[24] COVER STORY
SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2009 M E T R O S I L I C O N VA L L E Y
EXPLOSIVE THEORY 23
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building codes have been accepted by the international organization that models building codes. That wouldn’t have happened if they doubted our findings.” Gage and his allies say that Newman is one among a group of governmentdependent employees fearful that evidence of explosives would be too traumatic for the public to handle—and probably too risky to their political superiors. Notably, however, unlike with, say, Environmental Protection Agency research on WTC toxins, no whistleblowers have emerged to lend credence to that theory. Not FALLOUT !Uif!hpwfsonfouÖt!uifpsz!bcpvu!xibu!eftuspzfe!XUD!Cvjmejoh!8-! one NIST scientist xijdi!xbt!opu!iju!cz!b!qmbof-!epft!opu!tbujtgz!nfncfst!pg!BF:22!Usvui/ or technician has protested the findings or leaked an accusation that the NIST report was online Journal of Debunking 9/11 Conspiracy influenced by political pressure. Theories quotes one firefighter saying. Ed Munyak, who is more nuanced than “So why didn’t we look for explosive Gage in his critique of NIST, concedes that residues in the towers?” Newman asks the NIST report actually provides some rhetorically. “Because there was no evidence supporting alternative theories evidence saying go that way. There was a of the WTC collapse. Munyak argues lot of evidence saying look at the impact that top-down influence shows up in the of the plane, the loss of fire-proofing, the overall presentation of the report to the bowing of the perimeter beams, which was public and its final conclusions, not in all the final straw that broke the camel’s back.” its details provided by working technicians Even so, why not test debris—a relatively and scientists. simple operation—to put the question “There is some very good information fully behind and silence critics? in the NIST report if you really look at Newman says NIST did calculate the it and analyze it, as I’ve done, that makes quantity of thermite that would be the case that something else happened,” needed—and found that it would require Munyak says. “The report [conclusion] a tremendous amount in each column to says there was one structural failure get it to melt. and after that happened, collapse was Newman acknowledges that NIST’s inevitable. Which just is not the case. I’m response that it sees “no need” to test dust saying that’s the falsehood of the NIST for any form of thermite won’t satisfy political leaders, not so much the people critics, and adds: “We don’t try to debate who do the research.” or argue with these folks because they have “The fact is that the collapses don’t their opinions and what they believe is resemble any fire-induced behavior evidence, but to us it is counterproductive of structures, but it exactly mimics to engage in debate. a controlled demolition, so why not “We’d rather let the body of evidence investigate that? It’s all very suspicious and we presented stand on its own merits. We that’s why an independent investigation is feel this is a very good piece of work—in needed so we can all learn from this.” many ways pushing investigations way beyond what’s gone before. Our work is LA Weekly founder Jay Levin is writing a to help strengthen buildings, and proof of book about the WTC scientific dispute. Tom the validity of our research is that most McKenzie is a freelance reporter. all our recommendations for changing