We go now to the Pentagon, refreshing our memories on the events of 9/11. You undoubtedly recall that a poorly-trained and incompetent Hani Hanjour is alleged to have steered a large passenger airliner on a suicidally-banked turn that even professional pilots say they could not have done. he is alleged to have flown it precisely into the Pentagon at near-ground level without leaving any marks on the ground and causing the airliner, passengers, and all other debris to disappear in its wake. No confirming marks are left on the building, no bodies ever recovered, and no security films ever shown except a few undecisive frames.
Unlike today where we already know what evidence has been gathered (hard drives, cellphones, documents, bodies, DNA, etc.), nothing survives from the Pentagon attack. No questions have been addressed or answered. None of the contradictions of that day have been addressed.
So here again the “killing” of Osama bin Laden brings us to the Pentagon and refreshes our memories of that day too.
Just as George Bush refused to accompany the president to New York, Donald Rumsfeld, who was said to be in attendance at the Pentagon, is nowhere to be seen.
Biden also conducts a low-key service, doesn’t turn and wave at the press, as we might expect Bush to do. The whole narrative is restated: Osama bin Laden ordered the attack on the Pentagon and now he’s dead. If things go as I expect, this narrative will end up being challenged and revealed as false. But here we are starting out and so the thesis is offered to us and with the laying of the wreath here, the refreshing of our memory about 9/11 events is complete.
CNN begins to pick away at the stealth helicopter. It reveals the acoustic differences between a basic and a stealth Blackhawk. Chris Lawrence says that a previous stealth weapon was in use eight years before the public knew about it. (Some much longer.) So this “abandoned” helicopter has raised some questions about military practices. Many more to follow, I’m sure.
A news bite flashes across the screen saying that Pakistan is dismayed at allegations it was lax in detecting Osama. Oh yes. Either Pakistan is a part of this whole charade or it’s genuinely upset. Either way watch for Pakistan to cause “trouble” as they play their part in this scenario.
Just before I signed off, Ed Henry appears again, at Ground Zero now, and here he is once more, smiling impishly. I ask myself what he knows and why he can’t get it together to present himself in a neutral way rather than as the cat that swallowed the canary and the connection to Henry is abruptly lost. I speculate to myself that someone has reprimanded Henry but when he comes back he still has that smile on his face. But he is at least more subdued.
Until we hear about what transpired between the families and the President, our narrative pauses. But you can be sure that somewhere someone is “detecting” flaws in the account of the operation against bin Laden and that we will not have to wait long for the questions to arise.
I’ll be returning to events as they occur, if they are significant.