http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/27/rumsfeld.flt93/index.html WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A comment Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made during a Christmas Eve address to U.S. troops in Baghdad has sparked new conspiracy theories about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In the speech, Rumsfeld made a passing reference to United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to stop al Qaeda hijackers. But in his remarks, Rumsfeld referred to the "the people who attacked the United States in New York, shot down the plane over Pennsylvania." A Pentagon spokesman insisted that Rumsfeld simply misspoke, but Internet conspiracy theorists seized on the reference to the plane having been shot down. "Was it a slip of the tongue? Was it an error? Or was it the truth, finally being dropped on the public more than three years after the tragedy" asked a posting on the Web site WorldNetDaily.com. Some people remain skeptical of U.S. government statements that, despite a presidential authorization, no planes were shot down September 11, and rumors still circulate that a U.S. military plane shot the airliner down over Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A Pentagon spokesman insists Rumsfeld has not changed his opinion that the plane crashed as the result of an onboard struggle between passengers and terrorists. The independent panel charged with investigating the terrorist attacks concluded that the hijackers intentionally crashed Flight 93, apparently because they feared the passengers would overwhelm them.
I've always felt there was a possibility that the plane (93) was shot down and we hid the truth to protect the pilot of the fighter, the families, the nation, etc. in a time of extreme crisis. Nothing sinister would have been done in hiding the truth (if that even happened), but that move would have saved the opening of quite an unpleasant can of worms if the US military had shot down a commercial airliner full of passengers crisis or not...
Actually, at the time, all planes were immediately grounded. There would have been no conspiracy if fighter's had shot the plane down. It actually would have shown some control on the Gov's. part. What would you rather hear? Brokaw saying another plane has crashed in PA, or that a suspicious plane has been shot down by armed forces. After the crash, you can spin it, anyway. This sounds like a pretty stupid conspiracy.
It does sound like a slip to me. In the case that the plane was actually shot down, however, I don't really begrudge a lie about it. I'm sure if the military had gotten the opportunity to shoot down the second plane that struck the towers, they would have taken it; it would have been a sacrifice for sure, but who knows how many could have been saved because of it. I found the whole "Let's Roll" thing a bit too convenient, but I'd really rather the passengers' families and their nation remember them as heroes than necessary casualties in any case.
i don't think the heroism or the "Let's Roll" story is necessarily mutually exclusive from a scenario where US fighters shot down that plane.
Saying the passengers took control of the plane would also give future terrorists something to think of, but who really knows...
Me neither. I guess we'll probably never know. I guess I'm just a suspicious guy... er, guy who finds things suspicious... something like that...
Boy, that Rumsfeld is really good at one thing...putting his foot in his mouth. In my view, that is his biggest accomplishment while in office.
Conspiracy or not totally agree. While GW Bush might feel personally loyal to the guy they should at least start limiting his public appearences.
