Following the few initial articles, 9/11 alternative theories were largely ignored in the British media for several months until stories appeared about a French academic’s theory that the US Government was lying about the plane which crashed into the Pentagon. In spring 2002, Thierry Meyssan, chairman of the left leaning think tank Réseau Voltaire (Voltaire Network) published L'Effroyable imposture (Frightening Fraud / Appalling Fraud), published in English as, “9/11: The Big Lie.”
In what many must have thought was an April’s Fool joke, on Monday 1st April 2002 the Guardian published an article headlined, “US invented air attack on Pentagon, claims French book.” The article gives some explanation of Meyssan’s Pentagon alternative theory and makes some attempts to refute it, but the general tone is still one of ridicule.
The article describes it as, “A bizarre book” and “a rumour on the internet” about a “dastardly plot” before noting that, “The French media has been quick to dismiss the book's claims.”
Several sources are quoted which further ridicule and denigrate the theory, including Le Nouvel Observateur, which notes that it, “eliminates reality"; Libération, which calls the book, "The Frightening Confidence Trick…a tissue of wild and irresponsible allegations, entirely without foundation"; and Pentagon spokesman, Glen Flood, who said that the book was "a slap in the face and real offence to the American people, particularly to the memory of victims of the attacks."
These quotes essentially ignore the alternative theory by assuming it is a priori false, and don’t feel any need to refute any element of it. Guardian journalist Jon Henley, however, does mention Meyssan’s concerns that, “eye-witness statements are contradictory, there are suspiciously few photographs of the catastrophe and none of them shows any wreckage” and that, “the facade of the Pentagon did not immediately collapse from the shock of the impact.”
Henley leaves the refutation to the French media, writing that, “Both Libération and Le Monde set out to disprove his theory, tracking down photographs that do show debris, and speaking to victims' relatives.”
The final paragraph offers some justification for the creation of Meyssan’s alternative theory, as it concedes that, “Le Monde admitted that the information made public by Washington did not entirely add up. "There is no official account of the crash. The lack of information is feeding the rumour," it complained.”
"I believe the government is lying"
Just a day after the Guardian, the BBC joined in the ridicule of Meyssan’s ideas with a very similar article including many of the same quotes, headlined, “French lap up Pentagon crash 'fraud'” The article cites French media reports that, “compared his book with the Roswell alien cover-up theory” and a French sociologist who claims that, “…the events of 11 September gave us a reality so similar to science fiction, that there has been more of a market for paranoid interpretations.”
The BBC article, however, differs greatly from the Guardian in one crucial aspect: it mentions Meyssan’s website - Hunt the Boeing - by name, and even provides a link to enable readers to look at the Pentagon photographs and decide for themselves. This is one of the first examples of a media outlet directing it’s readers to a 9/11 alternative source.
Test your perceptions
Hunt the Boeing was amongst the first of many Pentagon alternative websites, all of which emphasise images of the crash and the aftermath, particularly before the collapse of the outer wall, approximately twenty minutes after the initial impact at 9.37am.
This is in stark contrast to websites which attempt to “debunk” 9/11 Pentagon conspiracy theories, and the media which simply ridicules or ignores them. Generally, these websites and media outlets ignore the photographic evidence and instead concentrate on eyewitness testimony.
2002 - The 1st Anniversary
In what many must have thought was an April’s Fool joke, on Monday 1st April 2002 the Guardian published an article headlined, “US invented air attack on Pentagon, claims French book.” The article gives some explanation of Meyssan’s Pentagon alternative theory and makes some attempts to refute it, but the general tone is still one of ridicule.
The article describes it as, “A bizarre book” and “a rumour on the internet” about a “dastardly plot” before noting that, “The French media has been quick to dismiss the book's claims.”
Several sources are quoted which further ridicule and denigrate the theory, including Le Nouvel Observateur, which notes that it, “eliminates reality"; Libération, which calls the book, "The Frightening Confidence Trick…a tissue of wild and irresponsible allegations, entirely without foundation"; and Pentagon spokesman, Glen Flood, who said that the book was "a slap in the face and real offence to the American people, particularly to the memory of victims of the attacks."
These quotes essentially ignore the alternative theory by assuming it is a priori false, and don’t feel any need to refute any element of it. Guardian journalist Jon Henley, however, does mention Meyssan’s concerns that, “eye-witness statements are contradictory, there are suspiciously few photographs of the catastrophe and none of them shows any wreckage” and that, “the facade of the Pentagon did not immediately collapse from the shock of the impact.”
Henley leaves the refutation to the French media, writing that, “Both Libération and Le Monde set out to disprove his theory, tracking down photographs that do show debris, and speaking to victims' relatives.”
The final paragraph offers some justification for the creation of Meyssan’s alternative theory, as it concedes that, “Le Monde admitted that the information made public by Washington did not entirely add up. "There is no official account of the crash. The lack of information is feeding the rumour," it complained.”
"I believe the government is lying"
Just a day after the Guardian, the BBC joined in the ridicule of Meyssan’s ideas with a very similar article including many of the same quotes, headlined, “French lap up Pentagon crash 'fraud'” The article cites French media reports that, “compared his book with the Roswell alien cover-up theory” and a French sociologist who claims that, “…the events of 11 September gave us a reality so similar to science fiction, that there has been more of a market for paranoid interpretations.”
The BBC article, however, differs greatly from the Guardian in one crucial aspect: it mentions Meyssan’s website - Hunt the Boeing - by name, and even provides a link to enable readers to look at the Pentagon photographs and decide for themselves. This is one of the first examples of a media outlet directing it’s readers to a 9/11 alternative source.
Test your perceptionsHunt the Boeing was amongst the first of many Pentagon alternative websites, all of which emphasise images of the crash and the aftermath, particularly before the collapse of the outer wall, approximately twenty minutes after the initial impact at 9.37am.
This is in stark contrast to websites which attempt to “debunk” 9/11 Pentagon conspiracy theories, and the media which simply ridicules or ignores them. Generally, these websites and media outlets ignore the photographic evidence and instead concentrate on eyewitness testimony.
2002 - The 1st Anniversary
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