Posted on 07/17/2003 12:28:10 PM PDT by presidio9
It's been seven years since the July 17, 1996, crash of TWA Flight 800 near Long Island, New York, and the cause remains unknown; the lingering mystery of one of the nation's worst aviation disasters is now a forgotten media spectacle. The $ 40 million federal investigation concluded that the plane was probably brought down by a fuel tank explosion, leaving the question of the blast's origin unanswered. The unexplained explosion of TWA 800 claimed 230 lives.
Two days after the crash, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch told CNN: "We're looking at somebody who either put a bomb on it or shot a missile, a surface-to-air missile." Sen. Hatch has yet to explain his early comments.
During the probe, investigators appeared to be trying to have it both ways; the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was operating under the authority of the FBI, which was involved on the grounds that a crime might have caused the crash, though FBI investigator James Kallstrom refused to confirm or deny even one shred of criminal evidence.
The CIA, in a highly unusual procedure, was asked to produce a video to counter the missile theory. Kallstrom testified before Congress that the FBI had tracked "all air and waterborne vessels" in the area and conducted appropriate interviews.
Yet radar of the area in which the plane went down picked up four unidentified tracks. One of those, according to the NTSB, is consistent with a surface vessel moving at 30 knots; it was within three nautical miles of TWA 800 when the 747 exploded.
Most alarming, the NTSB reported that the puzzling radar track, which remains unidentified, continued to move after the plane broke apart. Nearly every boat within miles had rushed to the disaster area to assist any rescue efforts --- but not this vessel, which was directly underneath TWA 800 when it became crippled.
Skeptics questioned the investigation, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Thomas Moorer, a retired admiral, who added his name to those who believe a missile destroyed the plane.
Moorer -- joined by Vernon Grose, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board -- expressed grave doubts about the investigation. "All the evidence," Moorer said, "would point to a missile."
At the time of the crash, 270 eyewitnesses reported seeing a streak of light. Nearly 100 eyewitnesses said that the streak of light *originated* from the earth's surface, contrary to the CIA's animated simulation.
There is also the case of M. Victoria Cummock, the Pan Am flight 103 widow was appointed by President Clinton to an aviation safety commission after the TWA disaster. Cummock refused to sign the commission's report and sued then-Vice President Al Gore, claiming that, despite Cummock's security clearance, she was denied access to classified information.
The authors of a new book, First Strike, posed the question of whether Islamic terrorists attacked the plane and their conclusions, based upon heaps of evidence systematically concealed, lost, damaged and ignored by the government, are disturbing.
In their preface, Emmy-winning writer and producer Jack Cashill and investigative reporter James Sanders, who was arrested for receiving stolen crash evidence from a whistleblower, quote Congressional Terrorist Task Force Director Yossef Bodansky following the disaster:
"The case of TWA 800 served as a turning point because of Washington's determination and to a great extent ability to suppress terrorist explanations and 'float' mechanical failure theories. To avoid such suppression after future strikes, terrorism-sponsoring states would raise the ante so that the West could not ignore them."
Bodansky's comments are dated 1999.
Whatever happened to TWA 800 and her 230 passengers and crew, the case ought not to be considered closed.
As one NTSB investigator reportedly asked, when overwhelmed by the swarm of federal agents in what was supposed to be an accident probe: "What do they know that I don't know?" Seven years after TWA 800 went down in flames, America still deserves a straight answer.
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Oklahoma City comes to mind as well.
The first strike was the first World Trade Center bombing. It failed. Something different and bigger was necessary.
The second strike was Oklahoma City. It was different and bigger, but it was covered up by an Administration that needed to blame it on right wing extremists. So something even bigger was necessary.
The third strike was TWA 800. It was covered up because the evidence led back to the same people who did Oklahoma City and the first WTC bombing. The truth would have panicked Americans out of the air (It's The Economy, Stupid!) and unraveled the OKC coverup.
The fourth strike was Operation Bojinka. Twelve aircraft were to be blown up. They knew how to do it because they did TWA 800. It failed when the bombers were arrested and the evidence found.
That's when they started planning 9/11.
Did anyone catch the date of the TWA disaster/attack? It is July 17, 1996.
Isn't today the day in which Saddam came to power .. and our troops are on high alert?
** 1st pay back for Gulf War I ... OKC ?
** 2nd pay back for Gulf War I ... TWA800 ?
** 3rd pay back for Gulf War I ... 9/11/2001 ?
HmmmMMmm? Just some thoughts ... or is it "tin-foil time" ?
Actually heard Senator Ketchup Kerry once refer to the downing of the plane as a terrorist act. He was speaking with a panel of other guests on a show and he made the comment and everyone just kept talking as if it was gospel. No one batted an eye over his comment.
Time to move on. Nothing to see here. Shut your doors and windows. Shut up!
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