by Eric Ture Muhammad
Staff Writer

WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com)�Rep.Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) wants a full investigation into deadly Sept. 11 attacks at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, including whether the Bush administration had advance notice and whether the defense and oil industries have unduly influenced U.S. policy.

"The need for an investigation of the events surrounding Sept. 11 is as obvious as is the need for an investigation of the Enron debacle. Certainly, if the American people deserve answers about what went wrong with Enron and why (and we do), then we deserve to know what went wrong on September 11 and why," said Ms. McKinney in a statement released April 12.

Her statement followed criticism from other politicians and newspapers incensed by comments the Black lawmaker made March 25 in a radio interview. Speaking to KPFA radio in Berkeley, Calif., she apparently raised questions about when the White House knew about the attacks and whether warnings should have been issued.

Rep. McKinney also asked whether Bush financial interests or defense contractors had reaped a financial windfall with the new war on terror and increased military spending.

In her statement, Rep. McKinney argues that the level of sacrifice Americans are asked to endure must be matched by uncompromised leadership and judgment, "transparency and a thorough investigation" into all aspects of Sept. 11.

During the KPFA interview Ms. McKinney is quoted, saying, "We know that there were several warnings that were given prior to the events of September 11th. People were calling in to the CIA and to the FBI, and they were giving information that was critical. There was adequate warning. But instead of requesting that Congress investigate what went wrong and why, we had President Bush place a phone call to Majority Leader Senator Tom Daschle, asking him not to investigate. My question is what do they have to hide?"

Young people have been marched off to war amid cuts in domestic spending for social programs and erosion of civil liberties, she noted.

"If the secretary of defense tells us his new military objectives must be to occupy foreign capital cities and overthrow regimes, then the American people must know why," Rep. McKinney said. "It should be easy for this administration to explain fully to the American people in a thorough and methodical way why we are being asked to make these sacrifices and if, indeed, these sacrifices will make us more secure," she added.

"News reports from Der Spiegel to the London Observer, from the Los Angeles Times to MSNBC to CNN, indicate that many different warnings were received by the administration. In addition, it has even been reported that the United States government broke (Osama) bin Laden�s secure communications before Sept. 11. Sadly, the United States government is being sued today by survivors of the Embassy bombings because, from court records, it appears clear that the U.S. had received prior warnings, but did little to secure and protect the staff at our embassies. Did the same thing happen to us again?" Rep. McKinney said, referring to incidents in Kenya and Tanzania.

The congresswoman also questioned whether U.S. goodwill is being squandered on "incoherent, warmongering policies" that alienate friends and antagonize allies. "The world is on the brink of conflicts while the administration�s policies are vague, wavering and unclear," she complained.

Rep. McKinney admitted she had no evidence of President Bush nor his administration profiting from Sept 11 attacks. But, she said, corporations close to the White House directly benefit from increased military budgets. Defense Department spending requests are at the highest levels in 20 years, Rep. McKinney noted.

Stocks for the Carlyle Group�which had joint business interests with the president�s father at the time of the attacks and ties to bin Laden family construction outfits and defense firms�have also soared, according to the outspoken Democrat.

Her questions and calls for a public probe have not been well received. "The American people know the facts, and they dismiss such ludicrous, baseless views," said spokesman Scott McLellan, a Bush spokesperson. "The fact that she questions the president�s legitimacy shows a partisan mind-set beyond all reason," he said.

A New York Post editorial derided her as "Spacewoman McKinney," saying her "tenuous" grip on reality had drifted into deep space. Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) called her statements "loony," "dangerous and irresponsible."

Saxby Chambliss, a Republican congressman running for the Senate, defended President Bush as working to defeat terrorism and protect Americans. Rep. Chambliss, a member of the House subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, said Rep. McKinney�s comments don�t help win the war on terror.

Rep. McKinney apparently isn�t the person with questions: A recent Atlanta Journal Constitution poll found nearly half, 46 percent, of respondents believe the Bush administration had some prior knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks.