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Pentagon RESCUE?
Open, Bloody, Questions . . .

(Parts I through IV of a five-part article.)  
(For Part V, see:   The Seven Minute Fire)

by Carol A. Valentine
President, Public Action, Inc.
http://www.public-action.com/
Copyright, June, 2002
May be reproduced for non-commercial purposes
"There cannot be any survivors; it just would be beyond comprehension."
--  Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense, speaking of missing Pentagon personnel on September 11, 2001 -- just nine hours after impact.
"And just as we may not rescue them from a fire, so may we not rescue them from a collapse [of debris] or from water or from anything that may destroy them."

June 23, 2002 -- The recent movie "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" deals with an important lesson -- the military has two jobs.  The military must destroy the enemy's forces and they must ensure the survival of their own.  "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" dramatizes a story of survival: the heroic efforts of soldiers who attempted to rescue their fellows who were trapped behind enemy lines in Mogadishu, Somalia.  The rescuers themselves become trapped, and they, too, needed to be rescued. 

For about 140 minutes, "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" deals with how much soldiers -- from the generals down to the enlisted man -- care about each other.  We see soldiers risking their lives to get their wounded buddies, risking grenades, risking machine gun fire, risking rockets, risking belligerent mobs -- all to rescue other soldiers.  We hear dialogue that goes like this: 

"Medivac! Medivac!"
"No man gets left behind,"
"You all right?"
"No man gets left behind,"
"We won't leave you behind,"
"If he don't get to the hospital in 1/2 hour, he's in trouble!"
"No man gets left behind."

At one point, two soldiers are talking about a helicopter crash.  The dialogue goes something like this: "There can't be any survivors," says the first man.  The second replies: "We don't know that, we gotta go back and look!" 

At the conclusion of the movie, soldier hero Sgt. Hoot Gibson is asked why he risks life and limb in these military actions: Is he a war addict?  Hoot replies:   

"It's about the man next to you."

Camaraderie, being a team member -- that's what the US military is about. 

Or is it?

What would you think of a military that refused to rescue its soldiers from certain death -- even though those soldiers were within arm's reach, right in the Pentagon office building? 

What would you think of a military that publicly pretended rescue, but meanwhile deceitfully ensured the deaths of its own soldiers?

What would you think of a military that gave away its rightful jurisdiction over military matters to perfidious civilians, and stood by while the civilians let US soldiers die? 

Who would support such a military? 

As you read this article, keep in mind that on September 11, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was General Henry Hugh Shelton.  Shelton is a former Commanding General of the 101 and 82nd Airborne Divisions.  He is a former Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps, and a former Commander in Chief of the Special Operations Command.  It was Special Operations that conducted the "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" mission in Mogadishu, Somalia.  (See Shelton's career highlights at: http://1-14th.com/GenShelton.htm cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-shelton-career

There's what you need to know:  On September 11, the top commander of the entire US military machine was intimately familiar with aircraft, aviation fuel fires, aircraft rescue, and the ideals depicted in "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)."

However, those who directed the 9-11 rescue at the Pentagon did these amazing things:

Meanwhile, the Pentagon front office made a media spectacular of the fire.  Donald Rumsfeld and other Pentagon officials wrung their hands and cried, "How awful, how awful" for days, stoking up passions for a war.

Do I believe that the well-meaning, desperate, and exhausted rescuers we saw on TV intended anything but the best?  No.  I believe the people doing the work had the very best intentions and were trying to save lives.   But they were relying on the leadership to make decisions.  They naturally followed orders as they are trained to do.  Among the people I accuse are:
SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Government and quasi-government sources were used, including:
The DoD's American Forces Information Service (AFIS)
http://www.defenselink.mil/afis/
The AFIS's Defense Visual Information Center
http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/dvic/
The Military District of Washington
http://www.mdw.army.mil/
and standard news coverage -- Associated Press, Reuters, UPI, etc.

PART I
" . . .WE MAY NOT RESCUE THEM FROM A FIRE . . ."

"And just as we may not rescue them from a fire, so may we not rescue them from a collapse [of debris] or from water or from anything that may destroy them."
Here are the major points I will cover in Part I:
   
Aviation Fire Control Requires Foam
Military Uses Foam On Jet Fuel Fires
Water, Not Foam, Was Used On Pentagon Flames
Effect Of Using Water?  Fire Continued to Spread
Airport Firetruck Used Water Despite FAA Regulations
Was There Really A Jet Fuel Fire?
Military Firefighters Close To Pentagon
Military Firefighters Fail to Show
Pentagon Watched 9-11 On Tee Vee
"911?  Help!  Pentagon Here!  Send Civilians!"
Rumsfeld, Top Brass Knew What Was Happening
Fire As A Media Spectacular
Rumsfeld's Crystal Ball:  "There cannot be any survivors . . ."
Rumsfeld's Predictions Come True
Emergency Medical Technicians Told To Get Out And Stay Out
Air Space Not Too Restricted
Concern For Civilians?
Area Hospitals Puzzled By Low Number Of Surviving Victims
Army "Supports" FBI And Fire Department
FBI Looking For Osama's Fingerprints?
Black Hawk Down Meets Pentagon Down
Fire Used As Excuse To Stall Rescue
Fire Used To Explain Deaths
Fire, She Keep On Burn'in . . . 
Millions Of Gallons Of Water Used       

AVIATION FIRE CONTROL REQUIRES FOAM

Let us begin by accepting one of the Official Truths of 9-11: American Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, and exploding jet fuel caused an inferno.  The fire obviously threatened the lives of those still in the building, and it threatened to spread.  It had to be put out quickly.

Liquid petroleum fires present a special problem to firefighters.  Ordinarily, water is used to douse building fires.  But liquid fuel floats on the top of water, giving the fuel access to oxygen.  Thus water does not extinguish a liquid petroleum fire.

Special foams have been developed to extinguish liquid petroleum fires.  Those foams are mixtures that float on the surface of the fuel and cut off the oxygen, suffocating the combustion. 

If you want to know more about extinguishing fires, try:
http://www.quantchem.kuleuven.ac.be/safety/info1.htm
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-aboutfires

If you want to learn about aircraft rescue procedure and the routine use of foam, visit this page:
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/newton/fire.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-newtonsrescue

In the above pages, notice the emphasis on speed in fighting fires.  Aviation fire-and-rescue people have only about two minutes to rescue passengers before it is too late to help.  And foam is THE tool of choice because it puts out liquid fuel fires efficiently.

If you go to the Aviation Fire Journal you will see photos of special foam-spraying trucks used at airports, and a photo of three firefighters extinguishing an aircraft fire with foam.
http://www.fire.org.uk/aviation/
cached at:
http://www.Public-Action.com/911/rescue/obq-aviationfirejournal

MILITARY USES FOAMS ON JET FUEL FIRES

We have already seen from the above referenced Aviation Fire Journal webpage that foam is used to fight fires at civilian airports, but now let's turn our attention to what happens in military aviation.  Visit the DoD's Defense Visual Information Center at: 
http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/dvic/

and put "rescue" in the DVIC search engine.  On March 23, 2002, I did that, and when I scrolled down, I found the following three photos:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-dodmedia.gif

Each of them shows foam being sprayed on aviation fuel fire.  I cached each photo.  Here they are.

The photo bearing the ID DMSD0001393
http://nfo.dodmedia.osd.mil/VIS/2000/Marines/DM-SD-00-01393.JPG
is cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-pic93.jpg

The text under this photo reads:
"Two crash fire rescue Marines fight a jet fuel fire to sharpen their skills in the event a real fire emergency were to arise."
The photo bearing the ID DMSD0001394
http://nfo.dodmedia.osd.mil/VIS/2000/Marines/DM-SD-00-01394.JPG
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-pic94.jpg

The text under this photo reads:
"Two crash fire rescue Marines fight an extremely hot jet fuel fire to sharpen their skills in the event a real fire emergency were to arise." [sic]
The photo bearing the ID DMSD0001395 http://nfo.dodmedia.osd.mil/VIS/2000/Marines/DM-SD-00-01395.JPG
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-pic95.jpg

The text under this photo reads:
"Members of a crash fire rescue team advance into a fire pit in order to dowse an extremely hot jet fuel fire to sharpen their skills in the event a real fire emergency were to arise."
You will find more photos of military aviation firefighter training at the Unofficial United States Air Force Crash Rescue/Air Rescue Firefighter Web Site Training Page:
http://pedroairrescuechopper.net/Crash/firetraining.htm
or
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-unof-usaf-rescue

You will find a wealth of similar pages by conducting your own Internet search or following links on the pages already cited.

WATER, NOT FOAM, WAS USED
ON PENTAGON FLAMES

By now we have established that knowledgeable fire fighters never, never, never, use water to fight petroleum fires.   However, here is what happened:
"Outside, the Arlington County police and fire departments arrived and started securing the area and pumping water on the blaze."   ("September 11 at the Pentagon," American Forces Press Service, October 11, 2001. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2001/n10112001_200110113.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-couchpotatoes
Look at this photo from the American Forces Information Service.
http://jccc.afis.osd.mil/images/sres.pl?Lbox_cap=356273&dir=Photo&ttl=010911-M%204122I-031&vn=&ref=defenselink
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-0930firetruck

The caption reads:
"Firefighters work to put out the flames moments after a hijacked jetliner crashed into the Pentagon at approximately 0930 on Sept. 11, 2001.  (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jason Ingersoll) (Released)"
What wrong with this picture?  Well, we know military men are precise about keeping time.  What time did the Boeing 757 hit the Pentagon?  Depending on the report you read, the event occurred at 9:40 a.m. (Time Magazine), 9:43 a.m. (CNN), or even 9:45 a.m. (Miami Herald).

It surely would take the Arlington Fire Department five or ten minutes to arrive at the Pentagon and set up the hoses.  That would suggest the Marine's photo was taken somewhere between 09:45 to 9:55 a.m., fifteen minutes later than he states. 

It's an odd photo -- the much of the "water" being sprayed by the firetruck appears to be white out.  The jet originates from the lower left side of the picture, to the left of the fire truck, and the water fans out broadly but does not lose any of its opacity.  But notice that the upper floors had not yet collapsed at the time the photo was taken.

EFFECT OF USING WATER?
FIRE CONTINUES TO SPREAD

But what was the result of using water to extinguish a jet fuel fire?  Predictably, the fire continued to spread.  Soon the upper floors and the roof were involved, and they collapsed.  We should be surprised?

http://jccc.afis.osd.mil/images/sres.pl?Lbox_cap=356321&dir=Photo&ttl=010911%20M%204122I-031&vn=&ref=defenselink
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-flamesspread

The photo taken after the collapse was taken by Jason Ingersoll, the same Marine who took the photo of the fire truck spraying water on the fire at "0930."   The caption on the photo taken after the collapse, however, reads:
"The pentagon [sic] in flames just minutes after a hijacked jetliner crashed into the building on Sept. 11, 2001. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jason Ingersoll) (Released)"
No, this second picture could not have been taken "just minutes" after impact.  According to photographic evidence the upper floors did not collapse immediately, and surely the Marine photographer knew exactly when he took this photo.  Furthermore, a CNN 9-11 time line available on the Net states:
"10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses."  http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/11/chronology.attack/
So the second photo was taken approximately 30 minutes after the impact event.   Thirty minutes is not "just minutes" after impact.  Now let's return to the American Forces Press Service coverage:
"Fire continued to burn the Pentagon and spread in unrenovated sections.  Flames ignited core materials  in the layered roof and were particularly difficult to get at.  Pools of aviation fuel would ignite occasionally and create thick black smoke over the building . . ."

"AT 6:00 p.m., with the building still on fire . . ."  ("September 11 at the Pentagon," American Forces Press Service, October 11, 2001. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2001/n10112001_200110113.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-couchpotatoes

AIRPORT FIRETRUCK USED WATER
DESPITE FAA REGULATIONS

We have just seen that military aviation firefighters are trained to use foam on aviation fuel fires. Are civilian aviation firefighters dumb enough to use water?  No, not at all.  FAA regulations require civilian airports to have firetrucks equipped to spray foam, and just two years ago the Detroit City Airport was cited by the FAA because it would not follow these regulations. 

According to newspaper reports, Detroit City Airport firefighters had been asking airport fire department for more foam because their supplies were low, but for weeks the firefighters received no response.  Then, shortly after midnight June 21, Secret Service agents notified City Airport firefighters to expect First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to arrive the next day on a Lear jet.  Mrs. Clinton would be in Detroit for a $1,000 a person fund-raiser for New York Senate campaign. 

The next day the firefighters got the 150 gallons of foam they had been requesting. 
(Detroit News, "FAA criticizes City Airport for Violations,"  November 5, 2000.
http://detnews.com/specialreports/2000/firedept/faa/faa.htm
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-faa-detroit

But look at this photo from the Military District of Washington's webpage,
http://www.mdw.army.mil/news/news_photos/911/pages/firetruck.html
cached at: 
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-airport-truck345

The caption under the photo reads:
"Fire truck 345 from Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Fire Department throws a stream of water into the collapsed point of impact as smoke billows from the Pentagon shortly after an airplane slammed into the west side of the building."
Why is the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Fire Department spraying water on the Pentagon fire, when FAA regulations require airport firefighting trucks to use foam?  It is inexplicable -- unless, of course, you consider the entire "rescue" mosaic.

WAS THERE REALLY A JET FUEL FIRE?

This photo shows firefighters from the Alexandria Fire Department spraying water on the debris.
http://www.mdw.army.mil/news/news_photos/911/pages/firemen.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-alex-fire-dept

Makes one wonder, doesn't it?  Perhaps all these firefighters knew what we don't -- maybe there was no aviation fuel in the Pentagon that day . . .  no aviation fuel means no airplane, no airplane means no truth in the Official Story.  That's one explanation.

MILITARY FIREFIGHTERS CLOSE TO PENTAGON

Andrews Air Force Base, home of Air Force One, is 9 1/2 miles from the Pentagon, as the crow flies,.  Bolling Air Force Base is 1 1/2 miles from the Pentagon, as the crow flies.  Quantico Marine Base (home of Marine Helicopter Squadron One) is 23 miles from the Pentagon, as the crow flies.

MILITARY FIREFIGHTERS FAIL TO SHOW

There should have been no problem getting aviation fire fighters from Andrews, Bolling or Quantico to the Pentagon, pronto, to put the fire out and rescue their comrades.  The soldiers in "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" did not hesitate to crash through enemy lines, through crowds throwing grenades, through machine gun fire, rocket launchers, armed militia, etc., to rescue their comrades.  The servicemen at Andrews, Bolling, or Quantico were in friendly territory.  All they had to do was travel a few miles along the Beltway or Interstate 95. 

So did the "leave no man behind" military show up to rescue their Pentagon comrades?  No, it didn't happen.

As the photo in the September 24, 2001, Business Week (pg. 47) shows, the US military was organized enough to have soldiers drive an armored personnel carrier (APC) down Wall Street in New York during the 9-11 crisis, but not organized enough to send military aviation firefighters to the Pentagon. 
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-wallstreet

On the other hand, let's not be too critical of the military response to the fire.  After all, the Marines did send a photographer.

    PENTAGON WATCHED 9-11 ON TEE VEE

Let's take a step back and look at what was happening before disaster struck the headquarters of the mightiest military force on God's Green Earth.  Let us rely on the DoD's own news service, the American Forces Press Service. 

Surely AFPS had access and can give us the inside scoop.  According to AFPS, the morning of September 11 saw the folks at the Pentagon sitting around watching the WTC towers burn on Tee Vee, courtesy of CNN. 
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2001/n10112001_200110113.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-couchpotatoes

When CNN announced the NYC strikes were an act of terrorism, did any of the couch potatoes react?  Did they say:  
"You don't suppose they'll send planes over here, do you?  After all, those people are terrorists, and this is the Pentagon.  We'd better call Andrews Air Force Base and get some air cover . . . ." ?
No, the Pentagon couch potatoes just "exchanged shocked glances  . . ."  And presumably continued to watch the drama unfold on CNN.  I wonder if they were munching on donuts or nachos as they watched?

"911?  HELP!
PENTAGON HERE!  SEND CIVILIANS!"

BLAM!  Flight 77 (allegedly) hits the Pentagon.  How do the couch potatoes respond?  The American Forces Press Service report tells us: "Outside, the Arlington County police and fire departments arrived and started securing the area and pumping water on the blaze" but mentions not one word about how the Arlington County Fire Department was alerted to the situation.

We can imagine General Couch Potato dialing 911:
"Hello?  911?  This is the Pentagon.  We're sitting around watching Tee Vee and just found out from CNN that half of our building just got blown away, and hey, there's a fire . . . can y'all send a few trucks over?  Yeah.  Its an aviation fuel fire, so make sure to spray water on it, orright?"
Now some may point out that the Arlington County Fire Department has an agreement with the Pentagon to handle fire emergencies (SOP#OPS EMS 10).   Obviously this agreement was made to handle everyday fires started by exploding Pentagon coffee pots, or file cabinet fires.  It is ridiculous to suggest the Pentagon had this agreement to handle acts of war on the Pentagon.  

And Pentagon personnel knew that the September 11 events were acts of war.  They were watching CNN, and CNN had just told them. 

No, the couch potatoes should have ordered air cover over DC when the first news from New York broke.  And failing that, once the 9:40 a.m. (or 9:43, or 9:45) event occurred, the military should immediately have ordered military aviation firefighters to put out the blaze.

Local civilian fire departments handle ordinary building fires.  They don't handle aviation fuel fires.  Local fire stations should not have been on the scene that day.  Their presence acted as a distraction.  Their presence distracted attention from the simple fact that no one in the Pentagon was taking proper measures to put the fire out.

RUMSFELD, TOP BRASS
KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING

It might be comforting to think that Rumsfeld, Shelton, and the top brass were all out playing golf that day and not on hand to see what was going on, but that was not true.  The American Forces Press Service tells the story as if these were heroic lads:
"One area never closed: the National Military Command Center.  Rumsfeld and the senior leadership repaired to the facility and monitored DoD activities worldwide.  At one point, smoke grew so thick in the faculty that there was talk of evacuating, but Rumsfeld scotched it."
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2001/n10112001_200110113.html
or
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-couchpotatoes
What is the National Military Command Center, mentioned above?  See
http://www.dtic.mil/jcs/core/ongoingops.html
or
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-nmccenter

So the top commanders of each of the services were on site.  Each of the services uses aviators, each of the commanders HAD to know water does not extinguish aviation fuel fires, yet all of them let the farce continue.

FIRE AS A MEDIA SPECTACULAR

Had the fire been put out quickly with foam, Rumsfeld would have lost valuable public relations mileage.  The "stubborn" fire at the Pentagon was just one facet of a campaign designed to whip the American pubic and military into a bloodlust for a war on Islam.  From a propaganda viewpoint, the higher the casualty list, the better.

The American Forces Information Service describe the press gala on September 11 this way:
"Across Washington Boulevard from the Pentagon, the press set up shop at the navy Annex Exchange gas station and broadcast the fire fighting activities.  With Correspondents' Corridor closed, reporters dictated stories using cell phones.  TV trucks with antennae showed up and eased some of the communications problems. 

"At 6:00 p.m, with the building still on fire, Pentagon officials announced Rumsfeld would have a press conference in the Pentagon.  Buses arrived at the gas station to take reporters, photographers and videographers to the Pentagon.

"Inside the River Entrance of the building the smoke hit like a physical force.  People could not see to the end of the hallways and it was tough to breathe.  The smell of burning insulation and electrical wiring permeated the briefing studio. 

"As Rumsfeld, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Henry Shelton, Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin, ranking minority member Sen. John Warner, and Army Secretary Thomas White came into the studio, one side of the building was still on fire."
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2001/n10112001_200110113.html
or
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-couchpotatoes

"Rumsfeld expressed his sorrow over the loss of life at the building  . . ."

Do you believe Rumsfeld felt any grief over those he was doing nothing to help?

Missing from the media spectacular was THE key 9-11 player: the commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), Ralph E. Eberhart; as commander of NORAD, it was Eberhart's job to keep American skies safe.  But Rumsfeld & Company kept Eberhart safely tucked away.  At 6:42 p.m. on September 11 Donald Rumsfeld held a national press conference.  Eberhart did not even show up then.

RUMSFELD' CRYSTAL BALL:
"THERE CANNOT BE ANY SURVIVORS"

Emergency rescue experts say earthquake victims who are buried in debris can survive up to 12 days (more below.)   Rumsfeld held his September 11 press conference approximately nine hours after impact.  He made this statement:
"There cannot be any survivors; it just would be beyond comprehension."
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2001/t09112001_t0911sd.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-911pressconference
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-911pressconferencepic
How could Rumsfeld KNOW no more survivors would be found in the Pentagon debris, when earthquake experts give victims a 12-day chance of survival?  At this point, the Pentagon victims had only been buried nine hours.  Why the hurry to pronounce them all dead?

Gen. Shelton was at Rumsfeld's side during this press conference.  He of course uttered pious statements about "barbaric terrorism carried out by fanatics against both civilians and military people, acts that have killed and maimed many innocent and decent citizens our country."  Oddly, however, Mr. Derring-do Shelton did not say a word about the rescue efforts which were murdering survivors.

He said:
"I will not tell you up front, I have no intentions of discussing today what comes next, but make no mistake about it, your armed forces are ready."
Yes, our armed forces were ready, all right, Mr. Rescue Shelton.  Ready to let civilian firemen squirt water on an aviation fuel fire while men died under the debris.  And you stood by and watched . . .  you watched it going on for days . . .

Aside from Rumsfeld, who spoke about the rescue efforts?  Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who uttered this inanity: "Our intense focus on recovery and helping the injured and the families of those who were killed is matched only by . . . [rah, rah, war, war ] . . ."

RUMSFELD'S PREDICTIONS COME TRUE

No survivors were found on September 12 and 13, or on any other day thereafter, just like Rumsfeld predicted.
"As of Thursday morning [September 13], about 70 bodies had been removed from the buckled section of the Pentagon as search-and-rescue workers toiled around the clock with little hope of finding more survivors.  Anyone who might have survived the initial impact and collapse could not have survived the fire that followed."  ("Pentagon Says About 190 People Dead," September 13, by Robert Burns, AP Military Writer, Associated Press) http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-ap-09-13-2001
Remember heat travels UP, not down.  Those still buried in the rubble may well have been protected from the fire above them. 

On September 14, the Pentagon announced 126 DoD personnel were dead.   On September 15, the figure was lowered to 124 because two people had been double-counted.  On October 11, 2001, when President Bush spoke at a Pentagon memorial service, he confirmed 125 DoD deaths.  ("Memorial Service Honors Pentagon Victims," American Forces Information Service, Oct. 11, 2001.)
 http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2001/n10112001_200110116.html
cached at:
http://www.Public-Action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-10-11-2001memorial

Remember Rumsfeld's words on September 11:
 "There cannot be any survivors; it just would be beyond comprehension."
So Rumsfeld's predictions came true.  After the first round of victims escaped, there were no more survivors .  .  .  He's quite a clairvoyant, isn't he?  What are the statistical chances of Rumsfeld being 100% right in circumstances like those?

EMERGENCY MEDICAL HELP
TOLD TO GET OUT AND STAY OUT

We all know that when a person is seriously ill or injured, he must be given medical attention as soon as possible.  Delay may cost the victim's life.  That's why we have ambulances, and that's why ambulances have sirens. 

On September 11, three members of a Washington Hospital Center MedStar Transport helicopter team responded to the emergency at the Pentagon.  Several days later, (September 14) they were interviewed by Kathy Fowler of WJLA-TV (ABC-Channel 7) in the Washington, DC area.  Luckily, I have a copy of that interview.

The MedStar pilot and crew were among the very first at the scene, according to the WJLA report.  When they arrived, they were told that another suicide plane was on the way and they should LEAVE.

How does that comport with the "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" philosophy?  Here we have civilians showing up to perform rescues and the military (or whoever was controlling the Pentagon scene then) ordering them to abandon the victims on the pretext of an unconfirmed and unfounded report.

The MedStar people, to their eternal credit, refused to leave.  By the time they did, they had helped eight victims and were taking another to the hospital.  Speaking of the rescued victim, one of the crew told Fowler on camera:
"She hugged me three times and said thank you for saving my life."
Then Fowler told the audience:
"After the crew transferred one patient back to the Washington Hospital Center, they were not allowed to go back because of the restricted air space."
So what we have is this: MedStar arrived and was immediately ordered to leave.  They refused, rescued eight people, took one to the hospital, and were prevented from coming back.

Now who would prohibit a MedStar helicopter to return to the scene of a disaster and take victims to the hospital?  Those MedStar helicopters should have been given military escorts to and from the disaster site.  What could be more important than immediate professional medical care for the 9-11 victims?

AIR SPACE NOT TOO RESTRICTED

Despite what the MedStar people were told, the air space was not quite as restricted as the Pentagon indicated.  Here is a photo of a military helicopter flying over the crash site conducting "aerial survey." If the US military could conduct surveillance over the crash site, it surely could have seen to it that the MedStar helicopters were safely escorted to and fro. 
http://www.mdw.army.mil/news/news_photos/911/pages/medvac2.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-airspace-not-closed

This photo shows what appears to be the same chopper, now described as an Army "Red Cross" helicopter. http://www.mdw.army.mil/news/news_photos/911/pages/helicopters.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-airspace-not-closed2

It is of utmost importance that the injured should be moved only by trained people.  Improper handling of an injured person can result in his death or permanent paralysis.  In this photo, we see that the Pentagon allowed the Park Police helicopter to land and do "rescue" work.  The Park Police are part of the National Park Service.  They are not trained emergency medical people.  Nor is the helicopter marked as an emergency medical chopper.  

Why did they stop MedStar's trained professionals but allow National Park Service employees to handle the injured?  Something stinks here. http://www.mdw.army.mil/news/news_photos/911/pages/airtransport.html
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-parkpolice

CONCERN FOR CIVILIANS?

Perhaps you think that the MedStar team was chased away because those in charge of the crash site were concerned for the safety of civilians.   If so, recall that civilian firemen were present at the scene, using water on a petroleum-fueled fire when they should have been using foam.  They were not chased away.

Some, upon learning qualified emergency medical rescue people were turned away from the Pentagon disaster site, may insist there "must" have been a good reason for keeping them out.  But a tree is judged by the fruit that it bears.  So let's look at the fruit.

AREA HOSPITALS SURPRISED BY
LOW NUMBER OF SURVIVING VICTIMS

Area hospitals geared up to handle a large number of injured survivors, and were most surprised when few showed up.
"But only about 80 people were treated at area hospitals, according to Walter Reed officials.  At Virginia Hospital Center in nearby Arlington, over 100 nurses and 50 doctors were called in -- 16 times the normal emergency staffing.  They treated 44 victims in the first 24 hours, more than any other hospital in the region.  But it was a mere trickle compared with what they expected.  Inova Alexandria Hospital treated just 22 victims, 16 of whom were released Tuesday.  Six patients were helicoptered from the Pentagon to Washington Hospital Center.  'We got the first wave, says Marion Jordan, director of the hospital's renowned burn unit.  'After than, nothing.'  In the end, his trauma teams treated about as many people as they would from a large house fire." (US News & World Report, Sept. 14, 2001, pg. 51)
Repeat:
"In the end, his trauma teams [at the nearby Washington Hospital Center] treated about as many people as they would from a large house fire."  
What's wrong with this picture?  Then, later on the same page:
"Waiting for survivors  Navy Lt. Charles McGill, 26, who had worked at the Pentagon for just four weeks, joined a group of people who calmly evacuated the massive building, then made his way around the perimeter to where dark, heavy smoke poured out.  He lined up to be a stretcher-bearer.  He and his fellow volunteers, four to a board, were told that during these first hours only survivors would be moved. 'In three hours, no one came out.'" (US news & World Report, Sept. 14, 2001, pg. 51.)
Repeat:  Navy Lt. Charles McGill said:
"In three hours, no one came out."
Then, on the next page:
"At the Pentagon, two trauma teams remain on the scene in two triage tents, with the workers replaced every eight hours.  Lt. Col. James Goff, assistant chief of surgery at Walter Reed, says that no survivors have been removed from the building since the early hours Tuesday."  (US News and World Report, September 14, 2001, Pg. 52.)
Repeat:
"[N]o survivors have been removed from the building since the early hours Tuesday."

ARMY "SUPPORTS" FBI AND FIRE DEPARTMENT

During Donald Rumsfeld's September 11 press conference, Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White spoke gobblegook, thus:
"I think it's fair to say at this point that the fire is contained, and will shortly, if not already, be sufficiently controlled to allow entry into the building.  That entry will be supervised by the FBI, who are in charge of the site, assisted by the fire departments that are present.  We, on the Army side, will support them as they go in the building and search for casualties and bring them out . . ."  ( http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2001/t09112001_t0911sd.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-911pressconference )
What was White talking about?  Who is the "them" White is referring to?
" . . . support them as they go in the building and search for casualties and bring them out . . ." ?
Obviously he was talking about FBI agents.  The FBI is going to rescue Pentagon personnel!  But FBI agents are not medically trained, and they are not rescuers. They are assassins.  Look at what they did to Melissa Morrison, a 7-year-old Davidian child, when they "rescued" her in Waco nine years ago:
http://www.public-action.com/SkyWriter/WacoMuseum/burial/page/b_lghtnstr.html

Why would the Army transfer the rescue of Army personnel over to the FBI?  Why weren't soldiers and Army medics rescuing other soldiers? 

FBI LOOKING FOR OSAMA'S FINGERPRINTS?

Shortly after the 9:40 a.m. event, it was announced that the explosion and fire was caused by American Airlines Flight 77, which had been commandeered by terrorists and purposely flown into the Pentagon -- conveniently missing the offices of Rumsfeld and the Joint Chiefs, of course.  Putting out the fire and rescuing the buried victims should have been the first order of business.  Surely the FBI did not need to take control over the site to look for fingerprints on the fuselage or other "clues." So why did the FBI have control of the site?   

BLACK HAWK DOWN MEETS PENTAGON DOWN

We already know that when the 9-11 terror events were taking place, Gen. Shelton was out of the country.  Surely he was informed by phone as the events were unfolding in the US.  Surely he was in a position to issue commands to the armed forces:
"Where are our people?  Buried?  The fire is still burning?  What the Sam Hill is going on?  Put that fire out, pronto, you know how to do it, and get our people out.  Leave no man behind!"
By the time Rumsfeld gave his 6:42 press conference, Leave-No-Man-Behind Shelton was by Rumsfeld's and White's side, silent, when Rumsfeld told the world the FBI had "secured" the war zone and was supervising the [non-] rescue.  Remember, Shelton was a former commander of Special Operations Command, the "Black Hawk Down" people who performed so bravely in Mogadishu. 

Of course Shelton knew about the Mogadishu rescue. The story first appeared as a series written by Mark Bowden, and ran in the Philadelphia Enquirer, in 1997.  It was then published as a book. Here is what Leave-No-Man-Behind Shelton said to the author:
"Your account of the events in Mogadishu on October 3, 1993 is an inspirational and evocative retelling of one of the most significant military operations of the past 10 years. Though there is heroism and professionalism aplenty, you also bring out the errors and missed opportunities that contributed to the unfortunate outcome of the mission. Both senior leaders and young soldiers can learn much from this compelling story.  . . . Black Hawk Down will occupy an honored place in my personal library."
( http://www.nightstalkers.com/tfranger/blackhawkdown/review.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-shelton-bhd )
Note that Shelton does not commend Bowden for the accuracy of his accounting or call Bowden's story "true to history." 

You can rest assured Mr. Rescue Shelton and all the big poohbahs at Rumsfeld's 9-11 press conference saw the movie, too.  Eight hundred top Pentagon officials and military brass attended its Washington, DC premier.  It's hard to imagine the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff missed that event.  This from The Nation, February 25, 2002: 
"The military was so helpful in making 'Black Hawk Down' that it deserves a production credit.  After vetting the script, the Pentagon sent to Morocco (the shooting site) two C-5 transports carrying eight helicopters and more than 100 soldiers from the same Ranger company that fought in the Somalia raid depicted in the movie.  US Army pilots flew the helicopters in the movie's battle scenes, and two retired soldiers who fought in the raid served as advisers to director Ridley Scott.  And the Pentagon has been pleased with the result.  'Powerful,' Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called it after attending the Washington Premier along with 800 other top officials and brass . . ."  ("Black Hawk Downer," by Michael Massing, The Nation, February 25, 2002, pg. 5.)
According to an article in Counterpunch (March 1, 2002), some "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" actors were given Army Ranger Orientation Training at Fort Benning.  ("An Actor Speaks Out -- What's Wrong With Black Hawk Down," Counterpunch, March 1, 2002.)

Then the director, Ridley Scott, rushed the film's release after 9-11 (the movie was released on January 18, 2002); Scott earned a Pentagon commendation for doing so.  ("Black Hawk Down," Worker's World,  January 31, 2002.)

But what happened on September 11 at the Pentagon is in direct opposition to the heroism depicted in the movie.  "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" is obviously what we're supposed to believe -- that the lives of the grunt soldiers are precious to the commanders of the US military.  But the observable truth, the truth that can be documented, is just the opposite. 

Shelton, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Zakheim and the National Military Command Center treated the missing Pentagon personnel as dust motes.   "Black Hawk Down (Leave No Man Behind)" is obviously a piece of embroidery.  The Pentagon sham rescue is verifiable fact.      

FIRE USED AS EXCUSE TO STALL RESCUE

"Search and rescue operations are continuing, but they are stymied by at least two fires on either side of the impact area.  Firefighters are directing hoses at the flames -- manifested by great plumes of bitter smoke -- from the center courtyard of the Pentagon."  ("No Hope of survivors in Pentagon Attack,"  United Press International, September 12, 2001.)
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-upi-09-12-2001
Notice this observation: "Search and rescue operations are continuing, but they are stymied by at least two fires . . ."  Of course the fires "stymied" the rescue.  So why didn't they use foam?

Two and three days after the crash, fire was still a problem at the Pentagon.

FIRE USED TO EXPLAIN DEATHS

"The Pentagon said Wednesday no more survivors are expected to be pulled from the tons of rubble and stubborn fires created by the terrorist attack that collapsed a portion of the building.

"'The area of the Pentagon where the aircraft struck and burned sustained catastrophic damage.  Anyone who might have survived the initial impact and collapse would not have survived the fire that followed,' the Defense Department said in a written statement."  ("Officials say no more survivors expected to be found at Pentagon; smoke lingers," Associated Press, April 12, 2001.)
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-ap-09-12-2001

FIRE, SHE KEEP ON BURNIN' . . .

So Rumsfeld and Company permitted water to be sprayed on a petroleum fuel fire, allowed more of the building to become involved in the fire, watched the upper floors collapse, ordered emergency medical help off the scene and failed to order military aviation firefighters to the scene.  Now let's have a closer look at the progress of the fire/media event. 

On September 12, we get these reports:
"Fire fighters using water cannons continued to douse the charred building from either side of the impact area."  ("Officials say no more survivors expected to be found at Pentagon; smoke lingers," Associated Press, September 12, 2001, http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-ap-09-12-2001 )
"Smoke from the blackened concrete structure drifted over Washington and a stubborn roof fire continued to burn more than 24 hours after a high-jacked fuel-laden airline slammed into a corner of the five-sided building on Tuesday morning."  ("Pentagon Reopens, Death Toll Uncertain," Reuters, September 12, 2001; http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-reuters-09-12-2001 )
"The damage to the Pentagon was extensive, compounded by smoke and water damage from tenacious fires that burned for a day and a half after the attack."  ("Pentagon Toll at 190," New York Times, Sept. 14, 2001, http://www.ocregister.com/breakingnews/attack/09142001/14nypentacci.shtml )
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-nyt-09-14-2001 )
"Late Thursday, rescuers worked to shore up unsteady parts of the building but flames erupted.  The flare-up sent black smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air over Washington."  ("Flight Data, Cockpit Voice Recorders Found in Pentagon Wreckage,"  FoxNews, September 14, 2001, http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-foxnews-09-14-2001 )
Late Thursday, and flames were still erupting -- that is almost 60 hours after impact, folks.  How many building fires you've ever heard of last 60 hours?

MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER USED

So much water had been poured into the building, the Pentagon later hired Munters Moisture Control Services to help get rid of it.
"'Millions of gallons of water flowed throughout the building after the attack,' said Joe Kelley, Munters district manager in the Washington DC area. In some places water was 18 inches deep on the floors."
http://www.muntersamerica.com/mcs/htm/pentagon/pentagon.htm
or
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-munters

PART II
". . . WE MAY NOT RESCUE THEM FROM A COLLAPSE . . ."

Rescue From Collapsed Buildings
Earthquake Victims Can Live Up To 12 Days in Rubble
Wreckage Must be Removed Vertically
Unstable Sections of Building Must Be Shored
Cranes Must Be Available
Cranes On Site September 12, 13
Wrecking Ball Used Instead of Vertical Lifting And Shoring
Murderous Use of Wrecking Ball
One Excuse After Another To Stall Rescue
Six Days Later, "Stabilization" Continues
Civilian Rescue Workers Exhausted
How Things Should Have Been
Arrival of The Soda Pop Brigade
Head Shrinking & Smoochie Poochies
Darin Pontell Calls Home From The Grave
Survivors Be Damned!  Pass The Money!
Accomplices to Murder
Black Hawk Down Revisited

RESCUE FROM COLLAPSED BUILDINGS

Now let's turn our attention to the subject of rescuing people trapped in collapsed buildings.  The Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) is a crisis, conflict and emergency services news and resource center.  It has won awards from a variety of paramedic, security, and law enforcement organizations.  The ERRI homepage is here:
http://www.emergency.com/
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-erri-homepage

You can see the awards they have received from police and emergency rescue organizations.  
http://www.emergency.com/erriawrd.htm
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-erri-awards

Now let's visit the ERRI page that deals with rescues from collapsed buildings.
http://www.emergency.com/bldgclps.htm
or
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-erri-bldg-rescue

Study these pages.  This is how the pros do it when they want to save lives.  The ERRI will be our standard for measuring the Pentagon [non-] rescue.

EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS CAN LIVE
UP TO 12 DAYS IN RUBBLE

The Emergency Response & Research Institute tells rescuers that:
" . . . you should remain aware of the fact that people have been successfully rescued alive after as much as twelve (12) days . . . buried in the rubble of an earthquake . . . In the March, 1992 Turkish earthquake, a 22 year old nurse was pulled from beneath a building collapse after eight days. She was also quoted as saying that she had been 'talking with her two friends,' who were also buried, for several days after the collapse . . . until she 'didn't hear them anymore.'  The thought of someone remaining buried alive for several days should be enough motivation for most rescuers to continue with their efforts until every possible hope has been exhausted."
Repeat:
" . . . you should remain aware of the fact that people have been successfully rescued alive after as much as twelve (12) days . . ."
Yet here is Rumsfeld declaring the 9-11 victims dead after nine hours  . . .
"There cannot be any survivors; it just would be beyond comprehension."  ( http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2001/t09112001_t0911sd.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-911pressconference )
Rumsfeld's "it's all hopeless" statement was pulled out of thin air.  He could not possibly have known whether the buried victims were alive or dead. 

Leadership drives men to extraordinary effort or paralyzes them with apathy.  Rumsfeld's words seem designed to discourage any heroic effort.

WRECKAGE MUST BE REMOVED VERTICALLY

According to the ERRI webpage, debris from a collapsed building MUST BE REMOVED VERTICALLY.
 http://www.emergency.com/bldgclps.htm
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-erri-bldg-rescue
"Most rescue experts agree that building collapse extrication must be a process of vertical removal, rather than horizontal movement or reduction. The safest way to remove debris from someone that is buried should involve carefully lifting the debris from above the victim and continually "shoring" the sides of the entrance hole or excavation to ensure against additional collapse. This is a method that is consistent with common practices used for 'trench rescue'."

UNSTABLE SECTIONS OF BUILDING
MUST BE SHORED

"In the case of building collapses, the magnitude of the shoring efforts and the type of equipment necessary to perform the rescue may be very different from normal extrication . . .

"The importance of careful overhead lifting of debris, rather than vertical movement, can not be emphasized enough. As many as one third of all building collapse victims that are rescued are found in spaces created by the way that building materials generally fall. Most of the collapse configurations that occur (lean-to, A-Frame, tent, pancake) create 'voids' in which people may be trapped and remain alive. Vertical movement of debris will normally further collapse the sides of these 'protective spaces' and can result in additional deaths of those that might have been rescued."

CRANES MUST BE AVAILABLE

"In order to facilitate vertical removal of debris, it may be essential to quickly locate and utilize various types of 'cranes' and other types of 'overhead lift' capabilities. It is strongly suggested that every rescue system have previous knowledge of and training for the use of heavy construction equipment. Emergency dispatchers should have access to a list of construction companies and other businesses that could provide this type of equipment on a 24 hour a day seven day a week basis."

CRANES ON SITE SEPTEMBER 12, 13

This NPR photo shows two large cranes on the site on September 12, but there is no sign that the debris is being lifted.
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/americatransformed/scene/091101.pentagonhistory.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-npr-sept12cranes

What a photo opportunity this vertical lifting rescue operation would make:  Cranes lifting the debris from the top, layer by layer, while rescue workers did whatever shoring work was necessary along the adjacent areas.  The nation would be watching, breathless, glued to the TV screen, waiting for news of survivors.  

Look at this photo, taken on September  13, 2001, showing the cranes in front of the Pentagon debris. 
http://jccc.afis.osd.mil/images/sres.pl?Lbox_cap=349358&dir=Photo&ttl=010911-M%204122I-031&vn=&ref=defenselink
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-cranes-09-13-2001

The caption under the photo reads "Recovery efforts continue Sept. 13, 2001 . . ."  Look at the wreckage of the roof, and compare what you see here with what was visible the previous day, September 12. It appears that no vertical lifting had been done from 12 to September 13. The collapsed roof line appears untouched. 

How long would it have taken those cranes to lift the debris?  The Pentagon is five stories high with a mezzanine and basement -- it is not one of the World Trade Center Towers.  The hole made in the building by whatever force was just 70 feet across. (US News & World Report, December 10, 2001, pg. 31, http://www.public-action.com/911/usn011210-1.jpg )

That was not a massive job.  Moreover, the Washington DC area is overburdened with construction companies equipped with cranes; the US military has at its command air transport planes and helicopters capable of moving heavy equipment from any part of the country or the world.  Lifting off the debris vertically would have been no problem. 

WRECKING BALL USED
INSTEAD OF VERTICAL LIFTING AND SHORING

Instead of using the cranes at the site for lifting the debris off vertically, the cranes at the site on September 12 and 13 were apparently used to swing a wrecking ball into the portions of the building still standing, to demolish those sections instead of shoring them up.  

That, along with spraying an (alleged) aviation fuel fire with water, was a recipe for murder.  The increased weight of new debris torn from the damaged building by the wrecking ball must have collapsed any voids in the original debris that may have been sheltering victims.  The result could only have crushed the victims to death as they awaited rescue. 

MURDEROUS USE OF WRECKING BALL

"Rescue teams planned to use a wrecking ball in the collapsed area to clear away unstable rubble . . ."  ("No Hope of Survivors in Pentagon Attack," September 12, 2001, United Press International. http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-upi-09-12-2001 )
" . . . By evening [Wednesday, September 12] crews had started tearing down unstable parts of the building to continue their search.  They hoped to have enough demolition work done by morning to enter the impact area,"  (Pentagon Says About 190 People Dead," Associated Press, September 13, 2001; http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-ap-09-13-2001 )
"Rescue teams were preparing to use a large wrecking ball on the collapsed section to clear away unstable ruble so that four special urban search and rescue teams of about 60 specialists each could get access to damaged nearby areas.

"Rescuers probed as far as they could but 'obviously in the collapsed areas, that will have to take place a later time, after we have made the building safe,' Plaugher [Arlington Country Fire Chief] said."  (Reuters, "Pentagon Reopens, Death Toll Uncertain," Sept. 12, 2001; http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-reuters-09-12-2001 )

"Crews began removing victims' remains Wednesday afternoon but there was no word on how many bodies were recovered. By evening, crews had started tearing down unstable parts of the building to continue their search. They hoped to have enough demolition work done by morning to enter the impact area . . .

"Authorities did not rule out finding people in adjacent areas after a wrecking ball could be used to clear unstable debris, but they did not appear confident of that possibility . . . Pentagon officials acknowledged the prospects of finding anyone alive was extremely remote."  (Pentagon Says About 190 People Dead," September 13, AP, http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-ap-09-13-2001 )

But of course "authorities" were not "confident" of finding people alive: they were doing everything wrong to ensure they died.  They might as well have used a flame-thrower to relieve a toothache, or a steam shovel to perform an appendectomy.
"And just as we may not rescue them from a fire, so may we not rescue them from a collapse [of debris] or from water or from anything that may destroy them."

ONE EXCUSE AFTER ANOTHER TO STALL RESCUE

One excuse after another interrupted rescue operations. 

On September 13, Thursday, 2001, a Washington area radio station, WGMS-FM, broadcasted an interview with a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue worker, who said all rescue operations had been suspended, due to a "credible" terrorist threat.

Think about it.  On September 13, the US military had complete control of the perimeter of the Pentagon.  Air space was still closed.  How could any terrorist threat be "credible" under those circumstances?  This report from the New York Times corroborated the WGMS report:
"By late afternoon, firefighters and rescue workers had so far managed to remove only 70 bodies from the building, their work hampered first by smoke and fire, then by unstable debris and another tense, lengthy evacuation Thursday morning, this time because of a bomb threat.

"Firefighters who had been working around-the-clock shifts recounted how their desperate efforts had been stymied from the start by repeated evacuations, including some in the first frantic hours on Tuesday when authorities believed a second attack was imminent.

'''We were there about 14 hours straight, battling smoke in the dark.  But the most frustrating thing was we had to keep dropping our gear and running for our lives when we wanted to stay and save other lives,' said Andrea Kaiser, a firefighter from Arlington County."  ("Pentagon toll at 190,"  New York Times, September 14, 2001, http://www.ocregister.com/breakingnews/attack/09142001/14nypentacci.shtml
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-nyt-09-14-2001 )

"Capt. Robert F. Wirtz, also of the Arlington County Fire Department, said the military authorities had twice warned that radar stations had detected airplanes headed toward the Pentagon, forcing rescuers to drop their hoses and axes and race from the building, raising the question of whether other victims could have been saved in early hours."  (New York Times, "Pentagon toll at 190," September 14, 2001, URL above.)
Needless to say, every alarm was a false alarm.  Every one.

SIX DAYS LATER, "STABILIZATION" CONTINUES

This from an Associated Press report of September 17, 2001:
"Recovery of the 188 victims of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon neared the halfway point Monday as officials began relieving exhausted search and rescue crews . . . Teams from Fairfax County, Va., and Montgomery County, Md., first on the scene after the hijacked airliner crashed Sept. 11, were being replaced by a search and rescue unit from New Mexico . . . 'Certainly it takes a toll on the men and workers in there,' said Tom Carr, leader of the Montgomery County task force. 'We have to admit that.'

"But Carr described the rotation of search crews as standard practice for a prolonged effort like this. He said the reduction in the number of crews at the Pentagon of four to three indicates that work to stabilize the damaged building is nearly complete."

Notice the numbers of rescuers were being REDUCED, on or before Day Six, September 17, 2001.
"Recovery of the bodies is expected to take much longer. Pentagon officials said the remains of 88 victims had been removed by Sunday. Much of the recovery effort overnight was concentrated in the impact area where the roof of the Pentagon's outer ring collapsed."  ("Exhausted rescue teams relieved at Pentagon," September 17, 2001, http://www.nando.net/special_reports/terrorism/rescue/story/80695p-1126250c.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-ap-09-17-2001 )
So here we are, six days after the disaster, and they have just started "concentrating" on the roof?  WHAT??  Have a look at the NPR photo again.  On September 12, the roof was within easy reach of the cranes.
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/americatransformed/scene/091101.pentagonhistory.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-npr-crane
"'We've been finding bodies throughout the night,' said Arlington County fire battalion chief Jim Bonzano. He estimated it will take another 10 days to two weeks to complete the recovery effort."  ("Exhausted rescue teams relieved at Pentagon," Associated Press, September 17, 2001, http://www.nando.net/special_reports/terrorism/rescue/story/80695p-1126250c.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-ap-09-17-2001 )
Once again: The Pentagon was just five stories high, and the hole left by whatever happened on September 11 was 70 feet across.  But we've just read that it's going to take 16 to 20 days for the world's mightiest miliary force with the most sophisticated and powerful equipment at its fingertips to recover the victims? 

Notice that throughout this AP article, the CIVILIAN rescue people are quoted.  The rescue efforts at the Pentagon should have been a military effort from Day One.  After all, the 9-11 attack was an "act of war," was it not?   

CIVILIAN RESCUE WORKERS EXHAUSTED

Let me repeat one sentence from the September 14 New York Times article quoted above.  A civilian Arlington County firefighter said of the time she and her fellows spent at the scene:
"'We were there about 14 hours straight . . .'"  ( http://www.ocregister.com/breakingnews/attack/09142001/14nypentacci.shtml
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-nyt-09-14-2001 )
Not only is the Pentagon close to Andrews and Bolling Air Force Bases, the Quantico Marine Base, but it is also minutes away from the Ft. Belvoir and Ft. Myer Army bases.  The Pentagon had at its command thousands of able-bodied troops. 

Why were civilians working 14-hour shifts? 

HOW THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN

For a remarkably contrasting incident, let's turn our attention to President Kennedy's Inauguration Day, 1961:
"Early on the morning of January 20, 1961, Washington lay buried beneath half a foot of freshly fallen snow . . . Throughout the region, schools, businesses, and factories were shut down, and airports diverted inbound flights . . .

"By daybreak, the military began their takeover.  From Fort Belvoir, a heavy armored division of more than a hundred snowplows, front-loaders, dump trucks, and road graders crossed into the city to attack the ice and heavy drifts . . ."  (Body of Secrets, James Bamford, Doubleday, 2001, pg. 64.)

If Fort Belvoir could turn out vehicles to help clear the snow on Inauguration Day, what happened to its public spirit on September 11, 2001?  If rapid mobilization and friendly occupation was no problem in a 1961 snowstorm, why was it a problem on a fine September day in 2001?

ARRIVAL OF THE SODA POP BRIGADE

Instead of sending in real help -- trained aviation fire fighters and disciplined men trained to work with heavy equipment in tightly coordinated teams -- the military sent soda pop and other sundries to the (civilian) rescuers.  The soda pop was provided by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, thus:
"Mobilizing two 45-foot trailers from its Newport News, Va., distribution center, AAFES has established a field-style exchange store that provides rescue workers with free towels, bottled water, soft drinks, snacks, lip balm, T-shirts, socks and other items.  The facility is operating around the clock. 

"'This is just wonderful, just fantastic, how AAFES is supporting the soldier,' said Staff Sgt. Michele Hammonds, a public affairs noncommissioned officer with the Army Reserve's 214th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Fort Belvoir, Va.'"  ("AAFES Provides Free Items To Pentagon Rescue Workers," September 15, 2001.  American Forces Press Service. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2001/n09152001_200109156.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-sodapop )

PR flack Hammonds is gushing about the support being shown "soldiers."  But the rescuers were civilians.  Did she fail to notice the anomalies herself, or was she hoping we were too dumb to notice them?

HEAD SHRINKING & SMOOCHIE POOCHIES

The military also provided "love dogs" and head shrinking sessions to the bereaved whose "loved ones" were missing.
"Arlington, VA., Sept. 15, 2001-- More than 300 family members and loved ones of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon have visited DoD's Family (Casualty) Assistance Center in the Sheraton Hotel here since it opened three days ago, according to DoD spokesman Marine Corps Maj. Ben Owens.

"'The first family member arrived at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning,' Owens noted. 'They're met at the entrance and escorted upstairs where they're interviewed to find out what their concerns and needs are.  We ensure they know what the status of their missing loved one is and provide them with the newest information we have.  Currently, we have families here looking for more than 60 missing loved ones.' . . .

"Depending on the family members' and loved ones' needs, the center provides such resources and services as counseling, chaplains, benefits, compensation, transportation, and financial, legal and lodging assistance.  Family members are coupled with chaplains and counselors and taken to rooms for their private discussions. Forty rooms are available at the Sheraton, and other hotels in the area have offered rooms to handle the overflow . . .

"'We also have 'stress and love dogs' provided by Therapy Dogs International, Inc.,' Owens said.  'We asked for the therapy dogs because a family said it would be helpful if we had them.'"  ("Round-the-Clock Center Aids Families, Loved Ones of Pentagon Casualties," American Forces Press Service, Sept. 15, 20010.)  
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2001/n09152001_200109152.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-lovedogs )

DARIN PONTELL
CALLS HOME FROM THE GRAVE

According to the Washington Post, January 20, 2002, "The Last Watch," (front page, Style section), the entire chain of command of the super secret Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot (CNO-IP) were killed in the September 11 attack on the Pentagon.

One of the victims was Darin Pontell, who worked in CNO-IP.  The Post reported that two days after the attack, Darin's parents were still hoping Darin was alive.  Here is an excerpt from "The Last Watch," Washington Post, January 20, 2001, pg.F1.

"'Where'd I put my cell phone?  Where is it?' Marilyn Pontell, Darrin's mother, grew frantic looking for her purse.  Her Nokia was chiming 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.'

"Marilyn would be sick if she missed that call.  Maybe it was news about her son.  maybe it was Darin himself.

"Two days later, Marilyn and Gary Pontell still hoped their youngest boy had been spared.  Gathered at Darin and Devora's apartment in Gaithersburg on Thursday afternoon, they could barely process the idea that he was dead . . .

"Navy officials gave garbled reports: One person said someone who looked like Darin walked from the scene.  Somebody else claimed he was working far away, in the A-Ring.  An officials said they couldn't find his Acura Integra in the Pentagon lot . . .

"The Nokia sang again, then silence.  Too late.  when she finally got to the phone, Marilyn scrolled through the menu.  One missed call: 1:57 p.m.  No message.  But the incoming number was clearly identified.  It was Darin's.

"My God, maybe he was alive.

"For five more days, they waited.  On Sept. 18, the Navy informed the Pontells that Darin's body had been positively identified.  His cell phone was never returned to the family.  They presume it was never found.  Perhaps the flip-phone had somehow dialed Marilyn's number when the rubble shifted.  But didn't all cell phones have to be turned off upon entry into the CNO-IP [Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot]?

"The FBI offered a one-word explanation for that call: 'anomaly.'"

SURVIVORS BE DAMNED!  PASS THE MONEY!

While Gen. Rescue Shelton, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Rabbi Dov Zakheim, and Army Secretary White should have been rescuing Darin and his Army and Navy colleagues from the debris during those early frightful days, what did they do instead? 

On September 15, the DoD announced it had awarded a contract to the Hensel Phelps Construction Company of Chantilly, Virginia to rebuild the Pentagon.  The contract has a potential value of $758 million, according the DoD release, "Contract Awarded to Rebuild the Pentagon."
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2001/b09152001_bt431-01.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-afis-henselphelps
Now let's see: Disaster struck on September 11.  According to the Emergency Response and Rescue Institute, there may have been many living survivors in that rubble on September 15.  Yet on September 15,  the contract to rebuild over the ruins had already been awarded.  Is that bad taste, or what?

Come to think of it, does it sound as if the damage suffered by the Pentagon on 9-11 came as a surprise to certain people in the DoD contracting office?  Does it sound like the job awarded to Hensel Phelps was open to competitive bidding and went through channels?  How do you spell "fast track"?  Did the Comptroller and Undersecretary of the DoD, Rabbi Zakheim, have a role in the 3/4 $billion award?  Whose friends and relatives will be on the receiving end of that?  Surely no one would be tasteless enough to ask. 

ACCOMPLICES TO MURDER

As the Emergency Response & Research Institute website told us, victims trapped by debris from earthquakes and other disasters can live up to 12 days.  Do you think that maybe Darin Pontell was still alive on September 11, when Rumsfeld, "visibly upset," at his press conference, was swearing there could be no survivors?  Perhaps Darin was alive on September 12, waiting for the cranes to lift the debris and free him.  Perhaps he was alive on September 13, when his parents received a call from his cell phone.  Had he been reached in time, perhaps Darin might be alive today.

Gen. Leave-No-Man-Behind Shelton, Messrs. Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz, Rabbi Zakheim, and the National Command Center were surely accomplices to the murder of Darin Pontell and the others.  The gang simply used different weapons.  They used water, a fire-cum-rescue media event, and a wrecking ball.  And lies, lies lies, and more lies.

However, there is another explanation for what we see, and for Rumsfeld's certainty on 9-11 that "there cannot be any survivors; it just would be beyond comprehension." We'll get to that later on.

BLACK HAWK DOWN REVISITED

On May 24-25, 2002, the Washington Post ran a two-part story concerning seven (7) Special Operations team members who died during an attempt to rescue another soldier in Afghanistan in March, 2002.  The incident began when a US helicopter attempted to land to engage al Qaeda forces. 
"How it unfolded highlighted the extraordinary commitment of the American soldiers not to leave fallen comrades behind: The entire episode spiraled out of an attempt to rescue a single SEAL, who had fallen out of the initial helicopter . . ."  (Washington Post, May 24-25, 2002.  "Ambush at Takur Ghar" series. 
Part I: "Bravery and Breakdowns in a Ridgetop Battle"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1951-2002May23.html
Part II: "A wintery Ordeal at 10,000 Feet"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6815-2002May24.html )
There is something very wrong here.  Without a chance to verify information for ourselves, we are told a heroic story of events in far-off lands, first in Somalia, now in Afghanistan.  We are told that every individual soldier is precious to the top command. 

Yet close to home, with verification at hand, we see that the former commander of the Special Operations Command and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other top brass, were actually accomplices in the murders of 125 Pentagon personnel. 

PART III
INTERNECINE WARFARE AND A PURGE

Rumsfeld, Military Hand Their Jobs To FBI
From The Ridiculous To The Bizarre
FBI Grabs Military Intelligence Documents
Foreign Fifth Column Operates Openly On US Soil
ADL's Treasonous Policies
Israeli In-Your-Face Covert Action
ADL and FBI Are Partners, FBI Director Says
Defense Investigative Service Warns of Israeli/Jewish Spies
ADL Uses The Old "Anti-Semitism" Canard
Defense Investigative Service Patriots Were Right
Recruiting Fifth Columnists
Defense Investigative Service Takes A Dive
Army Free Speech Regarding Israel
Army Suffers Heaviest Losses On 9-11
Army Remains Suspicious of Israelis
Navy and Defense Investigative Services Deaths
No Air Force or Marine Deaths
Another Marine Miracle
Marines Work For FBI On 9-11
US Marines And Israel Are Bugs In a Rug
Special Ops Lauds Barak Assassinations
A Word About The Special Operations Command
Special Ops, At Israel's Service, Circa 1993
Cooking Up Plausible Causes Of Death
Lies And Dumb Lies
"Bone Guys" Paw Pentagon Cadavers
Made-To-Order Autopsy Reports
Pentagon Victims On Hit List?
Meet Waco Wayne
Shelton Succeeds Waco Wayne

RUMSFELD, MILITARY, HAND THEIR JOBS TO FBI

 Let's go back to the beginning, and state the obvious.  The Pentagon is not your ordinary run-of the-mill office building.  The Pentagon is the military headquarters for the mightiest military power on earth.  It is the home of the US Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines, and Special Operations.

According to the Official Story, the 9-11 attack on the Pentagon was an act of war.  Rumsfeld and the top brass had lawful jurisdiction over the piece of real estate on which the "act of war" had just occurred; the Pentagon building was a war zone.  But what did Rumsfeld, Gen. Shelton, and the top brass do?  On September 11, 2001, they gave jurisdiction of the war zone to the FBI -- a division of the civilian Department of Justice. 

Donald Rumsfeld dropped the news casually at his September 11, 2001, news conference:
" . . . the FBI has secured the site."
Speaking of those supervising entry into the damaged portion of the Pentagon on September 11, White said:
"That entry will be supervised by the FBI, who are in charge of the site."  ( http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2001/t09112001_t0911sd.html
cached at:
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-911pressconference )
Wow!  After September 11, they brought soldiers to Wall Street to secure civilians,  and brought civilians to the Pentagon to secure the nation's military headquarters.  Who wrote this script?

("The View From Ground Zero," Business Week, September 24, 2001, pg. 47.)
http://www.public-action.com/911/rescue/obq-wallstreet

All of this is as natural as a fish perched in a tree or a robin swimming up river.  And yet it happened, and NOBODY commented on the strangeness of it all.

Notice that when Rumsfeld and White spoke, they did not mention who had given the FBI jurisdiction over the Pentagon.  They merely said:&  " . . . the FBI has secured the site," and "the FBI, who are in charge of the site."  But as Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld was surely the person who gave his jurisdiction away.  He did it by simply redefining the war zone as a "crime scene."  And who handles crimes on federal property?  Why, the FBI, maybe?