Department of Defense releases 9/11 video of plane hitting Pentagon

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) is releasing surveillance video showing American Airlines flight 77 hitting the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The video was taken from a Pentagon Security camera.

On December 15, 2004, a legal advocacy group called Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the DOD in an attempt to have the video released through the Freedom of Information Act.

"We fought hard to obtain this video because we felt that it was very important to complete the public record with respect to the terrorist attacks of September 11," said Judicial Watch President, Tom Fitton.

"Finally, we hope that this video will put to rest the conspiracy theories involving American Airlines Flight 77. As always, our prayers remain with all those who suffered as a result of those murderous attacks," added Fitton.

According to the advocacy group, U.S. officials say they did not release the video earlier because it was part of the investigation into convicted plotter for al-Qaeda, Zacarias Moussaoui.

"Now that the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui is over, we are able to complete your request and provide the video," said chief of the Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, William Kammer.

However; some are not sure what is shown on the video.

Michael Berger, spokesman for 911Truth.org said "In fact, I thought that was underwhelming." and "It doesn't clarify anything — I don't see a plane in that image. We would like to know what happened. Four-and-a-half years later, we still don't have definitive proof that a plane hit that building."

911Truth.org received five times the average visits to their website after the video's release on Tuesday. Mr. Berger's group is hosting a conference June 2 in Chicago where skeptics of the official explanation of 9/11 plan to work out a variety of scenarios that suggest the U.S. government's complicity in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.