25 Years After 9/11, Captain Dan Hanley Calls For An Independent International Investigation
In an open letter to Pakistan, the United States and OIC member states, the retired American pilot urges the establishment of an International Islamic Commission for 9/11 Justice, arguing that unanswered questions and the lasting consequences of the War on Terror demand renewed scrutiny.
To:
Members of the Governments of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the United States of America and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Countries’ Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Copies to Investigative Journalists, Authors and Researchers:
- Mark Gaffney
- Aidan Monaghan
- Ray McGinnis
BCC: Concerned members of the global Muslim community
Subject: The Absolute and Urgent Necessity for the Immediate Establishment of an Independent International Islamic Commission for 9/11 Justice
Dear Most Honorable Representatives of the Governments of Pakistan and the United States and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Minister of Foreign Affairs members,
The time has come for the international community, and particularly the global Muslim community, to address one of the most consequential and unresolved controversies of the twenty-first century: the events of September 11, 2001, the evidence surrounding those events, and the enormous consequences they have had for Muslims and the wider world.
The establishment of an independent International Islamic Commission for 9/11 Justice is no longer simply a matter of historical inquiry. It is an urgent matter of international justice, accountability, aviation security, religious reconciliation and the prevention of future conflict.
1. The documented shortcomings of the original 9/11 Commission
In their important 2006 book, Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission, co-authored by former 9/11 Commission Chairman Thomas H. Kean and Vice Chairman Lee H. Hamilton, the authors provide an insider’s account of the extraordinary difficulties encountered in attempting to investigate the September 11 attacks.
Their account describes:
- Resistance within the Bush administration to the creation of the Commission.
- Difficulties obtaining classified documents and access to witnesses.
- Disputes involving the Pentagon, FAA and other government agencies.
- Difficulties addressing the concerns and questions of 9/11 victims’ families.
- Political compromises, institutional obstacles and limitations affecting the investigation and its final report.
These accounts raise serious questions about the independence, resources, scope and effectiveness of the original investigation.
The original Commission operated under substantial time and resource constraints and encountered institutional resistance. Its work should therefore not be regarded as the final word on every question surrounding September 11.
The United States had an opportunity to establish a genuinely comprehensive and independent investigation. Whether that opportunity was adequately fulfilled remains a legitimate subject for further examination.
2. Investigative evidence and contributions from independent researchers
Several independent investigators, researchers and aviation professionals have produced material that warrants serious examination by an independent international investigative body.
The following individuals and their work are particularly relevant:
Ray McGinnis – Interview concerning unanswered questions and the 9/11 investigation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30UbKaWKlR0
Mark Gaffney – Investigative article
How the FBI and 9/11 Commission Suppressed Key Evidence About Hani Hanjour, Alleged Hijack Pilot of AA 77
https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_911_113.htm
Aidan Monaghan – Aviation research paper
Plausibility of 9/11 Aircraft Attacks Generated by GPS-Guided Aircraft Autopilot Systems
https://911pilots.org/important-new-document-on-autopilot/
Captain Dan Hanley – Aviation professional and 9/11 Pilot Whistleblower
Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F363_ewsIcg
These contributions represent different areas of inquiry, including intelligence investigations, aviation operations, aircraft navigation, autopilot technology and the handling of evidence by government agencies.
They should be examined together with the original Commission records, government documentation, technical evidence and testimony from relevant witnesses.
3. Three particularly important areas requiring independent investigation
There are three central matters that the proposed Commission should examine.
A. Unanswered questions from the families of 9/11 victims
Ray McGinnis and other researchers have drawn attention to the substantial number of questions submitted by 9/11 victims’ families that, according to their accounts, were not adequately addressed.
One reported assessment is that, of approximately 1,000 questions submitted by family members, more than 70% were left unanswered, while only approximately 9% received what was considered an adequate answer.
These figures should be independently verified against the original submissions and Commission responses.
Nevertheless, the underlying issue is unmistakable: the questions of the families of those who died deserve comprehensive and transparent answers.
B. The qualifications and flying capabilities of Hani Hanjour
The official 9/11 Commission Report identified Hani Hanjour as the alleged pilot of American Airlines Flight 77.
Independent researchers have raised questions about Hanjour’s documented flying experience, practical piloting abilities and capacity to operate a Boeing 757.
Claims have been made that he experienced considerable difficulties operating a small single-engine Cessna 172.
The extent of his actual proficiency, his training records, the available flight evidence and the feasibility of the alleged flight maneuvers require independent examination.
C. Aircraft navigation, autopilot technology and the possibility of remote control
As a retired United Airlines Boeing 777 Captain, former United States Naval aviator and aviation safety advocate with more than 20,000 accident-free flight hours, I have devoted considerable time to examining the technical and operational questions surrounding the September 11 aircraft.
Through the work of 9/11 Pilot Whistleblowers, questions have been raised concerning GPS-guided navigation, autopilot systems, flight management computers and the possibility of electronic or remote aircraft control.
Our position is that these questions warrant a comprehensive technical investigation by qualified, independent aviation professionals.
The proposed Commission should examine the relevant Boeing and Honeywell patents, aircraft avionics, flight data, radar records, maintenance documentation and all available technical evidence.
The objective must be to establish what actually happened through independently verifiable evidence rather than relying exclusively on either official conclusions or alternative theories.
4. Previous efforts to obtain government investigations
This is not a new initiative, nor is it an appeal being made without years of prior effort.
The information and concerns outlined above have previously been brought to the attention of the governments of Pakistan and the United States.
These efforts include:
- A meeting at the headquarters of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) organization in Islamabad on March 7, 2022.
- A formal letter to President Joe Biden dated September 7, 2021.
- A subsequent letter to President Biden dated September 11, 2023.
- A formal letter to President Donald Trump dated July 29, 2025.
Copies of the relevant correspondence have been made available through our organizational records.
Additionally, the following international institutions and governments have been approached:
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC):
https://911pilots.org/letter-to-organisation-of-islamic-cooperation-secretary-general-tata/
The Russian Federation:
The People’s Republic of China:
https://911pilots.org/international-islamic-commission-for-9-11-inquiry-letter/
Despite these efforts, we have not received the substantive governmental engagement or independent international investigation we have sought.
The absence of an adequate response does not eliminate the questions. It makes an independent investigation even more important.
5. Why an independent International Islamic Commission is necessary
For nearly 25 years, the consequences of September 11 have profoundly affected the global Muslim community.
Approximately two billion Muslims have lived with the consequences of a global political and security environment shaped, in significant part, by the events of September 11 and the subsequent so-called War on Terror.
Muslim communities have experienced discrimination, suspicion, surveillance, military intervention, displacement and devastating loss of life.
Pakistan itself suffered enormously during the War on Terror, with tens of thousands of Pakistani lives lost to terrorism and related violence.
The consequences have extended far beyond Pakistan, affecting Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and numerous other countries.
If the allegations and questions surrounding September 11 are to be examined credibly, the investigation must be independent of the governments and institutions whose conduct or conclusions may themselves be subjects of inquiry.
The global Muslim community has a legitimate interest in ensuring that the historical record is examined fairly, transparently and without political interference.
An independent International Islamic Commission would provide an opportunity to undertake that work.
6. Why Pakistan should host the Commission
We have formally approached the Government of Pakistan with a request to HOST the proposed International Islamic Commission for 9/11 Justice.
To be absolutely clear, we are not initially asking Pakistan to finance, sponsor or endorse our conclusions.
We are requesting that Pakistan provide a suitable location and facilitate the establishment of an independent international investigative body.
There are compelling reasons why Pakistan is particularly well positioned to undertake this role:
- Population: Pakistan is home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations of 230-million adherents, second only to Indonesia.
- National identity: Pakistan is constitutionally designated the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
- State religion: Islam is the state religion.
- International significance: Pakistan is a major Islamic country with considerable diplomatic, political and strategic importance.
- Historical consequences: Pakistan suffered substantial human and economic losses during the War on Terror.
- International responsibility: Pakistan has a legitimate interest in ensuring that the historical events used to justify the War on Terror are examined through a transparent and independent process.
- Geographical and diplomatic position: Islamabad offers a suitable location from which to facilitate participation by investigators, aviation professionals, legal experts, researchers and representatives of Muslim-majority countries.
Hosting the Commission would not require Pakistan to prejudge its findings or endorse any particular allegation.
Rather, it would demonstrate Pakistan’s willingness to facilitate an independent search for historical truth, accountability and justice.
7. Proposed mandate and objectives of the International Islamic Commission
The proposed Commission would be independent of any individual government and would operate through a transparent international framework.
Its principal responsibilities would include:
- Collecting and preserving relevant documentary, physical, technical and electronic evidence.
- Obtaining testimony from aviation professionals, investigators, intelligence personnel, government officials and other relevant witnesses.
- Examining the original 9/11 Commission Report and identifying questions requiring further investigation.
- Reviewing the technical feasibility of the aircraft operations and the associated aviation systems.
- Examining the handling of intelligence and aviation security information before, during and after September 11.
- Providing an opportunity for independent researchers to present their findings and supporting evidence.
- Subjecting competing explanations and allegations to rigorous independent technical and evidentiary scrutiny.
- Publishing transparent findings and identifying any outstanding questions requiring further investigation.
Following the completion of its work, the Commission would submit its findings and supporting documentation to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for consideration.
Where the evidence and applicable legal requirements justify further action, the findings could also be presented to appropriate international criminal investigative and judicial institutions, including the International Criminal Court, subject to its jurisdiction and admissibility requirements.
The ultimate objective would be accountability wherever the evidence establishes responsibility.
8. The urgency of establishing the Commission in the present international climate
The current international political and military environment makes this initiative particularly urgent.
The escalating confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran, together with the danger of a wider regional conflict, has demonstrated how profoundly international security can be affected by unresolved historical grievances, competing narratives and the absence of accountability.
President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have pursued policies and military actions that have generated serious international controversy and heightened concerns about regional escalation.
The possibility of a wider war, including a nuclear confrontation, must not be dismissed.
An independent investigation into September 11 cannot resolve every contemporary international conflict. However, establishing an impartial historical record and addressing legitimate questions of accountability would be a meaningful contribution to international justice and reconciliation.
We cannot continue allowing unresolved questions about September 11 to remain a source of international division and mistrust.
9. A call for international Islamic unity and action
The global Muslim community has both the opportunity and the responsibility to participate in an independent examination of the events that have so profoundly affected its people and its international standing.
This is not a request to accept predetermined conclusions.
It is a request to establish an independent investigative institution capable of examining ALL relevant evidence, testimony and competing explanations without political interference.
The original United States 9/11 Commission had its opportunity.
The international community now has an opportunity to establish a genuinely independent process that includes qualified investigators, aviation professionals, legal experts and researchers from around the world.
We respectfully call upon:
- The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to respond favourably to our request to host the International Islamic Commission for 9/11 Justice.
- The Government of the United States to cooperate with a genuinely independent investigation and facilitate access to relevant records.
- The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to recognize the importance of this initiative and facilitate participation by its member states.
- Muslim-majority governments throughout the world to support an independent international examination.
- Investigative journalists, authors, researchers and aviation professionals to contribute their knowledge, documentation and expertise.
The establishment of this Commission should not be delayed indefinitely.
The pursuit of truth must not be subordinated to political convenience. Justice must not be denied because the questions are uncomfortable. And no religion or community should continue to bear collective blame without the benefit of a genuinely independent examination of the evidence.
Together, through Islamic unity, international cooperation, intellectual integrity and a shared commitment to justice, we can establish an independent Commission worthy of the responsibility entrusted to it.
My personal motivation for this undertaking is rooted in agape — unconditional, selfless love, empathy and compassion for humanity, including the approximately two billion Muslims whose lives and religious identity have been profoundly affected by the events of September 11.
I established 9/11 Pilot Whistleblowers in 2018 with the conviction that aviation safety, historical truth and justice must transcend political, religious and national boundaries.
I now appeal to the international community to help establish the International Islamic Commission for 9/11 Justice.
The time for action is now.
Insha’Allah, together we can pursue truth, justice, reconciliation and a more peaceful world.
Very respectfully,
Captain Dan Hanley (Retired)
Executive Director
International Islamic Commission for 9/11 Justice
Islamabad, Pakistan
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Categories: Geopolitics, History, International Affairs
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