Former Bush Official says 9/11 story bogus

[lavenderdiva]

Raw Story front page link: http://www.rawstory.com/

actual story link: http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050613-102755-6408r.htm

snip:
A former Bush team member during his first administration is now voicing serious doubts about the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9-11. Former chief economist for the Department of Labor during President George W. Bush's first term Morgan Reynolds comments that the official story about the collapse of the WTC is "bogus" and that it is more likely that a controlled demolition destroyed the Twin Towers and adjacent Building No. 7.

Reynolds, who also served as director of the Criminal Justice Center at the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas and is now professor emeritus at Texas A&M University said, "If demolition destroyed three steel skyscrapers at the World Trade Center on 9/11, then the case for an 'inside job' and a government attack on America would be compelling." Reynolds commented from his Texas A&M office, "It is hard to exaggerate the importance of a scientific debate over the cause of the collapse of the twin towers and building 7. If the official wisdom on the collapses is wrong, as I believe it is, then policy based on such erroneous engineering analysis is not likely to be correct either. The government's collapse theory is highly vulnerable on its own terms. Only professional demolition appears to account for the full range of facts associated with the collapse of the three buildings."

[Egalitariat]

1. I hope he's done his homework, and is ready to roll out a steady stream

of evidence.

The articles I've read today look mainly like conjecture on his part in a field outside of his own.

But it'd be great if he's got something up his sleeve to throw out there after he's become known.

[hippiechick]

2. HOLY SHIT !

:wow: Cat's outta the bag now, Batman !!!

[SteppingRazor]

3. What is this, the fifth link already to this story?

It's the Washington Times, people. Check your sources. You think the Rev. Moon is gonna sell out the Bushes? He's running this to make the idea look ridiculous, not to expose Bush for any MIHOP.

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. Yes, but if true, it's even more of an OMG moment

Bush Administration has a record of long record of changing facts and dismissing science to push their agenda...and coverup. It's interesting he'll be on Art Bell, though. Many consider that an oasis for conspiracy theorists, so I'm not sure how this would be received if that is his first interview.

IIRC, that some time ago UL was doing tests with the beams and that they were having a hard time with them because of (for lack of a better word) 'obstacales'. I never saw the results of the tests. One would think that if they supported the official story, it would be all over the place when the report came out. :shrug:

LIHOP or MIHOP? I really don't know. Just when I become convinced it's a no for both, something else starts popping up that makes me once again question it or at the very least, be open-minded enough to find out more of the facts. Sadly, being open-minded about it is not an option for some though. (Note: not saying you, but I do know some people who are this way either due to blind loyalty or simply dismissing things as 'conspiracy crap' from the get-go.)

[Norquist Nemesis]

15. On second thought...

I guess this is the reason we haven't heard about the results of the tests on the WTC: The hearings about it were CLOSED HEARINGS held on November 12, 2004.

Also, I stand corrected about UL doing the testing. That was BEFORE. It was NITS that did the tests after; a UL official questioned the tests and explanation.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/RYA411A.html

<snip>
This story just does not add up. If steel from those buildings did soften or melt, I’m sure we can all agree that this was certainly not due to jet fuel fires of any kind, let alone the briefly burning fires in those towers. That fact should be of great concern to all Americans. Alternatively, the contention that this steel did fail at temperatures around 250C suggests that the majority of deaths on 9/11 were due to a safety-related failure. That suggestion should be of great concern to my company.

There is no question that the events of 9/11 are the emotional driving force behind the War on Terror. And the issue of the WTC collapse is at the crux of the story of 9/11. My feeling is that your metallurgical tests are at the crux of the crux of the crux. Either you can make sense of what really happened to those buildings, and communicate this quickly, or we all face the same destruction and despair that come from global decisions based on disinformation and “chatter”.

Thanks for your efforts to determine what happened on that day. You may know that there are a number of other current and former government employees that have risked a great deal to help us to know the truth. I've copied one of these people on this message as a sign of respect and support. I believe your work could also be a nucleus of fact around which the truth, and thereby global peace and justice, can grow again. Please do what you can to quickly eliminate the confusion regarding the ability of jet fuel fires to soften or melt structural steel.

and this one, too

Unit Plans Closed Hearings on Collapse of the Towers
November 12, 2004 By JIM DWYER

New York Times

The federal agency investigating the collapse of the World Trade Center said this week that some of its deliberations would take place in secret, including discussions on possible changes to national building codes and standards.

The announcement has been sharply protested by advocates for families of the 9/11 victims, who said they were considering a lawsuit to force the agency to open the meetings to the public.

[Wilms]

16. Just checked the source.

UPI International

If I wanted to make the idea look ridiculous, I'd quote an author of one of the more "out there" theories, not a former WH official.

[NYCGirl]

17. UPI is owned by Rev. Sun Myung Moon

http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/47/47948.html

Edited to add: Who also owns the Washington Times

[SteppingRazor]

18. You're only making my case for me.

UPI, like the Wash. Times, is owned by the Moonies.

[oscar111]

4. ART BELL on radio will have this guy on soon, if i heard correctly

heard most of this in casual listening last night to the new art bell show with the weekday host... forget his name.

think it was a blurb advertising upcoming guests.

check the website for details i guess. Coasttocoast.com may be the site... they call it by the program name, not art bell. IIRC.

a real riveting story.

PS art bell is for sure a Libertarian, of the RW type. Tho he seemed sympathetic to the troubles of Pacifica radio.

The new host of his show... dont know his views . But he tolerates genuine fools when they call in, so he is in person, pretty nice to folks.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. Art Bell, a right-winger?

He may be just a tad on the wierd side, but he's no right-winger. After all, he is one of the people who initially piqued the public's interest in the "Climate Flip-Flop" phenomenon. The book he wrote with Whitley Strieber, The Coming Global Superstorm, was the basis for the movie The Day After Tomorrow.

Strieber is a fairly progressive leftist, politically.

--p!

[enigmatic]

10. Yes he is

I've been listening since the early 90's when it was West Coast AM, and he used to sell subscribtions to the Washington Times on the air to combat "the disgusting liberal media". He just said on his show last weekend during open lines that he thought Iraq had something to do w/ 9/11; although he claims to be a Liberatartian and has alot of views that are out of the GOP mainstream, he's a classic RW when it comes to security and social matters.

[enigmatic]

12. And Whit's a good guy, but pretty moderate himself

I'm glad Anne's doing better; Whit was a wreck for awhile because of her stroke..

[oscar111]

19. WHITLEY STREIBER is LW , IMHO. Mostly. good site of his is

http://www.unknowncountry.com

Great page when you need to relax and be amused and oft informed as well.

has great homepage with "wierd" stories from science , new items daily well formatted for easy reading. Thumbnails of the stories with links to full column of details.
good pictures.

lots of ufo's , global warming, peak oil, conspiracies, bigfoot, stray planets, genetics, cloning, atlantis, crop circles, odd ways to look at the bible.

whit has a good LW view in general, with a few lapses. Wife is also usually LW.

whit got famous with the book Communion, about being abducted by aliens in a saucer. Very entertaining tho he was serious about it really happening to him. Grain of salt recommended.

[enigmatic]

21. Oh yeah, I'm a regular listener...

to "Dreamland" every week...

[oscar111]

13. Art has had the main man of RW libertarianism on show

many times... seven?

Mr. Brown i think it was.

that guest is beyond doubt RW.

climate is nice, but not the basis of dividing the LW from the RW. Economics is.

[enigmatic]

22. Harry Browne

He's been on a number of times, though not in the last couple of years since Art started doung just weekends..

[Dogmudgeon]

28. Harry Browne is worth a listen, too

His book How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World is hands-down the best treatment of Libertarianism from a personal viewpoint. Written as a self-help book, HIFFIAUW contains a minimum of politicking and a maximum of practical advice for untangling your life.

It's out of print now, but not too hard to find in used-book stores; it's also available on several P2P networks, but you should look for the book anyway.

Although I disagree with much of his political agenda, he's also one of the few Libertarians who have kept an humanistic point of view on life -- instead of being an angry ranter about how America is dumbed-down, people lack the old-fashioned Work Ethic, Atheist-Lesbian-Wiccan-Socialist-Zionist-New-Age-Satanic Democrats are plotting to take over America for Hillary, etc.

Three and a half stars out of four -- the only thing I can "fault" Harry for is the obsessive FreeEnterprisomania. Even the most committed foe of laissez-(faux)-faire will find many a gem in Browne's book.

--p!

[Quakerfriend]

5. OMG! This should be posted in CAPS!!

[Doodlesweaver]

6. Wow!

This blows my mind. Seems there is a snow ball building.

[jobycom]

11. It's nothing much

A former minor official in Bush's cabinet speculating on a field outside of his expertise on stories he's heard others tell? There are people on DU who can speak with just as much credibility. The only thing even mildly interesting about him is that he is a former Bush employee.

And check the paper: The Washington Times is right less often than a broken clock or the National Enquirer.

Not to mention, dude's an Aggie! Now if he professed at UT...

Minor story. The WT is just trying to get people talking about something other than DSM.

Let's nail Bush on DSM--our strongest case right now. When Bush starts to go down, he will go down like an avalanche on a snow laden peak on a warm spring day. Then it ALL comes out.

[oscar111]

8. economics, criminal justice, and now retired

professor emeritus means retired, right?

so he did a career switch, and now is retired.

hmmm. taking the critical posture, i would say i agree with the other poster... this is outside his fields.

plus he is getting gray. Perhaps, just perhaps he is growing senile. Admiral Moorer was said to be senile when he broke the story on us going to liquidate our own deserters in Laos, IIRC. I suppose senility sometimes happens.

So, with these caveats in mind, i still recommend all to listen in to the art bell aka the new host... on Coast to Coast radio show... when this gent comes on as a guest ...probably this week.

I hope he is sharp minded, not senile, and has a case to make. It would be staggering.

Stay tuned as they say.

[stickdog]

26. Professor Emeritus is semi-retired, not retired. (nt)

[Up2Late]

14. This "story" is total crap, as pointed out 1) Washington Times...

...a Very RW propaganda Rag, and it's from the Gossip section (UPI Hears...)

Point 2) what the hell does the "Former chief economist for the Department of Labor..." know about Structural Engineering?" You really think the "Former chief economist for the Department of Labor" was invited to sit in on the secret planing sessions?

Point 3)"...also served as director of the Criminal Justice Center at the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas...." The only thing less credible than a RW Washington Think Tank is a RW Texas Think tank.

This should be in the September 11 forum too.

I'm disappointed Raw Story would have anything to do with this.

[Shipwack]

20. I tend to discount the MIHOP theory...

and since this speculation is outside his field, I'm not changing my mind much. Of course, it's outside my expertise too, so I try not to close my mind entirely.

Though one thing does bother me... a documentary I saw about demolishing buildings with explosives emphasized how they had to be placed and timed just right for the building to fall down properly. The footage of the WTC collapse seems to show them falling down fairly neatly, collapsing inward for the most part. It looks odd, but if the steel girders gave way at the same time, I suppose it could have a similar effect (or maybe I just watch the wrong angles...)

[leesa]

23. Wouldn't have collapsed from the fire as it was not hot enough

and nearly burned out. Collapsed straight down like a demolition. The debris, evidence at a crime scene, was ordered removed immediately without inspection. Dubya's brother Marvin was on the BOD for the company that provided security at WTC and United until 9-11. I remember experts being questioned immediately after the collapse saying it looked like a demolition and then 3 days later suddenly changed their minds.

So many unique coincidences.

[Roland99]

24. Ok, I went to whatreallyhappened.com and saw the videos.

It's very curious that it fell straight down but we don't see footage of the lower floors to see how much damage there might have been from falling debris from the WTC towers.

Also, what is supposed to be charges going off looks like dust/smoke from windows/supports.

Look at this Seattle Kingdome demolition and note the differences:
http://www.controlled-demolition.com/images/client/kingdome.mpg

Or this building in Baltimore
http://acw.loudeye.com/protec/protec071700.ram
(jump to about the 5:25 mark and notice the smoke flying out behind the building)

[sadiesworld]

25. .

[dabluz]

27. That explains why all steel girders...

would fit perfectly on a flatbed trailer.I don't remember seeing any melted steel beams like the gov. report said.The hottest jet fuel burns at is 1800'f.Steel starts to soften at 2700'f and starts to melt at over 3000'f.