Corbyn’s 9/11 ‘conspiracy’ claims
JEREMY CORBYN has claimed that the September 11 attacks were “manipulated” to make it look like Osama bin Laden was responsible to allow the West to go to war in Afghanistan.
In comments that will raise questions about his suitability to lead the Labour Party, Mr Corbyn appeared to blame George W Bush and Tony Blair for using the 9/11 attacks in New York to allow them to go to war.
In a series of articles, he also appeared to endorse conspiracy theories about a “New World Order”.
Mr Corbyn is preparing for his first conference as Labour leader, which he will try to use to unite the party. How- ever, a number of Labour MPs are expected to publicly state that the party is unelectable under Mr Corbyn.
Lord Mandelson said Labour should consider ousting Mr Corbyn only after it was clear that the public had realised the party “cannot be elected with Corbyn as leader”. Yesterday, in a sign of the internal divisions, Labour admitted that “differences of opinion” will emerge during the conference.
Before winning the Labour leadership, Mr Corbyn was criticised for suggesting the death of bin Laden was a “tragedy”. In the 2003 article for The
Morning Star, he wrote: “Historians will study with interest the news manipulation of the past 18 months. After September 11, the claims that bin Laden and al-Qaeda had committed the atrocity were quickly and loudly made. This was turned into an attack on the Taliban and then, subtly, into regime change in Afghanistan.”
In previous years, he wrote a series of articles appearing to endorse a conspiracy theory about a “New World Order”, frequently linked to theories about the “Illuminati” and claims about a “totalitarian world government”. In 1991, he wrote in Socialist Cam
paign Group News: “The aim of the war machine of the United States is to maintain a world order dominated by the banks and multinational companies of Europe and North America.” The following year, for Labour Peace
Action, he wrote: “What is required now is a bold, democratic alternative to the New World Order. The US veto at the Earth summit in Rio … shows just who calls the shots … and who will be asked to foot the bill.” Mr Corbyn has previously shared a platform with Ken O’Keefe, who has alleged that President Bush had orchestrated the September 11 attacks for personal gain.
Mr Corbyn yesterday confirmed he will work with the SNP to try to scrap Britain’s nuclear deterrent, despite opposition from his own backbenches.
Meanwhile, it was reported last night that John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, will tell the Labour conference that Britain “must always” live within its means as he announces the party will vote in favour of George Osborne’s fiscal charter.