Flights 11, 175, 77, and 93: The 9/11 Commission's Incredible Tales
Quite a long article, I haven't had the chance to read yet. Check it out, and post your comments.
http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20051205150219651
By Dr. David Ray Griffin
At the end of 2004, I published The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions1. Shortly before that book appeared, I delivered a lecture in which I set out to summarize its major points. (That lecture is now available in both print and DVD form.)2 Unfortunately, The 9/11 Commission Report itself3 contains so many omissions and distortions that I was able to summarize only the first half of my book in that lecture. The present lecture summarizes the second half of the book, which deals with the Commission's explanation as to why the US military was unable to intercept any of the hijacked airplanes.
This explanation was provided in the first chapter of The 9/11 Commission Report. Although that chapter is only 45 pages long, the issues involved are so complex that my analysis of it required six chapters. One of the complexities is the fact that the 9/11 Commission's account of why the military could not intercept the hijacked airliners is the third version of the official account we have been given. To understand why three versions of this story have been deemed necessary, we need to review the standard operating procedures that are supposed to prevent hijacked airliners from causing the kinds of damage that occurred on 9/11.
Flights 11, 175, 77, and 93: The 9/11 Commission's Incredible Tales
9/11 Commission
At the end of 2004, I published The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions1. Shortly before that book appeared, I delivered a lecture in which I set out to summarize its major points. (That lecture is now available in both print and DVD form.)2 Unfortunately, The 9/11 Commission Report itself3 contains so many omissions and distortions that I was able to summarize only the first half of my book in that lecture. The present lecture summarizes the second half of the book, which deals with the Commission's explanation as to why the US military was unable to intercept any of the hijacked airplanes.
This explanation was provided in the first chapter of The 9/11 Commission Report. Although that chapter is only 45 pages long, the issues involved are so complex that my analysis of it required six chapters. One of the complexities is the fact that the 9/11 Commission's account of why the military could not intercept the hijacked airliners is the third version of the official account we have been given. To understand why three versions of this story have been deemed necessary, we need to review the standard operating procedures that are supposed to prevent hijacked airliners from causing the kinds of damage that occurred on 9/11.
Standard Operating Procedures
Standard operating procedures dictate that if an FAA flight controller notices anything that suggests a possible hijacking--if radio contact is lost, if the plane's transponder goes off, or if the plane deviates from its flight plan--the controller is to contact a superior. If the problem cannot be fixed quickly--within about a minute--the superior is to ask NORAD--the North American Aerospace Defense Command--to scramble jet fighters to find out what is going on. NORAD then issues a scramble order to the nearest Air Force base with fighters on alert. On 9/11, all the hijacked airliners occurred in NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector, which is known as NEADS. So all the scramble orders would have come from NEADS.
The jet fighters at the disposal of NEADS could respond very quickly: According to the US Air Force website, F-15s can go from "scramble order" to 29,000 feet in only 2.5 minutes, after which they can then fly over 1800 miles per hour (140). (All page numbers given parenthetically in the text are to David Ray Griffin, The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions). Therefore--according to General Ralph Eberhart, the head of NORAD--after the FAA senses that something is wrong, "it takes about one minute" for it to contact NORAD, after which, according to a spokesperson, NORAD can scramble fighter jets "within a matter of minutes to anywhere in the United States" (140). These statements were, to be sure, made after 9/11, so we might suspect that they reflect a post-9/11 speed-up in procedures. But an Air Traffic Control document put out in 1998 warned pilots that any airplanes persisting in unusual behavior "will likely find two [jet fighters] on their tail within 10 or so minutes" (141).
The First Version of the Official Story
On 9/11, however, that did not happen. Why not? Where was the military? The military's first answer was given immediately after 9/11 by General Richard Myers, then the Acting Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Mike Snyder, a spokesman for NORAD. They both said, independently, that no military jets were sent up until after the strike on the Pentagon. That strike occurred at 9:38, and yet American Airlines Flight 11 had shown two of the standard signs of hijacking, losing both the radio and the transponder signal, at 8:15. This means that procedures that usually result in an interception within "10 or so minutes" had not been carried out in 80 or so minutes.
...
- Login to post comments
This is GREAT!!! Thanks
This is GREAT!!!
Thanks DRG!!!
"Laura Brown, the FAA's
"Laura Brown, the FAA's Deputy in Public Affairs, reportedly said that the National Military Command Center in the Pentagon had set up an air threat teleconference that morning at about 8:20 (187)."
That stood out to me.
once again, Dr. Griffin has
once again, Dr. Griffin has kicked the fairy tale's ass ~ he better be careful; he's a perfect target for a terrorist attack
I still want a video of that
I still want a video of that NYC presentation by DRG presenting the case for controlled demolition. This must have been taped so where is it? I love DRG but I wonder what his take would be on where the religious community is in exposeing the truth and working for an honest society based on truth rather than political correctness. How much money and power does the Catholic Church have? Where are they? Pretty much what Ive known since a child. It is not my intention to disrespect anyones faith but Ive heard the talk all my life. Who is walking the walk? Obviously DRG is!
It's coming JAYBIRD...
It's coming JAYBIRD...
I have a theory I wanted to
I have a theory I wanted to throw at you guys. If we look at the flight paths of all 4 planes one question I thought stood out was how did the hijackers find there targets after the transponders where turned off, with no contact with anyone on the ground, and flying high above the clouds out over the midwest? We can eliminate the last flight because I don't think a field in Penn. was the target, and the first flight because it appears all they did was fallow the Hudson south to the Towers. So how did the other two find there targets?
Here's a theory. What if they planned on only hijacking one plane not four? The other three could of been the government taking advantage of the situation. If we look at each situation as a seperate case and not connected, the first plane being hijacked and flown into the first tower seems reasonable for the hijackers to do. It's when we factor in the other three that things start to get fishy.
I don't know. This just kinda hit me so I figured I would put my thoughts out there.
Jaybird: DRG is the man!!!
Jaybird: DRG is the man!!! I wouldn't hold out too much hope for the rest of the religious community. They're as corrupt as everyone else.
However, aren't the DRG videos available at 911truth.org?
Mike Jr: Your theory is as good as anyone else's at this point. Consider this, the simple fact of turning off the transponder would have immediately sent alarm bells to the FAA and Norad (if they had shown up for work that day). Therefore, they must have known there would be no attempts to intercept them before they turned off the transponders.
Now, why would they turn off the transponders? It wouldn't make them invisible to radar operators (as the government would have us believe), instead it would make them stand out like a sore thumb as the only blip on the screen not transmitting data. The only reason I'm aware of for turning off the transponders was so they could swap planes mid flight a la Operation Northwoods.
Anyone have any better ideas?
I doubt if the highjackers
I doubt if the highjackers could even SPELL transponder, much less find the switch and turn it off~ and who sed the transponders were turned off anyway? the FAA? Dr. Griffin has pointed out just how much credibility the FAA and NORAD have in this matter~ here is one school of thought::
Flight Of The Bumble Planes
http://www.public-action.com/911/bumble.html
Hey James, I happen to agree
Hey James, I happen to agree for the most part with the Bumble Planes, where turning off the transponders was necessary to swap the jets.
All we know is the official story is bunk.
ya, the official story is
ya, the official story is just so obviously bunk ~ I find the mcMedia's complicity in the cover-up to be the most disturbing aspect of it all ~ I mean, you gotta hand it to bushco for pulling off a crime of such magnitude, but they could never get away with it if it wasn't for the media sweeping it under the rug
Gold, " It's coming
Gold,
" It's coming JAYBIRD..."
I don't mean to be a pushy SOB but whats taking so long to get that video? It seems like a simple enough thing if a video was made why would it not be out within a few hours? Do we not have the technology?
Jaybird,
I believe DRG's take is in his book. He believes that the religious communities are the ones that would best be able to bring the truth out. I think the possibility exsists that DRG may be mistaken on this(and only this) belief. As Jon Gold points out don't hold your breath on the corrupt church to bring it, I agree. I think we are on our own and we are getting the truth out there without the religious politcal or the media communities willful assistance. But once enough of us are in the fight and in the know you can bet there will be a huge rush to jump onboard. I hope that time comes soon.
But then again what happens to us nutcases when everyone agrees with us....I guess we could all start pushing the official story at that point.
Gold, " It's coming
Gold,
" It's coming JAYBIRD..."
I don't mean to be a pushy SOB but whats taking so long to get that video? It seems like a simple enough thing if a video was made why would it not be out within a few hours? Do we not have the technology?
Les Jamieson is working on it. That's all I know.
The Media- You know I
The Media- You know I started to comment about a year after 911 how there really were not many familiar faces on tv news anymore. Paula Zhan actually started work for CNN on 9-11. Where was she before that? Stepford manufacturing? What do they do with all the news people when they can't handle not reporting news anymore. Are there not enough of them now gone from all the networks to start their own coalition? I'm most curious as to what Aaron Brown is doing now that the got rid of him (while he was on vacation). They recently brought that ridiculous Rita somebody reporting every night with the "latest breaking news" from Aruba. Click.
And over at MSNBC they couldnt give Steven Jones any real airtime but they gave some kid that tosses pizza dough about as much time as the professor. And tucker was just fascinated by the kids amazing skill. Tucker actually stopped talkin so the kid could answer questions and all the while the kid is tossing his dough. I was so ready to toss too. Click.
Gold, Thanks. I was afraid
Gold, Thanks. I was afraid it was you. : ) And I didn't want to offend you by being a pushy sob.
Because the government has
Because the government has been covering up and lying so much about 9/11(NORAD war games, Able Danger, destroyed tapes, CIA-Osama connections, etc) it lends itself for even the most ridiculous theories. We all love a good theory. But I wish some in the 9/11 truth community would apply the same scrutiny to their own fact checking as the they want the media to do.
I believe Flight 77 did in fact hit the pentagon. The notion that somehow planes were swapped or that a missle hit to me further confuses things.
Flight 93 is up for debate.
My theory is that higher ups got word of the 9/11 planning in the Phillipines and thru tracking Mohammed Atta and the hijackers in 1999. By higher ups I mean the neocons who knew they'd be able to steal the election.
What becomes foggy is who funded the hijackers(the money trail), and how the heck did they fly those planes where they needed to go?
It is mindblowingly sad to see people talk about holograms, ufos, or that no Arabic men were in control of those planes(at least at some point) We can clearly hear Arabic hijackers in the FAA tapes talking about a bomb. We know remains of everyone on the flight manifesto were found at all 4 crashes.
Doesn't it stand ot reason that a few elites got wind of the sept 11th plot, and did everything in their power to
thwart investigations? In my book LIHOP=MIHOP, complicity becomes orchestration. While Operation Northwoods sets a prescedent, I don't think 9/11 came from the mind of Lord Cheney. He just made sure it happened(according to Norman Mineta, he had the pilots stand down)
pockybot, are you crazy? You
pockybot,
are you crazy?
You think a Boeing 757 attacked the pentagon?...
LOL LOL LOL LOL
Philanthropist Jimmy Walter Presents
The New Pearl Harbor-Confronting the Evidence:
A Real Investigation into What Happened on September 11, 2001
Tampa, Dec. 7 & 8
Miami Beach, Dec 9
Sarasota and St. Pete Beach, Dec 11
Hosted by: 9/11 experts Jimmy Walter, Morgan Reynolds, David Von Kleist, William Rodriguez, Joyce Riley, and Eric Hufschmid
What:
When Vice President Dick Cheney and twenty four Bush officials and friends signed a call in 2000 for a "New Pearl Harbor," as an excuse to invade Iraq; they said it would take "some catastrophic and catalyzing event, like a new Pearl Harbor, to convince the American People that we must invade Iraq to project American military power. Time Magazine called for "a unified Pearl Harbor, sort of purple American fury."
After the September 11th attacks, Jimmy Walter said, "September 11, 2001 will live in infamy as the day the that U.S. military failed to protect even itself, and the Pentagon; and that terrorists--whether they are inside or outside of the government--have triumphed over American freedom.
This forum is an investigation into the following:
1. Why the Bush administration ignored warning signs about terrorist attacks.
2. Why they leaked classified information to the media.
3. Why members of the administration lied under oath and obstructed justice in an investigation about national security violations.
4. Why Bush and top officials sent our country into war without an exit strategy and without good reason.
5. Why the Republican administration has created massive deficits, while cutting spending on social programs and veteran benefits, and giving tax cuts to the richest Americans.
6. Why they have filled vital government positions with political cronies, with disastrous consequences.
Biographical Information about the Panelists
Jimmy Walter: Jimmy Walter is the host and sponsor of THE NEW PEARL HARBOR—CONFRONTING THE EVIDENCE: THE SEPTEMBER 11th TRUTH TOUR. Spending millions of dollars of his personal funds, Jimmy Walter has launched an advertising blitz in the world's most prominent newspapers and magazines, including full-page color ads in Business Week, Forbes, Newsweek, The New York Times, Washington Post, Readers Digest ,The New Yorker, The Observer, The Guardian, Monde, Telegraaf, de Volkskrant, Der Standard, and others, entitled: "Are We Safer Now?” According to Mr. Walter, The 9/11 Commission’s official published report contains outright lies and distortions; very troubling questions about the attacks remain unanswered.
Walter first turned to advertising two years ago when he saw the mainstream press self-censoring to support the impending Iraqi quagmire. He felt impelled to get the word out that Colin Powell had lied before for the George H. W. Bush administration and was again lying to the American people, the Congress, and the UN to falsely justify another Gulf War. This would, Walter surmised, increase terrorism, create a new
Vietnam, and cause an economic disaster for America. Presciently, his predictions have all come true: The war has increased terrorism against the American people, jobs are scarce, oil is running out, and the world economy and environment are being wrecked by Bush's fanatical actions.
· As a patriot, philanthropist, activist with a genius IQ (Cum Laude at Asheville Prep School and winner of the prestigious Morehead Scholarship at UNC,) Walter
parlays his knowledge of business, finance, psychology, economics, behavior management, religion, computer science, and philosophy, to promote the creation of eco-friendly, utopian societies.
Venture capitalist, philanthropist, political activist, writer Jimmy Walter is the son of FloridaÂ’s own James W. Walter, Sr., a successful home builder and industrialist who started Jim Walter Homes and Walter Industries in 1946 with $1,000 he borrowed from his father to eventually sell the company in 1986 for $2 billion to KKR. In 1968, he bought US Pipe and Foundry. Later, he acquired Fry Roofing, Georgia Marble, and various other building material companies.
http://www.reopen911.org will give a free DVD of Confronting the Evidence: A Call to Reopen the September 11th Investigation, to anyone who requests a copy. To date, Walter has given away more than 450,000 DVDÂ’s, in ten languages. Read more about crucial evidence and catch up on all of the latest 9/11 news at: Reopen911.org.
Contest: As part of his September 11th Truth campaign, Jimmy Walter is putting his money where his mouth is. Walter is offering one million dollars to anyone who can prove explosives were NOT used at the World Trade Center on 9/11. For full details and contest rules, see: www.reopen911.org/Contest.htm
Morgan Reynolds, PhD: Morgan Reynolds is currently Professor emeritus in economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. He was former Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor 2001-2002, and also served as the Director of the Criminal Justice Center and Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Professor Reynolds is the author or co-author of six books, including Public Expenditures, Taxes, and the Distribution of Income (1977), Power and Privilege: Labor Unions in America (1984), Crime by Choice (1985), and Economics of Labor (1995). He has published over 50 articles in academic journals, including the American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy and Journal of Labor Research. He has authored or co-authored dozens of policy studies for organizations like the Joint Economic Committee of the United States Congress and the National Center for Policy Analysis. He has written dozens of op-eds for Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, InvestorÂ’s Business Daily, Fortune, National Review, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, The Washington Times, LewRockwell.com, and other popular outlets.
Dr. ReynoldsÂ’ research and publication interests include labor market issues, income inequality, trade union behavior, and labor regulation, as well as the economics of crime and punishment. Over the last few years, he has served as a consultant and researcher for the National Correctional Industries Association, an industry trade group for attracting and administering paid job opportunities within-prison-walls for inmates.
William Rodriguez: Last Survivor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center and heroic rescuer, William Rodriguez is one of the many 9/11 survivors speaking out against the Bush administrationÂ’s official story. He has an amazing story. Willie will describe hearing explosives prior to the collapse and his fruitless attempts to make this known to the 9/11 Commission, The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), as well as the FBI. He is living proof that our government and corporate media actively suppressed what really happened that day.
On the morning of the 9/11 terrorist attack, Rodriguez single-handedly rescued fifteen people from the World Trade CenterÂ’s North Tower. As Rodriguez was the only person at the site with the master key to the North Tower stairwells, he bravely led firefighters up the stairwell, unlocking doors as they ascended, thereby aiding in the successful evacuation of hundreds of additional victims. Rodriguez, at great risk to his own life, then re-entered the Towers three times over, and is believed to be the last person to exit the North Tower alive.
After being rescued on 9/11, William became an advocate for the victimsÂ’ families and survivors. He successfully pressed Congress, the Legislature and Senate for many of the benefits that the families finally received. He is the President of the Hispanic Victim's Group. William's experience at the Towers (20 Years) and knowledge of the events is a real eye-opener for those who want to find the real truth about that day. He testified before the 9/11 Commission, yet his testimony was omitted in the final report.
Joyce Riley: Joyce Riley is a former captain in the Air Force, who went on to produce the formidable DVD, Beyond Treason, The Story behind the Cover-up of Depleted Uranium (DU), Exposure Chemical & Biological Exposure, and Experimental Vaccinations. Joyce Riley led the investigation into the First Gulf War Syndrome in 1991, and is currently the spokesperson for the American Gulf War Veterans Association. She co-hosts the radio show “The Power Hour” with her husband Dave VonKleist, and it is heard domestically on AM and FM stations, as well as on the internet, satellite and international short-wave radio.
David Von Kleist: the producer of the documentary In Plane Site, which proved that the damage incurred at the Pentagon site on Sept. 11th could not have been caused by a Boeing 757, as the Bush/Cheney-led establishment would have the public believe. The film focuses on the controversy at the Pentagon, and the fact that many military officers and other witnesses have agreed that the plane used in the attack did not appear to be a commercial aircraft. The matter was further complicated when video footage of the attack was confiscated, and crucial evidence was hidden from the public. Von Kleist currently co-hosts the popular radio show “The Power Hour” with his wife, Joyce Riley.
Eric Hufschmid: Hufschmid’s book about this baffling ‘trial by fire’ is a must-read for anyone trying to understand this unprecedented event in history: The collapse and disintegration of not one steel building by fire, but three, on the same day.
In Painful Question: an Analysis of the September 11th Attack, Eric Hufschmid performs a methodical analysis of available evidence, testing the physical plausibility of the official explanation--now known as the "Pancake Theory"--against something we know as "Reality." As Hufschmid explains, the credibility of the official theo
Gold thanks for the reply.
Gold thanks for the reply. Again we can speculate about dozens of issues on 911 but I KNOW ONE THING: The twin towers and wtc 7 were brought down with explosives. This equals 911 was an inside job. This equals the war on terror is bullshit. Remember those tv ads THEY were running after 911 blameing potheads for financeing terrorism? The war on terror is just as disturbing as the war on drugs. Oh you scratched your arm with a toooth brush? Let me chop your whole arm off for you!