Was the USA unprepared for 911 Day?
Dear readers,
We have received a lot of email about the Summary of Evidence, "GUILTY FOR
9-11: Bush, Rumsfeld Myers," Section 1 & Section 2." (1)
Based on that email, we are compiling a FAQ - "Frequently Asked Questions
about 9-11." We will post new questions and answers several times a week,
and compile them on the FAQ page at http://www.emperors-clothes.com/indict/faq.htm .
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FAQ #1: "You guys forget that nobody was prepared for a big terrorist attack
on America. How could they have responded on 9-11?"
[Posted 29 December 2001]
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Answer:
This argument has been made repeatedly by the media:
"...The coordinated assault on the world's financial and political capitals
caught the United States completely off guard -- despite a massive
intelligence and law enforcement network devoted to detecting and thwarting
such attacks...[This was because efforts were] focused largely on guarding
against bomb threats to overseas targets... " ('The Washington Post,'
September 12, 2001)
It has been made by top government/military officials:
"We're pretty good if the threat's coming from outside. We're not so good if
the threat's coming from inside." (General Richard B. Myers in testimony at
Senate hearing on is nomination to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
September 13, 2001) (2)
The argument resonates with many Americans because it corresponds to how
they experienced 9-11. They were shocked and unsure what to do.
But most Americans are not part of the air traffic control system, which is
run by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or the air defense system,
run by the military.
Most are unaware that these systems have routine procedures developed over
many years. These procedures, practiced in drills and used in day-to-day
situations, are meant to ensure that air safety and air defense personnel
can function when confronted with unexpected events, even though ordinary
people are understandably at a loss.
Consider this, by way of comparison. Imagine that one night a Canadian
arsonist slips into Buffalo, New York, and using a new incendiary device,
starts fires in four elementary schools.
People pull fire alarms near two of the schools. A neighbor calls the Fire
Department when he sees smoke billowing out of the third school. And there
is a Fire Station right across the street from the fourth school.
Yet not one fire truck arrives until after the schools have burned to the ground.
When asked why, the Buffalo Fire Chief explains, "We're good at dealing with
Buffalo arsonists but nobody expected some guy to sneak in from Canada!"
The Chief would be laughed out of court. People would say, "When the alarms
came in, how could anyone in the Fire Department have known that these fires
were started by a Canadian arsonist? And even if they did know, why wouldn't
they just follow their normal procedures - you know, slide down the pole,
put on their coats, climb into the fire truck, turn on the siren. Why didn't
they at least show up and try to put out these fires?"
The same holds true for 9-11.
As we have documented in 'Mr. Cheney's Cover Story,' the FAA and the
military have routine procedures for intercepting commercial jets. (3)
An Air Traffic Controller can call for an escort (that is, a military jet)
to be sent up to find out why a commercial jet has flown off course and
guide it to a safe landing place. Or an escort can be used to put pressure
on an uncooperative pilot or to intimidate a hijacker with a show of force. (4)
Which brings us to the matter of Andrews Air Force base. Andrews is ten
miles from the Pentagon. It is the airport used by the President and other
top officials, so of course it has to have escort planes. This was
especially true on 9-11 because Air Force One, the President's jet, was in
flight that day.
In fact, Andrews keeps jet fighters "in the highest state of combat readiness." (5)
So here is the question that leaders such as George Bush, General Richard
Myers and Donald Rumsfeld refuse to answer because they have no acceptable
answer:
Why weren't jet fighters scrambled from Andrew Air Force base to intercept
American Flight 77 before it crashed into the Pentagon?
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FOOTNOTES & FURTHER READING:
*************************************
(1) For facts and analysis contradicting the official position on 9-11, see
'EMPEROR'S CLOTHES ARTICLES ON 9-11 * A GUIDE,' which can be read at
http://emperors-clothes.com/indict/911page.htm
Alternative address is http://emperor.vwh.net/indict/911page.htm
(2) Gen. Richard B. Myers at Senate confirmation hearing 13 September 2001
Full transcript at:
http://emperors-clothes.com/9-11backups/mycon.htm
The particular quotation about the U.S. being ill prepared to deal with
internal terrorism was reprinted by mainstream media sources.
(3) 'Mr. Cheney's Cover Story,' which is Part 2 of 'Guilty for 9-11: Bush,
Rumsfeld, Myers.' Can be read at
http://emperors-clothes.com/indict/indict-2.htm
(4) 'The Associated Press State & Local Wire' 13 September 2001, Thursday,
BC cycle, "Small private plane ordered to land in vicinity of Bush ranch."
Full text posted at:
http://emperors-clothes.com/9-11backups/bushranch.htm
(5) This quote comes from the 'DCANG' Webite. The Website was changed after
911; the quote was removed. The pre-911 DCANG Website can still be read, at
a Website archive site. Go to
http://web.archive.org/web/20000824024659/www.dcandr.ang.af.mil/hq/default.htm
In case the archived Web page should be altered, you may read it at
http://emperors-clothes.com/9-11backups/dcandr.htm
and http://emperors-clothes.com/9-11backups/dcandr2.htm
If you can, please back up these Web pages in case they are modified or
become unavailable.
The alteration of the DCANG Website is discussed in 'Update to Guilty for
9-11,' which can be read at
http://emperors-clothes.com/indict/indictupdate.htm . (Alternative address
is http://emperor.vwh.net/indict/indictupdate.htm )
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