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Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth

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Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth
Founded2006
FounderRichard Gage
TypePolitical advocacy
Focus9/11 Truth movement
Area served
United States
Websitehttp://www.ae911truth.org

Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, founded in 2006, is a non-profit organization[1] representing professional architects and engineers[2] who express factual reservations about conclusions reached in the 9/11 Commission Report about the September 11 attacks.[3] It advocates that the World Trade Center was destroyed by explosive demolition, a 9/11 conspiracy theory.[4] The group demands that the United States Congress pursue "a truly independent investigation" into the September 11 attacks, and claims that the investigations into the collapse of the World Trade Center conducted by government agencies have not addressed what it sees as "massive evidence for explosive demolition." The engineering and scientific community generally rejects controlled demolition as an explanation for the collapse of the buildings.[5]


Activities

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Richard Gage, a San Francisco Bay area based architect,[6] founded Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth in 2006, five years after the September 11 attacks.[7][8][9] According to a BBC news report, Gage had been convinced of the need to bring together architects and engineers when he heard an independent radio station interviewing the theologian David Ray Griffin.[7]

The organization is collecting signatures for a petition to the United States Congress that demands "a truly independent investigation with subpoena power" of the September 11 attacks, and in particular "a full inquiry into the possible use of explosives that might have been the actual cause of the destruction" of the World Trade Center buildings.[1][10] In June 2009, according to its website, 717 professionals and 3,903 other supporters have signed the petition.[10] Signers of the petition receive The Blueprint, the periodic e-mail newsletter of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth.[11]

Gage has given speeches at conferences organized by supporters of the 9/11 Truth movement[12] in various locations in the United States[13] and Canada.[14] His presentations focus on the sequence of events leading to the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings and include videos of their collapses and footage of other high-rise building fires.[13][15] He went on a tour of European countries in 2008.[16] In 2009, Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth had a booth at the annual convention of the American Institute of Architects.[17][18]

The controversial two-hour movie 9/11 Blueprint for Truth, popular among members of the 9/11 Truth movement, is based on a presentation given by Richard Gage in Canada.[6] When the movie was played on a cable-access television channel in Groton, Massachusetts, it generated strong objections among some cable subscribers.[6] The film is available as streaming video at the UCLA Libraries and Collections.[19] Gage was also interviewed for an episode of the documentary The Conspiracy Files that the BBC produced in co-operation with the German television channel ZDF.[20][21]

Advocacy

See also: World Trade Center controlled demolition conspiracy theories

Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth members argue that the buildings of the World Trade Center could not have collapsed only because of the impact of the planes[22][23] and claims to have identified evidence pointing to an explosive demolition of the World Trade Center buildings.[24] The group does not blame any particular individuals or organizations for the September 11 attacks.[25][26] The group has stated on January 1, 2007, that "the 3 high-rise buildings of the World Trade Center which 'collapsed' on 9/11 (the Twin Towers plus WTC Building #7) presented us with a body of evidence (i.e., controlled demolition) that was clearly outside the scope of our training and experience."[27] Investigations by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have concluded that the buildings collapsed as a result of the impacts of the planes and of the fires that resulted from them.[28][29] The mainstream of the scientific community has rejected the position taken by the group, and many mainstream scientists do not want to debate proponents of 9/11 conspiracy theories, saying they don't want to lend them unwarranted credibility.[30]

World Trade Center towers

Gage criticized NIST for not having investigated the complete sequence of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers[31] and claims that "the official explanation of the total destruction of the World Trade Center skyscrapers has explicitly failed to address the massive evidence for explosive demolition."[32] To support its position, the organization points to alleged "free fall" pace of the collapse of the buildings, "lateral ejection of steel," and to "mid-air pulverization of concrete."[22] Richard Gage also said that the absence of "large gradual deformations" associated with the collapse would indicate that the buildings have been destroyed by controlled demolition.[33]

Gage maintains that the "sudden and spontaneous" collapse of the towers would have been impossible without a controlled demolition, that pools of molten iron found in the debris of the buildings were evidence of the existence of thermite,[34] and that traces of a high-tech thermitic incendiary had been found in samples of the dust produced by the collapse of the World Trade Center.[24][35] "We have evidence of high tech explosives found in all of the dust, we have evidence of thermite found in the molten iron samples. This can’t happen in normal office fires. They don’t have half the temperature required to melt steel, so where did the molten iron come from?" Gage asks.[36]

In a paper written to examine whether allegations of controlled demolition might be scientifically justifiable, Zdeněk P. Bažant, Professor of Civil Engineering and Materials Science at Northwestern University, and three other scholars, found that the available video records are not consistent with the free fall hypothesis, that the size of the concrete particles is consistent with comminution caused by impact, and that the high velocity of compressed air explains why material from the towers were ejected to a distance of several hundred meters form the tower. The authors conclude that the allegations do not have any scientific merit.[37]

7 World Trade Center

According to Richard Gage, 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC), a 47-story high-rise building that was part of the World Trade Center complex and collapsed in the afternoon on September 11, 2001, is the "smoking gun of September 11,"[38] providing the most compelling evidence that something was suspect about the building's collapse that had not been told to the public.[39][40] Gage also described 7 WTC as "the most obvious example of controlled demolition."[41] Scott Grainger, a fire protection engineer and member of the group, told the BBC that the fires observed in 7 WTC, which were scattered about on the floors, would have moved on as they would have found no more combustibles. He thus claims that the fires could not have developed enough heat to cause the collapse of the building.[41] Richard Gage argues that skyscrapers that have suffered "hotter, longer lasting and larger fires" have not collapsed.[38] "Buildings that fall in natural processes fall to the path of least resistance," says Gage, "they don't go straight down through themselves."[42]

After the publication of the results of NIST's inquiry into the collapse of 7 WTC, Richard Gage called a news conference[43] and leaders of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth dismissed NIST's investigation as flawed. "How much longer do we have to endure the coverup of how Building 7 was destroyed?" said Richard Gage, the leader of the group.[29] When told of the claims, Shyam Sunder, lead investigator from NIST, responded: "I am really not a psychologist. Our job was to come up with the best science."[29]

The community of specialists in structural mechanics and structural engineering generally supports the explanation of the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings provided by the investigation conducted by NIST.[5] The appearance of a controlled demolition can be explained by an interior failure of the building, which is suggested by the sequence of the collapse of 7 WTC that shows roof elements sinking into the building while the façade remained intact.[44]

References

  1. ^ a b Olivier, Clint (May 27, 2009). "Controversial Group Re–Examines 9/11 In Clovis". KMPH FOX 26 News. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  2. ^ Beam, Christopher (April 8, 2009). "Heated Controversy". Slate. Retrieved May 23, 2009. Do other professions marshal their own expertise to poke holes in the official story? Absolutely. Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth point to the physics of the towers' collapse [...].
  3. ^ "Architects and Engineers Seek 9/11 Truth". KGO Newstalk. June 3, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  4. ^ Sutcliffe, Thomas (July 7, 2008). "Yet more tall stories with no foundation". Independent Extra. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Bažant, Zdeněk P.; Verdure, Mathieu (2007). "Mechanics of Progressive Collapse: Learning from World Trade Center and Building Demolitions" (PDF). Journal of Engineering Mechanics. 133 (3): 308–319. Retrieved 2007-08-22. As generally accepted by the community of specialists in structural mechanics and structural engineering (though not by a few outsiders claiming a conspiracy with planted explosives), the failure scenario was as follows [...] {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help) (continues with a four-part scenario of progressive structural failure).
  6. ^ a b c Moskowitz, Eric (November 29, 2007). "Airing of 9/11 film ignites debate". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  7. ^ a b Rudin, Mike (July 4, 2008). "The evolution of a conspiracy theory". BBC. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  8. ^ Barber, Peter (June 7, 2008). "The truth is out there". Financial Times. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  9. ^ "The Inner Worlds Of Conspiracy Believers / Science News". Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  10. ^ a b "Welcome to Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth!". Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
  11. ^ Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. "Sign the Petition". Retrieved June 10, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "9/11 Truth movement" is the collective name of individuals and organizations that are questioning the veracity of the results of the investigations by United States government agencies into the September 11 attacks. See Barber, Peter (June 7, 2008). "The truth is out there". Financial Times. Retrieved May 23, 2009. an army of sceptics, collectively described as the 9/11 Truth movement; Powell, Michael (September 8, 2006). "The Disbelievers". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 30, 2009. The loose agglomeration known as the '9/11 Truth Movement'; Barry, Ellen (September 10, 2006). "9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Gather in N.Y." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2009. a group known as the 9/11 Truth Movement; Hunt, H.E. (November 19, 2008). "The 30 greatest conspiracy theories - part 1". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 30, 2009. A large group of people - collectively called the 9/11 Truth Movement; Kay, Jonathan (April 25, 2009). "Richard Gage: 9/11 truther extraordinaire". National Post. Retrieved May 30, 2009. The '9/11 Truth Movement,' as it is now commonly called.
  13. ^ a b Abel, Jennifer (Jan. 29, 2008). "Theories of 9/11". Hartford Advocate. Retrieved May 25, 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Kay, Jonathan (April 25, 2009). "Richard Gage: 9/11 truther extraordinaire". National Post. Retrieved May 30, 2009.
  15. ^ Handler, Richard (May 7, 2009). "Don't read this, I've been abducted by aliens". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  16. ^ "Un arquitecto estadounidense presenta en Madrid su versión alternativa al 11-S". Telecinco. November 8, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  17. ^ McKnight, Jenna (May 1, 2009). "AIA 2009: Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth". Architectural Record. Retrieved May 30, 2009.
  18. ^ American Institute of Architects. "AIA EXPO 2009". Retrieved May 30, 2009.
  19. ^ UCLA Library Catalog. "AIA EXPO 2009". Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  20. ^ Rudin, Mike (June 27, 2008). "Controversy and conspiracies II". BBC. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  21. ^ Röckerath, Christoph. "Das Geheimnis des dritten Turms". Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen. Retrieved May 25, 2009. Gemeinsam mit der BBC, ist das ZDF Hunderten von Spuren nachgegangen. (Translation: "Together with the BBC, ZDF has evaluated hundreds of clues.")
  22. ^ a b Beam, Christopher (April 8, 2009). "Heated Controversy". Slate. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  23. ^ Reuters (Nov. 8, 2008). "Arquitectos estadounidenses piden a Obama que reabra la investigación sobre el 11-S". Retrieved May 27, 2009. Aseguran que las Torres Gemelas no fueron derribadas por el choque de los aviones. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |date= (help) (Press agency report. Translation: "They argue that the Twin Towers were not destroyed by the impact of the planes.")
  24. ^ a b Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (June 30, 2009). "Architect to Speak in D.C. on 9/11 World Trade Center Destruction". PRNewswire-USNewswire. Retrieved July 3, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "Corrections". National Post. April 28, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  26. ^ Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (June 30, 2009). "Architect to Speak in D.C. on 9/11 World Trade Center Destruction" (PDF). Retrieved July 3, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "Why are Architects and Engineers Re-examining the WTC Collapses?". Architects and Engineers are trained to design buildings [...]. However, the 3 high-rise buildings at the World Trade Center which collapsed on 9/11 (the Twin Towers plus WTC Building #7) presented us with a body of evidence (i.e., controlled demolition) that was clearly outside the scope of our training and experience. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessed= ignored (help)
  28. ^ Dwyer, Jim (September 2, 2006). "2 U.S. Reports Seek to Counter Conspiracy Theories About 9/11". New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  29. ^ a b c Lipton, Eric (August 22, 2008). "Fire, Not Explosives, Felled 3rd Tower on 9/11, Report Says". New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2009. Cite error: The named reference "Lipton" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  30. ^ Pope, Justin (August 6, 2006). "9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Thriving". CBS. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  31. ^ Potocki, P. Joseph (August 27, 2008). "Down the 9-11 Rabbit Hole". Bohemian. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  32. ^ Beam, Alex (Jan. 14, 2008). "The truth is out there . . . Isn't it?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 23, 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Great Day Talks to Architect Richard Gage". KMPH FOX 26. May 28, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  34. ^ "Un arquitecto estadounidense presenta en Madrid su versión alternativa al 11-S". Telecinco. November 8, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2009. El ingeniero estructural del complejo WTC, advierte Gage, llama la atención sobre la piscina de magma que ardió durante semanas tras el atentado. Una evidencia que demuestra la existencia del agente incendiario 'Thermite', empleado para "fundir y cortar columnas y vigas de acero".
  35. ^ Rogenau, Olivier (September 5, 2008). "11 Septembre, le mystère de la 3e tour". Le Vif. Retrieved May 25, 2009. On aurait, selon 430 architectes et ingénieurs regroupés au sein de l'association AE911 Truth, retrouvé des résidus d'explosifs militaires de type thermate dans les débris de Ground Zero [...]. (Translation: "According to 430 architects and engineers belonging to the group AE911 Truth, residues of the military explosive themate would have been found in the debris of Ground Zero [...].")
  36. ^ "9/11 truth still in a cloud of smoke?". Russia Today. July 16, 2009. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  37. ^ Bažant, Zdeněk P.; Le, Jia-Liang; Greening, Frank R.; Benson, David B. (2008). "What Did and Did Not Cause Collapse of WTC Twin Towers in New York" (PDF). Journal of Engineering Mechanics. 134 (10): 892–906. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  38. ^ a b Bowden, Rich (August 21, 2008). "Twin towers mystery resolved, fire brought down WTC7". The Tech Herald. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  39. ^ Röckerath, Christoph. "Das Geheimnis des dritten Turms". Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen. Retrieved May 25, 2009. Ist World Trade Center 7 wirklich die "Smoking Gun" des 11. September, der Beweis, das etwas "faul" ist, wie es der prominente Architekt Richard Gage [...] formulierte? (Translation: "Is 7 World Trade Center really the "smoking gun" of September 11, as Richard Gage, the prominent architect [...] says?")
  40. ^ Molinari, Maurizio (July 6, 2009). "Il crollo della Torre Sette? «Fu solo colpa delle fiamme»". La Stampa. Retrieved May 26, 2009. La teoria di Gage è che il video del crollo è «la pistola fumante dell'11 settembre» ovvero la prova incontrovertibile che qualcosa è stato nascosto al pubblico. (Translation: "Gage's theory is that video of the collapse is "the smoking gun of September 11" and offers compelling evidence that something is being hidden from the public.")
  41. ^ a b "Q&A: The Collapse of Tower 7". BBC. July 4, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  42. ^ Rudin, Mike (July 4, 2008). "9/11 third tower mystery 'solved'". BBC. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  43. ^ Trembath, Brendan (August 22, 2008). "Sept 11 building downed by fire, not explosives: inquiry". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  44. ^ Gilsanz, Ramon; Ng, Willa (2007). "Single Point of Failure" (PDF). Structure magazine: 42–45. Retrieved May 26, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
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