From the October 2001 Idaho Observer:

Evidence indicates Flight 93 shot down by U.S. fighter

by Bill Walter

The international press corps reported shortly after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, that President Bush told the American People the terrorist attacks on The World Trade Center twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. were the direct result of a “colossal intelligence blunder.” The president also stated that “Your government had no advance warning of this attack!”

The Sacramento Bee reported the following: “The Pentagon scrambled fighter jets to track a hijacked jet liner headed toward Washington, but the plane crashed in Pennsylvania, perhaps after a struggle between passengers and the hijackers.”

Other major media sources reported four jet interceptors had been scrambled -- none able to overtake the three jet liners which crashed into their intended targets in New York and Washington D.C.

A Reuters report from September 13 stated that the FBI cannot rule out that hijacked Flight 93 was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet before it crashed in Pennsylvania. Citing indications of a shoot down, the report states:

“Pennsylvania state police officials said on Thursday debris from the plane had been found up to 8 miles away [from the crash site] in a residential community where local media have quoted residents as speaking of a second plane in the area and burning debris falling from the sky.”

Finding debris miles from the crash site indicates that the aircraft was disintegrating well before it hit the ground, as would be the case if the other plane witnesses saw shot it down. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Sept. 12 that the debris found miles from the crash site included “clothing, books, papers and what appeared to be human remains.”

The secretary of defense denied reports that Flight 93 was shot down.

Shortly after it crashed, rumors began circulating that United Airlines Flight 93 had been shot down by a U.S. fighter jet, but had no authoritative confirmation. The news desk at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was contacted Sept. 22. The editor confirmed the news release and stood by the information contained in it. The editor also said that, “The FBI confirmed to us that the debris came from that airliner!”

When asked why no other news media in the nation carried their story, I was told, “Of course we passed it forward, but we can't be responsible for what other news media do.”