Reply #28: Actually Silverstein didn't specifically say that the building was

[Garbo 2004]

pulled down or intentionally demolished. That interpretation still requires some extrapolation if you read/hear the text. One can also extrapolate it referred to pulling any efforts to fight the fire/save the building, and/or "pull it," as in write it off, declare it lost.

I have a video recording made by a free lance photographer/former NYC EMT on the scene after the towers collapsed. No real production values or commentary. Just a guy in different areas of the scene, filming.

But it was interesting to note WTC 7 was indeed burning and smoke was coming out along one side of the building from bottom to top. I'm figuring it's the Vesey Street side (looking at a pic on the net), across from WTC 6. (There was also some fire on what I think must be the Washington Street side, but it was still adjacent to the Vesey side.) This was not what I recall seeing in other depictions of the building where from front or back or on the other side it looked ok and intact. There appeared to be damage not just at the top (which appeared minor) but also more substantial damage toward the bottom on that same side (Vesey and Washington Street) from what I could see. From that view the building sure was not in as pristine condition as it would have appeared from other perspectives.

Since the video has mainly just ambient sound, one can hear radio calls and occasional talking around or apparently with the guy filming. Unfortunately the video isn't time stamped. Regarding WTC 7 there's various comments over time. One guy said "There's no water on that." (There's talk about having no water.) Much later someone says "It's hot enough to...(garbled with background noise)...that's why he's pulled everybody out of there." Another voice says, "That building's 50 stories, it could definitely reach you over here." The "here" was well more than a large NY block away from WTC 7. Sounded as if there was concern it would topple over on its own rather than there was going to be a controlled demolition. Later the camera's back on WTC 7 and a voice says: "Look at the hole in that building...(garbled, too much other noise)..it looks like it's going to come down." Another voice: "Let's get everyone out of here." It was evident to me anyway that the concern was about WTC 7 collapsing as a fire truck and equipment were pulled back from what I guess was WTC 6.

Unfortunately the tape doesn't include the building going down.

I just don't see if it was intentionally demolished, why do so that day and why the alleged secrecy. Now the FDNY isn't into demolishing buildings as far as I know. That takes specialists. And if the FDNY knew that it was going to be demolished that day since Silverstein had talked to them, the guys on the job sure didn't seem to know about it. Why supposedly secretly demolish a building that looked like it was pretty well trashed on its own (at least potentially structually suspect to me)? Other buildings were demolished since the damage they sustained made them structurally unsound. Those weren't secret. And how convenient that, given the big secret of the alleged demolition, Silverstein would supposedly "slip up" and reveal the secret in a pretaped interview for a TV show? Silverstein was going to get insurance money one way or the other out of that and the other buildings. I just don't get what the alleged motivation would be for this sort of alleged action/coverup. What would be the point?

Also what about the structural design since it was built apparently on/around a Con Ed substation? I saw something about the reconstruction and they were remarking how they were building it stronger, that the original design around the substation was weaker and may have contributed to the collapse. Whatever.

Anyway, the video I saw suggests a greater amount of visible structural damage to the building than I previously saw from other videos and photos and that firefighters were concerned about the building collapsing based on what they were seeing. (No doubt especially after having two other buildings falling on them they weren't going to take another chance.)