts and abuses of human and civil rights in contemporary history."
Mr Crumlin said during the aftermath of the attack, the MUA gave its sympathies and support to those affected by the tragedy.
"Any other view, by any member of the MUA, is an individual or personal view and not that of the organisation," he said.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard also labelled Mr Bracken's comments "stupid and wrong" when she was quizzed on his comments during parliamentary question time.
"Obviously, I don't agree with the remarks. Obviously, they are stupid," she said.
--END--
The MUA of Victoria have supported a new investigation into 9/11 back in 2008 which is on the record.
Kind regards John
INTERESTING
Isn't it interesting how the song often changes when the spotlight comes on.
This is big news!
Kevin Bracken stands tall !!
This.............
made my day!
No terrorists involved?
The subtitle on the Herald Sun article reads: "Trades Hall president Kevin Bracken says terrorists had nothing to do with the 9/11 tragedy." Is this true? Or is the Herald Sun misrepresenting what Kevin Bracken said? No one should be claiming to know who was or wasn't involved in the incident until a proper investigation has been performed; and I hope Kevin Bracken would understand and agree that we don't yet know (with any certainty) who the participants were. If the Herald Sun is misrepresenting Bracken's statements, they should get some negative feedback about that. It's important that sources like the Herald Sun get the facts straight on these matters, because quotes from such sources are routinely being chiseled into virtual stone - they are taken by the general public as authoritative.
He didn't say that...
Because he says the "official story" can not be true and the building were imploded this means there were no terrorist?
Your right it's an extrapolation not a quote made out to be a quote. I believe Kevin like most of us believe terrorist were involved including the brown Muslim people who were blamed for it without evidence presented to the public!
Regards John
Two were exploded!
I'm happy for this controversy, but the TwinTowers were exploded, not imploded as seen with Building 7.
...
It was terrorism in any case of course. So terrorists certainly did it. But we don't generally use that label for the home-grown i.e. governmental variety. Top levels of government had to be involved obviously.
If it was terror...
then of course 'terrorists' were involved!
It drives me crazy when supposedly skeptical, independent-minded people demonstrate just how successful that powers-that-be have been in brainwashing us into accepting their terminology (the same goes with the slanted use of the term 'conspiracy,' which I've heard many people who should know better implicitly accept).
If it was an act of terror, meant to terrorize civilians, then by definition, the perpetrators were terrorists.
To dispute whether 'terrorists' were involved when what one really means was whether 'Muslim extremists' were involved only demonstrates just how successful governments and corporate media have been in getting so many of us--including their own critics--to internalize and accept their equating of the two--to the point that people are unable to conceive of a 'terrorist' who is not a 'Muslim extremist.'
These are the very kinds of tricks of politicized speech that Orwell warned us about.
I 100% agree!
Yes of course your right!
Being right unfortunately does not undo the brain f...ing I mean washing:)
Regards John
In principle, yes; but in practice, no
The word "terrorist" has been effectively redefined; just as the word "gay" was hijacked sometime in the sixties or seventies. "Terrorist" now has a different meaning: someone who holds views which the federal government of the United States finds politically disagreeable; or someone who the United States government has declared a terrorist, regardless of their views or actions, possibly as cover for some operation. "Terrorists" can also be people who never existed or who are dead; kept alive in public discourse for purposes of fear-mongering. Effectively, the word "terrorist" no longer serves any useful purpose except to deceive, mislead, and instill fear in people; and its use should be carefully monitored.
Language and tyranny
Yes--these words are 'misused' --and to speak of 'misuse' implicilty recognizes that they have an authentic meaning, independent of the uses towards which people in power try to put them.
It only helps the purveyors of mass brainwashing when people who disbelieve their stories implicitly accept their warped definitions. Language is such a weapon that it is a mistake to think we can ever prevail while conceding to them the mastery over language which they seek. Language is a common possession of the human species, and is usurped and turned into the instrument of the ruling class to a large degree because we become resigned to, accepting of, and complicit in their cynical attitude towards it.
We expect deceivers to use words like 'terrorist' this way. Truth-tellers are supposed to contest them, and this means taking advantage of any opportunities to challenge their stunted use of the term 'terrorist,' otherwise we become complicit in furthering their propagandistic efforts to ensure that the term never includes white guys in suits.
In France qestionning 911 is a tabo subject as well.
John MITCHELL
Herblay FRANCE
bonjour,
thanks very much for this post.
Yes the heart of the problem is :
"It strikes at the very heart of the West's struggle against terrorism and it is a disgrace that while Australian soldiers are serving and dying in Afghanistan that Mr Bracken make these wild claims that undermine the very reason for their presence in Afghanistan," he said.
If it was an INSIDE JOB then the Australians soldiers have no "justification" for being there. Worse they are in the wrong to be killing the brave Afghan freedom fighters. I can understand that it depresses them to be on the wrong side. During the second world war, the general DE GAULE was called a terrorist and later a freedom fighter. According to Shadow Attorney General Robert Clarke's words, I have a feeling the that Australian soldiers have a more moral conscience than him.
In France qestionning 911 is a taboo subject as well. We must not demoralise our soldiers present in Afghanistan. But the soldiers there, are not stupid and one day as has already happened in the human history they will turn against their officiers.
Yours
John
Moving post!
As an ex-Infantry Man I hear you and I am moved!
Lets hope it all comes to a head soon for those brave young men who know not what they do:(
Regards John
Damage control
FEAR FEAR!! BE AFRAID!!! FEAR!!
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has emphasised the threat of terror attacks in the parliamentary debate over the Afghanistan war
Big news!
I have been waiting for this. Bracken's position has been known for some time - I wondered if he would ever speak out again. Now he has and the Parliament has taken the bait - don't they realise that ANY attention to this issue benefits US not THEM? Apparently not.
Ha ha! More fool them. What a pathetic retort from the PM. Gillard is exposed as a liar - I did wonder about the emotional tone in her voice recently in various places. I suspected then, and am even further convinced now, that this obvious emotionality was related to her realisation that she may be on the wrong side of history and true moral decency, and yet is TRAPPED by her own situation.
As for Kevin Rudd, he is a spineless jellyfish of a man, with a pompous, contrived vocal manner and a completely gutless, sterile vision of Australia's future, along with a distorted appraisal of the overall value of his own moral inclinations and other abilities. In Foreign Affairs, Rudd manages to make brown-nosing look sophisticated. He can be counted upon to deny any problem with September 11 to the very end! He, and other labour heavyweights, will back Gillard strongly. After all, they all stand to lose.
This is unambiguous good news, and as an Aussie I feel excited and energised by this development. Now we have to keep the pressure on and just keep on exposing the lies. John, thank you for your efforts and I look forward to hearing your interview with Mr Bracken.
Ignorance and fear and
Ignorance and fear and psychic numbing surrounds the 9/11 "Brand". Many, if fact most people, don't have the expertise to understand the event on the many levels it exists on. When someone sees the complexity and magnitude they will simply high behind the OCT because the opposite is an even more frightening conclusion. Unraveling 9/11 is understood as meaning legitimizing our governments, the MIC, the media, and the institutions that "define" reality. Too many people are afraid of that, don't know what it will mean, and fear this.
Others think the only way to build a better world is based on truth and justice. It's that simple. Keep the devil you have of take a chance with something else. The status quo, by definition, fights to preserve itself. That's what they do.
Great post !
You´ve captured the cruel conundrum facing the political class - "on the wrong side of history" - and absolutely no way of straddling the issue - which does indeed "strike at the very heart of the West´s struggle against terrorism" (Robert Clark).
What a time to be a Labor faker or political hack.
Shaky
Gillard's voice has been VERY shaky lately. I heard it in various speeches at different times and places. I believe it is even possible that top ASIO or military people have shown her "the reality of the situation" because I sense something important has frightened her.
I listened to her speech in the Parliament. Just as she was uttering the words of denial, her voice quivered with unmistakeable fear. Something is going on at high levels in our Government. Everyone knows this is heavy shit. They are frightened. These are things my intuition tells me from watching Ms Gillard. The game is up and deep down, they are beginning to realise it.
They deny 911 Truth, but it's gonna bowl 'em all away. Their denials won't mean anything then.
You´re no doubt on to something -
whether on a conscious or sub-conscious level there HAS TO be a great fear on top-side. Their strident, almost hysterical attempts to shame us into silence are not working - and where does this end ... ?!?!
Audio Interviews
mp3's linked from the articles:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2010/10/20/3043311.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/10/21/3044273.htm
Make sure to vote in this newspapers poll
55% think Kevins remarks are reasonable.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/trades-hall-president-kevin-br...
She is coming to terms
with the corruption she decided to get herself into. All polititians want to make it to the top. But australians are a little more humble than their american counterparts. It would be a difficult thing to intergrate into.
K-rud had Peter Garret on his team, Peter Has lobbied against big mining companies etc. for decades through his popular music group 'midnight oil' .
When the carbon tax thing did not go through ( i beleive they were seriously looking at reducing emmissions fro the large coal plants in aussie) they imposed a substancial mining tax. Almost immediately after that K-rudd and co were forcefully removed from government and Gillard propped up.
Garret was blamed for several independent contractors' dodgy construction methods for installing goverment subsidised insulation while he was environment minister , in a strategic move I beilieve (speculation) was lobbied by big mining companies like rio tinto to get Garret out...
When K-rudd did not sack him like the MSM proposed, and imposed a mining tax K-rudd was also sacked...
Big business has the governments by the balls, it is blatant now and it seems thay have to come out in the open to get thier plans done, it surprises me hopw little outrage there is about big business controlling supposed government.
Great news
Thanks to John, and all of the Australian truth movement.