Silverstein Wanted To Demolish Building 7 On 9/11 (con't)

[Jeff]

Continuing the discussion from this thread.

On-topic posts only, please. Others will be deleted.

[sunny]

So some wondered what the answer was if in fact Silverstein called the ins. co. for authorization to CD the building. I would say the fact that he has denied CD and was awarded a 500 mil payout gives us the answer.

But if he did in fact call for authorization, then he probably already had the building rigged and if he did already have the building rigged why doesn't he admit it if it were for a benign purpose?

It is ENTIRELY possible the building was already rigged:


http://www.ae911truth.org/twintowers.php

The architectural drawings of the WTC North Tower have been leaked from an individual associated with the Silverstein-Weidlinger Report. They reveal that the large box columns of the core maintain their 30"x16" and 52"x22" dimensions at least up through the 66th floor. They also indicate that most of the core columns would be easily accessed from the elevator shafts in order to plant explosives. We know that the elevators were being modernized by Ace Elevator during the 9 months prior to 9/11.




A March 2001 article in Elevator World describes contemporary work on the elevator system of the Twin Towers by Ace Elevator as "one of the largest, most sophisticated elevator modernization programs in the industry's history."
Elevator World, March 2001
http://911research.wtc7.net/cache/wt...renovation.pdf


http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/...-mechanics.htm

12/19/2001

Mechanics left towers before buildings collapsed

By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY


At the time the elevator mechanics left, dozens of people were trapped in stuck elevators. Other people lost their lives trying to rescue those trapped in elevators, including a mechanic from another company who rushed to the Trade Center from down the street.

The departure of elevator mechanics from a disaster site is unusual. The industry takes pride in rescues. In the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, elevator mechanics worked closely with the firefighters making rescues.




http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/...tor-usat_x.htm


On Sept. 11, the mechanics left on their own, without instructions from police or fire officials. ACE Elevator supervisors say this was consistent with the emergency plan. All the mechanics survived. "We had a procedure. We had a procedure to follow, and they (the mechanics) followed it," Niederau says.

But the Port Authority says the emergency plan called for mechanics to stay and help with rescues. "The manuals consider many emergency scenarios and describe the role of the mechanics in detail in responding to them," Port Authority spokesman Allen Morrison says. "There was no situation in which the mechanics were advised or instructed to leave on their own. They were, depending on the situation, to be dispatched to various emergency posts or to respond to various pas


About 9:45 a.m., from the south tower lobby, Port Authority elevator manager Joseph Amatuccio radioed the ACE Elevator supervisors on their private radio channel. O'Neill recalls him asking: "Can you mobilize to come inside and see what's going on? Because I'm here with the fire department, and they're asking me questions I don't know."

O'Neill radioed John Menville, an ACE Elevator supervisor trained in rescues, and both tried to get back in the building. The supervisors had special ID badges with red stripes that allowed them behind police lines.

***

Are you allowed to plant explosives in an occupied building "just in case"? Somehow I doubt it.

[HamdenRice]

Just wanted to add a somewhat abstract legal point/question here.

I haven't read through the entire thread, but there are several questions about "insurance fraud" or why an insurance company would pay out for an intentional demolition.

Before I address that, I just want to say I'm not expressing any opinion on any of the other issues, like whether it was a CD or not.

The legal point is that if there was a CD under these conditions, it probably would not affect the insurance company's liability to pay this claim. The liability to pay the claim arose because the building was functionally destroyed, which happened because of collateral damage from the collapse of the towers and fire. If the building had not collapsed that day, it still would have been a total loss, as were many much less badly damaged buildings in the area -- meaning the insurance company would have had to pay out.

About the alleged phone conversation -- whether the insurance company gave permission or not was also irrelevant. If it happened, it would have been more like Silverstein asking whether they would make an issue in later litigation the question of whether the building was already a total loss. Even if the insurance company had said no, considering what was determined to be the condition of other buildings in the area with similar damage, it would have been a losing argument.

There are plenty of examples in insurance and torts where damaged property or even perfectly good property is sacrificed for public safety, and the insurance company has to pay.

Put it this way -- if the building had not collapsed on 9/11 and after review they had CD'd it say a month later, the insurance company would have had to pay. What difference does it make whether it's on 9/11 or 10/11. It's not like tearing down your already totaled building somehow relieves the insurance company of paying the claim. The legal issue a CD on 9/11 would have raised, though, is whether the building was a total loss as of 9/11.

[justdrew]

Are you allowed to plant explosives in an occupied building "just in case"? Somehow I doubt it.

that's something I've wondered about, could this be some unspoken practice for tall buildings? I just don't see how it could be possible to construct buildings with self-destruct capability built right in from day one. It's theoretically possible I guess, but how could the design be sufficiently fail-safe?

I don't even buy the pancake collapse theory, and building 7's collapse is very odd, it almost must have been rigged, and if 7 was rigged, surely 1 and 2 were too?

Had 7 not fallen on 9/11 it would indeed have had to be taken down, but would CD teams have gone in or would it have had to be done from outside with a wrecking ball?

[barracuda]

The liability to pay the claim arose because the building was functionally destroyed, which happened because of collateral damage from the collapse of the towers and fire.

I realise you've stated that you aren't expressing an opinion on CD with this post, but this statement speaks rather strongly to me against the idea of pre-planted explosives, or even CD in general.

On what do you base this assessment of the salvagability of the building?

[norton ash]

My intuition tells me that the WTC complex was a wicker man-type monolith garden from its illuminist beginnings. A brutalist beauty meant to symbolize godlike power and inspire awe... all the more so when the great sacrifice took place.

Buildings designed to accommodate an efficient explosives-loading protocol for when the time came for the big wedding, in other words.

Those are the signals my gut receives from the dark side of woo-world anyway. I'm better with poetry than science, and it's the poetic-archetypal part of me that struggles hardest to answer 'Why-how did this happen?'

Re wicker man reference: no offense to Wiccans meant. History says that Baal worshipers and Romans used to fill structures with live sacrifices for spectacular mass-killings. The wicker man as PURPORTED to be a vehicle of mass sacrifice was just the most handy reference.

[StarmanSkye]

Something that goes round-and-round in my head are reports I've read several years ago claiming that 60's era architectural and civil engineer publications published articles about a 'new' technique of building-in end-of-life demolition features into modern buildings, esp. high-rises. There was even something about a special feature article describing this innovation being implemented into the WTC building towers. But I wasn't able to substantiate this despite an exhausting search. It remains a tantalizing notion with many implications, but no real evidence. However, I would hazard a guess that WTC 7 definitely would have been a candidate for a CD option given its extraordinary security risk housing so many Governmental and LE offices. Again, in this regard, nanothermite would lend itself to this purpose extremely well, given its failsafe properties requiring huge temperatures and pressures to initiate their chemical reaction.

My gut reaction is that WTC 1 & 2 were retrofit-rigged with nanothermite compounds in the months leading up to 911, probably with a spray-on coating on the major steel supports, perhaps aided by the inclusion of explosive-compounds in the concrete floor-spans when they were poured on-site, designed to explode under sufficient pressure peaks.

I simply don't buy an 'accidental' collapse of WTC 1,2 & 7 -- the collapse speeds are far too great.

[RocketMan]

Something that goes round-and-round in my head are reports I've read several years ago claiming that 60's era architectural and civil engineer publications published articles about a 'new' technique of building-in end-of-life demolition features into modern buildings, esp. high-rises. There was even something about a special feature article describing this innovation being implemented into the WTC building towers. But I wasn't able to substantiate this despite an exhausting search. It remains a tantalizing notion with many implications, but no real evidence. However, I would hazard a guess that WTC 7 definitely would have been a candidate for a CD option given its extraordinary security risk housing so many Governmental and LE offices. Again, in this regard, nanothermite would lend itself to this purpose extremely well, given its failsafe properties requiring huge temperatures and pressures to initiate their chemical reaction.

My gut reaction is that WTC 1 & 2 were retrofit-rigged with nanothermite compounds in the months leading up to 911, probably with a spray-on coating on the major steel supports, perhaps aided by the inclusion of explosive-compounds in the concrete floor-spans when they were poured on-site, designed to explode under sufficient pressure peaks.

I simply don't buy an 'accidental' collapse of WTC 1,2 & 7 -- the collapse speeds are far too great.

Well put. I started down the 9/11 rabbit hole that eventually brought me to RI with David Ray Griffin's CD-centric handling of 9/11's disturbing questions (though let's not forget that his takedown of the 9/11 Commission Report is a definitive work in that area). At RI, I guess I caught the "CD derision" bug... But listening to the recent Guns & Butter show I was again reminded of the powerful arguments people like Gage, someone who worked for CONTROLLED DEMOLITION INC, Kevin Ryan and Steven Jones make. Especially Kevin Ryan has spoken and written on the issue so persuasively and in an intellectually rigorous fashion that he's extremely difficult to just wave away. Plus he lost his job for asking the wrong questions at Underwriters' Laboratory, of course.

I do have problems with CD having become an "article of faith"/cornerstone of sorts to the wackier elements of the later 9/11 Troof scene, but that does NOT discount the solid, comprehensive and intellectually rigorous work on the field done by people like Kevin Ryan, Richard Gage.

[justdrew]

Something that goes round-and-round in my head are reports I've read several years ago claiming that 60's era architectural and civil engineer publications published articles about a 'new' technique of building-in end-of-life demolition features into modern buildings, esp. high-rises. There was even something about a special feature article describing this innovation being implemented into the WTC building towers. But I wasn't able to substantiate this despite an exhausting search. It remains a tantalizing notion with many implications, but no real evidence. However, I would hazard a guess that WTC 7 definitely would have been a candidate for a CD option given its extraordinary security risk housing so many Governmental and LE offices. Again, in this regard, nanothermite would lend itself to this purpose extremely well, given its failsafe properties requiring huge temperatures and pressures to initiate their chemical reaction.

I remember there being some talk about that back in the day too... I think it came from the photographer guy who was called in to work with one of the architects who had assembled a group of people sworn to confidentiality. This was making the rounds in 2002 or so I think? Don't remember where I found it and haven't seen it since. Maybe someone else remembers that narrative?

[chump]

Kurt Sonnenfeld?

I was gonna post this in the other thread, and then you locked it, so I posted it in architects, firefighters and demolitionists thread, which is a good thread, and now I'm posting it here.

I listened to that G&B. They nailed down a few points:

The twin towers were undergoing an elevator modernization program in the nine months prior to the big shabang. That would have given the perpetrators unlimited access to set charges on the steel infrastructure with the cover of the "elevator renovation".

They pretty much shoot down the theory that the building was rigged for demo when it was built.

Thermite was definitely found in the dust/smoke. Chain of custody seems to be intact.

Tom Sullivan:
A former demolitionist, he states definitively that demolition brought those buildings down. Responding to callers question as to why the twin towers seemed to blow apart as opposed to building 7 which simply dropped he said that the the Twin Towers were pulverized because they required more explosives within the infrastructure to bring effectively bring it down into the smaller sections that could be hauled off more easily. "It doesn't take that many "decks" just to bring a buildind down. A contractor will load more decks just to break up the rubble into smaller pieces. Building 7 didn't require so many decks... 1 or 2 decks and you could probably bring this building down. But the twin towers presented a different problem because of all that inside structural steel. You had to really, really attack this problem differently, and a lot more explosives, which leads to all the pulverization... The problem with the towers was that they were so much more robustly built, (which is a problem for the official story) the inside core had so much more structural steel, you would've had to use a lot more explosives and ways, you had to really load the decks to bring those buildings down."

Richard Gage:
"... 90000 tons of pulverized concrete. A fine powder all over Manhatten, including metal filings from the steel..."

That story about the Ace elevator guys taking off is interesting. Who owns Ace?

http://www.elevator-world.com/magazine/ ... 5.html-ssi

Quote:
A positive note is that in spite of the fact that ACE Elevator Co. had 88 people working throughout that WTC buildings, maintaining and modernizing the elevators when the attack occurred, none were hurt. Aside from bearing emotional scars that will take years to heal, they, as well as Otis Elevator Co. personnel that were working in the 7 WTC Building and the Schindler Elevator Corp. personnel working in the Marriott Hotel and at the Pentagon are all OK.

[2012 Countdown]

As someone who's interested in this but did not comment in the previous thread - I would like to third or fourth the sentiments that those of us undecided on the issue have expressed. We could all do without the nastiness -on both sides. I would also like to say I appreciate all the interesting discussion by most before that one got locked.

[DoYouEverWonder]

Are you allowed to plant explosives in an occupied building "just in case"? Somehow I doubt it.

that's something I've wondered about, could this be some unspoken practice for tall buildings? I just don't see how it could be possible to construct buildings with self-destruct capability built right in from day one. It's theoretically possible I guess, but how could the design be sufficiently fail-safe?

I don't even buy the pancake collapse theory, and building 7's collapse is very odd, it almost must have been rigged, and if 7 was rigged, surely 1 and 2 were too?

Had 7 not fallen on 9/11 it would indeed have had to be taken down, but would CD teams have gone in or would it have had to be done from outside with a wrecking ball?

No, it is not an unspoken practice to design tall buildings for CD. Heck the Twin Towers didn't have light switches originally, because when they were built, electric was cheap and no one foresaw that someday they might want to turn the lights off to save money. Builders and architects don't design buildings so they can be destroyed easily. They have no interest in unnecessarily increasing the cost of their projects and their main concern is putting up buildings that will last a long time and are safe. How the building eventually comes down is someone else's concern.

However, the idea of Silverstein making the decision to 'pull' the building, or for his insurance company or anyone else for that matter giving him permission on 9/11 to do a quickie CD is ludicrous, mainly because WTC 7 was built over the Con Ed Substation that provided power for Lower Manhattan. By taking down WTC 7, they destroyed the Substation in the process, which made a bad situation even worse for restoring power to that area. Especially, since WTC 7 was not that badly damaged, the fires that did break out were small and localized and by late afternoon had mostly burnt themselves out and according to the NIST folks, WTC 7 did not collapse because of structural damage from the collapse of WTC 1, but collapsed solely due to fire.

I do agree, that if WTC 7 was rigged so was WTC 1 and 2. However, you don't rig a hi-rise in a few hours or even a few days. Whoever destroyed the WTC had since 1993 to plan and prepare the buildings for the big day and did a very good job of it.

[justdrew]

ok, I found the narrative I was referring to above. It's part of the "why the buildings had to come down" line of reasoning... This writer's name is Tom Scott Gordon, if this is known crap please let me know, because at this time it still looks like good info to me...

I'll copy/paste it since it's hosted on his own site and who knows when that might go down... there are dead links as is... the source:

this version was updated in 2006, but I know the original goes back to 2002-2003 era.

http://www.redlineav.com/tsg.deposition.1.html
http://redlineav.com/tsg.deposition.contd.2.html


I.) Why The World Trade Towers­
"Must come down!"



A (not so) BRIEF TECHNICAL SUMMARY, WHY:

The structural integrity of the massive World Trade Center Towers was contingent upon the combined -value of *both* the internal, perimeter STEEL columns and the adjoining ALUMINIUM fascia-panels.

Over the years, the process known as 'galvanic corrosion' had structurally degraded these buildings beyond repair. Supporting statements to this effect had been compiled by the engineers and delivered to the building owners during the time-frame that I have described. Subsequently, both Mayor Giuiliani's Office, and the New York Port Authority, had allegedly received an order for the buildings to be completely dismantled, by 2007."

Through the continual effects of wind-sheer and [flex-fatigue] this process had eroded the bolt-holds at roughly floors #7 through #25, that fulcrum-point where the lateral pressures were inherently sustained. Photographs, taken after the disaster, reveal that it was only those lowest exterior column sectional groupings which do not appear to have shown severe de-coupling of the joinery, therein. This is evidenced by the bright 'shiny,' cage-like forms that served to contain the bulk of the physical contents among a burning rubble.

Physical evidence verifies that an incendiary 'explosive' material, such as 'thermate,' had come into contact with numerous Steel structural members throughout the entire structures. This has now been verified by independent research scientists from actual samples that had been collected from the site. Witnessed by their locations within the burning pyre, these supporting columns had fallen from the upper-most portions of the two building core-sections.

*My views concerning the chronic construction "flaws" in the World Trade Towers, follows at the end of this document, in section IV. I do not wish to assign 'blame,' nor do I feel the need for me to address these physical matters with any degree of scientific analysis. Sadly enough, the end result of simple human error has now brought the entire world to a state of heightened alarm, to say the very least. I strongly encourage you to cross-reference these issues, as recorded in countless independent and government source documents pertaining to the critical stress-dynamics, and galvanic properties inherent in aluminium alloys.

I also witnessed numerous, "highly suspicious" activities that took place at WTC, building #7, shortly after the structure was erected, and thus concurrent to the events that I have described. Mr. Silverstein was involved from the onset! *Virtually no information concerning the floor-plans, or the construction-phase* has been collected for anyone to do any real investigation into Building #7.

I realize this is a leading statement, but I will challenge any NYC architect to accept the chance to disprove it. After -all, I am the ONLY current spokesperson for the original architects, once officially recognized as the World's foremost design firm. :) -Put that feather in your cap, Mr. Robert A. M. Stern!





II.) T. S. Gordon's Insider Knowledge



ESTABLISHING EVENTS:

*CRITICAL DATE CORRECTIONS: In June, of 1986, I moved to NYC, and spent around two months at my friend's loft on Hudson St. Then I moved to Woodstock/Saugerties to save on rental expenses. I spent nearly a year commuting to the city from there, staying on Hudson St. whenever my friend was away on business, in Isla Mojares, Mexico. It was October, 1987 before I actually rented my own apartment on Thompson St., thus my confusion about the actual 'year' by which I had "moved there," and thus been measuring these events. After 9/11/2001, all I could remember was paying my first month's rent with the deposit money I had received to photograph the "Exchange Building" on Sunday, the weekend following the '87 Crash, when you could literally hear a pin-drop from Bowery to Lower Broadway.

[Today, the Yuppies have completely ruined this part of Manhattan! ]

__________

I had moved to the City seeking architectural photography assignments from various architects. Following a brief introduction to Mr. Barry Roth Jr., AIA, the President of Emery-Roth & Associates, and his partner, (cousin) Mr. Robert Sobel, AIA, I was instructed to photograph "the World Trade Center" in the early Spring of 1987.

Supervising the WTC project at that time were Mr. Barry Yanku, AIA, and Richard Stob, AIA, who had instructed, and/or accompanied me throughout my employment with the firm. I became aware of these individuals through personal friends of Mr. Yanku, including; Gregory Vargo, of Perkins & Will, NYC., who had befriended my former client, Simon Zalkind, of Denver. Each of whom may serve as my material witnesses, [or AMERICAN TRAITORS, if you will!]

Widely known in the trade journals, "Ezra Stoller" and "Norman McGrath" had thoroughly photographed the World Trade Center for a period of many years prior. They created some of the finest known images of the towers, the most memorable ones had circulated the world, as book covers and on posters, often featuring the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. 'Why' these famous photographers were released from their contracts, and I was subsequently hired, is beyond my comprehension. Neither party has released a single WTC photograph since! So I ask, on what basis would two independent parties willingly 'throw-away' something of say, easily $100,000. in current resale value?

Before I began any coverage of the site I was required to thoroughly analyze the Original WTC plans and over 5,000 original copy written photographs. (Many were signed gifts.) I had asked every available associate in the office a lot of questions which provided me with the information I have covered here. However, during that first week, the "librarian" at Emery's offices, (who served as the firm's main corporate secretary and receptionist,) had refused to answer even the simplest of my questions about the buildings. This presented my first challenge, and triggered my concern over some of the materials, (and particularly the physical ones) that I discovered.



I was particularly interested in why they had commissioned *three* entirely different sets of plans for the towers? Their answers were logical, since AutoCad didn't exist when they began. The plan-set posted widely on the internet-"was created ONLY for interior refurbishment," and some confusing materials were posted thereafter by the spooks.

Not long after the buildings were built, the WTC owners created a separate contract to retain the architects and their "official photographers," as well as several principal engineers from the original consulting firm; "to establish the safety of the twin towers." Each of their staff members worked on this project on a "full-time contract basis," most of them for a period spanning from around 1976-78, or about 10 years, prior to my arrival.

By 1987, according to Mr. Yanku; "there are about 15 participants from ER&A, who have been continually retained for the structural research project, from the onset."

This is a huge admission, because their names, and the positions they held,

therefore must be listed on numerous documents of record!



My assignment was: "To photograph Both of the Towers in their contextual situation. Not just the buildings, but especially how they 'fit' with the neighborhood, including One-point perspectives of every adjacent structure."

Roth had, "been in contact with the property management personnel that this would directly concern." --This reinforces my point about potentially available written records! I was only asked to provide my drivers license to access these buildings, with virtually no hinderance.

This was an inherently ludicrous, yet highly challenging request!

The project was titled "the Bridgeways Project."

Their stated objective was; "to encircle the entire twin-structure with scaffolding, to insure the safety of pedestrian traffic during the complete de-commissioning of the towers."

Following a month and a half of coverage I had exhausted my interest in the street vantage-points, so I decided to go up in the towers early one morning, just to see which adjacent rooftops offered the most suitable additional vantage-points. My memory of these dates is the fact it was far too chilly for me to access any of the higher rooftops. This was either May 9th, or June 9, 1987.* [Technically, I was actually residing at Tony Parker's in Woodstock-Saugerties at that time.]

My apartment on Thompson St. was searched about a fortnight after I moved there. My girlfriend had a shop a few doors down. She became alert to the fact that we were being followed for a period of two years thereafter. Occasionally, she would ask: "Who's that guy?" - "Who are those two guys following us?" They were the same two photographers, "assigned to supervise the clean-up operation for FEMA",-Jim Chestnutt and Kurt Sonnenfeld. (photos provided.)

As my proteges in Denver will attest, they were completely incongruous in promoting themselves as a professional "photo-assistants" to various friends of mine at the time. Sonnenfeld is a hunted man, in Exile in Argentina...

This pair did not go unnoticed by David Zinser's landlord and neighbor, Frank Ponte. Both he and 'Doc' provided their assurances for my safety, and I soon believed it was entertaining 'to be tailed' in this way. (Doc's got a PhD in spy novels.) About two years later, I made a scheduled visit to see my friend Haidar's Studio, on Sunset Boulevard, in LA. Later that week, we received a visit from these two, again offering their "professional assistant services." -This time, I directly confronted the pair, and I said, "You two guys look familiar." With this, Kurt said, "I'll wait in the car," and he left without looking back. ­A well-trained Agent, I instantly thought.

Jim, (the serious one) remained calm, so I asked him outright: "Are you an FBI agent? Why have you followed me to LA? - This startled him noticeably and his response confirmed that he had received rigorous, professional training.

He said nothing more than,- "I believe this interview is over." (Real photographers would have laughed at these assertions!) As soon as he departed, I asked Haidar to let me use his car to follow them! Instead, he physically restrained me, and said; "How about let's you live another day. I know who they are, I can find them." But, he refused to elaborate in any way. "Forget it," he would say, "Let it go, they aren't here to Kill you!"





III.) "FBI" 'take-over' at the WTC!

Well aware of the neighboring Manhattan building 'security' protocols, I was prepared as I entered the building during the morning rush-hour, at around 9:10am. However, I was singled-out from the ordinary building patrons, and immediately escorted to a secondary check-point by the lobby guards, which entirely caught me by surprise.

I explained my interests politely, assuming that I would be allowed free access to the general public areas, such as "Windows on the World," where, "I was just looking forward to seeing the view."

(What kind of guard could challenge that?)



-Evidently, someone had provided them with my photograph because I looked indistinguishable amongst the usual patrons at that time of day. However, I was immediately told that I was on a list of persons who were explicitly to be escorted upstairs, "to insure that I would arrive at the engineering office in time for Our meeting." - "What meeting?" I thought, quite logically!

The suite was listed on the Guard's ledger as: "Skilling & Jackson, P.C.," -a name I had seen somewhere in print, but I had no prior relations with. (Being fully aware that Emery Roth had NOT maintained an office in the building for many years, clearly this was NOT a situation vaguely pertaining to me!)

Two regular WTC official guards came from the nearby service area (rear) to escort me upstairs. As we arrived at the 'skylobby,' two, different guards accompanied me from there. I had no idea I was that important a guest.

When we arrived at the door to this suite, (Tower 1, around the 84th to 86th floor, North) there was yet another guard standing outside, and I became highly skeptical by this point because of the temporary qualities of the sign on their 'main' office door. They had a brand new, fake wood engraved plastic sign, it read: "Skilling Associates, P.C." (I thought, this name doesn't match, and this office has been here for what, over 10 years? ­Can someone please call Continuity?)



"Everyone sit down and be quiet." "..Who's this?"

-The Chief orator said loudly, starring at me, as the guards led me toward the door of an isolated, (est. 14'x 24') glazed conference room, immediately to the left of this rear entry. I said: "I am the official photographer from Emery Roth," and offered to shake his hand.

Un-emotive and businesslike, he said without drawing a breath,- "Then, you are to be included, who sent you here?"


I said; "Barry Yanku- I just got a message from his secretary." [Which was not true, but she HAD called me about something the day prior, and since she was a Royal Bitch, I didn't bother to ask why she had called . Do you suppose they fucked with Picasso, or Man Ray like this...?]

He nodded and addressed the full group, (then reading from a 4x5 file-card,) "As you know some of your associates have worked as absentee members, and each of them have already confirmed their knowledge of, and prior 'agreements of compliance' with the orders I have described to some of you earlier today.

He said to everyone: "Listen carefully, nobody gets out of this!" [Fine, scum-bag. Can I put this 'mock-trial' on my resume?]

"Each of you were called here to sign an affidavit of non-disclosure. None of the information from our project can find it's way into the public-eye. Absolutely nothing that we have learned from this project can be revealed to the public because it is potentially damaging to our client. Some of you have enjoyed 10 years of service on this project for our client. Each of the team leaders have recently received raises and additional benefits. { someone } -has already received a new assignment and he will be getting a healthy raise at his new location, which, as I've explained to each of you, must remain undisclosed."

"I know this transition will take you by surprise, but there was no other way to handle it. You are All terminated from this project effective immediately! This means you need to clear your desks and surrender all of your files by the end of the day. I will assist you in getting these papers into the archive cabinets so we can give them to the owners for safekeeping."

"After you have signed these forms, we will have a short recess. You may go to the Cafe, or to 'Windows' for lunch, but do not leave the buildings! "

"I want you all to know that I am sad to have to break this news. Your fine work here will not go unnoticed. [?] Each of you has provided an invaluable service and we are all grateful. Do not think that this action shows any reflection on the exceptional quality of your individual work!"

This guy's speech sounded like a military operation. Everyone in attendance could tell he had no connection to the Port Authority, or the WTC Security Staff, and he damn sure wasn't a licensed Architect. Yet, no one in the group recognized that I didn't technically work for their firm, and I had no real business even being there!





"The 'Critical' issue with these Structures:"

Next, we were escorted to "lunch," at around 10:15am., where I was able to visit with 4, or 5 of the lesser engineers, without oversight from the supervising officers. I played it really cool despite my total ignorance. Each of these men were genuinely furious about what had transpired.

I said things like,- "Shame we have to disband-band. I was looking forward to being here for at least a few months."-"What do you suppose we've done wrong?" ...Each man (who's identity was not known to me) in turn revealed:

"The fact is, we all know that the buildings can't stand safely for over 40 to 60 years. It's not the sub-soil, that's granite. They must have received the completed demolition report, which we all knew to expect. It was supposed to be finished months ago. Clearly it looks bad. Well, I'm damn sure we all know the real implication- that the owners can't ever get their money back! That's what we all learned today. -Thanks, _(no knowledge of person he named)_, -screw you!"

I asked: - "Why? What do you mean;- how Much too much?"

"It's $2.6 Billion just to erect the two scaffolds to surround both buildings, and that's only the beginning. They literally have to re-build them, then un-build them, twice! -Now it's obvious, bottom-line is that the developer will have to sell soon, or take a serious bath; ...Total?- You tell me, $4.5 Billion, or so!" (I forgot his figures.)

- "Why now?" I asked. "They still seem really stable, -architecturally."

"They are much too big. It's come down to a piece-by-piece problem. They simply can't be imploded, we know of no other way. Why do you think they hired me for 10 years to find other solutions? I'm not a structural specialist, just an architect, and a pretty damn good one at that! "

- "I thought Barry said you guys were about to find a solution."

(I could sense this was the wrong thing for a neophyte to say.) A definite look of concern spread over their faces, until I said-"What's a few more flying buttresses going to cost?" It was certainly a lame assertion, but they bought it, as a joke, and everyone relaxed, as I said something like; "So, what about me, should I be composing a resume for my next 'real-job' interview?"

Then someone asked, "Why are you allowed to free-lance?" He avowed, "None of us were allowed to be holding other jobs, as long as we've held these titles, because of the contract-stipulation that had occurred about 4 years ago." - "Tom, Were you aware of this?"

Of course, I had to answer, "No." Which immediately indicated the end of their interest in confiding in me. Instead, they all griped about the pathetic lunch. "This is horrible, I can't eat here!" [spoiled city-brats] No one was very relaxed at any point. The more I had learned the more scared I was, still I played the Jr. draftsperson, listening for more fascinating inside news. -Fat chance, I thought.

Finally, truly pushing my luck, I prodded again, directly addressing the most reserved engineer in the group.

- "So tell me about the electrolytic issue?"

Everyone went quiet at first. But, they all realized that we had been sharing some deeply guarded insights. One man began a patent, evasive narrative, clearly not about to go anywhere. But, this main guy had sensed that I actually did know as much as each of them about the compositional, and mechanical arrangement of these disparate metals. By then, I had effectively blown my cover, yet their identities were unknown to me, and we ALL knew that we had found ourselves in a similar jamb here.

He said: "If you are referring to the coring project, I don't think any of us here had any direct involvement. That was terminated a long time ago." I asked, [HAVING JUST SEEN THE PHYSICAL MODEL];

- "Is it not feasible to simply put a sleeve in with the bad bolts, to seperate the metals?"

With this, they all joined in, and I got all I needed to know.- Between the two buildings there were a total of about 15 floors which had received new bolts, each bolt-hold requiring a noisy core-drilling which had caused the project to cease. PING, PING, PING. The procedure caused a very loud 'ringing' that transferred the noise, vertically throughout dozens of floors...

"This infuriated the tenants, beyond belief,

and thus it became an unacceptable and impractical approach."



Suddenly, (well short of our hour,) two men came in (-swat-team style) to escort us back upstairs. Behind them they had back-ups. They were all being "sent to their desks," (which by now didn't exist,) yet the contents of which were completely boxed and/or removed. The Principal Officer awaited us (actually just me) at the entry door:

"Again, son, tell me who you are?" -he asked, like he had all day to become real friendly. "You guys walk ahead," he said, using assertive body-language to physically indicate that he would be in a position to restrain me right there at the door, or at any time he should choose.

I answered: "I'm T.S. Gordon their new, official photographer. I've only been here two months. Evidently, they were tired of paying Ezra Stoller."

"Who's this Stoller?, I only know of a Mr. McGrath? -Are you saying you are Not with Mr. McGrath's photography firm?"

I said; "You don't know Ezra, the world's greatest at shooting tall buildings? Haven't you seen all the great shots up at Emery Roth? -"McGrath has shot what, 4 or 5 decent photos in 4 years!" [BTW. Norman was my actual Hero at that time.]

(BTW, -I was 'acting' as though I were always a sarcastic SOB by nature, until I began to feel that he might arrest me. I knew this team WAS involved in serious 'espionage,' but it was sort of fun to be the thorn in their side. )

"Son, I asked you a question, ARE YOU, or ARE YOU NOT working with MR McGRATH?"

(gulp!) "No Sir! I don't work for Norman McGrath, nor have I ever met the man." -I said, quite truthfully.

"You go by, Tom, Thomas, or this T.S.?" -He asked, looking again at my Colorado drivers license.

"T.S., or Tom," - "I was only contracted to cover site-analysis, technically not just the buildings. I didn't even need to come in here again to complete my assignment!" - I said; "Look, I can find my way to the elevator if you really don't want me here." He immediately grabbed my arm, (like a trained MP,) and directed me back out into the corridor, trailing behind the others.

"No, funny business, man! I'm going to assume you are who you say you are. You were called in because Everyone had to sign off on their contracts as described in their part in this entire assignment. You say you work for Barry -who?"

I responded, "Yanku," and added, "He's the one that cuts my checks, and I give him ALL the film." (I knew Barry was a former, 'on-site' project manager, and that he would probably be "at lunch" if they tried to call. Of course, I lied about giving-up the film.

[see: ASMP contract guidelines, circa 1986. ]

"You are not to tell anyone about your employment here, ever!" -he said, "You do exactly what I tell you. You are not allowed to leave these premises. Now, I'm going to have to separate you from the others, while I check your employment status with this Mr. Yanku."



What I had witnessed by this point was remarkable! The entire 1/2 city-block suite had been almost completely emptied. In place of the prior cubicles they had demarked the entire space with a grid of masking tape. [*PERFECT FOR A MOVIE SET*] Uniformly boxed and boldly labeled, were only those items, as he announced to be "of personal value to their rightful owner."

"Tom, wait here by the window. -IN FACT, all of you with outside affiliations are to wait in a small group here where I can keep an eye on all of you." We were evidently termed 'vendors.' A couple of guys took their seats by the North window, but I was really nervous, and I stood against the glass with my back to these self-ordained authorities. I gazed down on the un-finished looking iron-work of building #7, which I knew had just been 'topped-out' the day or so before. I began to compose a photographic mental record of the scene below, by extending my thumbs, and shifting my imaginary perspective, as only a large-format shooter might do.

"What are you studying?" someone quietly asked.

"I still can't believe that building is that tall and skinny." (About 10 days earlier I had assisted on a Book-cover shoot in #7, with Photographer-Rep, Bill Charles, before it went 'high-security.' Naturally, I was quite curious about this birds-eye angle. In hindsight, [1/2008,], I remember thinking THIS is why I'm in so much trouble. And, since weird things were going on there, I studied the site with regularity for about two months thereafter. Eventually, they blocked-out all of the ground-floor peek-hole views.)

He stood up, evidently angry, now, and said quite unpleasantly; "Yeah, good old #7, the building that never should have been built!" I was very surprised as he casually, gently bent an ear in my direction. He said, (discretely,) "Does Barry even know you're here?" I whispered,- "No" and re-scanned the skyline, offering him the opportunity to talk... "Are you going to the ceremony, tomorrow at 11:00am?" ...(Hugh?) "I'm considering it, why,...should I?" -"It's the official topping-out.." -he said.

The Chief officer, noticing our interaction through the glass, immediately summoned us to stop talking! My instinct was that this man I was talking with was a senior employee, probably the project architect, who had indicated, in his way, a desperate desire to let me know exactly what this was all about!

"Sir, I told you to take a seat." he said, to this guy, who carried himself like a PhD. With this, the entire East side of the office floor, being some 20 people, went dead silent, thus confirming this man's importance to the team. He seperated the four or five of them by one chair each. He made me go to the North East corner, where I had a spectacular view of the Brooklyn Bridge, [which, by-the-way, is the only real reason I had come here in the first place!]

After about 5 minutes he physically ushered me into the office where there were at least 9, 'FBI-looking' guys, mostly wearing black suits, gathered around the service-grade conference table, clearly not purchased for that tiny room.

"Mr Gordon, I'm sorry; Mr. Thomas-Scott Gordon," (he said correcting himself for his witnesses.) "I have called your supervisor at Emery-Roth. He tells me that they Do acknowledge that you have been contracted to photograph the WTC properties." (Note, he did not say "Mr Yanku's" name, and they had not taken the time to discuss any details, so I was "off the hook" in a minor way. Remember, I was NEVER supposed to even be here!)

"I'll repeat for your benefit what has been said to each of the other employees. Your work here is to be terminated immediately! Each member of the staff will be treated as an individual case. You will sign this waiver, which says that you have agreed to comply to an oath of confidentiality concerning your project which we discussed in the hallway."

-I asked: "May I read it, before I sign it?"

"You may read it, but I can't let you have a copy." I stood at the doorway and read it, analyzing their astute use of simplified legalese.

After 15 years, I've forgotten the lesser things that were being said between them. A couple of other guys asked me questions too. One man, seated, had asserted a 'superior order' -sounding line. Then, I remember this leading official said: "Stand-down, Sir, I will handle him."

The General (I'll assume that's what he was) chuckled in response to his subordinate, (a Sergeant?)-'s staunch glance. Finally, the General was the one that actually dismissed me, and he even said, "Good luck with your future photography," which made me think he was playing the Executive Architect, and I returned the gesture with a warm,- "Thank You, sir!"

Finally, the subordinate Sergeant said, quite punctually; "You will be escorted from the premises to assure us that you do not talk to any of the other participants on the way out. And, Mr. Thomas-Scott Gordon; you are not to contact the staff here, -not ever again!" He led me to the door where an armed plain-clothes guard was waiting outside, plus a standard WTC guard. (I think their team members were also mixed-up at the sheer dimension of this charade by now.) At the sky-deck, there were more guards (I hadn't previously seen them) monitoring the freight elevator traffic. The same pair escorted me down to the concierge check-point, where I was re-identified to the building guards, before being taken by the plain-clothes guy, all the way past #6, to the street. -But, why? Why should the Building Guard question an actual FBI agent's activities?

Within a few days I called Ezra Stoller, in White Plains. Speaking freely about WTC. He innocently revealed that he - "Wasn't allowed to shoot any more pictures of it." That was a very funny thing to hear him say, because no one ever "doesn't allow" a celebrity photographer to get a better shot! I felt certain he would hear about this fiasco, but I didn't explain what I had just experienced, only that it was very exciting for me to get to follow in his footsteps. I thanked him for the friendly phone visit, and promised to "send him one of my prints, should I ever get any really great shots of the WTC."





IV.) Post-mortem; -Follow the Money-:

Minoru Yamasaki was working for the Saudi's when he took on this project. After its completion, in 1973, "he returned to Saudi Arabia to consult on other projects," there, he was accredited to "the Saudi Financial Center, with SOM," evidently just before he died of cancer in 1986. Minoru befriended Richard Roth Sr., while working for 'Brown & Root,' Chicago. Roth was noted for his contribution on their "Columbia Exposition," and the two shared many stylistic attitudes. Richard Roth Jr. was in charge of his dad's firm when he retired. Their clients included: Carnegie Mellon, Stephen Roth, and Jeffrey Levine, Simkin Master's Interests, Alliance Savings & Loan, Avatar Holdings, URA, and DMT, when their focus moved off-shore, to lesser publicized (US) projects in India, and China.

Before the building was sold to Silverstein, (Westfield America,) Stephen Roth, (who I think runs the "ADL" with Vernado Realty,) worked to take the bid as high as possible, offering $750.M more than the next lower bidder. Did he even have the money? Two months before the official auction, he withdrew the ridiculous bid. Could this have been a mistake, or just a 'foil' to make Silverstein's bid look legitimate? Interestingly enough, ADL's global presence was established through a massive re-capitalization in 1991. Researchers have noted that this occurred simultaneous to an unexpected rise in 'neo-Nazism' propagated in Germany, and attributed to "CIA instigators," under George Bush Sr's control.

You must know Bill Clinton is also dirty as hell, the way he kisses-up to George Sr. Now!

Another key Houston player, throughout this period was Charles Hurwitz, owner of MAXXAM who allegedly used junk bonds to buy Kaiser Aluminum International, an office that received the first-hit. Kaiser's liabilities for their 'asbestos' cases were dropped after the WTC was deemed to have been destroyed by terrorists.

Hurwitz was responsible for the demise of United Savings Association of Texas, (vis-a-vie, Michael Milken,) clearly establishing him with the Bush family during this same year. Researchers should look closely at the Bush connections to Alliance Savings and Loan. Lastly, I believe that both George Nethercutt (Senate Appropriations) and Andrew Lundquist, (Cheney Energy Director) had my same level of knowledge before the attacks. Doubtless, we can see ongoing connections through the Seattle-to-Alaska military pipeline & Alaskan Brige-building scams.

Between 1989 through 1993, the downtown Manhattan real estate market was in decline, offering suspicion that the WTC owners may have accommodated the first bombing, courtesy of either the CIA, or the FBI. Both The World Financial Complex, and Battery Park Improvements Project had attracted the WTC's biggest tenants, diminishing its lease viability. By 1996, the internet had "decentralized," (or at least threatened,) the financial industry, further eroding the profitability of this property. Tribecca was a dead-zone. Each event significantly factors into this timeline, but I remain focused on the underlying motives:

"The building was bid at $750.M, and cost$1.2B to build. It was worth about $4. to $5.B at its peak., but, would have cost nearly $15.B to un-build it in 2010 dollars, or as it neared its 1/2 'safe' life. Obviously, it was Imploded, because there was never going to be a 'break-even' point for either, the current, or future owners!"



After I appeared on Rense, Jones and RBN, I heard from Tommy Malley, who claims his family are involved in New York City construction. Mr. Malley's testimony sounded very professional as he revealed knowledge of pre-bid information pertaining to the "Decomissioning of the Towers." (A phrase only he and myself had ever used prior.) Mr. Malley encouraged me to revise my figures, which brought forth a startling, and potentially critical discovery, which I will quote:

"Look! The owners were fully aware of the problem and had been given the ultimatum that they could not 'implode' the buildings. They received the report stating that Decommissioning was required by the EPA by no later than 2007, at a projected cost of $20.B. ­and Guiliani knew this."

*Immediately after the 'take-over' events, I discussed this with my father at length. His specialty at ALCOA was material-bonding, and galvanic corrosion. Dad's conclusive opinion remains to be, and I quote: "That damn architect is an idiot who didn't deserve his degree!" This was not really Minoru's fault, because aluminum had not yet been fully tested as a sandwitched structural material in this type of application. But, my dad is a math-brain, and he's especially astute at gambling on poor odds.



ALUMINUM + STEEL = Electro-mechanical failure! ­Just ask the U.S. NAVY!

The exterior Aluminum panels were designed to meet an unusual set of technical specifications. Those criteria were published in various trade-periodicals at that time. This information has not [and will not be] released by NIST, or otherwise been discussed of late. We know that this material was custom manufactured to exacting specifications. Not a single other"Researcher" has even tracked these facts.

Typical examples from that era had similar alloy compositions, though none were exactly the same as we use today. By varying the percentages of Silica and Alumina, and lesser quantities of Nickel, Tin and Zinc, this material appeared to meet their needs. (I felt it with my hand, and I have handled dozens of unique samples at dad's request.) Uniquely, I thought it had a very coarse-substrate,(6-8g) as though it were cast, but otherwise it appears to have been an extruded profile with a smooth outer finish, having a good-quality brushed sheen. It literally appeared to be brand-new, and far more durable that any of your contemporary aluminum-laminates, such as "Aluccabond I, and II."

This was publicly stated to be the key to creating an "elastic membrane," that much I remembered as my project began. Materials experts will attest that the entire composition qualities are -critically- important to the integrity of aluminum compounds.

The 'clear,' electro-metallic plating, (then unproven,) may have contained Sulfur, and was pronounced to have; "effectively prevented oxidization and withstanding the elements, performing better than anyone had expected, over time." -(Architectural Record.)

Special 'elasticity' requirements were weighed against the shear-resistance as required to support the vertical, and lateral loads. Experts did not know what alloy mix would ultimately provide the best solution at the time the project was put out to bids. They had certainly evaluated the known "inter-granular corrosion," statistical guidelines, yet this material had never been subjected to this extreme application for civilian use. I had followed some of this in the trade-journals at the time. Choosing the right mixture was sort of a work in progress right up to the final days before the delivery due-date. Certainly today's composites exhibit increased qualities in every regard. However, I will cite this photo example from NIST, because it may well be idemnical to the cause, and it certainly serves as an effective visual aid.

[I have illustrated one of the Million bolt-holds to indicate the relative severity of the damages involved.]


Publishing date: July 7, 2006. By, T.S. Gordon, Architectural Photographer, Designer, and Audio/Video Systems Engineer.

*Grammar improvements have been made on 9/29/06, and on 1/2/08. A PDF of the actual documents filed with the US Military is available upon request, as if anybody in America still gives a damn about truth or justice! On a final note, I do admire Webster Tarpley and I consider his position on all things political to be beyond reproach. Through his example, I have been forced to improve my ability to read and write.

http://redlineav.com/9.11_addenda.html

[Bruce Dazzling]

Wow, justdrew. I had never seen that before. It's pretty compelling stuff. I need to let it sink in a bit and then re-read it to see if it still rings as true.

[barracuda]

For me, the Gordon account resonates on either side of the question, because poor engineering/corrosion damge/structural disabilities might also equal a greater vulnerability to collapse without demolition. But the facts of the account would seem to be easily researched, one would think, involving as it does agencies that generally leave swath-like traces in the public record. Well, sort of easily, maybe.