Locals analyze 9/11 terrorist attacks

With the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11 drawing near, some local groups plan to remember the nearly 3,000 people who died that day with memorials and tributes, including a ceremony at Pier Plaza to honor members of the military, police and firefighters.

Two Huntington Beach men have taken a different approach in observing the anniversary of the attacks.

Aaron Haley and Joe Dunlap edited a film comprised of media footage of the event, interwoven with scientific arguments about the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings, in a look at the scientific evidence behind the plane crashes into the twin towers. More specifically, they explore the destruction of Building 7, the third skyscraper to collapse from what government reports described as structural damage due to internal fires.

"911 Revisited: Keeping Up With Jones," uses a great deal of a free DVD offered online while cutting out all the politically charged sections and splicing in segments of a presentation made by Brigham Young University professor Steve Jones, delivered in June in Chicago.

"You can turn a lot of people off it you start getting political," Dunlap said. "So we decided to deal just with the science."

For Haley and Dunlap, Building 7, although not both men's initial interest of study, has become the focus of the film and what they hope will be a wake-up call for those who never knew about the third building's collapse.

"Everyone kind of has their anchor point that pulls them into it," Dunlap said.

Only three steel-reinforced buildings have ever collapsed due to fire damage — all three occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, Dunlap said.

"Once we started focusing on the evidence we said, 'Who do we tell?' " Haley said.

Haley had the idea to rent a projector and show the film at their apartment complex at the beginning of summer.

The duo's third showing of the film will be on Monday in the Newland Barn, at Adams Avenue and Beach Boulevard, with a screening at 8 p.m. and discussions following the film.

"We don't want to bum too many people out," Dunlap said. "Once you come out of it, it will renew your faith in America."

Expect tiki torches, balloons, refreshments and a social environment, and hopefully people will come to discuss the film, even if they see holes in their argument, both said.

"It's probably pretty weird for people who believe the official story," Haley said. "It's not some liberal event; it's supposed to be about education."