The “Main Story” on Russia Today’s English-language Web site on September 11 promotes the conspiracy theory film “Zero,” which claims “the U.S. official version of events surrounding the attacks on 9/11 can not be true.”
Russia Today’s Aleksandr Gurnov interviewed “Zero” filmmaker and European Parliamentarian Giulietto Chiesa this week. The 25-minute program is boring – Chiesa wanders aimlessly through his subject – and takes forever to download. Here’s the url, if you have a lot of patience and bandwidth.
In the interview, Chiesa claims that the hole in the Pentagon was not large enough to have been caused by an airplane. He’s wrong. The hole was some 27 meters wide. Like many other conspiracy theorists, Chiesa mistakes the portion of the hole on the second floor for the entire hole. This error was made possible because firefighting foam obscured much of the ground floor damage in several photographs taken that day.
See the photo gallery, “The September 11 attack on the Pentagon” for detailed photos and explanations of the damage to the Pentagon.
On September 12, “Zero” will be shown on Russia’s state-owned Channel One, the most popular television channel in Russia, along with a debate featuring another conspiracy theorist, France’s Thierry Meyssan. He’s the one who first popularized the mistaken Pentagon “small hole” theory. Meyssan wrote his book on this subject, 9/11: The Big Lie, without interviewing any eyewitnesses to the 9/11 attacks.
Todd Leventhal is the Department’s expert on conspiracy theories and misinformation—stories that are untrue, but widely believed. He enjoys reading obituaries, which tell the personal stories of people who have shaped the fabric of American life.
Todd became interested in international affairs after a four-month trip to the Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India in 1972. He worked for Voice of America for seven years and bikes to work year-round.
Comments (13)
WAOM
17 September 2008 at 08:51 EDT
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AND the never found “massive attack weapon in IRAck was is or not missinformation? yes IT WAS THE WHOLE WORLD CAN SAY SO!
WAOM
17 September 2008 at 09:16 EDT
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how is it possible that larry silberstein WELL KNOWN OWNER OF WORLD TRADE CENTER affirms: I SAID TO CHIEF OF FIREMEN ” the smartest think to do is to pull it (wtc7)” and then, they decided to pull it and I WATCHED THAT”. So he know that it was decided but he doESN’t say who , (firemen? personally, I NEVER SEE FIREMEN DESTRUCTING a building ,a misterioUs comity oF security? FOR WHAT REASOn?;
so THE WHOLE DECLARATION is a mistake?
AND i muste believe what niste affirms:
2 floors of a flying building can cause the collapse .iT NEVER HAPPENeD IN THE WORLD but in NEW YOrk, on 11/9,
It can happened. It happened.
BETTER THAN DISNEYWORLD ?BUSHWOrLD
Todd Leventhal
America.gov Staff
18 September 2008 at 14:37 EDT
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WAOM:
With regard to WTC 7 owner Larry Silverstein’s comment, after WTC 7 was judged to be unstable, he recommended pulling a group of firefighters out of the building, using the phrase “pull it” in reference to the contingent of firefighters.
Conspiracy theorists have interpreted the “pull it” remark as slang for demolishing the building with explosives. But demolition experts say “pulling” a building means attaching long cables to a weakened structure and literally pulling it down with bulldozers and other powerful machinery – not using explosives.
art
21 September 2008 at 10:37 EDT
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The whole muslim community was celebrating the 9/11 attack as their victory over the ” paper tiger ” . To deny this ” victory ” and blame it on the CIA,FBI,MOSSAD, KGB,MI5/6/7 and whatever more there is out there would be another blow to their ” self-esteem ”
About the WMD in Iraq; ask the Kurds, they can tell you what it’s like! The guy who supplied the chemicals is serving 17 years behind bars.
Don Steitz
28 September 2008 at 23:41 EDT
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There are 2 kinds of people… Those who know that 911 was NOT a government conspiracy, and those who are idiots.
guest
7 October 2008 at 06:05 EDT
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okay, i have seen the pictures but y is there no plane or any debris matching plane part in the photos?
Todd Leventhal
America.gov Staff
7 October 2008 at 14:16 EDT
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Guest:
See the photo gallery on “The September 11 attack on the Pentagon” for photos and a visual reconstruction of events, at http://photos.state.gov/galleries/usinfo-photo/39/Sept_11_Pentagon/. Slides 12 and 13 show photos of plane debris, as does the link referenced in slide 12, at http://www.rense.com/general32/phot.htm.
kameelyun
21 November 2008 at 12:35 EST
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Hello folks,
“Pull it” does actually mean to bring the building down. With cables OR explosives. Controlled Demolition Inc. was telephoned by a member of the 911 truth movement, and when asked the definition of “pull it,” the receptionist told the caller to hold, then came back and said “‘pull it’ means when they actually bring the building down.” No specification of cables.
http://www.pumpitout.com/phone_calls/controlled_demolitions.mp3
Finally, if you watch WTC7’s implosion-style demise, coupled with the definition of “pull it,” and add all that to the cause-effect nature of Silverstein’s statement “and they made that decision to pull and we watched the building collapse,” the inference that Silverstein WAS talking about controlled demolition is very strong.
I bet Silverstein beats himself up every day for making such a gaffe on camera.
kameelyun
21 November 2008 at 14:17 EST
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I’d also like to add that it’s an irony of ironies that Leventhal, in the post of Oct 7 at 14:16, cites rense.com as a source, given that rense clearly advocates the position of 9/11 being an inside job.
Sparky
25 November 2008 at 18:43 EST
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Hey guys,
If you just dismiss the whole mountain of evidence that is contrary to the US Govt position and say there are two kinds of people and the conspiracy theorist are idiots then just consider one small fact:- G W Bush and Dick Cheney would only answer questions about 9/11 together, and submitted in writing in advance. Something to hide maybe…………?
john
9 February 2009 at 13:58 EST
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did you see how flames have engulfed the hotel in China today?…..however in this building the cement did not pulverize…
and where are the remains of a plane that supposedly crashed in the Pentagon….
etc.
I know you will not allow this but anyway : IT WAS A CONTROLLED DEMOLITION SO THAT THE US COULD GO TO WAR AND CURB INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS.
That One Guy
13 February 2009 at 13:27 EST
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My friend is one of the people that really believe in the 9/11 conspiracy theory and tried to talk me into it.
So I decided to do some looking online. I have looked through many sites and there is just to much evidence that proves the 9/11 conspiracy theory wrong.
What I think is no matter how much evidence we give the conspiracy theorist they won’t change there mind because they believe in it so much.
nexalerieadrw
14 February 2009 at 11:32 EST
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Hello, I can’t understand how to add your blog ( blogs.america.gov ) in my rss reader
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