Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

NIST Refutes 9/11 Conspiracy Theories (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
EE Times ^ | 08/30/2006 | George Leopold

Posted on 08/30/2006 12:57:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway

The government is taking the unusual step of responding to conspiracy theories about the destruction of the World Trade Center.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, Gaithersberg, Md.), which investigated the causes of the collapse of the twin towers, said Wednesday (Aug. 30) that it has posted a "fact sheet" addressing alternatve theories about the fires and collapse. Several academics have put forth a "controlled demolition" and missile attack hypotheses for the destruction of the towers.

NIST concluded after a three-year building and fire safety investigation that the towers collapsed after being hit by separate, fuel-laden aircraft flown by terrorists. The impacts severed and damaged support columns, dislodging fireproofing insulation and dispersing jet fuel over multiple floors of each tower.

The resulting fire, which reached temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees C, weakened floors and columns, causing upper floors to collapse after sagging and pulling inward on perimeter columns. "This led to the inward bowing of the perimeter columns and failure of the south face of WTC 1 and the east face of WTC 2, initiating the collapse of each of the towers," NIST concluded.

NIST's probe rejected claims that upper floors "pancaked" on top of lower floors, causing the collapses. Other investigations pointed to huge amounts of office supplies, especially paper, as a source of fuel that significantly raised the temperature of tower fires beyond those that jet fuel would normally burn outside of an aircraft engine combustion chamber.

"Both photographic and video evidence—as well as accounts from the New York Police Department aviation unit during a half-hour period prior to collapse—support this sequence for each tower." NIST concluded.

Far more controversial are theories about explosions inside the towers. Conspiracy theorists postulate that puffs of smoke seen at the time of each collapse are evidence of a controlled demolition. Critics of the official probe also cited seismic data they claim showed evidence of explosions just before each tower collapsed. Other theories alleged missiles were fired at the doomed towers.

While both NIST and the 9/11 Commission have dismissed these theories, U.S. officials have been compelled to address allegations widely disseminated on the Internet.

"NIST respects the opinions of others who do not agree with the findings in its report on the [World Trade Center] collapses," the agency said in a statement. "However, the WTC Investigation Team stands solidly behind the collapse mechanisms for each tower and the sequences of events (from aircraft impact to collapse) as described in the report."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 911; 911conspiracy; bush; conspiracies; fifthanniversary; moveon
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 261-277 next last
To: american spirit
...and I'm quite sure you've lapped up the conspiracy theory about a little skinny guy in a cave from the ME directing his little band of followers in a successful attack against a military power that spends hundreds of billions per year in defense?

There were failures on 9/11: mostly due to a lack of vision. We simply could not imagine that someone could hate us THAT frickin' much.

Oh yeah, and explain to me just how lucky he was to pick the exact time day and time NORAD had selected to run their "Vigilant Guardian" drill that left the E. Coast so exposed.

1. NORAD exercises are announced in advance.

2. Those are scheduled to ensure minimal disruption to normal air travel in the exercise area. One critical factor is that there be fewer commercial airline flights than "normal." One favorite time, therefore, is in September, after Labor Day weekend (because the summer vacations are over, and many businesses are looking at a cash flow crunch until the next quarter in October).

However, from the perspective of the attackers, that was also the best time to perform the attack--independent of the exercise. Tuesday is the lowest passenger count of the week, and the weather in the Northeastern US is usually clear and calm, allowing visual navigation to the final target). The NORAD exercise was a bonus.

61 posted on 08/30/2006 1:53:41 PM PDT by BeHoldAPaleHorse ( ~()):~)>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: american spirit
without taking a direct hit from a plane or having any major fires?

How about structural damage from all that moving and shaking in the vicinity in addition to junk all over the site and fire that burned for days?

62 posted on 08/30/2006 1:54:56 PM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: american spirit
Maybe......but from the picture I saw the WTC7 did not seem inordinately damaged.

You need to see the picture taken from the OTHER side of WTC 7--that building was seriously on fire on the side facing WTC 1 & 2.

63 posted on 08/30/2006 1:57:57 PM PDT by BeHoldAPaleHorse ( ~()):~)>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: Frank_Discussion

I also notice he ain't answering the questions, even though we're answering his.


64 posted on 08/30/2006 1:58:41 PM PDT by BeHoldAPaleHorse ( ~()):~)>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: Irish_Thatcherite; mvpel
Have you ever taken an air compressor nozzle and pointed it into a fire? Or even simply blown into the midst of hot coals?

Not something I've tried... not something I'm going to try! :P

Any of us who have held horses for the farrier have seen this done all the time. The portable forge used to shape horseshoes is essentially a small fire with a blower. And with the addition of the air stream, the fire is hot enough to soften steel -- too much if you're not careful.

65 posted on 08/30/2006 1:58:56 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: american spirit
...and I'm quite sure you've lapped up the conspiracy theory about a little skinny guy in a cave from the ME directing his little band of followers in a successful attack against a military power that spends hundreds of billions per year in defense? Oh yeah, and explain to me just how lucky he was to pick the exact time day and time NORAD had selected to run their "Vigilant Guardian" drill that left the E. Coast so exposed.

Are you serious? The United States has not spent hundreds of billions a year to defend against airplane hijackings; indeed, our armed forces were not much concerned with hijackings before 11 September 2001.

As for NORAD, I would ask you: How many times has NORAD been ordered to shoot down a civilian airliner, even one that had been hijacked? (And who prior to 11 September 2001 would take upon himself the enormous responsibility to be the first to issue such an order?)

You seem to think that "a skinny guy in a cave" could not have carried out the WTC and Pentagon attacks. But their plan was so simple as to be almost foolproof. The same cannot be said for most of the elaborate schemes that the conspiracy theorists have advanced.

66 posted on 08/30/2006 2:00:30 PM PDT by Logophile
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: AnAmericanMother

I was just thinking of the sparks flying around the living room! ;)


67 posted on 08/30/2006 2:01:05 PM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: american spirit

How hot do you think a blacksmith gets steel before he works it?


68 posted on 08/30/2006 2:05:17 PM PDT by Boiler Plate (Mom always said why be difficult, when with just a little more effort you can be impossible.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: BeHoldAPaleHorse

I know. He's a sneaky, snarky, slimey SOB moonbat.


69 posted on 08/30/2006 2:07:57 PM PDT by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: Irish_Thatcherite
If you invite the farrier into the living room, you must have a REALLY spoiled horse!

(sounds like a Thelwell cartoon.)


70 posted on 08/30/2006 2:08:32 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Boiler Plate
Oh! Oh! I know this one...

Then again, I'm currently in the midst of setting up a hobby forge so my answering could be considered "cheating". ;-)

71 posted on 08/30/2006 2:09:43 PM PDT by Dead Corpse (Quam terribilis est haec hora)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: AnAmericanMother
(sounds like a Thelwell cartoon.)

I love Thelwell! I've owned a copy of his "A Leg at Each Corner" for many years, and it still makes me laugh my head off every time I read it and look at the wonderful illustrations. I strongly recommend it for anyone with young daughters who love horses.

72 posted on 08/30/2006 2:13:13 PM PDT by American Quilter (You can't negotiate with people who are dedicated to your destruction.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: BeHoldAPaleHorse
He can't answer. His belief system is impaired. I think he has BDS and is using us for therapy.

The information we feed him in a calm respectful fashion may percolate down to the bottom and then maybe, he'll stop his delusional thinking in a time and place in which he won't have to admit that he's wrong, poor soul.

Or he's just a moonbat troll. But I like to give everyone a chance first.
73 posted on 08/30/2006 2:14:44 PM PDT by DBrow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: American Quilter; Irish_Thatcherite
Then you'll probably know the specific cartoon I was thinking of.

Rather posh professional-class mum in the door of the sitting room - "Well! That's the LAST time I let you have friends over to watch the International Horse Show!"

Five or six kids sitting on ponies, all watching the TV and cheering, waving hunting crops around, etc. Ponies in the easy chairs, front feet up on the ottomans . . .

74 posted on 08/30/2006 2:15:52 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: AnAmericanMother
Five or six kids sitting on ponies, all watching the TV and cheering, waving hunting crops around, etc. Ponies in the easy chairs, front feet up on the ottomans . . .

Yes! Just wonderful.

75 posted on 08/30/2006 2:19:18 PM PDT by American Quilter (You can't negotiate with people who are dedicated to your destruction.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: american spirit

Notice the sag in this photo

I think it took some damage when this happened


76 posted on 08/30/2006 2:20:02 PM PDT by LukeL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: DBrow

I believe the building was 47 stories or so and it came down symetrically and totally in what looks like 7-8 seconds in a manner that suggests all the weight supporting columns failed at the same time. If interested, you can read a report on this at wtc7.net/articles/FEMA/wtc_ch5.htm


77 posted on 08/30/2006 2:21:59 PM PDT by american spirit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Dead Corpse

Are you really? What do you plan to make?


78 posted on 08/30/2006 2:22:19 PM PDT by Boiler Plate (Mom always said why be difficult, when with just a little more effort you can be impossible.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: american spirit
I'm quite sure you've lapped up the conspiracy theory about a little skinny guy in a cave from the ME directing his little band of followers in a successful attack against a military power that spends hundreds of billions per year in defense?

Since I've been looking for said skinny guy for the last few years, let me shed some light on that.

The entire military establishment you're talking about, from the CIA, NSA, FBI, to a dozen other agencies, plus the five branches of the military, have had a hand in chasing this guy and his band of fanatics. I say 'chasing' because they spend all of their time hiding, the same way that the Unabomber and countless other fugatives do.

Do you think that we're all making this up? That not one single CIA agent, NSA analyst, Marine, Sailor, FBI agent, Delta force operator, not one single person is willing to go before the camera and say, "Al-Qa'ida is fake! We were all part of the conspiracy! We've been making it up for years!"

Oh yeah, and explain to me just how lucky he was to pick the exact time day and time NORAD had selected to run their "Vigilant Guardian" drill that left the E. Coast so exposed.

Probably the same way that the guy who assassinated Archduke Ferdinand, which started WWI, knew that the good Archduke's driver was going to get lost and stop for directions at the very same cafe that the assassin himself had sulked off to after his target never showed.

You don't think these things just ... happen ... do you?

79 posted on 08/30/2006 2:22:58 PM PDT by Steel Wolf (- Islam will never survive being laughed at. -)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: BeHoldAPaleHorse

Neither.......just asking questions vs. lapping up without question what we're fed by the MSM and other assorted mouthpieces.


80 posted on 08/30/2006 2:25:38 PM PDT by american spirit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 261-277 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson