Archive for the ‘Security video’ Category

More analysis of the Citgo security video

Saturday, September 16th, 2006

On Screw Loose Change and the JREF forums, there has been some discussion of a white object moving across at the top of the upper-left screen in the Citgo security video at ~1:22. Upon further inspection of the video, I do not believe this is an airplane, but rather a truck or something going by on the road.

First, take a look at this map:

At 9:30 a.m., on September 11, 2001, the sun was positioned at an angle 124.6 East of North. (Source: [1]) Thus, the shadow from the gas station canopy should be offset towards the northwest.

Second, take a look at where the gas station entrance is. The road that runs north-south across this map is S. Joyce Street, which takes one under I-395 and to Pentagon City. The only entrance to the Citgo is off of S. Joyce Street.

Look at this still from the Citgo security video, and notice cars pulling in and out of the gas station entrance. Also, notice the position of the shadow from the gas station canopy.

The gas station entrance, shadow, and the orientation of the gas pumps tell me that the security camera was pointing away from the Pentagon entirely. The white object moving across the screen right-to-left at ~1:22 is likely just a truck going by on S. Joyce Street, heading towards Pentagon City. At ~1:30, there is something else that seems to move left-to-right. Probably more vehicles going by on S. Joyce Street. These can’t possibly be an airplane, because the camera was not at all pointed towards the Pentagon nor the flight path that Flight 77 took approaching the Pentagon.

As for the white flash at 4:43, it is probably a reflection off of a utility pole.

At the corner of S. Joyce and Columbia Pike, there is a traffic signal. Probably the reflection is off of a traffic light or some other utility pole, from the explosion at the Pentagon. After that point with this flash, notice that people in the bottom two frames start running towards the window.

Pictures taken at the Citgo, identifying the camera:

More pictures from the Citgo.

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FBI releases Citgo security video

Friday, September 15th, 2006

In response to a FOIA request by Judicial Watch and a related request, the FBI has released security video taken at a Citgo gas station near the Pentagon.

The quality of the video is rather poor, with the screen showing split views of six cameras. Two are from inside the store, with the people there blurred for privacy reasons. The video doesn’t show anything clearly of the crash of American Airlines Flight 77. Though, at 4:43 in the video, a flash is visible in the upper right, which is probably the impact.

Watch the video on YouTube

Other information:

For reference, here’s the view from the bike/jogging path, immediately in front of the where Flight 77 impacted the Pentagon:

And a map of the area, with the Citgo highlighted:

The FBI will also be releasing video taken from the Doubletree hotel in Crystal City.

Some have purported that the “hotel” that the FBI took video from was the Sheraton. It did not have any video, nothing for the FBI to take.

“I also conducted a search of the FBI’s Electronic Case File system, Investigative Case Management system, and other evidence databases for any videotapes in the possession of the FBI from the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. I did not locate any such videotape”. - declaration of Jacqueline Maguire, FBI

The hotel in question is the Doubletree, which is located across I-395 from the Pentagon south parking lot. It has a view of a different side of the Pentagon than were the impact of Flight 77 happened. Keep in mind that I-395 is an elevated highway, so any Doubletree cameras at ground level absolutely would have caught nothing. But, the Doubletree does have a “revolving” restaurant at the top of the hotel. Only if the Doubletree happened to have security cameras here (unlikely), might it have caught anything at all.

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