I also want to point out that I thought the Pentagon was built extremely tuff. So wouldn't the wings tear instead of bend? That doesn't make sense from what I heard of the Pentagon's structure.

Well, just as ECK said.

Originally posted by EastCoastKid
right in the area that was near empty and under construction.

Originally posted by pyxsul
Well, just as ECK said.

Originally posted by EastCoastKid
right in the area that was near empty and under construction.

Oh, I forgot that part was under construction and empty. But that still IMO doesn't explain the missing wings. And what about the tail? I was looking for that in the wreckage as well.

I would see the tail as one of the weaker parts of the plane which probably burned up. Look around, there are pictures of plane tires in the wreckage along with other little bits and pieces. If I find a link, I'll post it.

A car bomb may have brought cameras to the site, ready for the plane, maybe the terrorist screwed up the timing.

gunna have to agree to disagree.......the first pics of the pentagon do not show a gapping hole or even extensive structural damage...lawn is immaculant, no debris what-so-ever. there is WAY TO MUCH evidence to suggest that we are not being told THE TRUTH about the situation. it seems that the meaning of the word 'conspiracy' has been changed from "A plot, an illegal one" to "not believing what the govt has told you to believe"

Originally posted by EastCoastKid
Shortly before the Pentagon was hit, CNN (I believe) reported a car bomb going off on the other side of the Pentagon.
Does anyone else recall hearing that?

Thank You!!! I wont go into the whole plane business again but yes I definately remember many reports at the time of a car bomb going off outside the pentagon. What's always bugged me about that was that it was never mentioned again, not even to deny it (unless of course I missed it).
I felt like I was taking crazy pills.

John Nada and ECK~~
Maybe it wasn't a diversion. Maybe it was intentional.
But, for whatever reason it happened. When you are listening to it by remote--phone calls from home---you rmember things differently.
It was very unworldly, if you remember the sequence.
1. plane one into WTC
2. plane two into WTC
3. report of firebomb near pentagon
4. plane hits unoccupied section of Pentagon
You wondered if we were under attack and this was just the beginning.

Outside of the fact that the section of the Pentagon hit was unoccupied, for the most part, have any of you heard any odd facts that would lead you to believe people knew this was to happen?? And, yes, I realize it could be a coincidence that section was hit.

I was on vacation, and sleeping at the time, so I didn't hear of it. But that's a very good point. If there was a car bombing, it should not have have been dropped. It should be investigated to see how it fits into the general scheme.

Does anyone know where to find an intact record of all the news coming in on the morning of 9-11?
Do you know that such a thing exists?
The major news sites were down. Radio & TV were all most people had to go on, and since many people were at work, they didn't have access to a TV.
Minute by minute....second by second....watch the confusion.

"2001-09-11 09:40:04 AM
Just reported: possible explosion at the Pentagon..."
"2001-09-11 09:42:24 AM
anyone heard anything about a fire at the pentagon? CNN has a braking news bar about it at tyhe bottom, but isn't reporting on it..."
"2001-09-11 09:42:54 AM
US Army just reported a large explosion in the heliport at the Pentagon"
"2001-09-11 09:43:45 AM
pentagon just got hit"
"2001-09-11 09:44:09 AM
One radio station just reported the pentagon is in flames. Part of it anyhow"
"2001-09-11 09:46:42 AM
CNN says there's a fire on the Mall (the main road headed up to the White House)."
"2001-09-11 09:47:58 AM
Third plane crashed near defence dept. apparently."
"2001-09-11 09:50:36 AM
Pentagon is on fire... hit by plane"
"2001-09-11 09:50:42 AM
Apparantly a 737 crashed into the Penatgon"
"2001-09-11 09:53:53 AM
ABC says it was definitely plane vs. pentagon.
CNN says one of the planes that hit the WTC was definitely hijacked in the air, en route.
All flights grounded across the US."
"2001-09-11 09:55:39 AM
third hi jacked plane hit the pentagon"

10 minutes, 32 seconds
10 minutes between the first confused reports of an explosion of some sort at the Pentagon (nothing about a car bomb, tho, that comes later) and the acknowledgement that it was a plane.
In the interim, a fire on the National Mall and a plane crashing near the DOD were reported. Both were shortly thereafter reported false.
By this time, most phone communications in the greater DC area (both landline and cell phone) was severely impeded due to the amount of traffic. It took me 1/2 hr to get through to my family to tell them I was okay.

"2001-09-11 10:14:12 AM
Explosion on Capitol Hill??"
"2001-09-11 10:15:45 AM
ok...posting here...Fox Reports an explosion at that capitol"
"2001-09-11 10:16:48 AM
A plane circling over capitol half hour ago....but no confirmation on explosion"
"2001-09-11 10:17:41 AM
NO CAPITOL EXPLOSION.....maybe another place..according to Fox News"
"2001-09-11 10:19:40 AM
They are evatuating the Capitol building -NO explosion"
"2001-09-11 10:24:43 AM
Car Bomb exploded outside state department - breaking news, per NBC"
"2001-09-11 10:25:35 AM
New development:
Car bomb just exploded outside of state department (Assoc. Press via today show)"
and then....
"2001-09-11 10:28:57 AM
# the other tower is gone"
"2001-09-11 10:32:07 AM
NBC: another hijacked plane has crashed near pentagon..."
"2001-09-11 10:38:51 AM
CNN : UNCONFIRMED: 747 down somewhere in Pennsylvania"
"2001-09-11 10:54:08 AM
Being reported there was no car bomb at the State Department."

29 minutes, 25 seconds
A car bomb was reported at the State Department. Shortly thereafter, the 2nd WTC collapsed and the Somerset crash occured.
Within a half hour of the first State Department rumor, it was reported as false.

During the rest of the morning:
"2001-09-11 10:52:03 AM
London stock exchange had an explosion?
can anyone confirm?"
"2001-09-11 11:02:49 AM
media reports 2 commercial planes still missing"
"2001-09-11 11:03:12 AM
CBS News Reports : Airplane crash at Camp David"
"2001-09-11 11:07:29 AM
NEWS: FAA has confirmed there are a number of planes that are unaccounted for. No clue as to exact number, yet. Today show."
"2001-09-11 11:11:27 AM
boston.com says" LATEST NEWS: A United Airlines plane has crashed into Camp David, according to CBS, and a jet has crashed 80 miles south of Pittsburgh."
"2001-09-11 11:21:54 AM
on NBC: Bomb in a high school in NY? Area being evacuated, according to firefighters on the scene."
(and on....)

So besides ECK's supposed fact about a car bomb reported at the Pentagon being false,
everyone needs to take very careful note of the general feeling of panic and confusion that was happening on the morning of 9-11. Nobody was sure what was going on, communication was impeded (both telephone and internet), and the whole country (if not the world) was scared their city was next.

False reports were later corrected by the media .... I haven't found one instance of something reported by a major news outlet just left "floating" without confirmation or denial. On average, false reports were corrected within an hour, often times much less than that.

-B.

Originally posted by EastCoastKid
As events were unfolding on the morning of 9-11, I was monitering the situation closely at work. Shortly before the Pentagon was hit, CNN (I believe) reported a car bomb going off on the other side of the Pentagon.

Does anyone else recall hearing that? The story was dropped immediately and sent right down the memory hole. I'm thinking it could've been a well-timed diversion to swing everyone's attention away from the spot the "airplane" entered the structure.

YEA!!!!!! I remember that. It was the captiol building I think. I do remember seeing it on headline new on the ticker at the bottom of the screen. I thought all hell was breaking lose.

Excellent job Banshee.....

The "car bomb" report was simply because they didn't know at the time what had happened... I know, I watched the news, glued to the set, the whole day. The news outlets were CONSTANTLY correcting their stories as they got new info, but it didn't keep them from putting guesses into scrolling type....

Here in the UK I watched things unfold live on a mixture of CNN, BBC News 24 and Sky News.

I can't remember which one said it, but one of the three definately reported that "a small van or large car was seen driving at speed towards the pentagon, through the security gates, and setonated outside the first wall of the building (pentagon)". Obviously not a word for word quote, but pretty damn close if I remember correctly. Then, like a thief in the night, the story dissappeared and was never reported again.

The simple fact of the matter is.. the story of the car/van bombing was dropped like a hot potato. No retraction was ever made. That's is why it is so suspicious. That's big news - even by that day's standards. Not something to be blown off.

If anyone can find and present a link to a retraction, I would appreciate it. I was monitering every (U.S.) media outlet at the time it happened. Once the Pentagon was hit by the plane, the story went straight down the memory hole. I still believe it was a well-timed diversion - to take as many eyes as possible off the big target.

I treat 9-11 as a supremely executed military operation. The unanswered questions and facts surrounding the case all point to that. Here's another example of a possible diversion: NORAD stood down that morning. A military training exercise (the hijacking of planes) was planned for that morning. The men and women at NORAD could very well have thought what was happening was that exercise - at least long enuff for the airplanes to find their targets. They could have been fooled by the piggy back operation. DIVERSIONS everywhere!

The topic of the Pentagon and what hit it was and has been discussed very extensively here within ATS. I would certainly hope that this discussion does not deteriorate into another related evaluation of that.

Please try to stay on the topic and point of the alleged car/truck bomb incident that may have transpired before the Pentagon was hit, please, or I will have no choice but to start posting links to previous threads on what hit the Pentagon and then close this thread.

As such, ECK....
Have you even found anything remotely confirming your theory or what you heard concerning this car/truck bomb episode, in regards to an article or such?
If you do or did...a link would greatly be appreciated.


regards
seekerof

[Edited on 11-3-2004 by Seekerof]