The release of this book not only corroborates other investigations placing U.S. big oil interests in Central Asia negotiating a pipeline in the '90s, but also exposes oil interests in the Bush administration, including Vice President Dick Cheney, National security advisor Condoleeza Rice, and Bush, both senior and junior. With this book, Guillaume Dasquie and Jean-Charles Brisard question America's war time intentions: Is the United States protecting "enduring freedom" or are the bombings really a means of securing a pliant regime in Afghanistan so the United States can gain control over future oil veins pumping across the Middle East?

The mainstream coverage was dismissive. Dr. Daniel Goure, member of the conservative think-tank The Lexington Institute casually dismissed it on Minnesota Public Radio as a conspiracy theory, "debunked right, left and center," even comparing it to the theory that Americans never went to the moon, that "it was all done in a studio in Hollywood." He neglects to mention the book was not written by conspiracy nuts but by two esteemed French intelligence experts. And who debunked it? He doesn't say.

At this moment [June 2002], the media is just beginning to skewer Bush for not increasing national security while knowing Taliban threats before Sept. 11. Some are beginning to ask, "If he knew this, what else did he know?" Just a few months ago, the notion that Bush knew pre-Sept. 11 was also dismissed as a conspiracy theory.

Americans should be given tools to questions those in power. Not every theory will be correct, but I, for one, am desperately curious what two European intelligence experts would have to say about U.S. foreign policy.

Dasquie and Brisard's book is still only available in French. On the web site Intelligence Online (which Dasquie edits), the first chapter can be viewed in French.

-- Amanda Luker