Mechanics Popular - Debunking 9/11 myths : why conspiracy theories cant stand up to the facts

PRAISE FOR DEBUNKING 9/11 MYTHS

Debunking 9/11 Myths is a reliable and rational answer to the many fanciful conspiracy theories about 9/11. Despite the fact that the myths are fictitious, many have caught on with those who do not trust their government to tell the truth anymore. Fortunately, the government is not sufficiently competent to pull off such conspiracies and too leaky to keep them secret. What happened on 9/11 has been well established by the 9/11 Commission. What did not happen has now been clearly explained by Popular Mechanics.

RICHARD A. CLARKE, former national security advisor, author of Against All Enemies: Inside Americas War on Terror

This book is a victory for common sense; 9/11 conspiracy theorists beware: Popular Mechanics has popped your paranoid bubble world, using pointed facts and razor-sharp analysis.

AUSTIN BAY, national security columnist (Creators Syndicate), author (with James F. Dunnigan) of From Shield to Storm: High-Tech Weapons, Military Strategy and Coalition Warfare in the Persian Gulf

Even though I study weird beliefs for a living, I never imagined that the 9/11 conspiracy theories that cropped up shortly after that tragic event would ever get cultural traction in America, but here we are with a plethora of conspiracies and no end in sight. What we need is a solid work of straightforward debunking, and now we have it in Debunking 9/11 Myths. The Popular Mechanics article upon which the book is based was one of the finest works of investigative journalism and skeptical analysis that I have ever encountered, and the book-length treatment of this codswallop will stop the conspiracy theorists in their fantasy-prone tracks. A brilliant exemplar of critical thinking.

MICHAEL SHERMER, publisher, Skeptic magazine; monthly columnist for Scientific American; author of Why People Believe Weird Things

A small but vocal and opinionated segment of the population of questionable technical qualifications and obscure personal motivations is obsessed with, and actively disseminates, harebrained explanations for the true causes of the terrorist attack of 9/11. Popular Mechanics does an invaluable and laudable service by providing a meticulous analysis and documentation of the unfortunate events that took place five years ago. This book demonstrates convincingly the complete lack of substance of the allegations on the involvement of the U.S. government in this affair. A must-read for all those still in doubt!

EDUARDO KAUSEL, professor of civil and environmental engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Based on exhaustive research, Debunking 9/11 Myths is a testament to American competence and honesty. The description of the mythmakers who spin fantasies on the Internet makes for compelling reading.

BING WEST, former assistant secretary of defense, author of No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah

All too often the scientific community is prone to ignore the nonsensical claims of the conspiracy theorists as not being worthy of a reply. However, something important is lost in taking such an idealistic position. The public, who may not be acquainted with many of the more detailed facts surrounding the events of 9/11, may not be in a position to immediately see the fallacy in what is put forward by conspiracy theorists as evidence, on Web sites and on the radio. By addressing the more popular conspiracy theories, and pointing out their many serious flaws and shortcomings, Debunking 9/11 Myths serves the public through this defense of common sense.

CHRISTOPHER J. EARLS, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, Cornell University

David Dunbar and Brad Reagan shine the cold light of reason on conspiracy theories that have been festering since the awful day of September 11. Its a necessary antidote to toxic propaganda.

GLENN REYNOLDS, professor of law, University of Tennessee, Instapundit.com blogger, and author of An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government, and Other Goliaths

HEARST BOOKS
New York

An Imprint of Sterling Publishing
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016

Copyright 2011 by Hearst Communications, Inc.

All rights reserved.

This book was previously published in 2006 under the title Debunking 9/11 Myths. Information from the 2006 edition, including names, titles, and locations has been updated where central to new content, but left otherwise untouched.

Editor-in-Chief, Popular Mechanics: James B. Meigs
Editors: David Dunbar and Brad Reagan
Contributing Editor for the Revised Edition: Davin Coburn
Reporters/Writers: Arianne Cohen and Christian DeBenedetti
Cover design: Peter Herbert and Agustin Chung
Interior Design: Celia Fuller
Photography Editors: Allyson Torrisi and Sarah Shatz
Project Editor: Catharine Wells and Alyssa Smith
Researchers: Davin Coburn and Tyghe Trimble

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request.

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Popular Mechanics is a registered trademark of Hearst Communications, Inc.

www.popularmechanics.com

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ISBN 978-1-58816-855-9 (ebook)
ISBN 978-1-58816-943-3 (enhanced ebook)

TO THE ORIGINAL EDITION

In late 2004, when Popular Mechanics decided to examine 9/11 conspiracy theories, the magazines editors brought in a team of writers and reporters to tackle what became an intense, complex project. Their work, published in the March 2005 issue as 9/11: Debunking the Myths, provided the foundation for this book. Thanks go to the members of the original reporting teamBenjamin Chertoff, Davin Coburn, Michael Connery, David Enders, Kevin Haynes, Kristin Roth, Tracy Saelinger, and Erik Sofgeas well as the talented editors, designers, and photography editors on staff who helped pull it all together.

When Popular Mechanics decided to expand the cover story into a book, Arianne Cohen and Christian DeBenedetti came on board to enhance and update the magazine reporting and tackle new theories. Without their skillful writing and pinpoint reporting, this book would not have been possible.

Under the guidance and supervision of director of photography Allyson Torrisi, researcher Sarah Shatz dug through thousands of photographs taken on 9/11 and the days afterward to find the right images to complement the reporting for the magazine story. Allyson and Sarah did such a tremendous job that we asked them to team up again to find more material for the book. We are also grateful to other Popular Mechanics staffers who, like Allyson, willingly added to their magazine workload to help us complete the project: design director Michael Lawton, who oversaw the compelling cover design of senior art director Peter Herbert and designer Agustin Chung; research editor Davin Coburn, who scrutinized the text for accuracy (any errors remain our responsibility); researcher Tyghe Trimble for pulling together the appendixes, and assistant to the editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy, who coordinated advance reviews.

We also owe a large debt of gratitude to Hearst Books: vice president and publisher Jacqueline Deval for her early and unflagging support, associate project editor Catharine Wells for her editorial and organizational skills, design director Celia Fuller for her elegant layouts, and copy editor Christine Furry for her discerning reading of the manuscript.