Marion Cotillard buys the other version of 9/11

There is nothing new about film stars who spout political nonsense or subscribe to wacky religions. But it is still worth a mention when the French winner of the new Oscar for best actress says that the World Trade Center was not attacked by terrorists but was blown up by its owners on 9/11 -- and that the Americans may never have landed on the moon in 1969.             

Marion Cotillard made these points in a French television interview that was broadcast a year ago, before she achieved fame with her role as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.  The video has just been revived by Marianne2, the site of a leading leftwing news magazine. I'm posting it here with the English text (below) because it is a useful glimpse of an outlook that remains widespread, especially in hip leftwing circles in France. I run into people quite often who tell me that they do not believe in the conspiracy theories but "of course" everyone knows that there was much more to the 9/11 attacks than "they" tell us.

French support for the idea that 9/11 was engineered by the US government was fed by the success of a 2002 book by Thierry Meyssan. This argued that no airliner crashed into the Pentagon. The book was ridiculed after a while but it reached the best-seller lists in France and several other countries. As Cotillard shows, the conspiracy theory lingers.

Marianne has attracted a torrent of abuse from conspiracy believers since it posted Cotillard's remarks on its site on Friday. It explained why it revived her views: 

Our logic is simple. The remarks of Marion Cotillard are typical of a kind of excess which has affected the ranks of the left for several years.... The words of Marion Cotillard did not provoke the slightest reaction from the journalist who was interviewing her, nor from any of the television critics whose output fills our media.    

Here in English is what Cotillard told Xavier de Moulins, her interviewer.  The session took place in the Paris Catacombs. She mentions Coluche, a much-loved subversive comedian who was killed in a motorcycle crash in 1986.

Marion Cotillard: I tend rather often to take the side of the conspiracy theory.... I'm not paranoid. It's not paranoid because I think that they lie to us about an awful lot of things: Coluche, 9/11. You can see on the internet all the films of September 11 on the conspiracy theory. It's fascinating, even addictive.

They show other towers of the same type that aeroplanes have run into and which burnt. There is a tower, in Spain I think, which burnt for 24 hours... It never collapsed. None of these towers collapse. But there (in New York), the thing collapses. Then afterwards you can talk about it for a long time. The towers of September 11 were stuffed with gold. And they were swallowing up cash because they were built, I gather, in 1973. And to re-cable all that, to modernise the technology and all of that, it was much more expensive to carry out the work than to destroy them.

.... Did man ever walk on the moon ? I have seen a lot of documentaries on that and really, I wonder. In any case, I do not believe everything they tell me. That's for sure.

MONDAY UPDATE:

With the storm over Cotillard raging in the USA, we got the following explanation today from Bastien Duval, her agent:

Marion's reaction is that this video was filmed in special circumstances after a broadcast on Coluche (popular comedian killed in 86 motorcycle accident) and she was being asked to react to this broadcast. Marion then simply expressed the view that she wanted to form her own opinion (on 911) from watching various reports, but she never wished to call into question the events of 11 September.

This reportage has been taken out of context and one can only condemn such practises.  Marion deplores that. She is currently filming in Chicago and has a lot of work. She is in an ocean of happiness and voila, this row blows up. It's rather strange. It's an old report, not at all current. Why bring it out now ?

I talked three times to Marion overnight. This is worrying her. She is still in shock and does not really know how to react. She doesn't have to apologise for a badly presented and badly interpreted reportage.... She hopes that the Americans will have enough distance to understand, but her career is not just American. She can make films everywhere.

   

Comments

[textibule]

Charles,

I have always refused to even think about 9/11 conspiracy theories, although I believe the present US government largely capable of such things.

About 10 minutes before reading this post, however, and a very strange coincidence it is indeed, out of morbid curiosity I watched a video of WTC7 collapsing in the 9/11 confusion, well after the twin towers.

I'm thinking now, how is it possible not to believe that something sinister is going on. If the community mind here can shed light, I'd be interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzmKzr4ZN2Y

[Daniel Strohl]

My wife said: "Il ne faut pas tout mélanger", meaning that since Ms Cotillard is an actress, she should deal with acting matters, and nothing else - at least in public.

"The remarks of Marion Cotillard are typical of a kind of excess which has affected the ranks of the left for several years..."

Marianne know what they are talking about - LOL! However, they should at least try to apply their sound thinking to themselves (for instance "L'appel du 14 février" - LOL!).

PS : we have many TV channels - I would almost say "too many" - quantité ne rime pas toujours (ou rarement) avec qualité.

[qwerty]

There is a degree of silliness in French actresses (e.g.: Adjani's publicised tantrums with past lovers [and mysteriously hiding behind dark glasses all the time], Béart's problems in recognising she had cosmetic surgery, Binoche's religiosity, Marceau's and Paradis's behaviour at Cannes film festivals... and all of them voted for Ségolène Royal).

But generally, silly ideas seem to catch better with Americans, non? See: Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" and associated works (they're lying all over tables at the Paris W.H. Smith's and rank #12 on Amazon). That's based on a sort of conspiracy theory, and it's a book no French person would fall for (however....doesn't Paul Coelho sell extremely well in France?)

[concedo nulli]

Charles, casse-toi bouffon. Or discuss the merits of the "plan Attali".

[Little Big Horn]

Many American or English people believed in Iraqi mass destruction weapons if I remember well. They even made a war for that.

Some get vain prizes, some get hundreds of thousands of dead, terrorist nestles and civilian chaos abroad.

(I've even been heard that a consequential amount of people nowadays believe that the Universe has been created 7000 years ago in 6 days by a Super Daddy praising capitalism, that His Son Jesus saved humanity (even non-monotheist vegetarians) from all sins, that real life/world was indeed after death, and not on the web and, please believe me... that the Pope's chasuble is cleaned with a special new synthesis powder that makes water totally useless. It's an acquaintance's Swiss friend, banker in Vatican, who told me. No article about that?)

[azloon]

LBH

your world indeed is dark and muddled territory.

-------

re marion

her 'drivel' is no different than that of millions of people in many countries who have not a scintilla of discriminatory thinking ability.

[gisèle]

Je connais plusieurs américains vivant en France qui croient que WTC7 a été détruit de l'intérieur car sa façon de s'imploser était invraisemblable comme résultat de la destruction des Twin Towers.

Il est indisputable que deux avions se sont écrasés sur les Twin Towers, et que ceci était une attaque terroriste. Si vraiment il existe des gens qui peuvent se permettre de profiter d'une telle monstruosité pour s'epargner le coût des travaux, nous devons nous demander dans quel genre de monde nous vivons - ou ILS vivent plutôt.

L'idée que l'homme n'a jamais marché sur la Lune vient sûrement du film "Capricorn I"?

[Mary Fernandez]

Kooks and idiots who spe

Popular Mechanics had a gaggle of Engineers refute all the conspiracy theories. WTC7 fell because the debris from WTC1 and WTC2 gutted a full corner of the building. Besides burning for most of the day, it was left standing like a three-legged table. http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/1227842.html

I believe Purdue university did a similar study with a computer simulation. (Sorry, can't find the link in less than 5 minutes).

That is a late night show on a cable tv called Paris première. The show called Paris dernière is rated for adults because of its "kinky" if not porno style.
Lots of people like to babble and fantasize about conspiracy theories, it should not be taken too seriously.
I remember the TW 800 flight crash near New York, a majority of TWA staff wanted to believe the plane had been hit by a missile shot by US Navy. An American journalist made a show of himself during a congress at Cannes, trying to propagate rumour that a US Navy ship had accidentally shot that missile.
Do you really believe that kind of outlook is widespread ?

[millier marc]

.

le vote de johnny hallyday, sardou, bigeard ,mireille Mathieu.Raphi de la star ac, faudel, enrico macias c qui ont voté pour sarko representent évidemment la culture française!!!!!!

[Gail Johnson]

She obviously didn't have someone she knew call their Mother to tearfully say goodbye right before they died. One of my best friends had to comfort her son on the phone that morning right before he died. Another relative of mine SAW the planes hit the towers. It was the full jet fuel and where they hit the towers that caused the "implosion". But I'm sure she feels that the Hollicoust didn't happen too!

In the history of Construction & Engineering, no steel structure or building has EVER collapsed because of fire. WTC buillding collapsed, bur fire was not the cause.

[Jill Dandy]

Textibule, have a look at http://911proof.com/index, http://www.911truth.org and http://georgewashington.blogspot.com. These should give you a good introduction.

[Jill Dandy]

Textibule, have a look at http://911proof.com/index, http://www.911truth.org and http://georgewashington.blogspot.com. These should give you a good introduction. There are also websites by architects, scholars and pilots with their own contributions to the case (http://911scholars.org & http://pilotsfor911truth.org).

[bouhh23]

Come on there's nothing to do with being pro or against America. She's not the only one who doubt about all these cases. I think she is scared of the craziness money and power bring, Just watch the entire documentary Paris derniere. And I just don't understand why it is shocking, I mean she was questionning why and how it happened, She did not deny all the suffering it caused.
They just take an old interview now that she's known in the US >>> too easy !

[judy]

A fabulous actress doing a phenomenal job on the screen. As an actress I give her a '10'. In evaluating science or real life; perhaps a '2'. If I wanted to see a great film - I would look to her. If I needed medical opinion or an objective scientific value - I would look elsewhere.

[Daniel Strohl]

QWERTY,

Congratulations! You know our actresses better than many French, or at least me.

May be one could add Arielle Dombasle to the list?

[rocket]

anonymous

I love it! out of the blue a hot and run!

"In the history of Construction & Engineering, no steel structure or building has EVER collapsed because of fire. WTC building collapsed, bur fire was not the cause."

Where are your sources?

Right. It was structural failure due to the steel melting and then structural failure. (Yes, steel can melt!)Had there been no fire from the outset this wouldn't have happened.

But that was a little bit difficult with 24,000 gallons of highly combustible jet fuel sprayed into the building after an impact shock at over 880km/hour. In fact a little faster and the plane would have broken up before hitting the building as it was going so fast.

Even a little tiny building can go down because of a gas explosion. Right here in wonderland.

http://tinyurl.com/yo2nxl

"Le 30 octobre dernier, une explosion, due à la perforation d'une conduite de gaz lors de travaux de voirie à Bondy, avait fait un mort et 52 blessés. Le 22 décembre, un immeuble s'effondrait à Noisy-le-Sec après la détérioration d'une canalisation de gaz lors de travaux sur la voie publique. L'accident avait fait cinq blessés."

And I persist

http://tinyurl.com/3exzem

"The collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center shortly after being struck by airliners occurred because New York City banned the use of asbestos as a fire retardant during the buildings' construction, one industry expert has alleged."

You can make all of the comparisons with the Windsor Tower that you'd like

http://tinyurl.com/2tel6v

MC: One can show you some other similar towers hit by planes, which have burned… there is a tower, I think it was in Spain that burned for 24 hours.
Interviewer: Before collapsing?
MC: It never collapsed! None of these towers collapse. And then, within minutes, the thing collapses.

She is referring to the Windsor Tower in Madrid, which burned for about 24 hours and didn't collapse. It is a favorite citation of conspiracy theorists. But there are some huge differences:

1) The Windsor Tower was 32 stories, not 110 as in the World Trade Center;

2) The Windsor Tower fire was not started by jet fuel;

3) The Windsor Tower wasn't hit by a 767, with the resulting structural damage and fireproofing stripped away;

4) The Windsor Tower wasn't really a steel-framed building either. Half of the building was pure concrete, with steel framing covering the top 16 floors.

see also

http://www.debunking911.com/madrid.htm

So what are you trying to say?

[peta jones]

So disprove her comments rather than discredit her!

[Jeannette Isabella]

Well, La Vie en Rose is the last Marion Cotillard movie we'll ever watch. We bought the DVD, but have now tossed it in the bin.
She's an idiot who is beyond disrespectful to the people who died in the Twin Towers, including the heroic firefighters and the innocent passengers on the hijacked planes. What about the 9/11 documentary that was made by FRENCH filmmakers? Are they part of the conspiracy as well?
Cotillard is a silly, vain, attention-seeking poule.

[John Bayldon]

So the US government conspiracy- all carried out by a mad Arab in an Afghanistan cave, has now become the new holocaust- an unquestionable indistputable fashion fact.
I did not need to read the article above to know by the plus mad 1984 phrase " ...."BUYS" the other 9/11 version" Doubleplusdumbspeak. Meaning 'For god'ssake don't look at the facts for yourself reader-thickos- simply believe the honest, truthful US government and its bosses. It wasn't Zionists at all mad Arabs with oil reserves, who Israel had begging the USA to slaughter, did it, I tell you because, er because er They hate our freedoms, Yeah yeah wooo woo war on terror, etc.
And in case you feel tempted dear dummy, er news consumer- we won't actually print the full English text of what the woman said. It's for your own good dear reader- trust us, you wouldn't want to bother your tiny mind with all that factual stuff- someone from practical mechanics-Duh! said that er, something or other, and anyway it's not cool. Ignorance is the new wisdom.
Ps This writer was warning about the 9/11 attack- four years before it happened- Within three months we shall be slaughtering Iranians after another false flag- faked attack on 2 US navy ships in the Gulf. This will also be a Tonkin - Lusitania coincidence. But the zionists shall have their slaughter, and the USA will have the oil-and so it goes-over and over again.

[Mary Fernandez]

Posted by: | 2 Mar 2008 20:48:28

1. How do you think they make steel? (Hint: It involves fire).

2. Fire weakens steel which does cause collapse. Your statement is oft repeated but is also patently false.

This my last comment on this idiotic subject. Why would one assume that the same people who can't pull off a simple robbery at the Watergate Hotel could fool the world for decades about a moon landing? Or, GWB could mastermind 9/11 but can't run Iraq or save New Orleans? Stop watching so much X-Files.

[Mary Fernandez]

Posted by: | 2 Mar 2008 20:48:28

1. How do you think they make steel? (Hint: It involves fire).

2. Fire weakens steel which does cause collapse. Your statement is oft repeated but is also patently false.

This my last comment on this idiotic subject. Why would one assume that the same people who can't pull off a simple robbery at the Watergate Hotel could fool the world for decades about a moon landing? Or, GWB could mastermind 9/11 but can't run Iraq or save New Orleans? Stop watching so much X-Files.

[Fraser]

Mlle Cotillard is in very good company.......

“From areas around the Palazzo Chigi, nerve centre of direction of Italian intelligence, it is noted that the non-authenticity of the video is supported by the fact that Osama bin Laden in it ‘confessed’ that Al Qaeda was responsible for the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers in New York. However, all of the democratic areas of America and of Europe, with the Italian center-left in the forefront, now know full well that the disastrous attack was planned and executed by the American CIA and Mossad with the help of the Zionist world to falsely incriminate Arabic countries and to persuade the Western Powers to intervene in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
(Former President of Italy, Francesco Cossiga in “Corriere della Sera” 11/30/07)

"The planning of the attacks was technically and organizationally a master achievement. To hijack four huge airplanes within a few minutes and within one hour, to drive them into their targets, with complicated flight maneuvers! This is unthinkable, without years-long support from secret apparatuses of the state and industry."
(Andreas von Bülow, former German Defense Minister)

“During the time that the airplane was coming into the Pentagon, there was a young man who would come in and say to the Vice President…the plane is 50 miles out…the plane is 30 miles out….and when it got down to the plane is 10 miles out, the young man also said to the vice president “do the orders still stand?” And the Vice President turned and whipped his neck around and said “Of course the orders still stand, have you heard anything to the contrary!?
(Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta testifying to the 911 Commission)

http://www.patriotsquestion911.com/
Patriots Question 9/11 - Responsible Criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report

http://www.ae911truth.org/
AE911Truth

http://pilotsfor911truth.org/
pilotsfor911truth.org

[Andrew Lowe Watson]

Her doubts would be startling if they were unusual. In fact they are shared by intelligent men and women all over the globe, including heads of state (the former president of Italy), high ranked members of the US Military and insiders in the Bush government. Why do the media not report these facts?
http://patriotsquestion911.com/

[qwerty]

No, no, none of all that. 9/11 was entirely my fault. I was having a "rupture sentimentale" by phone at the very moment it was happening, and the crash was quite obviously a synchronous conflagration (see Lolita, Nabokov, chap. 10). I only saw the images later that day on the news (too busy writing my "lettre de rupture") and thought they were a trailer for a catastrophe movie.

BTW, BHL or someone affirms that half of all Americans think that when they're driving the car God is sitting in the passenger seat talking to them.

Daniel: I've been bitchy about the French actresses I mention, but Dombasle is not to be put on the "silly" list, she's an icon and a sincerely good person.

[Barrie Garfinkel]

John Bayldon:

Thank you again John, for the salient point that the Zionist (Jews) did it.
It proves again that the idiots never sleep.

NEVER AGAIN!!!

[dan]

The 9/11 conspiracy theory is the greatest idiot test of our times.

Shame Cotillard is an idiot, ah well..

[mike]

If the lie is big enough it will become a 'fact'. Such is history. e.g. Historians (even some Spanish ones) now concede that initially the Moors did not invade Spain but were invited by the Visigoths to sort out a small civil war - and then stayed welcomed by the inhabitants who suffered under the Visigoths, especially the Jews. There were later invasions by fanatic Almohads but that was aaginst the ruling Moorish caliphate. But you still read in the history books about the 'occupation' of Spain. If 800 years is an occupation then just about every country in the world is still occupied. The 9/11 official story will be recorded as such so that in 500 years it will BE fact. Whatever the truth.

[Anton the Irascible]

There's open-minded . . .
and then there's empty-headed.

[thurney]

je ne sais pas ce qui est le plus affligeant de nullité entre l'article et les propos de Marion.... peut être l'article quand même... au moins Marion est sexy.
En tout cas je ne savais pas que le Time devenait un tabloid.

[Fraser]

Mr Garfinkel, please take a look at the following lists of individuals who also question the official account of 9/11....are these people all "idiots" too?

http://pilotsfor911truth.org/core.html
core group @ pilotsfor911truth.org

http://patriotsquestion911.com/
Patriots Question 9/11 - Responsible Criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report

[verite]

As posted earlier
http://www.ae911truth.org/
might be a good place to start for those who have not researched the idiocy of the official conspiracy theory, followed by http://pilotsfor911truth.org/

Recently revealed are future flight bookings by the alleged "hijackers".
In reality, there is a psychological security blanket, like faith in the "system," which prevents many from examining all the facts.

[nila]

TEXTIBULE,
Thank you for showing this video...

[S Ward]

Thermite was used to melt the steel as the steel was still in a molten state typical of the use of that product several weeks after the collapse. Also it is against the laws of nature for the buildings to have collapsed in about 8 seconds which is what they did unless it was free fall i.e. the intervening floors did not pose any obstacle to the flight of the higher floors. This could only occur if each floor was blown out consecutively as the building collapsed. A typical collapse based on the design and heat generated would take much longer if a collapse was possible at all. Designers of those buildings dispute that possibility.Security dogs trained to sniff out thermite and other explosives were removed from the building the week before as maintenance work between floors was carried out. Also the insurance claim was drastically increased several months before the tragedy. These are just some of the inconsistencies not raised not just by left wing loonies or crazy actresses as some accuse this lady of but professors in universities specialising in structural design in the states. Theyve all been massively discredited by a neocon party who largely own the media i.e. Fox news and other networks. The reason for doing it? Read the Project for the New American Century manifesto published years before by the neocons who came to power in the Whitehouse who claimed the dismantling of Iraq and the secured interests of US power required a new Pearl harbour event to justify it.

[Little Big Horn]

Mr Azloon,

My "dark and muddled territory" as you said, is called "France", from an old gallic word that used to mean, at dark and muddled ages, "territory". Then became "franc": clear, frank, straight.

"France" is now... a country, that has produced among other things, enlightened churches, called cathedrals, the Loire Valley castles, the polyphony, the musical (and chess) notation, the (chivalry) novel, with a profane and roman dialect known today as.. the French, the "enluminure", the scolastic, the dissertation and the cartesian philosophy, the Champagne, and claret, the guillotine, the "soutien-gorge" (bra), the menu, and wine list, the “galerie des glaces”, the gardens "à la française", Hugo, Racine and La Fontaine, the "vouvoiement" and the "futur antérieur", the large boulevards, the encyclopedia, the metric system, Brassens, Rodin, Fragonard, the "laïcité", the langage of diplomacy, a nuclear industry that works, etc...

And if you needed two last examples in this mess which express in various ways the French natural and constant care for "france", la clarté, clearness, it could be: aviation (Icarus, who wants to escape from the labyrinth), and cinema (Narcissus, who wants to see how he looks like). Wings and mirors.

French Enlightenment generated clearness too (Voltaire, Rousseau...). But it produced also a collateral damage called the "United States of America", a not always bright territory since WW2. As far as "dark and muddled territory" are concerned, the United-statians, with due respect, should from time to time reread Freud's "Introduction to Psychoanalysis". But it may be a too dark continent to explore. Or maybe the myth of “Oedipus Rex” if you like (you know, the blind guy). Very clarifying to start a reflection on one’s collective uncounscious, identity, mind, myths, believes, spirit, especially for a neurosis people, disconnected from the reality, dreaming. it’s called make the genealogy of its morality. Some may discover why they need violence, torture, evil, war, gods, death penalty, domination, terror, guns, fear, and enemies outside, for instance, to get their identity, their mental health, and belong to an innocent and united... country, enlightened about reality, in order, at work.

My dark and muddled world Mr Azloon:

"Dans le cristal d'une fontaine
Un cerf se mirant autrefois
Louait la beauté de ses bois,
Mais ne pouvait qu'avec peine
Souffrir ses jambes de fuseaux
Dont il voyait l'objet se perdre, dans les eaux…"

"Une eau courait fraiche et creuse
Sur les mousses de velour,
Et la nature amoureuse,
Dormait dans les grands bois sourds"

Yes it's lost in darkness nowadays, although pretty clear, as "de l'eau de roche". Pure clarity. To each is own light. The new frontier for Americans: understand their repressed genesis, and the barbaric French! Don't blame the French Azloon, they may be your fathers!!! Maybe some day your fellow citizens will find an English word for "reconnaissance". It could be the reason why you Anglo-Saxons have created this site, and why some spend their time on it? Yep? Nope?

Besides, "franc" means also "free". Sur ce my friend... may the force be with you.

[razatork]

appalling.

Nothing new though, people can become pretty irrational when it comes to the us, especially leftists; add to that the fact that they like to believe they are smarter than the rest of us, and you get that kind of mentality.

For her defense, women often struggle to find legitimity in france; while it looks very liberal from the outside, the french society is actually one of the most conservative you will find in europe.

What is really surprising though is that it hasn't been picked up in the us blogs or media, maybe you should send this article to around. :whistle:

[Fraser]

“U.S. military sources have given the FBI information that suggests five of the alleged hijackers of the planes used in Tuesday’s terror attacks received training at secure U.S. military installations in the 1990s.”
(Newsweek Sept 15th 2001)

“As the investigation gathered strength Saturday, unusual leads began to surface, among them the possibility that some of the hijackers may have received training at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida or other U.S. military facilities.

Two of 19 suspects named by the FBI, Saeed Alghamdi and Ahmed Alghamdi, have the same names as men listed at a housing facility for foreign military trainees at Pensacola. Two others, Hamza Alghamdi and Ahmed Alnami, have names similar to individuals listed in public records as using the same address inside the base.

In addition, a man named Saeed Alghamdi graduated from the Defense Language Institute at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, while men with the same names as two other hijackers, Mohamed Atta and Abdulaziz Alomari, appear as graduates of the U.S. International Officers School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and the Aerospace Medical School at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, respectively. ”
(Washington Post Sept 16th 2001)

"The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it."
(Adolf Hitler)

[azloon]

Denying the Holocaust is a crime in France.

the U.S. hasn't found it necessary to criminalize speech, but if it had, Marion would be receiving future oscars via video link, a la roman polanski (a convicted pedophile).

[WTaylor]

If this was a conspiracy then there was also a conspiracy by the French Government when the French were routed by the German army with the intention of dragging the US into the European conflict so that Americans could spill their own blood on French soil to save the baguette and the french fry - Causes worth fighting for!!
French troops participating in Iraq or Afghanistan? Nah!

[Lily]

“I'm thinking now, how is it possible not to believe that something sinister is going on.” (Textibule)

This thread reminds me of a past thread about the smoking ban in France – with many new contributors who said smoking was healthy. Here, there appears to be a pro-conspiracy theory lobby at work. Most others agree on the official theory.

Reading through all this, I have come to reconsider 9/11 and am impressed about the substance provided by these critics of the official version. Cotillard may be a more credible actor than political commentator …, but I don’t categorically dismiss what she said – except for her doubts about the moon landing.

Rocket’s explanation looked good, but I changed my mind and think those lobbyists are hard to disprove. There seem to be too many inconsistencies in the official theory.

[Grumpy B]

So Clinton can't get away with a quiet b... job in the White House (a private act of two), but Bush can blow up thousands in the WTC (a conspiracy of hundreds) without getting caught?

I thought these left wing nuts thought Bush was dumber than a bag of rusty nails? For 'dumbest' they really should look themselves up on facebook.

[Patrick]

Grumpy B, It might be worth noting that 100,000 people worked on the Manhattan project for 15 years and the first thing anyone knew about that was a loud bang and about 80,000 people killed in the blink of an eye one morning in Japan.

[Yah Weh]

If you think some `errorist` guys from a cave on the other side of the world had all of that happen, there is something wrong with you....US Neo-Cons (Fas..) absolutely utterly complicit in these events. Think Israel. If you think this is outside the bounds of reality, you clearly do not know much of modern history, particularly US Military history. Enjoy your awakening.

[Fraser]

For anyone who wishes to investigate this subject further, I highly recommend the following videos.....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3979568779414136481&q=911+press+for+truth&total=191&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1
9/11: Press for Truth

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3719259008768610598&q=loose+change+final+cut&total=356&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
Loose Change Final Cut

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6885277369482418431&q=terrorstorm+final+cut&total=39&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
Terrorstorm: Final Cut

[Believer]

think abt it, who keeps tellin us that the so called "Terrorist Nations" do not need to have nuclear weapons, while they themselves have been the only ones in history to have dropped a bomb on Hiroshima!

[Lisa]

So she made these comments a year ago before anyone had ever really heard of her? Ms. Cotillard is perfectly entitled to think and believe what she likes - as a great many are doing even in America. This "siutation" is being blown all out of proportion.

[Matt Hill]

Absurd. These allegations that WTC7 was brought down by controlled demolition are fairly easy to disprove, actually. Whenever buildings are imploded the charges used to sever structural supports are always evident because normally implosion is preceded by a string of synchronized explosive detonations from the highest floor to street level. Not only was this not the case at WTC7, the fact that the building collapsed asymmetrically would show that if someone had rigged the building for detonation in less than 24 hours (a major feat), they did a really bad job of it.
These claims that there is no explanation for the building's collapse are the funniest of all, to me. Did it escape our notice that the two tallest buildings in Manhattan had collapsed next door a few hours earlier? Falling from that height, even relatively light objects gain enormous kinetic energy; WTC7 would have been riddled by falling debris, much of which would have been quite large. I find it remarkable that the building survived the initial collapse of the south tower alone.
The video that someone posted that claimed that the collapse of the tower was a 'pyroclastic flow' reflects a complete lack of understanding of what that term means. A pyroclastic flow is an extremely high-temperature current of heated gas and rock, not concrete debris carried on wind currents. The video's assertion that a pyroclastic flow is formed by "explosive force" isn't really true either,in that Pyroclastic flows are gravity currents and insofar as the amount of explosives you would need to make one would have caused the building to explode like a bomb rather than settling neatly onto the existing wreckage. A pyroclastic flow down the streets of lower Manhattan would have literally caused aluminum and steel to burn; it's that hot (there are 'cold' pyroclastic flows that can occur at around 250 degrees C but they happen underwater). There would have been a stream of slag at Ground zero rather than a mound of wreckage. Just because a dust cloud moves in one direction (it was channeled by the street) and therefore looks like a pyroclastic flow doesn't make it one. You can't give expert advice on a subject you don't understand.
S Ward, how did they move the thousands of pounds of Thermite charges into the World trade center and then emplace them without anyone noticing? People did make it out, you know, lots of them. Thermite acts differently from conventional explosives but the effects would also have been immediate and obvious to observers. I'm not sure what "laws of nature" the building collapse violated by taking only 8 seconds. Perhaps you could enlighten us; are you an engineer? I know I am, and it makes perfect sense to me. This theory has no merit either.
One last thing, on a purely nonscientific basis. You all throw the phrase 'Neo-Con' around like you know what it means. Yah Weh believes they are fascists. Neoconservatism is, first of all, largely defunct as a school of thought. It also has nothing to do with militarism or central economic control as an actual fascist movement would. It's a foreign policy philosophy for the most part.
Patrick; the Manhattan project was conducted in an age before the internet, and it was hardly secret, either. The first tests were actually conducted at the University of Chicago on the squash court; everyone, including the Germans, knew about it; it wasn't secret at all. The 'Trinity' explosion was seen by dozens of people not affiliated with the project who could have informed the press, but never thought to.
If there were a secret project to murder some 3,000 of our countrymen there is no way it could have been kept secret. It's simply impossible. The government isn't out to get you, folks, as much as you would like it to be.

[gisèle]

Is there anyone else who remembers these two small things which "disappeared" from reporting about 9/11:
First, I heard GW Bush "en direct" on the radio say that "the folks" who had done this weren't going to get away. By the time I park my car and go in the house and put on the TV, he was saying "those".
Of course this proves nothing, but I think "folks" suggests people you know, are familiar with, maybe just a "Texasism" but not right in view of the events, so changed to keep a good image of the President? The image-masters were very quick to do this - it was literally seconds.
Next I remember hearing that a small suitcase had been found abandonned, I think in Chicago railway station, after the attacks.
One could think that in such circumstances they might clear the area and blow up any abandonned case in a public place in a major city.
But they didn't, they opened it and found inside a list of "Arab-sounding" names and a copy of the Qoran. Very convenient I thought.
I know I didn't dream this, but it was never again mentioned or developped. Does anyone else recall this?

[Matt Hill]

Okay, Moderator, how does 'Believer''s comment make it through? It's not even about this subject! Nuclear weapons aren't the topic here, and he closes with the assertion that God is going to destroy us. I should think it would be obvious by now that he's not going to take sides here. Might as well call for the armies of Christ to triumph in the Holy land and so recover the holy city of our lord for the pope and the people of Christendom! Let's keep to the original topic, eh?

[I've cut some of his/her comments. CB]

[Lily]

I think the lobby people (Believer, Fraser, Yah Weh, etc.) have had their word... - Let the others think for themselves now. Thank you.

[CB]

To update, Bastien Duval, Cotillard's agent, told us the following this (Monday) afternoon:

Marion's reaction is that this video was filmed in special circumstances after a broadcast on Coluche (popular comedian killed in 86 motorcycle accident) and she was being asked to react to this broadcast. Marion then simply expressed the view that she wanted to form her own opinion (on 911) from watching various reports, but she never wished to call into question the events of 11 September.

This reportage has been taken out of context and one can only condemn such practises. Marion deplores that. She is currently filming in Chicago and has a lot of work. She is in an ocean of happiness and voila, this row blows up. It's rather strange. It's an old report, not at all current. Why bring it out now ?

I talked three times to Marion overnight. This is worrying her. She is still in shock and does not really know how to react. She doesn't have to apologise for a badly presented and badly interpreted reportage.... She hopes that the Americans will have enough distance to understand, but her career is not just American. She can make films everywhere.

[gisèle]

"I think the lobby people (Believer, Fraser, Yah Weh, etc.) have had their word... - Let the others think for themselves now. Thank you." (Lily)

I always think for myself, no-one has to be swayed by anything they read here. You think perhaps Yah Weh and Believer take any notice of you? I don't think so. (I don't think it is fair to include Fraser in "the lobby people".)
And who do you mean "the others"?

CB when you publish this article, even with disclaimer - in very small print - you add fuel to the fire. It was sure to get like this.

[Owen]

When you start actually researching 9/11 (most people, who take up the argument which sides with the 'official theory', never do) you will see that evidence for a false flag attack is overwhelming. Contrary to what the right wing neo-cons would have you believe, it is not just a small group of left wing 'nutjobs' who take up the cause for truth, but an extremely well educated band of people. From constructional engineers and demolition experts to ivy league educated historians and the victims families, no-one is buying the commission report.
Research it yourself; as Cotillard says, it can be very addictive.

www.zeitgeistmovie.com is a very interesting documentary, which gives you a broader sense of what is going on, and exposes the past history and future intentions of the ruling class.

And 'loose change' (google it) is a documentary which focuses solely on the events of September 11th.

You owe it to yourself to watch these so that you can make up your own minds, and so you can start asking the questions that need to be asked.

[Matt Hill]

Thank you for cutting some of my post. If truth be told, I didn't really want to have that put up, It was just a suggestion for moderating the comments. Understand that the 12th century rhetoric was intended as a joke.

[azloon]

[My dark and muddled world Mr Azloon:

"Dans le cristal d'une fontaine
[Un cerf se mirant autrefois
Louait la beauté de ses bois,
Mais ne pouvait qu'avec peine
Souffrir ses jambes de fuseaux
Dont il voyait l'objet se perdre, dans les eaux…"

"Une eau courait fraiche et creuse
Sur les mousses de velour,
Et la nature amoureuse,
Dormait dans les grands bois sourds"]

LBH --

nice poem. all for me?? how sweet of you.

Comme pour le reste de votre message, je suis vraiment pas sûr de quoi il s'agit. Je autrement pourrait être offensé. Avez-vous essayé la traduction google programme?

----

ah, marion. we love you still, especially now that you've have apologized. *

we all make mistakes and you are demonstrating to your fellow french the value in recognizing and acknowledging your error (a cultural anomaly to judge by this blog). surely admirable.

would you mind sending your astute media advisor over to the Elysee where they are badly in need of advice?

*btw, marion, do you realize what a firestorm you unleashed on the timesonline french blog?

i think we can all calm down, now that marion has had the last word on 9/11 conspiracy theories. she did, after all, win an oscar. and that's not chopped liver.

[Infâme Cancrelat]

"But it is still worth a mention when the French winner of the new Oscar for best actress says that the World Trade Center was not attacked by terrorists but was blown up by its owners on 9/11"

It is also worth a mention when journalists make dishonest interpretations of other people's sayings. Or maybe not, as that happens so often.

[Rick, Montreal]

Trust in governments has remained at a steady, extremely low level since the Warren Commission tried to foist the "magic bullet" theory on the public as though we were 8 year olds. Conspiracy theories have been unstoppable ever since. That being said, I have scoured the yellow pages for Suicidal Demolition Companies, and have come up empty handed.

[Moron hater]

Charles... ARE YOU NUTS!!!??? These are a bunch of paranoid, ignorant fools spouting BS to give negative attention to anything American. Gee, let me see, Two multi-ton towers just crashed beside wtc7. Hmmm, I do not suppose that would have any effect on it's stability. Come on Charles, GET BACK TO REALITY BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

[Rick, Montreal]

Trust in governments has remained at a steady, extremely low level since the Warren Commission tried to foist the "magic bullet" theory on the public as though we were 8 year olds. Conspiracy theories have been unstoppable ever since. That being said, I have scoured the yellow pages for Suicidal Demolition Companies, and have come up empty handed.

She hasn't denied it happened nor the suffering it caused. She simply questioned the means by which it occured. It clearly has something more to it than terrorism. The war on terror is not a war on terror and we all know that by now. (if you don't, you're completely oblivious) America brought this on themselves, and she's only saying what a lot of ppl are thinking. It was said last year on a french tv show, and clearly the french have different(better) views than the americans. Add to that the fact that she (a frenchwoman)won a well-deserved oscar, ppl are obviously going to be angry and twist whatever she said. She's not the first one and damn well wont be the last. She shouldnt apologize for anything, least not for the fact that U.S. newspapers misinterpreted what she said.

Gotta love her!

[remy]

a steel structure can collapse because of fire due to melting

especially when it is due to the crash of a heavy air plane at fast speed.

and the core of the building is not entirely made of metal but also of ciment vulnerable to high temperatures.

and for the people who dont believe that i al quaida and the integrist don t like western society, we observe sadly that before and after the 11 septembre France (95), Spain, England, Usa (96 and already the twin towers) have been targeted by such attacs

[Mary Russell]

First of all we should remember that she is an actress, she pretends to be other people for a living. Not exactly a profession which exudes intelligence, though that is not what actors would have you believe. As with most(not all) actors, they want to appear intelligent, thought-provoking, curious, etc....but sadly most of them are not made up of much substance and much less intelligence.

There have been so many conspiracy theories regarding 9/11 it is beginning to seem like the JFK assasination. There are also many people who claim the holocaust never occured, wonder what Marion's views are on this. Never mind, I don't care!

Honestly, I can not tell what the hell the girl is trying to convey. She compared the WTC and a fire that happened in Madrid. This is like comparing apples and oranges. The building in Madrid was 32 stories, not 100plus like the WTC. The fire in Madrid was NOT caused by planes crashing into the building(still am not clear if she is claiming no planes ever crashed into WTC). The building in Madrid did not take up an entire NYC block and they did not have structural damage, as the WTC did. There also were no planes with jet fuel in the Madrid fire to which she sites. The Madrid building also was reinforced with concrete and not steel(as was the case with the Twin Towers). And yes, steel can melt!
The basis for her theory is that it would be to expensive to remodel the Twin Towers, so instead of controlled demolition where no one would have been killed, the govt decided to mass murder 3,000 people(or is she claiming that no one even died on 9/11?). Is she claiming the entire press core was in on the govt planning and cover-up of 9/11? We all know how much the meida loves GWB (please note my sarcastic tone), Fox News perhaps, but they were not the only ones reporting on 9/11.

And last but not least, George Bush isn't clever enough to hatch a scheme like this. Cheney, others-maybe, but they had been in office for less than a year when 9/11 occured.

Are there unanswered questions regarding 9/11, yes there are. There are almost always unanswered questions with disasters and deaths, hence so many conspiracy theorists. Who killed JFK? Marilyn Monroe? Is Elvis still alive? Lincoln? Princess Diana? Shall I go on?

Sorry to be so long and rambling and for the run-on sentences. In the end who really cares what this actress (or any other) has to say about 9/11, the moon, or anything else for that matter. I apologize for her to those who lost loved ones on 9/11. She must have been watching Rosie O'Donnell on The View last year, and decided to impress the French with her anti-American views and to let them know that she is not fooled one bit by stupid Americans.

[rocket]

"She hopes that the Americans will have enough distance to understand, but her career is not just American. She can make films everywhere."

Fine let her stay closer to the wine and cheese then.

Hi hi hi

But when she sees she will be getting 5 million per film for starters in America and 500k in Europe she will shut her mouth and start wetting her pants. Don't forget her agent will be getting a cut. But she is apparently too cowardly to issue a statement herself like John Lennon of the Beatles did during the Jesus controversy in America. It just shows the difference in spine among cultures.

Anyway I'm sure they were just a small step away from Israeli implication. That's usually how these people think.

[verite]

This item, titled
"Suspicion of Obama's Meteoric Rise. Was the Dallas Security Stand Down a Signal?"
brings us up-to-date with an overview of the official conspiracy theory..includes..
"Over the last months it has become increasingly obvious that the lies of the 9/11 attacks are going to be exposed. Beginning with the formation of Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice, Pilots for 9/11 Truth, and Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, the official story became doomed.

Recently their work culminated in several events. The main opposition party leader in Japan just spent about a half hour on national television in Japan, making a case that the US leaders lied to the Japanese government about the 9/11 attacks."
and
America and the world were manipulated on 9/11/2001, in a massive way. The global hatred or suspicion of Muslims is based on a lie. The global war on terror is based on a lie. The loss of American liberties (and liberties worldwide) is based on a lie. 9/11 was not perpetrated by the CIA creation Al Qaeda, but by elements within our own government.....

""The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida. And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity representing the 'devil' only in order to drive the 'TV watcher' to accept a unified international leadership for a war against terrorism. The country behind this propaganda is the US and the lobbyists for the US war on terrorism are only interested in making money.""

-- French Officer, Major Pierre-Henri Bunel

Al Qaeda doesn’t even exist according to some intelligence insiders, but even if it did, it could not cause the US Air Force to effectively stand down on 9/11. Cheney could.

Al Qaeda could not give their men magic pants that would enable lousy pilots to pull of aeronautics feats most experienced pilots could never manage. Remote control devices could.

Al Qaeda could not keep FBI, State Department, CIA and military intelligence agents from doing their jobs which many times over would have apprehended the patsies that would come to be called “9/11 terrorists.” Only high level FBI, CIA, administration, and military officials could do that, and they did many times, in order to make sure the patsies were in place on 9/11/2001."
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=6380

[Mike]

These sort of "theories" are of course nothing of the sort. They are merely an expression of tragic emotional immaturity combined toxically with ultimate consumerism, a consumerism where reality itself can be "chosen" to please the individual who is of course supreme.

Ideally confections can be dreamt up to help the individual concerned reduce the self loathing that drives them to suppress their innate imtellect to arrive at such patently cretinous ideas as that 911 was staged to avoid the cost of re-wiring.

Can we transplant these cretins to Iraq and Afghanistan, and place poor Iraqis and Afghanis in their fatuous fat western lives on the left bank.

THEN we can pull all the troops out and I can enjoy them on Jazzy TV rationalising how their liberty and freedom is suddenly, relatively speaking, not worth fighting for. No, I mean, now it IS worth fighting for.

[Tiddlypoops]

Some Europeans are informed, some Europeans are misinformed. Most Middle Easterners are well informed.
Only Americans and the American media make a virtue out of being totally ignorant about everything.

[Lily]

What a confused and confusing thread. Rocket, I am back with you up there. Thank you, Matt Hill.

[dada]

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=jPYNb4ex6Ko

[Fernandez]

Ah well, I guess it'll be another 40 or 50 years before a French actress gets an Academy Award. Make this one last France.

[Matt Hill]

We made this computer simulation of the physical effects of the input as a research project (I'm a graduate student at Purdue, though I wasn't involved in this one) a few years ago. This essentially explains the mechanics of how the aircraft impacts resulted in the destruction of the buildings. I know most of you won't believe this because you'd love to think that our government is pure evil (Major Bunel, I sincerely hope you don't believe there's no such thing as al-Qaeda; of all the claims here that one seems toughest to support), but here it is anyway:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cddIgb1nGJ8

[chris]

I applaud her guts to go against the grain and speak her mind, too many people are too afraid to speak out and ask questions these days for fear of being attacked by over zealous individuals who have 'other' agendas.
Its strange how the mainstream media ridicule her, why not do some reporting on 9/11 and try to disprove some of the very credible theories and questions that remain unanswered.
There are so many questions that need answering and the US govt have clearly covered up this henious crime against humanity.
The truth is often very hurtful and scary for many people and its true many people dont want to know the truth because it will change your life forever, all I can say is do your own research and try not to believe everything the mainstream media tells you because they are unfortunately not independent news pieces.
Bravo Marion

[peter Mason]

When the towers were attacked I was working for the international civil engineering consultancy Ove Arup and attending a meeting involving British & French engineers. We were called out to 'see what's happening in New York' and joined a multi-national crowd of engineers watching the tv coverage. Much of the discussion was about 'when' the towers would collapse as every engineer there took it as a given that they would do so because of the construction method used. As I understand it the key factor is that they were 'shell' structures not standard towers. Thus, whilst buildings such as the NatWest Tower [now known as 'Tower 42'], & possibly the Madrid tower being cited, are built around a substantial concrete core with the accomodation hung from this core, the WTC didn't have a core but the exterior was load-bearing. I was told that the damage from the aircraft collisions would therefore have severely compromised the structural integrity of the towers but the subsequent fuel fire would have been devastating as the building would act as a flue generating a blow torch effect. Given that this was being said at the actual time the towers collapsed and by engineers that I know to be unfriendly to America I really don't buy into the conspiracy theory.

I suspect that Ms. Cotillard is merely being typically French in viewing all 'Anglo-Saxons' and their works as essentially Satanic.
I suspect that

[Onegus]

The 9/11 islamist conspiracy theory sold by the 9/11 Commission is the greatest idiot test of our times.
Simple honnest and smart people like Marion are right to have doubts about it...

[Ordinary Powder]

Many anomalies haven't been mentioned yet, such as the ground zero witnesses who emphatically stated that they heard multiple explosions and saw victims coming out of the basement elevator shafts with flesh hanging off their arms etc. The Richter machines that recorded them. The 5 mossad agents on Israeli t.v. who'd been deported for whooping and high-fiving each other on a Manhattan roof as they filmed the crime and told the cops that they weren't the enemy, they were sent to document the event, talk about dumb schmucks ?. Their van abandoned under a subway with explosives rigged to go off. Their jobs with mossad being electronic surveillance and explosives. The other 100 or so mossad spies deported with them, many of whom failed polygraph interrogations about 911. Larry Silverstein, owner of all 3 wtc buildings that fell, insuring them against airplane crashes??? for 7 billion dollars only months before? Saying on t.v. that he told the fire dept. to " PULL " building 7 cos they couldn't contain the fire? the fire on a small corner. PULL being a well known demolition term. How did they wire it in a couple of hours if that? The live t.v. feed in England where the BBC reporter said building 7 just collapsed a short while ago, when in fact it was standing right behind her head. The feed then got fuzzy and they cut the report just in time for wtc 7 to be detonated 20 minutes later. I doubt if the States had the privilege of watching that crazy moment but it's all on google. Boy I ain't even started yet.... The millions of ' Put options ' on the stock-market by mystery traders betting that American airlines would nose-dive ( no pun intended )exactly on 911, many claims still haven't been made for their winnings. FBI said these would be thoroughly investigated....still waiting. VIP's told not to fly days before, Salman Rushdie included. Funnily enough, or strangely enough, the exact same ' Puts ' were made on the British stock-market on 6/7 and 7/7 occured at exactly the same time and locations as the bombed tube-stations. Ain't that something? Benjamin Netanyahu was warned early morning not to go to a meeting opposite a station that was bombed. See the google video,' 7/7 Mind the gap ', referring to a phrase used by a London policeman to stunned survivors in a tube when he was leading them out. The gap was made by a bomb, and the shredded metal floor of the train was bent upwards as if it exploded ' underneath ' the floor. The officer told a survivor, " That's where the bomber was standing ", but the guy said that there was no-one standing there before the blast. In a photograph of the Tavistock bus-bomb, a van is paralell with the shattered bus, a van belonging to a controlled demolition company. Hey Mamma we're all crazy now. I'd better stop here or else it may be chopped. p.s. I'm just a retired bricklayer with no political leanings whatsoever, just time to read a lot.

[Lukeair2006]

So Marion declares publicly that she has a brain and she uses it to think. Oh no! Steel frame buildings don't collapse due to fire. Steel frame buildings don't come down to earth at free fall speed (except in controlled demolitions). Jets are routinely scrambled to intercept hijacked, lost, emergency aircraft. No presidential or government approval required. Bush's inane ramblings about seeing the first impact on TV? Minetas testimony of Cheney's barking commands to the air force to stick to orders as they watched the aircraft/missile appraoch the Pentagon. A lot of unanswered qusetions. Nobody is saying they know exactly who planned or carried out these events. But one thing is for sure: it wasn't as we were told and the government did have involvement at some level.

[Kevin]

It is amazing that all of these people are getting worked up about what a FRENCH actress said about an ACT OF WAR!

Hey France, you kids keep up the good work making great wine and food. Here in the U.S., well, I guess we'll just keep on cleaning up after yer messes (WWII, Vietnam, West Africa, etc.)

Oh, and I will never pay to watch anything else that this actress hopes to accomplish in the realm of cinema. I just love it when the French open their mouths to confirm their declining impact in this global world we live in (except for the wine and food)

[Fraser]

Hermann Göring: "Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."

Gustave Gilbert: "There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."

Göring: "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

[Walnut]

Those who follow a belief blindly are merely sheep. Is it wrong to question the causes of an event if the facts don't add up? Shame on Marion for being an actress who proves she actually thinks for herself by being undecided, and not following the pressure groups. I fully suport her in QUESTIONING the full truth behind 9/11, as the facts just dont add up (eg. pentagon damage did not match the profile of the plane). Both sides of this argument have provided ignorant and one sided views about this issue, clouding the truth. By providing no evidence and throwing childish insults, it proves you Americans are not alone in being ignorant. Its time for those who think they are smarter than everyone else to make way for those who know they are. There are clearly educated people who have provided intelligent arguments held up by facts for both for and against the conspiracy theory. If you have the facts to support your belief, cough up or shut up, so the rest of us can figure out the truth for ourselves, and not follow the pack blindly into the pit of ignorance.

[Ian]

It's always those damned Zionists, isn't it! Why not give the Arabs some credit for planning and flying abilities. You're all anti-Arab hatemongers because you think that they're so backward they couldn't possibly have attacked the WTC. And, if it's about oil, then why is the price over 100 dollars?
And, that idiot Cotillard said that it was too expensive to rewire the WTC towers for cable (thus probably too complicated) but not too expensive or complicated to wire them for demolition? Can you believe this crap?

[verite]

"France and 9/11
Oscar-winning Marion Cotillard believes in the 9/11 conspiracy. She's not alone."
Is this a new heading? Malhereusement, it does not make sense.
Like it or not..9/11 was a "conspiracy" - usually defined as planning and acting in secret, esp. for harmful ends.
The "official" conspiracy theory is that some amazingly well organised Arab group.. (actually almost all Saudi Arabians) managed to get the USAF stood down etc., half-trained using a foreign language actually piloted the planes.. etc. Warnings of their activities prior from German Intelligence and US own was suppressed...etc.
And their motive was.. "because they hate our freedoms" or something.
This official conspiracy theory fits well with the PNAC plan.. well underway before Bush occupied the White House (with the help of a tainted Supreme Court which ordered the Florida recount to stop)
Marion agrees with the majority of researchers in the field and including many of the surviving family members of the WTC dead, prefers to believe a more believable conspiracy was involved, which was, simply put..an inside job. All the evidence weighs heavily on this side.
The WTC new owner claimed and was paid twice on his insurance, argueing two acts had taken place.
Those who find it incredible.. are correct.. but they must read some of the in-depth research and respond with facts, rather than name-calling.
The latest Times headline saying Marion refuses to apologise also fails to be balanced as it implies that she has something to apologise for. What could it be?

[KASTHURI N RAVILLA]

The TAXI series lovely leading lady, as I fondly remember her, had certainly gone over board. She is definitely entitled for her opinion. I do not think she is insensitive and no artiste ever would. You can't stop someone being so blatantly stupid. But she is. Can you fight stupidity?

America and Americans must learn to respect others and their views, EVEN IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE STUPID. After all Americans bought that fantastic theoretical fact (or is it theatrical truth?) that IRAQ and Saddam possessed WMDs!!! How can you narrow your eyes on Marion?

[Romain]

Piaf means sparrow in parisian slang, Marion has the right to have a sparrow's brain and believe any bunch of crap like "Elvis is alive and kicking" or "Diana was assassinated" etc.
She is not eligible to a Nobel prize, she is just an actress and apparently a good one.
I am puzzled on the intentions of Marianne who retrieved that insignificant piece of babble,at that particular point of time. They would have known it would be blown out of ridiculous proportion. I disagree with CB when he says the 9/11 conspiracy theory is widespread in France. I have never met any Frenchman thinking alike, although it must exist in some leftist parisian circles. CB might want to confirm or infirm that particular point?

[qwerty]

This thread is getting scary. Post a subject like this, and a flock of paranoids swarm in. Like a magnet - how do they find out about the article? Do they google "9/11" five times a day?
In defense of poor Marion, we are all entitled to our moments/periods in life when we say/do dumb things. but they're not publicised. And we hide behind our pseudos if we say them on a blog.

[rocket]

ORDINARY POWDER

"p.s. I'm just a retired bricklayer with no political leanings whatsoever, just time to read a lot."

Yeh! we noticed! (chuckle)

[Robert Hoogenboom]

Twist and turn it as you might, those three buildings were brought down by controlled demolitions, and this could only have been done by the Bush administration. Google "9/11" and start reading. And keep reading. You'll be reading all night. It's fascinating stuff.

At last, what we've all be working hard for: The debate has moved into the mainstream media, who have been so desperate to keep the lid on it. Through Cotillard.

Sydney, Australia

[Tom]

There is a fairly convincing article about the collapse of World Trade Center 7 in wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_World_Trade_Center

I think Mlle Cotillard should apologize for her frivolous and stupid remarks.

[azloon]

OMG, the drivel of the conspiracy theorists here on the blog is mind-numbing.

i really do believe that this outpouring of caca is ample evidence that the end of civilization as we have known it is well nigh.

poor marion, she's working frantically everyday to master her dramatic roles, and can be excused a occasional ignorant comment or two.

the rest of these nobody wacko's here have no such excuse. please scurry back to your holes, wherever they are.

[Daniel Strohl]

Romain,

"I am puzzled on the intentions of Marianne"

For me, they are obvious: increase the circulation. L'argent n'a pas d'odeur!

"I disagree with CB when he says the 9/11 conspiracy theory is widespread in France. I have never met any Frenchman thinking alike, although it must exist in some leftist parisian circles"

I agree totally with you, Romain. However, there are crazy people everywhere, but their percentage of the population is more or less the same in any country.

For me, "crazy" means people having their judgment (and their intellectual honesty) impaired by hatred; of course, I am not speaking of Marion Cotillard in this specific case, but of the people propagating such theories. And it is an easy task to propagate "curious" theories on Internet and other media.

Regarding written media or books - there is an old and wise Alsatian saying: paper is patient!

[Bridget Dunne]

It's a very weird thing for a terrorist to disown the most spectacularly successful terrorist attack of all time, yet bin Laden said this shortly after 11th September 2001:

DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- Islamic militant leader Osama bin Laden, the man the United States considers the prime suspect in last week's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, denied any role Sunday in the actions believed to have killed thousands.

In a statement issued to the Arabic satellite channel Al Jazeera, based in Qatar, bin Laden said, "The U.S. government has consistently blamed me for being behind every occasion its enemies attack it.

"I would like to assure the world that I did not plan the recent attacks, which seems to have been planned by people for personal reasons," bin Laden's statement said.

"I have been living in the Islamic emirate of Afghanistan and following its leaders' rules. The current leader does not allow me to exercise such operations," bin Laden said.

Asked Sunday if he believed bin Laden's denial, President Bush said, "No question he is the prime suspect. No question about that."

http://tinyurl.com/yos5r

and this:

" I have already said that I am not involved in the 11 September attacks in the United States. As a Muslim, I try my best to avoid telling a lie. I had no knowledge of these attacks, nor do I consider the killing of innocent women, children and other humans as an appreciable act. Islam strictly forbids causing harm to innocent women, children and other people. Such a practice is forbidden even in the course of a battle... Whoever committed the act of 11 September are not the friends of the American people. I have already said that we are against the American system, not against its people, whereas in these attacks, the common American people have been killed".

http://tinyurl.com/2byazd

The FBI said it had no hard evidence linking bin Laden to these attacks:

http://tinyurl.com/z2uwf

Who to believe, Bush or OBL?

[Infâme Cancrelat]

"I am puzzled on the intentions of Marianne who retrieved that insignificant piece of babble,at that particular point of time. "

As Daniel Strohl said, it has probably a lot to do with increasing circulation. But the magazine's republican-chauvinistic ideology more than certainly had a hand: Cotillard is a success in America and sets to leave France to work there: she's a traitor and she must be punished. Don't forget Marianne is known for its strident anti-Bush and anti-American stance. To have them lecturing Cotillard on the subject is, as we say in France, l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité.

[Fraser]

It is interesting that on Osama bin Ladens "Most Wanted" page on the FBI website, there is no mention of 9/11.

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/laden.htm
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive - Usama Bin Laden

On June 5, 2006, the Muckraker Report contacted the FBI Headquarters,to learn why Bin Laden’s Most Wanted poster did not indicate that he was also wanted in connection with 9/11. The Muckraker Report spoke with Rex Tomb, Chief of Investigative Publicity for the FBI. When asked why there is no mention of 9/11 on Bin Laden’s Most Wanted web page, Tomb said, “The reason why 9/11 is not mentioned on Usama Bin Laden’s Most Wanted page is because the FBI has no hard evidence connecting Bin Laden to 9/11.”

http://patriotsquestion911.com/
Patriots Question 9/11 - Responsible Criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report

[Bruce Fletcher]

This young woman is free to believe anything she wants. To voice those beliefs is her right. However I am reminded that opinions of an actor are just that and no more. I am also told she believes a spaceship will land on the site of the twin towers and will deliver the future Leader of the World on New Years day 2012. Elvis Presley.

[Tash]

Anybody who believes and can actually prove that we went to the moon, is living proof that we human beings are automatons. If the US sent astronauts to the moon once with mish-mash technology, how come they can't go again, when the entire planet now has technology that allows us to act like God? And by the way, where are the 3 trillion US dollars that disappeared the day before 9/11? What was that used to purchase, please tell me. Don't defend anything unless you personally received funds from that payout.

[Romain]

Daniel Strohl & Cancrelat
"wise Alsatian saying: paper is patient!"
He he I got it from my Basque great grand mother : "le papier prend tout" in other words "paper can wipe anything" lol
Quite worrying though, to see how new technologies can wipe anything at light speed.

[Eoin O'Donnell]

I'm thoroughly convinced that there WAS a conspiracy, but it was as subtle as Bush and cronies knowing that there was going to be some kind of attack. An attack which would allow them to greenlight the Oil crusade BUT typically they totally underestimated Osama's plot.

I suspect they thought a few bombs would go off, a couple of hundred Americans killed would be enough to justify whatever they wanted. "Acceptable losses for the greater good" they would have summised.

Instead, Osama opened up a can of "shock and awe" on them and they've been trying to cover their tracks ever since.

All in all, it suited Bush for it to happen and anytime something suits the Government or Ruling power's purposes then you'd be naive not ot suspicious. (See Diana Princess of Wales)

[Little Big Horn]

Marion "Evil" Cotillard's light words have awaken the heavy intelligence of our Anglo-Saxon friends. Always fond of finding the Truth in the weirdest places (an Academy of Arts® Awarded brain!).

The scape goat syndrome is still living in post-biblical (retarded) societies as we can see. The victim as usual is the warrant of everyone's innocence (believes).

I'd prefer to be the "evil"'s advocate, the prostitute's one, than the holy herd's one (as I've been told by a Jewish buddy living 2000 years ago). American sheeps are as strong at braying that they're Christians (they are Romans indeed), as they are prompt for stoning when the poor victim is a bloody evil unamerican French.

Is receiving an US award prostitution though?

Do you Americans, think that a dumb French will save you from your own unmeasurable dumbness?

Have Miss Cotillard words killed anyone, contrary to US speeches since 9/11?

It is rather comic that a nation as credulous as the American one, attacks a poor actress for having a doubt about the reality of a tragic event in their Land of Dreams.

It is not because an event is real in a virtual world, that it is real in reality. And walking on the moon will always be.. walking on the moon.

Americans build a new WTC, just like nothing happened. That's not History, that's America, whose tragedy from the start is the existence of... reality, terror.

Let's hope that future actresses to receive an American artistic® award will be fully American, totally unfrench, absolutely Hollywoodian and definitively non-skeptical.

I vote for Tom Cruise.

[Ynda]

9/11 Commission report disowned by its authors and contains interviews extracted by CIA torture.

No air crash investigations

NIST can't explain the THREE skyscraper collapses (WTC1,2 and 7): No computer simulation to explain any of the collapses.

No explanation of the fake Bin Laden videos.

And if somebody even mentions that they have questions then they are slammed by the press. Why don't they also mention the relatives of the 9/11 victims too? They want another 9/11 investigation: See "9/11 Press for Truth"

[azloon]

CB --

if you have sinned, it certainly has nothing to do with alleged french bashing. the jury is in, and you have been fully acquitted on that bogus charge.

what you have done, however, albeit inadvertently, is to subject your loyal regulars to this unprecedented outpouring of caca about 9/11 conspiracy theories.

a modest proposal:

in the future:

nothing on scientology, ufo's, energy vortices, the power of crystals, macro-biotic diets, space aliens, animal testing -- just to name a few that come to my mind.

the weirdos are 'out there' just waiting to pounce, and they don't even have to get off their .....to do it.

a cyber-pounce?

is there a chat room these folks could be shunted off to where they could theorize to their heart's content? Get your IT people working on that, will you? :)

:)

France alone ? French alone ?
what about http://patriotsquestion911.com ?
Is Westley Clarke french ? an actress?
You've got about 1000 US USAFpilots, engineers, professors, CIA's officers, US army retired who are asking the same question.
So Why buzzing on a french actress. Right, far much easier to bash french, girl, actress, than a US army fully decorated general.

"is there a chat room these folks could be shunted off to where they could theorize to their heart's content?"

next to the one where "la petite famille" is waiting to get "their" blog back from all these "outsiders"

[BoDeeDoe]

If jet fuel could melt steel then kerosene heaters would not be possible... steel can only melt under conditions in a blast furnace or with a chemical reaction such as "thermite" or "thermate". Do some research about false-flags. These things have been used for hundreds of years: Hitler's Reichstag, USS Liberty, Remember the Maine, Nero's burning of Rome, The Manchurian Incident, Operation Northwoods, The Gulf of Tonkin, Fake Invasion at Gleiwitz, The Lavon Affair... If 911 wasn't an inside job, it would be an exception to the rule.

ROCKET, your sarcasm proves your stupidity, or complicity. Shooting the messenger without even reading, or in your case not even attempting to answer the message points to guilt or fear. For the new visitors to the subject that naive Marianne, carelessly dropped, I must warn that ' real agents ' of the U.S. eavesdrop on every blog like this that they deem a danger to their national security. One of their reasons is to keep abreast of how far this information is reaching into the public's consciousness, and also listing every one of us that they deem to be dissenters. When and if the time arrives for a ' one world government ' which is the intent of all western elites, they'll know exactly where to pick us up. Far fetched Rocket ? They did it in Russia, Germany, Kampuchia, China and a host of South American countries. Get rid of every half intelligent, reasoning person that might eventually work out that they've been conned by their leaders. It works really well, Stalin mudered over 50,000,000 of his own people, mostly farmers for their land, but many teachers, artists and tradesmen so that anyone with a mental capacity above a labourer would never organize rebellion. Leaders aren't dumb, that's why people like Rocket appear in every blog like this. Not so much red-knecking intelligent dialogue as disrupting people sharing and building upon new information. Television and lying mainstream media take care of the rest who are drugged with soaps, reality shows and T.V. adverts. Rocket is either one of these, or a gatekeeper for the man, a disruptor. You never once attempted to queery my facts Rocket, just a sarcy sneer which again proves you are one of the above. I have bucketloads more of these shocking anomalies like the photo's of people holding the girders of the WTC at the plane's entry point, where this super-hot, steel-melting jet fuel exploded. A very sad picture of a woman holding onto girders that don't even look hot! You see Rocket, once jet fuel has exploded, and it doesn't have much blast potential like say dynamite, what you're left with is a simple office equipment fire which can't melt steel. We all saw how long it took to go up in a big fireball, POOF! all gone in seconds. Just a load of office fires burning for less than an hour, and you say this can melt 3' by 2' square thick steel girders ??? In a proper furnace it takes 6 hours to melt those babies, but most people don't know these things. The melting temperature for solid steel is 28,000F, most jet-based fuels burn at 1,000F, and the maximum temp. is up to 1,800F. in certain circumstances. As an ex-bricklayer, and steel-erector for 3 yrs., with a good knowledgeable experience of structural soundness, I looked on with incredulity as those towers collapsed. It was just impossible. My mind immediately said controlled d