Update on the Reported Power-Down of the WTC Right Before 9/11

[spooked911]

The Scott Forbes story has circulated around the internet for sometime without any verification. See here:
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2004/04/108539.php

Now the blogger "George Washington" has apparently contacted and interviewed Forbes:

http://georgewashington.blogspot.com/2005/11/interview-with-scott-forbes.html


Scott Forbes, who worked in the South Tower of the world trade center, witnessed a power-down of the tower in the weekend before 9/11.

I spoke with Scott Forbes by telephone for around a half hour in late 2004. I also arranged a video interview. However, due to delays by a third person in releasing that video, Scott and I agreed to post a written interview now to fill in some of the details of Scott's experience.

GENERAL BACKGROUND

GW: In 2001, you were working as an information technology specialist for Fiduciary Trust. Were you the main IT person for Fiduciary Trust, or were you an assistant IT person?

SF: I worked within an IT department of around 100 as a senior DBA and team leader.

GW: Fiduciary Trust had floors 90 and 94-97 of the South Tower at that time. Did you work on a specific floor, or did your duties normally keep you roaming on several floors?

SF: I and my technology colleagues worked on the 97th floor ... in the course of the day we would have meetings or give support on other floors but most our time would have been spent on the 97th floor.

THE WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 8TH AND 9TH

GW: You've previously stated that on the weekend of September 8 and 9, 2001, there was a "power down" condition in world trade center Tower 2, the South Tower, and that this power down condition meant there was no electrical supply for approximately 36 hours from floor 50 up. Do you know what time the power-down started?

SF: All systems were shutdown on Saturday morning and the power down condition was in effect from approximately 12 noon on Saturday September 8, 2001.

GW: When did it end?

SF: Approximately 2PM on Sunday 9/9.

GW: How do you know that there was no electricity from floor 50 up, if Fiduciary Trust was on much higher floors -- starting at the 90th floor?

SF: I can't absolutely verify that there was no power on lower floors ... all I can validate is that we were informed of the power down condition, that we had to take down all systems and then the following day had to bring back up all systems ...

GW: You've previously stated that you were aware of the power down since you worked in the IT department and had to work with many others that weekend to ensure that all systems were cleanly shutdown beforehand ... and then brought back up afterwards. How many other Fiduciary Trust folks were you working with? Can any of them verify your story?

SF: Many, many people worked on the power down, both from the IT department and from the business, revalidating systems when they were available again. Other people can validate my information. Some people do not remember the circumstances, some people will not revisit that time ... but others acknowledge the power down freely and can validate my information.

GW: You said the reason given by the World Trade Center or Port Authority for the power down was that cabling in the tower was being upgraded. Do you know what parts of the building or how extensive the area would have been for upgrading cabling? In other words, would the area being worked on have been near the outer walls of the tower? Near the core? In the middle?

SF: I have no knowledge about this and can't comment ...

GW: You also stated that, without power, there were no security cameras. How do you know that? Could there have been backup generators which powered the security cameras?

SF: Within my company security cameras were monitored and videos retained for reference. They were powered from the usual power supplies so they would ave been out of action like all other electrical appliances.

GW: You also stated that, without power, there were security locks on doors. Are you just referring to outside doors, or also office doors? Were the locks electrical or key? If electrical, were they battery-operated?

SF: I was referring to the secure doors accessing my companies floors (and other companies). I do not believe there were any battery operated doors.

GW: You also stated there were many, many 'engineers' coming in and out of the tower. Did you see any of these folks yourself?

SF: Yes. By “engineers” I mean there were workmen on site, in overalls.

GW: Did these folks look "middle eastern"?

SF: No, not particularly, I mean I don't recall registering that the
guys were of one racial group or another.

GW: Did you recognize any of them from previous "work" in the tower?

SF: No.

THE MORNING OF 9/11

GW: You were home on the shore of Jersey City on the morning of 9/11, and -- according to what you have said previously -- you were "convinced immediately that something was happening related to the weekend work". Why did you think that?

SF: When the South Tower collapsed, like a pillar of sand, it seemed unreal and inconceivable and I immediately thought something weird was going on. I became more suspicious several months later when the power down condition was never acknowledged and in some instances was denied by authorities.

THE 9/11 COMMISSION

GW: Finally, you've stated that you gave your information to the 9/11 Commission, but it took no interest. How did you get the info to the Commission (phone, email, letter?)

SF: I contacted the commission through their website and by mail. But I was never acknowledged nor contacted.

GW: Did the Commission ever follow up with you?

SF: No

GW: Anything else you wish to tell us?

SF: I have another piece of interesting information ... after 9/11 my company, along with others, was in disaster recovery mode at a location in New Jersey. At that site were literally hundreds and hundreds of eye witnesses to the events of 9/11. As a British National I was contacted by Scotland Yard in London to interview me on the events ... but I've often wondered why us authorities, like the New York police or FBI, did not interview all those witnesses available altogether in New Jersey. It seems like incompetence to me at best ... negligence at worst.

Postscript: Scott did not wish to speak with me concerning reports of explosions above the impact zone in the tower, perhaps because of privacy concerns for the family members of those who died in the tower. Scott told me that he was recently interviewed for a Dutch TV Documentary. So stay tuned: 2 videos of Scott should be coming out soon. .

[mirandapriestly]

1. I've always been interested in his story and, of course, find it

totally credible, especially now. Thanks for doing that. The lack of interest from "US authorities is the big red flag here and, because of it we can't get any more info on what they were doing that day. If the Commission was real, they would have been interested in what he had to say.

[Bouvet_Island]

2. Do work and verify it further

1 Guy is too little. And would he be willing to restate his testimony in a court?

I am frankly disappointed by the weak tactics and strategy of the 9/11 movement as a whole. The already strong parts that would be easy to buildup to irrefutable strength and peg down the lane to the legal system or make "holding points" in CT friendly media stories, they are left at a single media reported testimony status.

Media does not work with open sources, they generally don't make available tapes and notes to courts or the public save some special cases. I did PR and information work, and even with good and honest reporters the normal error were one the scale of additional zeros or commas for numbers, a list with the names of 10-15 organisations would produce errors like the youth and normal organisation getting mixed,or ones with similar sounding names replaced. This interview while entirely credible does not efficiently build weigth to that story.

We know about nothing of the guy, like what is his professional reputation? was he fired from jobs? Is he a cristian, active in the local church for many years? Is he gay? It is incredible simple to kill a thing like this, the fact that the people holding this as significant does little/is seemingly not able to support this better almost is a rebuttal in itself. Clearly if this was important proof or indication of something, 4 years after there would be ample public testimony, several people working at the place and in other companies as well going on media record, possibly some of them being able to state their story under the threat of being charged with perjury, say being called as witnesses in other 9/11 related lawsuits or something similar. 1 single piece of public testimony from 1 person in 1 company from 1 floor of the WTC speaking to 2 different journalists, not so great.

While entirely loose parts that is easily refutable or not possible to reliably support no matter the amount of testimony is given lots of attention. Eg. instead of touting the good evidence and saying "why?" people are touting the bad evidence and saying "bush", not avesome.

[spooked911]

3. considering the mainstream media does little to help us, I think we are

doing okay. The 9/11 truth movement is almost all citizen activists who have families and other jobs to worry about.

Tkae this or leave it, this is what we have right now.

[nomatrix]

6. Scott Forbes is a member of DU

See Lithos thread at the top.

I did research this.

I asked (former) security at the WTC. A Power-down was done at least 3 times a year.

Do you want to ask them
your other questions concerning sexual preferences, cristian?, fired from jobs, etc.?

In the future if you disagree with information, just say that.
If you have proof to dispute that information, post a link.

A power down does provide an opportunity to do almost anything under the radar of security cameras.

[Bouvet_Island]

7. I disagree that the 9/11 movement have good results to show

I do not mean any offense.

I obviously do not mean gay people are bad witnesses, I was referring to how if you are going to build something up as a fact in media, you should be prepared for attacks on the witnesses credibility or person. Much like in court, only worse since the difference in force is incredible. I would liken the 9/11 movement to a non lawyer doing his own defence against a prosecutor team of a few 1000 people or something like that.

If you call what you do resarch, you should keep up to scientific standards, make the full source material available as well as the edited articles. Tape phone calls and interviews with your mp3 player or video camera, and put the sources on the net, use bit torrent if you are worried about bandwidth.

[philb]

4. Qestions

was there a power down in WTC1 at any time before 9/11?

why have no others with information on this come forward, been interviewed?

why didn't someone ask him where the techinican's were working in the building?

did anyone ask him what company logo was on the workers uniforms?

why hasn't someone asked the company in charge of this work for more info on the operation? who the contractor was? etc.

[mirandapriestly]

5. Here is another article philb

in which SF says that there had never been another power down. I think the OP says that he didn't know where they were working and was unable to comment.
http://www.la.indymedia.org/print.php?id=108539

[theSaiGirl]

8. Very revealing interview with Scott Forbes

Great post from spooked911 ...
I'm gonna post that one over at some of the yahoonewsgroups, if it's ok with you ?

Thanx.

[mirandapriestly]

9. Fiduciary Trust connection to Warren Buffet

Fiduciary Trust, where Forbes worked, was in charge of the "power down". The CEO of FT was (is) Ann Tatlock. On 9-11 she was with Warren Buffett at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha for some golf charity event. This is also where Bush flew later that day.

Thomas Kean, Bush's nominee to head the 911 commission, used to serve as the director of Fiduciary Trust.

It's funny that Buffett was holding a charitable event because he has been noted for being extremely UNcharitable in the past, rarely donating money. http://www.investopedia.com/university/greatest/warrenbuffett.asp

There is more on Buffet - 9-11 "coincidences" at the following link.

My link is WebFairy, which is somewhat unfairly considered not credible, but I think all this information is a matter of public record and accurate.
http://www.thewebfairy.com/killtown/buffett.html