Popular Mechanics tries to explain 911

[Rockstone]

found on Metafilter, can't listen now:

Here's what happens when Popular Mechanics sends their lead fact checker to an AZ talk radio station to debate the 911 'inside job' theory. Lots of speculation, stammering and "I'll get back to you on that" ensues. <23 min. mp3>

http://www.v911t.org/M/Pop%20Mech%20-%20Goyette.mp3

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. This is the best they can do

Even my husband who is a believer in the official 9/11 story said surely they can do better than Popular Mechanics.

[RC]

2. Popular Mechanics spouts the WH 9/11 line

That's why I'm letting my subscription drop. The same for Popular Science. Way too many articles about war toys and weaponizing space as being a good thing.

[greyl]

9. I dare say PM has more qualified scientists than the WhiteHouse does.nt

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

15. Exactly.

I dropped them years ago when it seemed like they were just a big mouthpiece for the NRA.

[soothsayer]

3. Gee, just cuz Chertoff's cousin is the 'senior researcher' on that

article?

[greyl]

4. You are unwittingly spreading a falsehood. nt

[Bucky]

6. Explain please

Is they not really cousins?

[greyl]

7. They aren't cousins.

We never actually thought to doubt this claim, simply believing it irrelevant. The piece needs to be judged on its contents, not the surname of one of those involved. But then we heard a suggestion that Benjamin Chertoff denied the story altogether, so decided to email him to hear what he had to say. Was he really related to Michael Chertoff? And if he wasn't, then how could he explain the quote from his mother?

This is what he had to say.

Here's the story, as best as I know: I'm not related to Michael Chertoff, at least in any way I can figure out. We might be distant relatives, 15 times removed, but then again, so might you and I. Bottom line is I've never met him, never communicated with him, and nobody I know in my family has ever met or communicated with him.

As for what my mom said: When Chertoff was nominated to be head of homeland security it was the first I'd heard of him, and the same for my family (and, FYI, we'd already sent the 9/11 issue to the press by then!). My dad and I thought there might be some distant relation. When Chris Bollyn called and asked my mom if there was a relation (introducing himself as only "Chris"), she said "they might be distant cousins." Like much in the conspiracy world, this was taken WAY out of context. (Another case in point: Bollyn called me earlier and asked "Were you the senior researcher on the story?" I said, "I guess so," -- that's not a title I have ever used, nor is it at all common in magazine journalism, but I was the research editor at the time, so it kinda made sense.) Nonetheless, I was one of 9 reporters on the story, not counting editors, photo researchers, photo editors, copy editors, layout designers, production managers, fact-checkers, etc., etc., etc. who worked on this story.

Chertoff paints a very different picture from the original story. Some will say he’s lying, of course, but in that case it shouldn’t be too difficult to prove: go to it. And in the meantime, this acts as a useful reminder to everyone, including us: don’t take any 9/11-related claims for granted, whether they come from someone on your “side” of the argument or not.
http://www.911myths.com/html/benjamin_chertoff.html

This issue has been discussed in the 9/11 forum and zero evidence has turned up to contradict the above quotes.

[Bucky]

8. "This issue has been discussed in the 9/11 forum"

That's why I didn't know. If I'm in the mood for silly shit, I go to the Lounge

[RedSock]

17. even if they were cousins

even if they were cousins, that is no guarantee they think alike.

they might, but they might not.

[Nozebro]

18. Right. Just look at all the dissension in the OCT'er ranks here. That's

probably where you got that notion, right? It sure makes some sense. Theoretically.

Hey kids! Have you heard the latest OCT'er excuse? It's called the "JUST BECAUSE" excuse, and you can use it just like the "intel failures", "coincidence", "bad luck", "negligence", "treason" etc..

[soothsayer]

10. Shoot! You mean my mom is WRONG?

thanks

[greyl]

12. Wow, that went well. :) nt

[soothsayer]

13. I don't have the heart to tell her. She LOVES that one. : (

[greyl]

14. I'll tell her.

;)

If truths are repeated loud enough and often enough, they will eventually become widely accepted.

[greyl]

5. You should probably listen to it before commenting.

Goyette comes off like an asshole O'reilly wannabe, and Coburn did a very commendable job.

caller Pete: What about the 7 hijackers, 7 to 9 hijackers that were reported in the British press, who came forward and said "we're alive". What are we doing on the FBI's list of so called hijackers, we're alive and well. How do you explain that one?

Davin Coburn: Actually, my explanation for that is that've I have read that one BBC report that claims that-

Pete(interrupting): There was more than one BBC report-

Davin Coburn: But actually, it's not. That's the one thing that we've found, and that was absolutely one of those things that we looked into, I promise you. I mean that would be

Pete(interrupting): Are you saying that's false?

Davin Coburn: I am saying that is false.

Pete: Ok, how did you verify that?

Davin Coburn: Have you seen any other reports beyond-

Pete(interrupting): Let me ask you my question again, how did you verify it's false?

Davin Coburn: Because-

Pete(interrupting): Just because you don't to want to believe it's true-

Goyette(interrupting): Stop, stop, stop, stop, Ok Pete, you asked him a question, now let's find out what his answer is. Real simple question. How did you verify that the story, the British story, was false?

Davin Coburn: The remains of the hijackers who have been widely understood to have been on those planes have been-

Pete(interrupting): What remains?

Davin Coburn: There was DNA evidence collected all over the place-

Pete(interrupting): The building was incinerated, the concrete turned into powder, there were molten pools of steel in the bottom of the building that were still...hot... weeks after, and they were able to do autopsies on bodies? Are you crazy? Are you insane?

Davin Coburn: Have you seen photos of these hijackers that you're talking about-

Pete(interrupting): Where are the autopsy reports you're referring to, on the hijackers. Where are those reports? I haven't heard anything about autopsy reports.

Davin Coburn: Particularly, out of the Pentagon actually there-

Goyette(interrupting): Well I wanna know, even if we presume that you're correct that they recovered the DNA of the 19 hijackers from the rubble, where did they get their original DNA against with to match it.

Davin Coburn: My point-

Goyette(interrupting): No, don't go to your point, go to my point. Where'd they get the original DNA of a bunch of middle-eastern, uh, Islamic madmen. Where'd they get the DNA, had they submitted the DNA before they uh, I mean where the hell'd they get it? You're not even talking sensibly with me.

Davin Coburn: Off the top of my head I don't know the answer to that but I'll look-

Goyette(interrupting): Of course you don't.

Davin Coburn: I'll get back to you with it.

Goyette: Is that a promise?

Davin Coburn: I will do my best.

Goyette: People all across the state of Arizona now, are hearing Davin Coburn say on the show that he's gonna find out how they got that DNA checked against those Islamic terrorists who had shaved their bodies naked....


--Shortly, Goiter asks Coburn the same DNA question again.

[FoxOnTheRun]

16. If someone is lied to he gets angry

[intaglio]

11. Popular mechanics is not likely to have a media savvy representative

BUT r-e-a-d, and I know it is difficult to read, what they have written about it

Then consider the implausible mechanics of the placing and detonation of any non-existent explosives.

Consider the materials that could have melted (not the steel) to give those ridiculous photos of "Thermite"

Consider the difference between martensite and austensite (crystal structures in steel)

Consider 25% of the support pillars, internal and external, were destroyed.

Consider that extreme conspiracy theories devalue less extreme ones, which is why governments do not even try to debunk such extreme ideas. If they did people might start to contemplate more realistic scenarios, perhaps involving allowing hijacks (perhaps thought of as of the "Take me to Cuba" variety) to go ahead as an excuse for war.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Consider 25% of the support pillars

internal and external, were destroyed?

Would you like to provide proof for this data? 25% of what.