French Author claims Pentagon not attacked

The Scotsman ^ | April 1, 2002 | Rebecca Harrison in Paris

[Shermy]

THE French are lapping up a conspiracy theory about the plane that smashed into the Pentagon.

In a book, The Frightening Fraud, that is being snapped up off the shelves and topping bestseller lists, Thierry Meyssan, president of Reseau Voltaire, a respected left-wing think-tank, propounds that American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon in Washington on 11 September, killing 189 people, did not exist and that the whole thing was staged by the US government.

"I believe the American government is lying ... No plane crashed into the Pentagon," he told France 2 television. He did not provide an alternative theory for what may have damaged the Pentagon.

Although French media has scoffed at Mr Meyssan’s musings, the public are intrigued. The book shot to the top of Amazon France’s bestseller list and made it to second place in the sales list of the booksellers’ weekly Livres Hebdo.

Libération slammed the book as "a tissue of wild allegations", marvelling at its quick rise to fame, from internet chatrooms, via television chat shows, to bestseller.

Conspiracy theories like the rumours that swirled around the 1963 shooting of the US president, John F Kennedy, or the idea that man never actually set foot on the moon, are not uncommon in the United States, but are rare in France.

"This phenomenon is not typical of the French," a sociologist, Pierre Lagrange, told Libération. "But the events of 11 September gave us a reality so similar to science fiction, that there has been more of a market for paranoid interpretations."

Mr Meyssan says key evidence shows witness accounts are contradictory, that there are few photographs of the crash and that those that do exist show no debris from the plane. He also asks why the façade of the Pentagon did not immediately collapse from the shock of the impact and questions the fate of the passengers on the flight.

Le Monde newspaper and Libération both investigated Mr Meyssan’s theory, tracking down relatives of the victims, and questioning officials over the crash.

Le Nouvel Observateur denounced the book as revisionism. "This theory suits everyone - there are no Islamic extremists … everyone is happy. It eliminates reality."

However, while Le Monde dismissed Meyssan’s theory as flimsy, it admitted that information available did not quite add up. "There is no official account of the crash … the lack of information is feeding the rumour."

[Ross Amann]

Please! Do not insult the French!! (They are a vaulable ally.) After all, who knows when we'll need someone to hold off the Germans for a week?

[M Kehoe]

French paranoia and patronizing behavior at the USA does not come from their greater experience, but is a reaction to their local Islamist problem...

What!?

The French don't like us because we saved their bacon three times. They think we are crude rude and socially unacceptable.

If the French have an 'Islamic' problem, then maybe they should consult the Israelis.

Why is it so much fun to laugh at the French?

What's worst is the fact that there is no reason to even invade them.

Sheesh. End of rant.

5.56mm

[BellStar]

The French are consistent. Still full of CaCa!

[eleni121]

This phenomenon is not typical of the French," a sociologist, Pierre Lagrange, told Libération.

On the contrary, the French, especially the spoiled and pedestaled intellectual class, have a troubling tradition of imagining the truth rather than confronting it.

[Shermy]

You can buy this book from the French Amazon.Com site

"Translation" from link:

"After studies of political sciences, Thierry Meyssan animated(stimulated) an international association of defence of the personal freedoms, then turned to the journalism of investigation. His(her,its) route(course) led(drove) him(it) as well to become an expert for human rights with Conférenece on the Safety(Security) and the Cooperation in Europe (CONFERENCE ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE) that chief editor of the monthly magazine Now. He(it) chairs the Voltaire network and publishes(edits) a letter of political intelligence.

Attentive observer of the international current events, Thierry Meyssan was intrigued by the abnormalities of the first photos of the attempt against the Pentagon, then by the confusion and the contradictions of the official statements(declarations), including for the World Trade Center. He(it) then led an inquiry which led(drove) him(it) of surprise in surprise, more surprising and terrifying the some than the others.

This book bases itself exclusively on documents of the White House and the department of the Defence, as well as on statements(declarations) of the American civil and military leaders in the world press. All the information which he tells is referenced and thus verifiable by the reader.

[tpaine]

Conspiracy theories like the rumours that swirled around the 1963 shooting of the US president, John F Kennedy, or the idea that man never actually set foot on the moon, are not uncommon in the United States, but are rare in France.

Whatta bunch of 'rare' BS.

Because the conspiracy of the 1963 shooting of the US president John F Kennedy was clearly covered up by the Warren Commission, such theories are not uncommon in the United States, nor are they rare in France.

[CyberCowboy777]

I saw a video clip here on Freerepublic where the plane can be seen crashing into the Pentagon.

[RightWhale]

we can dismiss any news that might come out of France of the Eiffel Tower being blown up

While recycling the scrap iron might be desirable as far as most are concerned, some warning would be good so postcard vendors can make one final sale before they clear the area temporarily.

[pollwatcher]

In order to sell more copies, I heard that the book's forward was written by Jerry Lewis.

[LivingNet]

I just read at the supermarket that my right arm is not really attached to my body.

Man, I hate learning new things...

[Tennessee_Bob]

the French government offered to surrender to Afghanistan.

I find that rather upsetting, especially in view of the fact that they surrendered to me on September 15th. They called me at work, and then faxed the documents to my office.

[Senator Pardek]

I guess the "remote controlled planes" theory never caught on, so they have to use a new angle.

[knighthawk]

Next he will say the WTC attack is also not attacked by crashing planes into it, but instead UFO's from a distant planet crahsed there based on 'official' documents. And the government want's to cover it up so they invent the planes and the videos are forgeries. And that OBL is from Mars.

This is the result of eating frog-butts and snails all your life. This sort of books are only sold in France.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Thirty tons of steel and glass crash into the Pentagon and not so much as a tail fin. Quite odd.

I guess the plane didn't crash in Pennsylvania either, based on that criteria.

From that then, I guess it's time to tell a friend of mine that I'm sick of his lies - he's been telling me he saw the jet go in.

Speaking from personal experience, I've worked crash recovery where there was nothing left of the aircraft but a smoking hole.

[Dumb_Ox]

Reseau Voltaire

Other alternate history purveyed at this site: "Pope Pius XII was a silent anti-Semite during WWII"

[RightOnline]

"In order to sell more copies, I heard that the book's forward was written by Jerry Lewis."

Well............he is a genius, you know.

[RightOnline]

"I just read at the supermarket that my right arm is not really attached to my body."

It isn't. It's attached to mine.............and man, that sure is annoying.

[hellinahandcart]

Thirty tons of steel and glass crash into the Pentagon and not so much as a tail fin.

First of all, planes are made mostly of aluminum. If they were made of steel, they'd be traveling on the road instead of in the air.

Secondly, why would you expect to see "so much as a tailfin" when a hollow object crashes into one of the most fortified buildings in the country, and then blows up?

[RightOnline]

OK....................y'all need to go read this, posted on FR on 3/22:

Hunt the Boeing! (9/11 Pentagon bombing urban legend/conspiracy theory debunked)

Pay special note to this in the linked piece:

"You're no doubt wondering who's behind these flights of fancy and what exactly they're driving at. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, the culprit is Thierry Meyssan, well-known leftist radical and president of the Voltaire Network, a controversial site devoted to "the fight for freedom and secularity." His son, Raphaël Meyssan, is credited as the Webmaster of both the Voltaire Network and Utopian Asylum, which, uncoincidentally, hosts "Hunt the Boeing!"