Former Canadian Minister Of Defence Asks Canadian Parliament To Hold Hearings On Relations With Alien "Et" Civilizations

PRWEB

OTTAWA, CANADA November 24, 2005 -- A former Canadian Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister under Pierre Trudeau has joined forces with three Non-governmental organizations to ask the Parliament of Canada to hold public hearings on Exopolitics -- relations with “ETs.”

By “ETs,” Mr. Hellyer and these organizations mean ethical, advanced extraterrestrial civilizations that may now be visiting Earth.

On September 25, 2005, in a startling speech at the University of Toronto that caught the attention of mainstream newspapers and magazines, Paul Hellyer, Canada’s Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head."

Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."

Hellyer revealed, "The secrecy involved in all matters pertaining to the Roswell incident was unparalled. The classification was, from the outset, above top secret, so the vast majority of U.S. officials and politicians, let alone a mere allied minister of defence, were never in-the-loop."

Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. He stated, "The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide."

Hellyer’s speech ended with a standing ovation. He said, "The time has come to lift the veil of secrecy, and let the truth emerge, so there can be a real and informed debate, about one of the most important problems facing our planet today."

Three Non-governmental organizations took Hellyer’s words to heart, and approached Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, to hold public hearings on a possible ET presence, and what Canada should do. The Canadian Senate, which is an appointed body, has held objective, well-regarded hearings and issued reports on controversial issues such as same-sex marriage and medical marijuana.

On October 20, 2005, the Institute for Cooperation in Space requested Canadian Senator Colin Kenny, Senator, Chair of The Senate Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence, “schedule public hearings on the Canadian Exopolitics Initiative, so that witnesses such as the Hon. Paul Hellyer, and Canadian-connected high level military-intelligence, NORAD-connected, scientific, and governmental witnesses facilitated by the Disclosure Project and by the Toronto Exopolitics Symposium can present compelling evidence, testimony, and Public Policy recommendations.”

The Non-governmental organizations seeking Parliament hearings include Canada-based Toronto Exopolitics Symposium, which organized the University of Toronto Symposium at which Mr. Hellyer spoke.

The Disclosure Project, a U.S.– based organization that has assembled high level military-intelligence witnesses of a possible ET presence, is also one of the organizations seeking Canadian Parliament hearings.

Vancouver-based Institute for Cooperation in Space (ICIS), whose International Director headed a proposed 1977 Extraterrestrial Communication Study for the White House of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who himself has publicly reported a 1969 Close Encounter of the First Kind with a UFO, filed the original request for Canadian Parliament hearings.

The Canadian Exopolitics Initiative, presented by the organizations to a Senate Committee panel hearing in Winnipeg, Canada, on March 10, 2005, proposes that the Government of Canada undertake a Decade of Contact.

The proposed Decade of Contact is “a 10-year process of formal, funded public education, scientific research, educational curricula development and implementation, strategic planning, community activity, and public outreach concerning our terrestrial society’s full cultural, political, social, legal, and governmental communication and public interest diplomacy with advanced, ethical Off-Planet cultures now visiting Earth.”

Canada has a long history of opposing the basing of weapons in Outer Space. On September 22, 2004 Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin declared to the U.N. General Assembly,” "Space is our final frontier. It has always captured our imagination. What a tragedy it would be if space became one big weapons arsenal and the scene of a new arms race.

Martin stated, "In 1967, the United Nations agreed that weapons of mass
destruction must not be based in space. The time has come to extend this ban to all weapons..." In May, 2003, speaking before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Lloyd Axworthy, stated “Washington's offer to Canada is not an invitation to join America under a protective shield, but it presents a global security doctrine that violates Canadian values on many levels."

Axworthy concluded, “There should be an uncompromising commitment to preventing the placement of weapons in space.”

On February 24, 2005, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin made official Canada's decision not to take part in the U.S government’s Ballistic Missile Defence program.

Paul Hellyer, who now seeks Canadian Parliament hearings on relations with ETs, on May 15, 2003, stated in Toronto’s Globe & Mail newspaper, “Canada should accept the long-standing invitation of U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio to launch a conference to seek approval of an international treaty to ban weapons in space. That would be a positive Canadian contribution toward a more peaceful world.” In early November 2005, the Canadian Se

nate wrote ICIS, indicating the Senate Committee could not hold hearings on ETs in 2005, because of their already crowded schedule.

“That does not deter us,” one spokesperson for the Non-governmental organizations said, “We are going ahead with our request to Prime Minister Paul Martin and the official opposition leaders in the House of Commons now, and we will re-apply with the Senate of Canada in early 2006.

“Time is on the side of open disclosure that there are ethical Extraterrestrial civilizations visiting Earth,” The spokesperson stated. “Our Canadian government needs to openly address these important issues of the possible deployment of weapons in outer war plans against ethical ET societies.”

Canadian Exopolitics Initiative
http://www.peaceinspace.net

Click here to send your letter to the Parliament of Canada requesting public “ET” Hearings
http://exopolitics.blogs.com/star_dreams_initiative/2005/10/the_senate_of_c.html

CONTACT NOW:

Toronto, Canada: Victor Viggiani, Exopolitics Toronto Symposium
Tel: 905-278-5628
http://www.exopoliticstoronto.com

Winnipeg, Canada: Randy Kitchur
Tel: 204-582-4424

Washington, D.C.: Dr. Steven Greer, The Disclosure Project
Tel: (540) 456-8302 (Office)
http://www.disclosureproject.org

Vancouver, Canada: Alfred Lambremont Webre, JD, MEd
ICIS-Institute for Cooperation in Space
Tel: 604-733-8134
http://www.peaceinspace.net

Behold My Hands: Evidence for

by Steven E. Jones

The Book of Mormon makes the bold statement that Jesus Christ, shortly following His resurrection, visited people in the New World and invited them to "feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am...the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. ... Ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice..." (3 Nephi 11:14, 15:21). The Bible states that Jesus "showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days" and that this witness of Christ would be "unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:3-8) and that Jesus would indeed visit "other sheep" (John 10:16).

Several years ago, an idea popped into my head: Would people in the New World who also saw Jesus Christ leave memorials of this supernal experience by showing marked hands of Deity in their artwork? So I began a search with the following hypothesis-to be tested: Ancient artwork portraying a deity with deliberate markings on his hands will be found somewhere in the Americas. A crazy idea, maybe - but wait till you see the artwork of the ancient Maya!

Death of Itzamna

Figure 1 portrays the death of the great Mayan Deity known as Itzamna, as found in a painting from a classic Mayan vase. (Marvin Cohodas, "Transformations: Relationships Between Image and Text" in Word and Image in Maya Culture, 220). Notice that both hands of this dying Deity show definite round spots. The artist evidently took some pains to bring the right arm over the head, and the spot on this hand can be seen as well as the marking on the left hand. Only one foot is visible, and it again displays a round marking! The very notion that the great and kindly Itzamna would die is suggestive; we soon learn that this Deity will later be resurrected!

In describing the scene, Marvin Cohodas explains that this is related to the beautiful legend of Hunab Pu "who dies and travels to the underworld later to be reborn [or resurrected]" (Ibid, 229-230). While much could be said about this legend [see Jones 1999], I would just comment briefly on the death and resurrection of Hunab Pu/Itzamna and the symbolic connection to the planet Venus. Although lacking telescopes, the Maya achieved an impressive breadth of knowledge about the stars and planets. In particular, they studied and recorded data on the planet Venus because it represented to them a Deity. Closer to the sun than earth, Venus appears in the sky as "the evening star" just after sunset, or as "the morning star" just before sunrise. When the travel of Venus takes it in front of or behind the sun, it cannot be seen for a few days. Thus, Venus appears as the "evening star" then disappears for several days after which it re-appears as the "morning star."

A non-LDS scholar explains the Mayan legend:
"According to tradition, [Hunab Pu] appeared as morning star after being dead for [several] days, the period between disappearance of Venus as evening star and the planet's reappearance as morning star. As Venus as morning star is frequently depicted with death symbols, one may assume that he obtained these in his journey through the underworld during the [few] days between his disappearance in the west as evening star and reappearance as morning star in the east." MHW 172

Thus, in the Mayan view, the Deity Hunab Pu/Itzamna is associated with Venus and the "morning star" with his resurrection. The Maya followed the death of the evening star and its transit through the world of spirits. Men would follow this path also. Venus as Morning Star thus signifies the Deity following his resurrection. The notion that Christ, the Morning Star of the New Testament (Rev. 22:16), descended into the underworld prior to His resurrection is found in the Bible:

"Now that he [Christ] ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" Ephesians 4:9 (See also I Peter 3:18-19.)

The notion of a Deity who dies then is resurrected is remarkable among the Maya and reminiscent of the Christian belief. Striking indeed is the fact that the visible foot and both hands of this Deity as he died are each marked by a round spot [Figure 1].

Mayan Deity Itzamna

Look at the sculpture in Figure 2 - notice anything peculiar about the hands? George E. Stuart and Gene S. Stuart describe the sculpture as "...the exalted Itzamna, lord of sky and earth" (The Mysterious Maya, 97). And Robert Elliot Smith describes the line drawing of a similar sculpture [shown in Figure 3] as "Itzamna, the old god...[with] prominent cheekbones, markedly Hebraic nose..." (Robert Eliot Smith, The Pottery of Mayapan, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and ethnology, Harvard University, 1971, pp. 50-52). Yes, the nose does look "Hebraic" as he says, not like the typical Mayan nose. Interesting. [I quote only non-LDS sources in this paper, by the way. And all of the artwork pre-dates Columbus by many years.] According to Michael Coe, Itzamna can be traced to the hieroglyphic record to "the mid-second century after Christ" (Early Steps, 117). Would you agree that the holes in the hands or wrists of this Deity are clearly portrayed?

Who is Itzamna?

Before going on to more ancient Mayan artwork, let's see what the non-LDS scholars say about this Deity Itzamna:

"Chief of the beneficent gods was Itzamna. He was the personification of the east, the rising sun with all of its manifold mythical associations....He was said to have come across the eastern waters. One of his titles was Lakin-Chan, the serpent of the East...As light is synonymous with life and knowledge, he was said to have been the founder of the culture of the Itzas and the Mayas. He was the first priest of their religion; invented writing and books...As a physician he was famous, not only knowing the magic herbs but possessed of the power of healing by the laying on of hands...For his wisdom he was spoken of as the royal or noble master of knowledge" (Daniel Brinton, American Hero-Myths).

"Itzamna was also...able to cure the sick and even bring the dead to life. People came from all over the land to his shrine, and for that reason he was known as Kabul, 'Maker with his hands'...it seems to be the equivalent of Bitol, 'Maker,' title of the Quiche creator" (J. Eric S. Thompson, The Rise and Fall of Maya Civilization, 229).

"Itzamna was the high god of the Maya. Fitting his role as paramount king, he often bears the title of ahaulil, or "lord," in the Postclassic Yucatec codices....he was considered as the first priest and the inventor of writing....Itzamna was identified with the powers of curing" (Mary Miller and Karl Taube, The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya, 99-100).

"The greatest god of the Yucatec Maya, but in some respects the most puzzling, is Itzam Na. As we shall see, he came near to incorporating most of the other major gods in his person...the Indians of [Yucatan], before the introduction of idolatry, worshiped a single god named Hunab Itzamna (Itzam Na). Hunab, "Unique," was a name applied to the creator....we deduce that in one of his aspects Itzam Na was the creator" (J. Eric S. Thompson, Maya History and Religion, 209-210).

These descriptions of Itzamna compare favorably with those given of the resurrected Lord in Third Nephi in the Book of Mormon, in which the people come to the temple at Bountiful in the New World to hear Jesus Christ, to touch his wounded hands, and to be healed. Now back to the artwork of the ancient Maya as it whispers to us from the dust.

Marks on Hands of God K

Figures 4a and 4b show photographs of ancient painted capstones from a Mayan temple in the Yucatan peninsula, from a ruin known today as Dzibilnocac. Eric Thompson suggests that the paintings depict God K of the Maya (F. Nelson, personal communication), who is sometimes identified with Itzamna (Nicholas P. Dunning, Lords of the Hills: Ancient Maya Settlement in the Puuc Region, Yucatan, Mexico, 142).The original painting on the upper right (4b) is badly faded, but if you search near the center of the painting you will see a clear black spot on the palm of this deity's hand. In fact, the spot on the hand is among the clearest surviving features on this painting. The line drawing (Figure 4d) retains this circle on the back of the hand, but shows only an open circle whereas the Mayan artist clearly filled in the spot on the hand. The other capstone (Figures 4a and 4c) also shows the deity with a circular marking on the palm of the hand. (The fingers are not detailed in this case.)Figure 5 is another depiction of Itzamna. Although perhaps not as striking as other paintings, we see markings on the left hand and on the wrist as well. The right hand shows a clear mark on the palm. The examples in Figure 6 portray circle-motif markings on both hands and wrists. These three were painted on ancient Mayan vases, and do not necessarily represent Deity as the previous paintings and sculptures do. Figure 7 shows a stone carving at Yaxchilan, Mexico, also displaying marks in both the hand and wrist. (Photograph by my son David E. Jones, with line drawing by artist Clifford Dunston.) Latter-day Saints generally believe that nails were driven through both the hands and wrists of Jesus (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 14.)

Hands in Mayan Hieroglyphs

Do marked hands appear in Mayan hieroglyphic writing? Yes they do, numbering in the thousands of marked hands! Figure 8 is taken from Piedras Negras, Guatemala, and provides typical examples of marked hand symbolism in Mayan hieroglyphic writing. I should mention that a Mayan stone carving may show an actual hole or cavity in the hand, while the modern line-drawing of the carved glyph often simply uses a circle. Usually the wrist is not shown in these carvings. Figure 9 displays Maya glyphs representing "the god of the seventh day." (E. Thompson, Maya Hieroglyphic Writing, pl 76.)

As I have asked non-LDS archaeologists about the hand-markings, they have generally replied that either they don't know, or perhaps this is a protruding wrist bone as the hand is severed from the body. I don't know who initiated this idea, for I have not seen anyone write it down in published material. Further thought would suggest that the wrist has two bones not just one, and that many of the hieroglyphics show the single mark near the middle of the back of the hand or the palm. Several cases have been brought forth which show marks in both wrist and hand. Finally, the spot is seen on hands of Itzamna while connected to the rest of his body, both as he dies and evidently following his resurrection.

Serious non-LDS commentary continues: "[Note] the close relationship between Maya hieroglyphic writing and religion, for there is no doubt that many forms and perhaps the names of hieroglyphs have religious connotations" (Thompson, Mayan Hieroglyphic Writing, 9).

"As in the case of several of the day signs already examined, the design has been shown to reproduce a characteristic attribute of the deity to whom the day was dedicated; it is virtually certain that the hand is the symbol of the god of the seventh day....The hand is also associated with Itzamna...." (Thompson, Mayan Hieroglyphic Writing, 76).

Thus, the marked hand symbol is connected to Deity-in particular with Itzamna, who died, went to the world of spirits and then was resurrected. All of this is reminiscent of Jesus Christ, supporting the claim of the Book of Mormon that New World inhabitants knew of Jesus long before Columbus arrived. There is much additional evidence, and the interested reader is pointed to reference [Jones 1999].

The hypothesis that started my search, that Christ's "other sheep" would have artwork depicting deliberately marked hands, has led to a remarkable conclusion: Hands (and wrists) with clear holes or marks are depicted in the art as well as the hieroglyphic writings of the Maya of Middle America, dating from within about 200 years of the time of Christ. These hands are associated with Itzamna, a kindly Deity associated with healing and teaching the people. He is shown dying in Mayan art, later to be resurrected. Finally, the Maya await the return of this great resurrected Deity in the not-distant future. [See Jones, 99]

These discoveries have provided me a deeper appreciation for the reality of the resurrection of Jesus and of His visit to "other sheep" who heard His voice and saw His wounded hands as did Thomas. My hope is that these new insights will encourage you to seriously consider the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Christ. Why don't you start reading right away? The Apostle Paul said: "Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good." (I Thessalonians 5:21) Why not? I've done this and for me, the Book of Mormon is a remarkable new witness for Christ, standing as a companion to the Bible.
Appendix: Excerpts from a beautiful Mesoamerican poem that I believe is relevant, providing further insights into the beliefs of the Maya:


The kettle drums color of jade resound,
Brilliant dew has fallen over the earth.
In the house of yellow feathers
it pours down with force.

His son has come down, descended there in the springtime.
He is the Giver of Life.
His songs make flourish, he adorns himself.

O friends, let us rejoice, let us embrace one another.
We walk the flowering earth.
Nothing can bring an end here to flowers and songs,
they are perpetuated in the house of the Giver of Life.
Friendship is a rain of precious flowers.
We are here, we are living here,
but we are only beggars O my friends.

Where do we go, oh! Where do we go?
Are we dead beyond, or do we yet live?
Will there be existence again?
Will the joy of the Giver of Life be there again?
Where is the source of light, since that which gives life hides itself?

Let our hearts not be troubled.
One day we must go, one night we will descend into the region of mystery.
We will have gone to His house,
but our word shall live here on earth.
Remove trouble from your hears, O my friends.
Indeed one must go elsewhere; beyond, happiness exists.

O Lord of the close vicinity, it is beyond, with those who dwell in Your house,
that I will sing songs to You, in the innermost of heaven.
My heart rises; I fix my eyes upon You, next to You, beside You, O Giver of Life!

(Excerpted from Native Mesoamerican Spirituality, edited with a foreword, introduction and notes by Miguel Leon-Portilla. Translations by Miguel Leon-Protilla, J. O. Arthur Anderson, Charles E. Dibble and Munro S. Edmonson. NY: Paulist Press, 1980.)

Islamofascist Agenda Promoted, Guardian Readers Soothed

THE DAILY ABLUTION
November 23, 2005

Unless one counts the propaganda piece written by "a former PLO representative" in praise of Yasser Arafat ("This is a battle over the right to call this conflict a conflict between two peoples: one that is oppressed, and the other that is denying them their right to be free. Recovering the true myth of [Arafat] is the key to understanding who the Palestinians are, and how they will achieve their freedom."), it's been nearly an entire month since Guardian comment page editor Seamus Milne has confirmed his dhimmitude by making space available in which apologists for terror and jihadis for the Caliphate present sanitised faces to the world.

Perhaps fearing a loss of his coveted dhimmi status, which would jeopardise his very existence in the coming Sharia empire - despite his having done so much to promote it - Mr. Milne gladly provides a platform to Muslim Brotherhood vice-president Khairat el-Shatir, in which the latter informs relieved readers that "the success of the Muslim Brotherhood [in the Egyptian elections] should not frighten anybody". He gives as his reason the fact that "we respect the rights of all religious and political groups".

This assertion would undoubtedly come as a surprise to members of the religious/political group known as "Jewish Israelis", whose right even to survive is dismissed by Muslim Brotherhood president Muhammad Mahdi Othman 'Akef. The Brotherhood leader, who has "complete faith that Islam will invade Europe and America", views Palestinian "martyrdom operations" as obligatory, and explicitly supports them:

"Thus, the [Muslim Brotherhood] movement supports martyrdom operations in Palestine and Iraq in order to expel the Zionists and the Americans."

It doesn't matter if such operations deliberately target civilians - as, in the view of the Brotherhood, there's no distinction between Israeli civilians and the military:

"In Israel, there should be no [differentiation between] a civilian and a member of the military. All are enemies of the Arab homeland and of Islam. They are occupiers and have no right to one handsbreadth of the land of Palestine"

It is, on the surface, difficult to see just how this position meshes with the "respect for all religious and political groups" that Mr. Shatir so eloquently expresses. Undoubtedly, however, an explanation sufficient for Guardian readers will soon be forthcoming.

Leading Egyptian liberal reformer Tarek Heggy sheds some light on the aims of the Brotherhood - aims which go somewhat further than those declared in the sunny Guardian piece ("to trigger a renaissance in Egypt", as well as to "energise an inclusive debate"). Mr. Heggy writes [grammar as in original, but it makes the point]:

"The Muslim Brotherhood (MB's) (established in Egypt in 1928), is the best organized political force in many Arab countries. It is a radical transnational organization which aims to take over the Islamic world in order to establish a Caliphate, is the best organized political force in many Arab countries. Such a Caliphate, a religious militarized state will be the base to wage war against the infidel West.

"And for our own societies, in the Middle East and Arab world, rule by the MB’s would undoubtedly result in: less freedom, increased state-ownership, segregated class-rooms, as well as the fact that a non-Muslim could never become president. It could also very well result in the reimplementation of punishments such as stoning, lashing, and cutting off the hands of thieves."

Don't worry, though - there'll be lots of "inclusive debate".

In an October, 2005 article published in the Swiss daily Le Temps (machine translation and French text available here), investigative journalist Sylvain Besson describes the discovery by Swiss authorities of a 14 page document written in 1982. The document, known as "The Project", is an explicit blueprint for the Muslim Brotherhood's benign goal - that of "establishing the reign of God everywhere in the world". According to M. Besson:

"One western official who had studied The Project described it as 'a totalitarian ideology of infiltration which represents, in the end, the greatest danger for European societies ... we will see emerging in Europe the demand for a parallel system, the creation of 'Muslim Parliaments', such as already exists in Great Britain ... Then will begin the slow destruction of our institutions, of our structures."

See? There's nothing at all to be concerned about.

The Guardian article - soothingly headlined "No need to be afraid of us" - represents a classic example of the way the Brotherhood operates, insofar as public presentation is concerned. As Newsweek reports, the organisation "always has had two faces: one a peaceful public, proselytizing and social-welfare oriented wing; the other a clandestine, paramilitary wing". It also represents a classic example of the willingness of the Guardian, and Mr. Milne in particular, to assist groups like the Brotherhood in the execution of their "projects".

It is of course possible that Mr. Milne is simply naive, a useful idiot who's clueless about the Califascist agenda of those he so readily allows to use him for promotional purposes. However, given his track record, it's becoming increasingly difficult not to conclude that he's only too eager to do what he can to help bring about "the slow destruction of our institutions".

Bookshelf: Terrorists in Washington

by Alonzo L. Hamby

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

AMERICAN GUNFIGHT
By Stephen Hunter and John Bainbridge Jr.
(Simon & Schuster, 368 pages, $26.95)

Forty-two years later, Americans remain transfixed by the assassination of John F. Kennedy, an event that has spawned a cottage industry of articles, books, movies and film documentaries. Killers who rob a nation of a popular president leave names remembered in infamy. Their success generates a thousand explanations.

Failure, on the other hand, is an orphan. In "American Gunfight," Stephen Hunter, a novelist and film critic, and John Bainbridge Jr., an attorney and legal journalist, examine the nearly forgotten attempt of two Puerto Rican National Party adherents, Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo, to kill President Harry Truman in November 1950.

Truman was temporarily living in Blair House at the time. Torresola and Collazo, guns blazing, attempted to storm the residence but never made it inside. The episode occurred two days after the National Party had attempted to assassinate Puerto Rican Gov. Luis Munoz Marin and seize control of Puerto Rico. In some way, Torresola and Collazo imagined, Truman's death would further the cause of Puerto Rican independence.

Aside from learning of this rarely remembered event, readers can enjoy "American Gunfight" simply as a fast-paced thriller, with minor characters playing important parts. Truman's protectors come across as ordinary Americans who lived predictable and honorable lives, earned a living for their families, showed up for work every day and went about their quotidian duties with a dedicated professionalism. Most memorable is Leslie Coffelt, the White House policeman who took three sucker-punch bullets at point-blank range from Torresola, then somehow managed to stave off death long enough to kill his assailant with one perfectly aimed shot. We learn about him, his comrades, their wives and their families.

In small but telling ways, Messrs. Hunter and Bainbridge alter the generally held understanding of the event. They demonstrate that Torresola, although 10 years younger than Collazo, was the leader of the mission, almost certainly acting under orders from Don Pedro Albizu Campos, the charismatic head of the National Party. But the authors also give us assertions of less than solid provenance. One central to their narrative, grounding the book's sequence of events, is that the gunfight lasted 38.5 seconds -- or certainly somewhere between 36 and 40 seconds. No stopwatches were in use that day, and such precision is simply impossible to verify. They also claim that Torresola saw Truman at the window of his second-floor Blair House bedroom and might have killed him had Torresola not been reloading just before Coffelt rose from the near-dead to put a bullet into his brain. It is an interesting theory, but only that.

The authors persuasively depict a complacent, unimaginative Secret Service, equipping its police and agents with revolvers instead of automatic pistols, training them to shoot one-handed at stationary bull's-eye targets, failing to bulletproof Blair House windows, locking up Tommy guns and shotguns that would be needed only in situations that demanded instant access. The Puerto Ricans, armed with automatic pistols and steel-jacketed bullets, were stopped primarily by Collazo's inexperienced fumbling with his Walther P.38. Their original plan was for a five-man team. Had the three dropouts joined in the assault, Vice President Alben Barkley might have been sworn in as president that day.

The authors are less successful at explaining the fanaticism of the assailants. Torresola, a macho hothead whose entire family was devoted to the National movement, left his pregnant wife and relatively comfortable life for an underground assignment in New York. Collazo, a skilled worker with a steady job, a family man esteemed by friends and colleagues, embarked on a suicide mission. Writing of Collazo's childhood in the mountainous coffee country, Messrs. Hunter and Bainbridge tell us: "Coffee culture is a natural breeding ground for rebels." In the end, they can only usefully, if insufficiently, cite the philosopher Eric Hoffer on the character of the True Believer. They might equally have referenced Hannah Arendt on the banality of evil.

The National Party was a fascist organization with little popular support, led by a would-be Mussolini, supported by a black-shirted militia. In "American Gunfight," its operatives are given human identities; by contrast, Gov. Munoz Marin, a widely esteemed liberal whose programs improved the lives of Puerto Ricans, is given little substance. His policemen come across in the book as mere thugs, cardboard figures.

In this respect, Messrs. Hunter and Bainbridge inadvertently document the difficulty that liberal societies have in coming to grips with totalitarian terrorism. They are far from alone. Collazo, taken alive, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to be executed. Truman commuted the sentence to life imprisonment, apparently in an effort to appease Latin American anti-Yankee sentiment. He returned to Puerto Rico, a hero to the Nationalists. President Jimmy Carter, perhaps thinking him a misguided idealist, pardoned Collazo in 1979.

Gov. Munoz Marin's government, never able to develop the evidence needed for a death sentence against Albizu Campos, the head of the Nationalist Party, jailed him for lesser crimes, then pardoned him. The party's violent agitation continued: In 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists shot up the U.S. House of Representatives. Albizu Campos was imprisoned again for a few years, then released for reasons of health before his death in 1965.

Messrs. Hunter and Bainbridge tell us that Albizu Campos "is today celebrated by many in Puerto Rico and his legend continues to grow." They describe his present-day party as "more of a rallying organization than a political force." One takes what comfort one can from this characterization.

---

Mr. Hamby's latest book is "For the Survival of Democracy: Franklin Roosevelt and the World Crisis of the 1930s."

(See related letter: "Letters to the Editor: Taking Aim at Truman" -- WSJ Nov. 28, 2005)