Standing Down on 9-11: FBI obstruction and NORAD inaction

As we are coming to find out elsewhere our government bent over backwards to block FBI agents from raising the alarm prior to 9-11.

What most people don't realize is that we not only blocked FBI agents from raising an alarm, but as the following timeline to 9-11 will make clear, NORAD actually stood down on the day of the attack, going out of its way to allow the attacks to proceed unhindered.

I originally wrote this about three years ago. At the time, all the links worked and corroborated my timeline. The timeline quickly spread throughout the internet and even was emailed to me from my sister who had no idea I'd written it!

Within a couple months, many of the links started going down. These links were up for years and suddenly they went down all about the same time.

Anyways, here's the timeline for 9-11. Make of it what you will. I believe any rational person will be left wondering.

Timeline to 9-11

From the PNAC, Sept. 2000:

"...the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catatstrophic and catalyzing event-like a new Pearl Harbor."

Timeline to 9-11:

July 26, 2001 Ashcroft stops flying on commercial planes. See also Fox News and San Francisco Chronicle


August 4-30, 2001 24 hour fighter cover over the Bush ranch while the president is on a 30 day vacation.

August 6 Bush receives a briefing entitled "Bin Laden to Strike in US" and then left to go fishing the rest of the day.

Sept. 3, 2001 Salmon Rushdie banned from taking internal flights in the US.

September 10, 2001 Bush spends the night in Sarasota, Florida with a SAM missile battery placed upon the roof of the resort he was staying at.

Sept. 10, 2001 Top Pentagon officials cancel their plane trips for the next day due to a urgent warning.

Sunrise, Sept. 11, 2001 NORAD is conducting Operation Vigilant Guardian, a war game. They are fully staffed and alert with senior staff manning stations across the US. Extra fighter planes are put on alert due to the operation. See also, Ottawa Citizen, Code One Magazine, Aviation Week and Space Technology, and ABC News twice.

8:00 am All four hijacked flights are scheduled to take off. Flight 93 is delayed on the runway for 40 minutes.
Warren Buffet is hosting a charity benefit inside the high security Offut military base. Attending are several executives from the World Trade Center. (You'll have to scroll down a ways to find the Buffet reference.) Originally I linked to the New York Times

8:13 Communications lost with Flight 11 and transponder turned off. Flight considered a "possible" hijacking.

8:14 Captain Ogonowski begins turning the talk back button off and on, allowing air traffic controllers to hear that something is amiss.

8:16 Flight 175 takes off late.

8:20 Flight 77 takes off 10 minutes late.

8:24 Ogonowski flicks on the talk back button and airtraffic controllers hear hijackers talking to the passengers and realize Flight 11 has indeed been hijacked.

8:31 The FAA notifies NORAD of the hijacking of Flight 11.

8:42 Flight 175's radio and transponder are cut off. NORAD's technicians are now linked to Bostons flight control tower so they learn this the same time Boston does.
Flight 93 finally takes off.

8:43 Flight 175's transponder comes back on but with a changed signal not designated to any plane anywhere that day. Incredibly, this allows the flight controllers to track Flight 175 easily.

8:44 ELT from Flight 175 picked up signalling the flight has been hijacked.

8:45 New York traffic controllers finally informed of a problem with Flight 11

8:46 2 fighters scrambled at Otis airforce base. Flight 11 crashes into the WTC. 3 F16's are flying a training mission 207 miles from Washington. They are not recalled for another hour.

8:50 flight controllers lose radio contact with Flight 77. Again, since NORAD is now linked directly to the flight controllers, they learn this immediately.

approximately 8:50 two open telephone conference calls made between the FAA, NORAD, the Secret Service and several other government agencies. Cheney is heard speaking on these calls.

8:52 The 2 fighters take off from Otis airforce base. According to the flight leader, they were at "full blower all the way." That would be 1875 mph. They never intercept anything or play any part in the unfolding events. Even though they could easily intercept Flight 175.

8:55 a public announcement is broadcast in the South Tower saying the building is secure and people can return to their offices.

8:56 Flight 77, already far off course and not responding, turns off its transponder.

9:03 Flight 175 smashes into the South Tower. It is NOW, when all hell is breaking loose, that George W. Bush sits down with a class of 2nd graders and begins a 20 minute book reading. Card waits patiently for a pause in the reading to inform the president that america is under attack.

9:04 Calls come streaming in to NORAD. Air bases want to know what they can do. "The nation is under attack."-Col. Robert Marr
"Give me 10 minutes and I can give you hot guns"-Syracuse Air National Guard.
NORAD did not issue scramble orders to any of these Air bases until 10:01. George Bush reads The Pet Goat, page two.

9:05 This is the time that NORAD later claimed it was first notified of any hijackings even though
their technicians had linked in to Boston air control already!!!!
Card now informs Bush that "America is under attack."
Bush does not ask WHO is attacking the US. He does not ask what is being done. He does not ask anything at all nor does he give any orders. He says nothing.
The Secret Service does not hustle him away to Air Force One.

9:09 NORAD claims they ordered Langley AFB to battle stations.

9:16 FAA tells NORAD that Flight 93 has been hijacked. Incredibly, it will be 42 minutes before anyone sends any fighter planes in its direction! (although one General states that no planes were ever sent to intercept Flight 93 at all).

9:18 Bush finally leaves the schoolhouse, waiting until AFTER all reporters have left!

9:24 This is the time that NORAD later claimed it was first notified of Flight 77's hijacking. A claim it later retracted.

9:26 FAA orders a national ground stop, forbidding all military, commercial and law enforcement aircraft to take off.

9:27 Langley AFB ignores the FAA order and scrambles 3 fighters.

9:30 3 Fighters take off from Langley AFB. They can make it to the Pentagon in 7 minutes.

9:38 Flight 77 smashes into the Pentagon building. The 3 fighters from Langley have flown 24 miles from their AFB. That's an astounding 180mph. Well below their stall speed!!! Fortunately, the fighters hadn't stalled. Unfortunately, they were still so close to Langley because instead of being vectored towards Flight 77 they had been vectored to fly out over the Atlantic Ocean AWAY from the incoming plane!!!

9:45 passengers of Flight 93 call loved ones and inform them of a plan to try to retake the plane.

9:55 Bush finally gives the order to allow fighter pilots to shoot down US planes.

9:56 Still no fighter has intercepted Flight 93

9:57 "Let's roll."

3:00pm Bush joins Warren Buffet and several executives from the World Trade Center at Offut military base.

11:30 p.m., Bush wrote in his diary, "The Pearl Harbor of the 21st century took place today...."

(1)
CBS News 7/26/01:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/26/national/main303601.shtml
AP 5/16/02:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,52982,00.html
San Francisco Chronicle 6/03/02:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2002/06/03/hsorensen.DTL

(2)
Counterpunch 9/18/02:
http://www.counterpunch.org/mckinney0918.html

(3)
New York Times 5/25/02:
http://www.somaliawatch.org/archivemar02/020525201.htm

(4)
London Times 9/27/01:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/londontimes092701.html

(5)
Sarasota Herald-Tribune 9/10/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/sarasotaheraldtribune091002.html

(6)
Newsweek 9/17/01:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/629606.asp

(7)
Newhouse News, 1/25/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/newhousenews012502.html
Ottawa Citizen, 9/11/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/ottawacitizen091102.html
Code One Magazine, 1/02:
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2002/articles/jan_02/defense/
Aviation Week and Space Technology 6/03/02:
http://www.aviationnow.com/content/publication/awst/20020603/avi_stor.htm
ABC News 9/14/02:
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/DailyNews/sept11_moments_1.html
ABC News 9/11/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/abcnews091102.html

(8)
New York Times 10/16/01:
http://www.september11-tribute.org/NewsArticles/AAL11Transcript.htm

(9)
MSNBC 9/15/01:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/msnbc091501.html
AP 8/12/02:
http://www.boston.com/news/daily/12/attacks_faa.htm

(10)
Christian Science Monitor 9/13/01:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/csmonitor091301.html
MSNBC, 9/15/01:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/msnbc091501.html

(11)
Guardian, 10/17/01:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/story/0,1300,575518,00.html
New York Times, 10/16/01 (C):
http://www.september11-tribute.org/NewsArticles/AAL11Transcript.htm

(12)
ABC News 9/11/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/abcnews091102.html
ABC News, 9/14/02:
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/DailyNews/sept11_moments_1.html

(13)
NORAD 9/18/01:
http://web.archive.org/web/20020615115751/http://www.norad.mil/presrelNORADTimelines.htm
New York Times 10/16/01:
http://avstop.com/news/transcriptflight175.html
Newhouse News 1/25/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/newhousenews012502.html

(14)
Newsday, 9/10/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/newsday091002.html
Washington Post, 9/17/01]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=nation/specials/attacked&contentId=A41095-2001Sep16

(15)
New York Times 10/16/01:
http://avstop.com/news/transcriptflight175.html

(16)
USA Today, 9/3/02:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-09-02-choices-usat_x.htm
New York Times, 9/11/02:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/nyregion/26WTC.html

(17)
NORAD 9/18/01:
http://web.archive.org/web/20020615115751/http://www.norad.mil/presrelNORADTimelines.htm
Aviation Week and Space Technology, 9/9/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/aviationweekspacetechnology090902.html

(18)
New York Times 9/15/01:
http://emperor.vwh.net/9-11backups/nyt915.htm
NORAD 9/18/01
http://web.archive.org/web/20020615115751/http://www.norad.mil/presrelNORADTimelines.htm

(19)
FAA, 5/22/03:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2003/faa052203.html
UPI, 5/22/03 (B):
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030522-084337-7921r
Aviation Week and Space Technology, 6/3/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/aviationweekspacetechnology060302.html
CNN, 9/4/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/cnn090402.html
ABC News, 9/11/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/abcnews091102.html

(20)
MSNBC, 9/23/01 (C):
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/msnbc092301c.html
Slate, 1/16/02:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2060825/
Dallas Morning News 9/16/01:
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/091601/ter_0916010027.shtml
NORAD 9/18/01:
http://web.archive.org/web/20020615115751/http://www.norad.mil/presrelNORADTimelines.htm

(21)
USA Today, 9/3/02:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-09-02-choices-usat_x.htm
New York Times, 9/11/02:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/nyregion/26WTC.html

(22)
Guardian, 10/17/01:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/story/0,1300,575518,00.html
Boston Globe, 11/23/01:
http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/planes_reconstruction.htm
New York Times, 10/16/01:
http://www.september11-tribute.org/NewsArticles/Wald1016.htm

(23)
Washington Times 10/7/02 and 10/08/02:
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20021007-85016651.htm
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20021008-21577384.htm
Daily Mail 9/8/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/dailymail090802.html
San Francisco Chronicle 9/11/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/sfchronicle091102.html

(24)
Aviation Week and Space Technology, 6/3/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/aviationweekspacetechnology060302.html

(25)
New York Times, 9/16/01 (B):
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/nyt091601b.html
Telegraph, 12/16/01:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2001%2F12%2F16%2Fwbush16.xml
Albuquerque Tribune, 9/10/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/albuquerquetribune091002.html
Washington Times, 10/8/02:
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20021008-21577384.htm

(26)
Aviation Week and Space Technology, 6/3/02:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2002/aviationweekspacetechnology060302.html

(27)
Seattle Times, 9/16/01:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/134342382_fighters16.html
CNN, 9/17/01:
http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/inv.hijack.warning/

(28)
Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism - From Inside the Bush White House, by Bill Sammon, 10/02, p. 90
St. Petersburg Times 9/8/02:
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/08/911/The_drama_in_Sarasota.shtml

(29)
FAA 5/22/03:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2003/faa052203.html
AP, 8/19/02:
http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/america_at_war/article/0,1426,MCA_945_1340414,00.html
Guardian, 10/17/01:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/story/0,1300,575518,00.html
New York Times, 9/15/01 (C):
http://emperor.vwh.net/9-11backups/nyt915.htm

(30)
Time 9/14/01:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,174912,00.html
USA Today 8/13/02:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-08-12-clearskies_x.htm

(31)
NORAD 9/18/01:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/norad091801.html

(32)
NORAD Testimony 5/23/03:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2003/noradtestimony052303.html
Newsday, 9/23/01:
http://www.newsday.com/ny-uspent232380681sep23.story
NORAD, 9/18/01:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2001/norad091801.html

(33)
Washington Post 1/27/02:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A42754-2002Jan26

(34)
Washington Post 9/11/01:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/articles/bush091101.htm
Salon, 9/11/01:
http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/09/11/bush/print.html
CBS, 9/11/02:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/09/11/60II/main521718.shtml
San Francisco Business Times 2/1/01:
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2002/02/04/story3.html

(35)
Washington Post 1/27/02:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A42754-2002Jan26