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Have you heard the "Conspiracy Theory" that the military didn't scramble fighter's in response to 9/11?

No Stand-Down Order CLAIM: No fighter jets were scrambled from any of the 28 Air Force bases within close range of the four hijacked flights. "On 11 September Andrews had two squadrons of fighter jets with the job of protecting the skies over Washington D.C.," says the Web site emperors-clothes.com. "They failed to do their job." "There is only one explanation for this," writes Mark R. Elsis of StandDown.net. "Our Air Force was ordered to Stand Down on 9/11." FACT: On 9/11 there were only 14 fighter jets on alert in the contiguous 48 states. No computer network or alarm automatically alerted the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) of missing planes. "They [civilian Air Traffic Control, or ATC] had to pick up the phone and literally dial us," says Maj. Douglas Martin, public affairs officer for NORAD. Boston Center, one of 22 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regional ATC facilities, called NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) three times: at 8:37 am EST to inform NEADS that Flight 11 was hijacked; at 9:21 am to inform the agency, mistakenly, that Flight 11 was headed for Washington (the plane had hit the North Tower 35 minutes earlier); and at 9:41 am to (erroneously) identify Delta Air Lines Flight 1989 from Boston as a possible hijacking. The New York ATC called NEADS at 9:03 am to report that United Flight 175 had been hijacked--the same time the plane slammed into the South Tower. Within minutes of that first call from Boston Center, NEADS scrambled two F-15s from Otis Air Force Base in Falmouth, Mass., and three F-16s from Langley Air National Guard Base in Hampton, Va. None of the fighters got anywhere near the pirated planes. Why couldn't ATC find the hijacked flights? When the hijackers turned off the planes' transponders, which broadcast identifying signals, ATC had to search 4500 identical radar blips crisscrossing some of the country's busiest air corridors. And NORAD's sophisticated radar? It ringed the continent, looking outward for threats, not inward. "It was like a doughnut," Martin says. "There was no coverage in the middle." Pre-9/11, flights originating in the States were not seen as threats and NORAD wasn't prepared to track them. Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com

Public Comments

1. By the time anyone really knew the threat both towers and the pentagon had been hit. Kind of late to scramble then
2. Be enlightened read the following for the truth: "The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions", By David Ray Griffin.
3. Have not bothered to read all that you wrote, but the smoking gun would be how come no one exposed the perpetrators involved in the stock trades shortly before 911?
4. FACT:: It was Terrorists and NO CONSPIRACY .... Yea...Popular Mechanics is a top source Stop your fictional story telling
5. hindsight is 20/20 if it happened now they'd be shot out of the sky
6. Because they were waiting for George W. Bush, the Commander-In-Chief, stuttering to read to grade schoolers and he did not want to be disturbed.
7. Wow. Such a convenient coincidence. Do you still believe in Santa Claus?
8. You know, it really doesn't matter how much you debunk their conspiracies. They are completely blinded by the wacko kings of conspiracy. No truth for them!
9. Popular Mechanics is owned by the Hearst Corporation, founded by William Randolph Hearst. If you remember from history class, this was the media mogul responsible for the yellow journalism that got the US citizens behind the unjust war against the Spanish in 1898.
10. The fighters were scrambled and shown on T.V. shortly after it started. The response wasn't effective , but there was a response.
11. There are so many conspiracy theories on this tragic event. Its really sad that people want to add grief to those who have lost someone in that day, we miss those people and from my reading of not only the commission report but everything else I could devour on it, it was a terrorist action undertaken by Al quedda to try to knock us off course and it has since it seems like we now have some who want to negotiate with terrorists or deny what happened. The problem, as I had found out years before in local government is that we have a mulitplicity of communication channels - the reason police could not speak to fire personnel in the WTC that prevent cross talk in a real emergency. Due to our early fear of the military control we isolate defense from intellegence agencies and other civilian agencies and this was the breakdown in scrambling the planes. Plus to be the first to order the shoot down of an american airline by friendly fire would make many step back for a moment. Its something no civilian or military leader or fighter pilot wants to do. All the US citizens who dies that day in PA, NYC, and Suburban Virginia are national hereos in a war that will take generations to finish. This is one we have never had to undertake as a country before and we already are becoming cowards in the fight. We are too "fast food" oriented in that we want everything done in a minute. This is a fight to the finish like what happened in the Dark ages of Europe and we need to stand up no matter what the costs no matter who is on our side. As one of our greatest leaders said we shall pay any price, bear any burden, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty. JFK knew the fight to come for the survival of our ancient heritage. His party has betrayed the courage of this man from Massachusets I might be a conservative but I learned that you analyze all data from each side so I looked at the background data from the report. I don't buy into anyone until I back it up even if they are from my party. So I do ask questions unlike the fringe left who buy into people like Michael Moore who has no creidibility on govt or foreign policy. I want a president who waits to find out the facts before launching off. That was always the fear in the cold war that we would be lauching an attack on Russia and find out later it was some rogue military officer in Siberia or some other country. Its like those who thought JFK's death was a coup by Russia. Bush was right to wait till he had the facts before running to Air Force 1.
12. the Bush government claims that things are better now,,, he says Commercial Airlines have better communication with the US military now,,, security is beefed up on all commercial airlines,,, but of course our borders are wide open,, the US even encourages Mexican illegals to come on down,,,,, bring um on,, Bush will give you amnesty,,, our businesses will hire you,, they don't fear breaking US laws,, heck we have a Mexican Attorney General protected by the president,,, lie, cheat and steal your way into the USA,, it's allowed by the Bush administration,,, in fact,, lie, cheat and steal are the axis of good,, if you choose to be born-again,, forgiveness is guaranteed,, just don't get caught having sex with another woman, if your married,,, the Creed of the GOP,,,,,,, ,, sex with another man,, well,, if your married to a woman,, contact Pastor Ted Haggard,, he is George W.'s spiritual man,, he buys meth but says he doesn't use it,, he had sex with a male prostitute for 3 years, made monthly payments to him using evangelical funds,,,, but he is back with his wife and 5 kids, after one week in rehab,,,, for more information and other advise about how to get meth,, and become a Log Cabin Republican,, just contact,, your local Evangelists..... George W. Bush makes a mockery of our Nations Laws !
13. Nice job on refuting the nutcases, but I am fearful you are wasting your time if you are in hopes of getting even one to "think". Gotta tell you, I don't think most who post their crap concerning a conspiracy even believe it. They are just intent on hating and demeaning our country and government. BTW, they do this without any regard for all of those killed on that disastrous day. May God bless all of those murdered in the planes, the towers, and those involved in the rescue efforts. May God's hand of comfort embrace the families of those slaughtered and allow them the peace they need.