(sounds like a Thelwell cartoon.)
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."
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.
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?
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.
I also notice he ain't answering the questions, even though we're answering his.
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.
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.
I was just thinking of the sparks flying around the living room! ;)
How hot do you think a blacksmith gets steel before he works it?
I know. He's a sneaky, snarky, slimey SOB moonbat.
(sounds like a Thelwell cartoon.)
Then again, I'm currently in the midst of setting up a hobby forge so my answering could be considered "cheating". ;-)
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.
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 . . .
Yes! Just wonderful.
Notice the sag in this photo
I think it took some damage when this happened
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
Are you really? What do you plan to make?
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?
Neither.......just asking questions vs. lapping up without question what we're fed by the MSM and other assorted mouthpieces.
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