Point–by–point response to George Eaton's criticisms of the 9/11 Truth Movement. Part 2

Follow-up to Point–by–point response to George Eaton's criticisms of the 9/11 Truth Movement. Part 1 from Jack's blog

As George Monbiot put it, “if there is one universal American characteristic, it is a confessional culture that permits no one with a good story to keep his mouth shut”. It is far more likely that there was no grand plot to tell than it is that this convention was broken.

Monbiot’s observation of a “confessional culture” is true to life precisely because it taps into the nature of familiar public culture, not corporate culture, government culture or criminal culture. If the “convention” of confession is so universal and inexorable, what explains the ability of those 130,000+ people involved in the Manhattan Project (research and development of the atomic bomb) to keep mum for five years? What explains the USA’s participation in both sides of an Indonesian civil war in 1957, which resulted in over 40,000 deaths, being kept secret until a book emerged in 1995? What explains the 30 years it took for news to leak of the U.S. Public Health Service’s denial of treatment to 400 black men with syphilis from 1947-1972, in the name of an experiment, without their informed consent or knowledge of their diagnosis? What explains E. Howard Hunt’s silence for 43 years and others’ continued silence over the John Kennedy assassination plot? There are many more examples of high-level secrets being kept for extended periods of time. If further secrets have been kept, it is by definition that we have not heard of them.

I think Eaton is particularly confused if he thinks that direct participation in high crime, let alone mass murder, falls into the category of a “good story” that could be publicised for profit. Those directly complicit in the crimes of 9/11 would be highly motivated to avoid public disgrace, imprisonment or even the death penalty, as well as motivated by their vested interest in the attacks.

That aside, the very idea of the mainstream media being an impartial arbiter of “good stories”, even if these severely contradict the official conspiracy theory about 9/11, does not reflect reality. It is even undermined by the context of my article. William Rodriguez’s refusal to “keep his mouth shut” certainly follows the “convention” that Monbiot describes, but the incredible lack of mainstream interest in his story indicates that the corporate media follow other conventions. Why is it that their initial interest in Rodriguez when he was being lauded as a national hero melted away as soon as he started campaigning for an investigation of 9/11 and delivering testimony which jarred with the official theory?

Another completely neglected “good story” about 9/11 came out earlier this year. Archive footage found on the Internet shows BBC World announcing that WTC Building 7 had collapsed over twenty minutes before it did. Correspondent, Jane Standley is filmed in front of the New York skyline with Building 7 clearly visible behind her, as she reports it has collapsed. Confronted by a storm of controversy on the web, the head of news at BBC World responded with this flippant dismissal of “conspiracy theories”, without expressing any interest or commitment to root out the source or press release that reported Building 7 had collapsed “because it had been weakened” half an hour before it did. If no major media picked up on this remarkable story, what guarantee does that give potential whistleblowers and witnesses that they will be protected by full media exposure?

Yet witnesses to signs of government facilitation or criminal negligence of the 9/11 plot do exist, and their information is in the public domain (though not in the mainstream public consciousness), thanks to the alternative media, which in tandem with the Internet has grown exponentially this century.

Sibel Edmonds was employed as a translator for the FBI’s Washington field office in late September 2001 and fired in March 2002 after alleging serious acts of security breaches, cover-ups, intentional blocking of intelligence, and the bribery of U.S. individuals including high-ranking officials. The State Secret Privilege has been invoked to block court proceedings on her case, and the U.S. Congress has even been gagged to prevent further discussion. Edmonds is the most gagged person in US history.

Edmonds testified to the 9/11 Commission, strictly behind closed doors. She was mentioned once in the report, footnote 25, page 490, in the course of a vague discussion about the importance of having good translators. Immediately after the release of the report in 2004, Edmonds wrote an open letter to the Commission’s chairman, Thomas Kean, chiding the panel for ignoring important issues related to the attacks. In the letter (worth a full read ), she asserted that the FBI had received specific information that

“1) Osama bin Laden was planning a major terrorist attack in the United States targeting four or five major cities; 2) the attack was going to involve airplanes; 3) some of the individuals in charge of carrying out this attack were already in place in the United States; 4) the attack was going to be carried out soon, in a few months. The agents who received this information reported it to their superior, Special Agent in Charge of Counterterrorism Thomas Frields at the FBI Washington Field Office, by filing 302 forms, and the translator translated and documented this information. No action was taken by the special agent in charge, and after 9/11 the agents and the translators were told to “keep quiet” regarding this issue.”

Another key passage in the letter:

“The public has not been told that certain information, despite its relevance to terrorist activities, is not shared with counterterrorism units. This was true prior to 9/11, and it remains true today. If counterintelligence receives information about terrorism that implicates certain nations, semi-legit organizations or the politically powerful in this country, then that information is not shared with counterterrorism, regardless of the consequences. In certain cases, frustrated FBI agents have cited “direct pressure by the State Department.” The Department of Justice Inspector General received detailed evidence regarding this issue. I provided your investigators with an account of this issue, the names of other witnesses willing to corroborate this, and the names of U.S. officials involved in these transactions and activities.”

Of course, no reply was given.

For a wider understanding of Edmonds’ important case, go here.

Other FBI employees have also attempted to blow the whistle on intelligence blockages. Coleen Rowley detailed how, prior to 9/11, bureau higher-ups thwarted attempts to investigate terror suspect Zacarias Moussaoui, the mental case accused of being the “20th hijacker”, whose trial later provided good publicity for the official story. Special agent, Robert Wright, wrote a 500 page manuscript, “Fatal Betrayals of the Intelligence Mission”, in which he detailed how FBI bureaucrats “intentionally and repeatedly thwarted his attempts to launch a more comprehensive investigation to identify and neutralize terrorists.” The FBI has illegally refused to release the manuscript.

BBC investigative journalist, Greg Palast, discovered that

“government chiefs stopped key investigations into allegations of the funding of Al Quaida and other terrorist organizations by top Saudi royals and some members of the Bin Laden family, not just Osama. Crucially, one top placed operative told [him] that, even under Bill Clinton, investigations that implicated Saudis were subject to “constraints”. But after the elections, under Bush’s control, the agencies were ordered to “back off” from any inquiries into the Saudi royals of the Bin Laden family, except for the supposed lone black sheep, Osama.”

- The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Greg Palast, Pluto Press, London, pp.144.

The key secret document uncovered by the BBC was called w199i

One Shreveport dentist, Dr. David Graham, did not manage to get his information into the public domain. Graham’s family say he was poisoned in 2004, forcing him into physical rehab and later leading to his death. According to this local TV news report Graham claimed he met three of the alleged hijackers in Shreveport a year before 9/11, men he feared were plotting to bomb Barksdale Air Force Base. He warned the FBI, but after 9/11 he saw their pictures among the 19 alleged hijackers. In addition to writing a manuscript about this, Graham was supposed to testify at a deportation hearing against a Pakistani man, Jamal Khan, who hosted the men he believed to be the hijackers.

It is interesting that Eaton should invoke the commentary of George Monbiot, a journalist who on September 25th 2001 wrote an article questioning the authenticity of the official reports coming out at that time:

“Like almost everyone on earth, I want to believe that the attack on New York was the work of a single despot and his obedient commando. But the more evidence US intelligence presents to this effect, the less credible the story becomes.”

Monbiot asked how it could be feasible that the passport of an alleged hijacker, Satam Al Suqami, was found, unscathed, a few blocks from the World Trade Center.

“I can’t help suspecting that intelligence agents have assembled the theory first, then sought the facts required to fit it.” This was before reports emerged that several of the alleged hijackers were alive and well and complaining about being on the FBI’s list.

Tellingly, the article only re-emerged on Monbiot’s archives in March 2007, following articles like this which noted its absence after he denounced the 9/11 Truth Movement in The Guardian. Though I sympathise with Monbiot’s critique of the film, “Loose Change”, which I agree is inadequate and inaccurate, I think that his attitude towards “conspiracists” is indefensibly unsophisticated, to the extent that it damages his journalistic integrity.

This is a good case study to consider when questioning how it can be possible that mainstream journalists aren’t going crazy about the fraud of the official 9/11 conspiracy theory. Even former sceptics have found it easier to build and maintain their political ideologies in a world where the official account of 9/11 is broadly accurate. As more time passes, the more difficult it becomes to backtrack. But with any luck, more mainstream journalists will follow the lead of Robert Fisk, who wrote an article in the Independent called “Even I question the “truth” about 9/11”, in which he highlights the troubling nature of many questions that people raise about September 11th, even if some of those people are obnoxious in their approach.

The second difficulty is the lack of academic opinion and evidence in favour of Rodriguez’s hypothesis.

Again, Rodriguez does not present a hypothesis, he presents his eye-witness testimony. It is sloppy to attribute the controlled demolition hypothesis to a caretaker, who has no illusions about his unqualified role, when there is, in fact, an exponential surge of academic opinion supporting and substantiating it. If Eaton had watched a recording of one of William’s Rodriguez’s talks he would have known that he never trumpets the controlled demolition hypothesis. His role is to present his personal experience to the court of public opinion and to question why its anomalism to the official theory hasn’t been looked into.

Morgan claims that the account is supported by hundreds of structural engineers, architects and physicists”, although he provides no names or groups. He only cites the thoroughly discredited Journal of 9/11 Studies, the co-editor of which, Steven Jones, was ostracised by his university for scientific disregard.

Being generous, this is Eaton’s second massive misrepresentation of my article. I cited Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth in my article as well as the Journal of 9/11 Studies. Now, I won’t make Eaton’s mistake and confuse a narrowly focussed article with a thorough essay and complain that he does not elaborate on why or how Jones’ and his peers’ studies have been “thoroughly discredited”, but I will assert that this claim will be difficult for Eaton to flesh out, even if given the time and space. Duly challenged myself, I will provide some names of structural engineers, architects and physicists who denounce the official theory of why WTC 1, 2 and 7 completely collapsed:

182 professional members of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth – a steadily growing number since the group was set up earlier this year. The founding groups’ presentations to architecture and engineering firms in the US allegedly convert 90% of audiences to the view that the Twin Towers and World Trade Center Building 7 were brought down by controlled demolition.

Watch a presentation by the organisation’s founder, Richard Gage (also member of the American Institute of Architects) here

A recent, notable addition to this group’s list is Joel S. Hirschhorn, BS Metallurgical Engineering, MS Metallurgical Engineering, PhD Materials Engineering, former Senior Staff Member of the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), a nationally recognized engineer who has testified before Congress more than 50 times on technology, science, and environmental issues. He also served as Director of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources for the National Governors Association.

Another is J. Marx Ayres, former member of the California Seismic Safety Commission and former member of the National Institute of Sciences Building Safety Council. Nationally recognized expert in building air conditioning design and analysis, energy conservation, thermal energy storage, commissioning of HVAC systems, and earthquake damage to building mechanical systems, with over 55 years of experience. Co-founder of one of the largest building engineering firms in Los Angeles, in responsible charge of the design of hundreds of major building projects. Served as a member of the Building Code Advisory committees for the City of Los Angeles, the California Building Standards Committee, and the International Conference of Building Officials.

Engineers not included on ae911truth.org’s list:

Gordon Ross, M.E., mechanical engineer and manufacturing engineer. Watch a short presentation here.

William Rice, P.E., civil engineer and professor at Vermont Technical College, who worked on structural steel (and concrete) buildings in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. Read his article printed in the Vermont Guardian here.

Tony Szamboti, M.E., mechanical engineer. Read his paper here.

Jack Keller, PhD, PE, Professor Emeritus, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University. Member of the National Academy of Engineering. Awarded State of Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology (1988). Selected by Scientific American magazine as one of the world’s 50 leading contributors to science and technology benefiting society (2004).

Joseph M. Phelps, MS CE, PE (ret) – Structural Dynamicist, Charter Member, Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Life member of the ASCE. Former member of the Marine Technology Society, the American Society for Oceanography, and the Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers. Founder of Phelps/ABC, an engineering and industrial marketing firm. Former Commissioner of the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

This “Tages Anzeiger” article (English translation) notes the opinion of these three Swiss experts that WTC Building 7 was most likely professionally demolished:

1. Hugo Bachmann, PhD, Professor Emeritus and former Chairman of the Department of Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

2. Jörg Schneider, Dr hc, Professor Emeritus, Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Former President, Joint Committee on Structural Safety, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Elected member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences. Former Vice President and honorary lifetime member of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.

3. Mario Fontana, Dr Sc CE – Professor of Structural Analysis and Construction, Institute of Structural Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Former Director of the Steel Construction Division, Geilinger AG. Author of more than 40 papers on structural engineering.

With similar focus on Building 7, we have Danny Jowenko, proprietor of “Jowenko Explosieve Demolitie”, a European demolition and construction company founded in 1980, with offices in the Netherlands. Mr. Jowenko was presented with footage of WTC7’s collapse and the blueprints of its construction by makers of a Dutch television program analyzing 9/11 “conspiracy theories”. He assured them that it was professionally demolished: “a team of experts did this”.

Among the physicists who reject the official account of why WTC1, 2 and 7 collapsed are:

Terry Morrone, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Adelphi University. Read his paper here.

David L. Griscom, PhD, research physicist. 33 years at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. Fellow of the American Physical Society. Adjunct Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona (2004 – 2005). Winner of the 1993 N.F. Mott Award, the 1995 Otto Schott Award, a 1996 Outstanding Graduate School Alumnus Award at Brown University, and the 1997 Sigma Xi Pure Science Award at NRL. 185 published works, highly cited by his peers. Full bio
Member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice

Mike Hawryluk, BA, MAT, Professor Emeritus of Physics and former Division Chairman, Suffolk County Community College, NY.
Member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice

Joanna Rankin, PhD, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Vermont. Member of Vermonters for a Real 9/11 Investigation.

Steven Jones, PhD, Former Professor of Physics at Brigham Young University. Principal Investigator for experimental Muon-catalyzed fusion from 1982 to 1991 for the U.S. Department of Energy, Division of Advanced Energy Projects. From 1990 to 1993, Jones researched fusion in condensed matter physics and deuterium, for the U.S. Research conducted at major laboratories in USA, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan. Chairperson of several international physics conferences. Author of over 40 papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Read his paper, “Why Indeed Did the WTC Building Completely Collapse?” here
Watch his most recent presentation here

Eaton writes commandingly that Stephen Jones “was ostracised by his university for scientific disregard”. It is true that Brigham Young University put Jones on paid leave, as a reaction to his controversial research, forcing Jones to retire so he could pursue this field of study. However, the move was not accompanied by any formal debunking or scientific critique of Jones’ paper and lectures. Jones had both critics and supporters at the university. Three BYU employees even joined Jones’ Scholars for 9/11 Truth group (now Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice). It is interesting to note that the American Association of University Professors placed BYU on its list of censured schools in 1998, saying that infringements on academic freedom were “distressingly common” and that the climate for academic freedom was “distressingly poor”. The general secretary of the AAUP, Roger Bowen, again used the word “distressing” to describe university’s treatment of Steven Jones.

The aforementioned J. Marx Ayres, like many other experts, has done a U-turn after fully examining Steven Jones’ work on the WTC collapses: “I read the FEMA September, 2002 report, prepared by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and initially accepted their theory of the collapse of WTC 1 and 2. As more information became available on the web, I was motivated to research the subject in a more rigorous manner. I have carefully studied the Jones 2006 paper, “Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Completely Collapse?” and concluded that it is a rational step-by-step study that meets the accepted standards for scientific building research. His critical reviews of the FEMA, NIST, and 9/11 Commission reports are correct.”

One building collapse expert much closer to the events of 9/11 immediately intuited that explosives were responsible. It recently emerged that, immediately after WTC1 collapsed at 9.59.a.m., Ray Downey, the head of the New York Fire Department’s Special Operations Command, was asked by one of the department’s chaplains, John Delendick, whether the jet fuel from the plane had caused the collapse. “[A]t that point he thought there were bombs up there because it was too even.” 9/11 Commissioner Timothy Roemer referred to Downey as a “very, very respected expert on building collapse.” Robert Ingram, a battalion chief in the New York Fire Department, has called him “the premiere collapse expert in the country.”

Part 3

: 28 Sep 2007 22:05 |  Tags: 911 Boar Eaton George Investigation Rodriguez Warwick William World-Trade-Center |  Comments (1) |  Report a problem