Popular Mechanics Debunked

[Gold9472]

Popular Mechanics Debunked

http://www.yourbbsucks.com/forum/popmechdebunked.gif

By Jon Gold
9/26/2006

A few weeks ago, I went into a Barnes & Noble looking for Barrie Zwicker's latest book, "Towers of Deception: The Media Cover-up of 9/11 (http://www.amazon.com/Towers-Deception-Media-Cover-up-11/dp/0865715734/sr=1-1/qid=1159321923/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-4227864-3951200?ie=UTF8&s=books)."

Before I got to the counter to ask if they had it in stock, I saw several copies of Popular Mechanics' new John McCain endorsed book called, "Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts (http://www.amazon.com/Debunking-11-Myths-Conspiracy-Theories/dp/158816635X)." They had them prominently displayed so everyone could see them.

Holding back an "upchuck", I walked up to the counter, and asked the girl if they had any of Barrie's book in stock. As it turned out, they didn't. They were nice enough to order me a copy.

While I was there, I do what I always do in a book store. I looked for books by authors within the 9/11 Truth Movement. I was able to find one copy of Michael Ruppert's book, but nothing else.

Admittedly, I have never read Popular Mechanics' book. Wait a second. What's Jon pulling? How can he debunk a book without even reading it?

Here's how you do it.

If you're a frequent visitor of www.911blogger.com (http://www.911blogger.com), you will know that there are several people citing Popular Mechanics's book as if it was the "holy grail" for 9/11 answers.

In Reprehensor's thread (http://www.911blogger.com/node/3164) entitled, "Norman Mineta's Testimony Proves 9/11 Was an Inside Job", I found 3 instances from just one person. Ronald "Pomeroo" Wieck.

Reference (http://www.911blogger.com/node/3164#comment-73183) #1: "The information on this subject is abundant; 911myths has an entire section and the Popular Mechanics book devotes a whole chapter."

Reference (http://www.911blogger.com/node/3164#comment-73534) #2: "The basic knowledge about the FAA and NORAD is available in the Popular Mechanics book."

Reference (http://www.911blogger.com/node/3164) #3: "why not respond to the very specific and detailed chapter in the Popular Mechanics book that deals with the stand down canard?"

It occurred to me after reading his responses that it wasn't Popular Mechanics that the family members lobbied to investigate the attacks of 9/11. It wasn't Popular Mechanics that turned away whistleblowers with pertinent information regarding the attacks of 9/11. It wasn't Popular Mechanics that was mandated to give a "full and complete accounting" of the attacks of 9/11. It wasn't Popular Mechanics that was recently called "Derelict in its' duties."

The families lobbied Washington D.C. and the media to implement an independent commission to investigate the attacks of 9/11. You may have heard of it. It was called The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, or if you prefer, The 9/11 Commission.

The 9/11 Commission, as you can see from their very own website (http://www.9-11commission.gov/about/faq.htm#q1), was mandated to:

provide a "full and complete accounting"� of the attacks of September 11, 2001 and recommendations as to how to prevent such attacks in the future."

It was the 9/11 Commission that the families called "derelict in its duties."

What does it say that people like "pomeroo" need to refer to a book other than the 9/11 Commission's report to "debunk" the 9/11 Truth Movement?

It says that the final report released by the 9/11 Commission isn't worth the paper it was written on.

Donna Marsh O'Connor, a brave 9/11 family member, said at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., on the 5th Anniversary of the attacks (rtsp://video.c-span.org/project/ter/ter091106_truth.rm):

This Government has made me a victim of Conspiracy Theories, because they haven't answered fully, or allowed anyone to ask the true questions of September 11th, and that's what I'm asking from you today. For exposure. We are not crazy. We have questions. We demand answers. [..] We're asking for a new investigation into the events of September 11th, and this time, a truly bipartisan, global, with families invested from the beginning, middle, and throughout the end.

Sorry, but Popular Mechanics' book doesn't cut it, and John McCain should be ashamed of himself.

[AuGmENTor]

We're asking for a new investigation into the events of September 11th, and this time, a truly bipartisan, global, with families invested from the beginning, middle, and throughout the end.
I don't think you'll ever see it. Too many people would go to jail.

and John McCain should be ashamed of himself. No, he should stick a gun in his ear. I'm sorry, but Im really running out of patients with dishonesty. And agendas. I stopped posting last night and went to bed, thinking I must be tired. I woke up and it's still there. A complete bile in my throat disgust for the people who propagate these lies.

[Gold9472]

Alex Jones posted this on his site.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/September2006/270906Debunked.htm

[PhilosophyGenius]

Wow you got on prison planet! Again! They should have used the italics though, makes it harder to understand not having it there.

[Gold9472]

Actually, the first time, they just sourced a story I archived here. This is the first article written by me on their site.

[Partridge]

Well done.

[Gold9472]

Well done.

Thanks... from your understanding... what am I saying here?

[Partridge]

That the questions were posed to the Government, and the Government should answer, not the Hearst Yellow Press.

[Gold9472]

Cool.

[Gold9472]

And that they're making the point for us... the 9/11 Report is...

CRAP!

[Partridge]

Indeed, that too!

[werther]

I have never read that PM book but I read the thread you (Gold) redirected to on blogger. Am I reading that right ....are the PM debunkers really trying to say that Mineta was mistaken? I have heard about Mcgovern questioning Mineta and Mineta's reply being that he was talking about 93 but that a book actually promotes that? Come on.

If thats the case, on the day of his testimony not only was he confused about what flight Cheney and the fellow walking in and out were talking about but also the time he arrived. There is a HUGE difference there. Plus he is asked directly which flight he is referring to and he says flight 77. Moreover he says the conversation between the civilian walking in and out stating the plane was 50 miles out and Cheney happened about 5-6 minutes after he arrived making it about 9:25. At this time flight 77 was approx. 50 miles out!

Completely outrageous.

Edit: I do realize I am preaching to the choir.

[Gold9472]

And not only that dear Werther, Mineta repeated the same story on a mainstream news outlet.

[Eckolaker]

Below is a write I have posted on several forums, including JREF about Norman Mineta...


The only other possible explanation that could account for Norman Mineta’s testimony is to claim that Mineta witnessed a conversation between Cheney and a young man about United 93. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, it would seem possible that the young man and Cheney could have been talking about United 93, which they claim crash landed at 10:03 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania because the passengers tried to overtake the cockpit from the hijackers. This could account for Mineta’s testimony, assuming he was confused on the time of his arrival in the PEOC.

This claim does not however account for the inconsistencies about Cheney’s timeline of when he entered the PEOC (Presidential Emergency Operations Center). It cannot account for the stories by ABC news and the changing account of the Military’s response to AA 77 which included Phantom AA 11. This claim also cannot explain Richard Clarke’s account. The Government’s changing official story of what happened to United 93 is absurd and contradicted by many credible sources, most notably Richard Clarke.

Since day one, there have been suspicions that United 93 was shot down by the U.S. Military because of the fear that it would have been used as a weapon to attack targets on the ground. The 9/11 Commission Report therefore attempted to eliminate any suspicion of this allegation by claiming that military notification of United 93 came after the plane already crashed, and authorization to shoot down hijacked aircrafts came long after United 93 was down.

The first problem with claiming that Mineta overheard a discussion about United 93 is that it crashed approximately 125 miles [61] away from Washington D.C. Therefore, United 93 was never “50 miles out� of the White House, Pentagon, or any other specific target. It certainly was not “30 miles out� or “10 miles out� either.

However, the 9/11 Commission paints a picture of incompetence and confusion that still makes it seem possible that Mineta witnessed the young man and Cheney discussing United 93 or a medevac helicopter or some combination thereof. The argument is quite farfetched and doesn’t make sense with respect to Mineta’s testimony, especially considering it has Cheney giving an order to shoot down a plane that was already down and an order to shoot down a medevac helicopter.

9/11 Commission Report: [62]

At 10:02, the communicators in the shelter began receiving reports from the Secret Service of an inbound aircraft-presumably hijacked-heading toward Washington . That aircraft was United 93.The Secret Service was getting this information directly from the FAA. The FAA may have been tracking the progress of United 93 on a display that showed its projected path to Washington , not its actual radar return. Thus, the Secret Service was relying on projections and was not aware the plane was already down in Pennsylvania.217

At some time between 10:10 and 10:15, a military aide told the Vice President and others that the aircraft was 80 miles out. Vice President Cheney was asked for authority to engage the aircraft.218 His reaction was described by Scooter Libby as quick and decisive, "in about the time it takes a batter to decide to swing." The Vice President authorized fighter aircraft to engage the inbound plane. He told us he based this authorization on his earlier conversation with the President. The military aide returned a few minutes later, probably between 10:12 and 10:18, and said the aircraft was 60 miles out. He again asked for authorization to engage. The Vice President again said yes.219

At the conference room table was White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten. Bolten watched the exchanges and, after what he called "a quiet moment," suggested that the Vice President get in touch with the President and confirm the engage order. Bolten told us he wanted to make sure the President was told that the Vice President had executed the order. He said he had not heard any prior discussion on the subject with the President.220

The Vice President was logged calling the President at 10:18 for a two-minute conversation that obtained the confirmation. On Air Force One, the President's press secretary was taking notes; Ari Fleischer recorded that at 10:20, the President told him that he had authorized a shootdown of aircraft if necessary.221

Minutes went by and word arrived of an aircraft down in Pennsylvania . Those in the shelter wondered if the aircraft had been shot down pursuant to this authorization.222

At approximately 10:30, the shelter started receiving reports of another hijacked plane, this time only 5 to 10 miles out. Believing they had only a minute or two, the Vice President again communicated the authorization to "engage or "take out" the aircraft. At 10:33, Hadley told the air threat conference call: "I need to get word to Dick Myers that our reports are there's an inbound aircraft flying low 5 miles out. The Vice President's guidance was we need to take them out."223

Once again, there was no immediate information about the fate of the inbound aircraft. In the apt description of one witness, "It drops below the radar screen and it's just continually hovering in your imagination; you don't know where it is or what happens to it." Eventually, the shelter received word that the alleged hijacker 5 miles away had been a medevac helicopter.224

Although the 9/11 Commission Report does not address Mineta’s testimony, some defenders of the official theory claim that Mineta witnessed a discussion about Flight 93, not the plane approaching the Pentagon. When looking at the totality of Mineta’s testimony in response to Lee Hamilton’s questions, it does not seem plausible that the plane which was 50, 30 and 10 miles out could have been Flight 93.

9/11 Commission Hearing Testimony: [63]

MR. MINETA: And then later I heard of the fact that the airplanes had been scrambled from Langley to come up to DC, but those planes were still about 10 minutes away. And so then, at the time we heard about the airplane that went into Pennsylvania , then I thought, "Oh, my God, did we shoot it down?" And then we had to, with the vice president, go through the Pentagon to check that out.

MR. HAMILTON: Let me see if I understand. The plane that was headed toward the Pentagon and was some miles away, there was an order to shoot that plane down.

MR. MINETA: Well, I don't know that specifically, but I do know that the airplanes were scrambled from Langley or from Norfolk , the Norfolk area. But I did not know about the orders specifically other than listening to that other conversation.

MR. HAMILTON: But there very clearly was an order to shoot commercial aircraft down.

MR. MINETA: Subsequently I found that out.

MR. HAMILTON: With respect to Flight 93, what type of information were you and the vice president receiving about that flight?

MR. MINETA: The only information we had at that point was when it crashed.

MR. HAMILTON: I see. You didn't know beforehand about that airplane.

MR. MINETA: I did not.

MR. HAMILTON: And so there was no specific order there to shoot that plane down.

MR. MINETA: No, sir.

Based on the conversation that he overheard between the young man and Cheney, Mineta clearly explained that there were no orders to shoot down United 93 and that “the orders� referred to AA 77. Mineta explained that the first time they heard of United 93, it had already crashed. Mineta makes no mention or reference to the fact that they were tracking and attempting to shoot down United 93 after it already crashed, or that they almost shot down a medevac helicopter.

[Gold9472]

Mineta was FAR from "mistaken." Flight 93 never came within 50, 30, or 10 miles of Washington D.C. In his prepared remarks for the Commission, he said he got to the PEOC, and then the Pentagon was hit. He has said the same story about the 50, 30, and 10 on two different occasions. Once before the commission, and once on mainstream television. Also, can I please talk to the "young man" Mineta was referring to? Thanks.

[Eckolaker]

No question Mineta was talking about American 77. As stated in the above write, United 93 crashed 125 miles from Washington D.C. Thus, it never got within 50 miles of the capitol.


You should really see what they JREF'ers try and say about my write up, its hilarious...

http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php?p=2281110&postcount=307

Notice what points he tries to shoot down, and how he conviently ignores the others.

Its classic!

[AuGmENTor]

That forum is the guy who busts fake psychics, right?

[Eckolaker]

Yeah, he calls himself "The Amzing Randi". He is a self-proclaimed professional debunker. He routinely offers large sums of money for someone to come forward with hard solid proof of some sort of paranormal activity, etc.

[AuGmENTor]

Ok, well i know I'm WAY off topic here, but if you'll indulge me for just a sec: I think this guy should go get chris angel and david blane. Those two motherfuckers give me the creeps. There is no human way they can do some of the shit they do. Either tell me how they do it or kill them already. (I woulda ROCKED at the salem witch trials)

[MrDark71]

Ok, well i know I'm WAY off topic here, but if you'll indulge me for just a sec: I think this guy should go get chris angel and david blane. Those two motherfuckers give me the creeps. There is no human way they can do some of the shit they do. Either tell me how they do it or kill them already. (I woulda ROCKED at the salem witch trials)

LOL....well put. Anybody that thinks it's a challenge to "become an ice cube" should be locked in the freezer to show them how easy it really is. As far as the witch trials...I don't know...I bet witches rock in bed...and just THINK about joining the mile high club on a broom.

[AuGmENTor]

Anybody that thinks it's a challenge to "become an ice cube" should be locked in the freezer to show them how easy it really is.

HAHAHAHA! Don't think I'll be volunteering for THAT one. No dood, these guys like levitate, bull quarters from under their skin. Just do some ridiculously freaky shit. I want to know how they do it. I know alot of the illusionists that work on a stage are fulla shit. I've seen alot of the stuff about how they show how THEY do it, but I've seen nothing about how these guys operate.