Debunking 9/11 Myths Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9781588166357
• ISBN10: 158816635X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-08-15
• Publisher: Hearst

Summary

The first conspiracy theories about September 11 began to emerge while the wreckage was still smoldering. Today, nearly five years later, hundreds of books and thousands of Web pages are devoted to the idea that the U.S. government encouraged, permitted, or actually carried out the attacks. These theories claim to be based on hard evidence. But an in-depth investigation by POPULAR MECHANICSfirst published in the magazine's March 2005 issue, and now greatly expanded into book formdefinitively proves that the evidence most often cited by conspiracy theorists is inaccurate, misinterpreted, or false. The original article in Popular Mechanics caused a huge groundswell of interest, setting off online debates that continue to this day.Debunking 9/11 Mythsexpands that investigation to include the 20 most prominent and persistent claims underlying the conspiracy theories, focusing on concrete, physical facts rather than political hypothesizing. Among the issues examined: claims that air traffic control violated standard operating procedures by not immediately intercepting the stricken jets; that the fire caused by the crashes wasn't actually hot enough to melt steel and cause structural damage in the World Trade Center; that the holes in the Pentagon were too small to have been made by a Boeing 757; and that Flight 93 was actually shot down by an Air Force plane. The fascinating and in-depth findings come from leading experts in all the relevant fields, including aviation, air defense, air traffic control, civil engineering, firefighting, metallurgy, and geology.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Foreword	xi
Senator John McCain
Introduction	xvii
The Planes	1	(26)
The Hijackers' Flying Skills	3	(5)
Where's the Pod?	8	(4)
Flight 175's Windows	12	(2)
No Stand-Down Order	14	(8)
Military Intercepts	22	(5)
The World Trade Center	27	(32)
The Empire State Building Accident	29	(3)
Widespread Damage	32	(5)
Melted Steel	37	(6)
Puffs of Dust	43	(7)
Seismic Spikes	50	(3)
WTC 7: Fire and Debris Damage	53	(3)
``Pull It''	56	(3)
The Pentagon	59	(16)
Flight 77 Debris	62	(4)
Big Plane, Small Holes	66	(5)
Intact Pentagon Windows	71	(4)
Flight 93	75	(34)
F-16 Pilot	77	(4)
The White Jet	81	(2)
Cell-Phone Calls	83	(3)
The Wreckage	86	(3)
Indian Lake	89	(2)
AFTERWORD
The Conspiracy Industry, by James B. Meigs, Editor-In-Chief, Popular Mechanics	91	(18)
Appendix A: Experts Consulted	109	(4)
Appendix B: World Trade Center Report	113	(22)
Appendix C: Pentagon Building Report	135	(19)
Notes	154	(11)
Index	165