Shannon Deery
Sydney Daily Telegraph
Oct 20, 2010
Trades Hall president Kevin Bracken says terrorists had nothing to do with the 9/11 tragedy. Instead, it was all a conspiracy. Source: Reuters
Kevin Bracken. Picture: Mike Keating Source: HWT Image Library
THE president of the Victorian Trades Hall has sparked outrage after controversially claiming the September 11 2001 World Trade Centre attacks were a conspiracy, not the result of terrorist activity.
Kevin Bracken, who is also the secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, sparked a flood of angry calls after calling into ABC talk-back host Jon Faine's program this morning.
"I believe the official story is a conspiracy theory that doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny," Mr Bracken said.
"In my mind the buildings were imploded."
Faine thought the call was a hoax.
"I challenge you to a public debate," Mr Bracken said.
"Aviation fuel doesn't get hot enough to melt steel and no high rise steel frame building before or after September 11 has ever collapsed due to fire.
"I stick to scientific fact."
Faine described the claim as a "nutter theory".
Trades Hall secretary Brian Boyd said Mr Bracken did not speak on behalf of the organisation.
"The official Trades Hall position is not to entertain that theory," Mr Boyd said.
"We had almost 3000 working people killed in that terrorist attack. It was a terrorist attack, and we condemn it."
Mr Boyd said Mr Bracken's views had caused many debates behind the walls of Trade Hall.
"He is welcome to his views and we've discussed his theories," he said.
"But I totally disagree."
Mr Boyd said he stood by his colleague despite his extremist views.
"99 per cent of the time Kevin's a very good president," he said.
This is not the first time Mr Bracken has voiced his controversial opinions on the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon.
In 2006 he told The Australian he believed the attacks only worked because the American government was in some way involved.
"If they want to stop terrorism they've got to look at who was really behind September 11," Mr Bracken said at the time.
"It couldn't have happened unless there was participation from key elements of the American military and government and security services. I am not saying the whole lot were involved. But I believe the official story for September 11 doesn't stack up."
Mr Bracken said in 2006 his views on the terror laws and September 11 were his own, and he was not speaking on behalf of the union.
There's room at the top they are telling you still
ReplyDeleteBut first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be