The truth about September 11 conspiracy theories

It was refreshing to see Ed Pilkington's report of the film Loose Change, which has swept the internet by proposing an alternative conspiracy theory to the 9/11 attacks ('They're all forced to listen to us', Film & Music, January 26). Normally the mainstream media are so wedded to the official conspiracy theory - that the attacks were organised from a cave in Afghanistan - they are oblivious to the alternative theory, that elements in the US - not necessarily Bush - aided and abetted the attacks to promote the military agenda promulgated by the Project for a New American Century in 1999. (The executive director of Washington's "independent" 9/11 Commission was a signatory of the PNAC manifesto, incidentally).

Those of us who are sceptical of the official theory have had to resort to writing books and publishing on the internet - my second book, 9/11: The New Evidence, is due to be published this autumn; my first book, 9/11 Revealed, co-written with Rowland Morgan, was non-fiction bestseller. It is a little misleading for Ed Pilkington to write that the new version of Loose Change will be "fact-checked by a theology professor". My fellow author David Ray Griffin, as well as being a leading theologian, has also written two books on the philosophy of science.
Ian Henshall
Co-author, 9/11 Revealed; publisher, Crisis Newsletter

I have spent much time researching the dreadful terrorist actions carried out on September 11 2001. I equally spend a great deal of my time exposing the deceptions in the movie Loose Change and of the movement that calls itself collectively "the truth movement". This entire movement is founded on falsities, misquotes and appalling disrespect for the victims of that awful day.

Your portrayal of Dylan Avery's film as a rags-to-riches story completely misrepresents this movement. The truth movement on the face of it offers a reasonable alternative view of the events, but when you look more closely a deeply disturbing picture arises - one of fanaticism, rewriting history and complete disregard of the terrible consequences 9/11 has had for the entire world. Like a religious cult, this movement pushes its views continually on, in particular, a younger audience. I am not for censorship, nor am I against opposing views, but there needs to be a balance struck between freedom of speech and allowing individuals like the makers of Loose Change to spread this totally incorrect version of a world-changing event.
Kevin Parker
Gretna, Dumfries

The ultimate answer to the conspiracy theorists who think that the US authorities planned and carried out the 9/11 atrocities is that if Bush and Rumsfeld had anything to do with it, they would have failed completely.
Frank Naylor
Dunscore, Dumfries