The New Pearl Harbor: Critical Analysis of the Author's Thesis and a Critical Evaluation of the Web Site
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11" by David Ray Griffin. Specifically it will contain a critical analysis of the author's thesis and a critical evaluation of the Web site: st911.org. The terrorist attacks on New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001 were a defining moment in U.S. history. As such, they have brought great debate, discussion, and dissention among the American people. Author David Ray Griffin offers an alternative take on the events surrounding the terrorist attacks; including a disturbing theory that the government has been withholding evidence regarding the attacks, and that all the events did not occur as they seemed to occur and were reported by the government. The st911.org Web site echoes many of these conspiracy theories and offers even more. While dissent and discussion are a valid part of the American democratic process, Griffin's theories are flawed for a number of reasons, including his lack of concrete evidence. He bases much of his research on theory but does not offer the solid evidence to back up his sometimes outlandish claims.
In conclusion, the assertions on this Web site and in Griffin's book are certainly thought provoking and disturbing. If what they maintain is true, the Bush administration managed or orchestrated one of the biggest fabrications in the world. This hardly seems to be the case. While it is easy to simply dismiss these theories as the results of flawed study, they do make the reader wonder about the validity of all the claims and occurrences during and after the terrorist attacks. It is not difficult to believe the government might fabricate certain events to make their own case stronger for war or retaliation. It is just difficult, if not impossible, to believe that any government agency could manage such a thorough and far-reaching cover up simply to satisfy their need to go to war or enact questionable policies. It seems impracticable and ludicrous, just like some of Griffin's more outlandish claims. One of the author's main contentions that the Bush administration helped orchestrate the attacks is his "evidence" that the Pentagon was hit by a missile rather than a Boeing 757 jetliner. His evidence includes the size of the hole in the wall of the Pentagon, and some complex deductions about the size, weight, and materials found in a 757. His conclusion is that an aircraft the size of a 757 could not have created the hole in the wall and the damage inside - the damage was too light. He maintains a missile caused the damage - a missile shot by the American armed forces. He goes on to cite much evidence, all by secondary sources, which explain away eyewitness reports and physical evidence. He even maintains the plane actually diverted from its' course at the last minute and landed at Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington, acting as a cover up for the missile's launch and hit. The author writes, "Having made this point, I now return to the list of reasons for believing that the aircraft that crashed into the Pentagon was not Flight 77. The first two reasons, to recall, were that the identification was based on dubious sources and that the physical evidence was incompatible with this iden
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Approximate Word count = 1421
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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