STATE, LOCAL
™ INTERNATIONAL
Algeria (continued) Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories Surface, Enrage
Islamist and formerly Al-Qaeda affili
ate Mohktar Belmohktar as the orga
nizer of the attack. He is not believed
to have been present for the
actual attack. Belmohktar has previ
ously been convicted in absentia of
terrorist acts in Algeria. Addition
ally, Mauritanian news sites reported
that the attack was also led by Abdul
Rahman al-Nigeri. Having led the
militants into the plant, al-Nigeri is
reported not to have survived.
The attack was immediately of
international importance, as over a
hundred foreigners worked in the
plant owned by Britain’s BP, Noway’s
Statoil, and Algeria’s Sonatrach. JGC
Corp is a Japanese engineering firm
that also does work at the plant. Out of
the thirty-seven hostages killed, three
were US citizens. Among the dead
or missing expatriates are Japanese,
Filipinos, Norwegians, Britons, Ma
laysians, Romanians, and one French
national.
The attack was
immediately of
international
importance, as over
a hundred foreign
ers worked in the
plant owned by Brit
ain's BP, Norway's
Statoil, and Algeria's
Sonatrach, a Japa
nese engineering
firm that also does
work at the plant.
The Algerian government has received
mixed responses from world leaders
for launching the attack. British PM
David Cameron had requested that
the Algerian government consult with
the other countries involved before
proceeding. President Barack Obama
placed the blame for the
deaths completely on the terrorists.
Monique Kreisman, staff writer
Conspiracy theories have always
been a prominent part of American
history. Over the past few decades
discussion has surrounded events,
such as the moon landing, a possible
UFO crash, and the assassination of
President Kennedy to name a few.
Now, in response to the tragic shooting
at Sandy Hook Elementary, a group
has released a video claiming that the
murders were part of a conspiracy to
push forward gun control legislation.
While there are some elements of truth
in the video—if any thoroughly cov
ered media story is picked apart, holes
can be found—the conclusion, drawn
by the Sandy Hook truthers, is quite
disturbing and offensive to the families
of the victims. Is there real evidence
to support their claims, or have these
conspiracy theorists gone too far?
The thirty minute YouTube video
begins with the epithet, “Video not in
tended to offend anyone but criminals,
our hearts go out to anyone affected by
this tragedy. We do NOT claim this
shooting did not take place!!!” Their
first assertion is that there was more
than one shooter. On December 14th
Adam Lanza killed twenty children
and sbc adults before taking his own
life. Some witnesses say they saw a
man in handcuffs near a wooded area.
According to the truthers, the man was
chased and apprehended by police,
and the media never followed up on
his story.
Was Adam Lanza the only shooter?
Was the man running in the woods
involved? Or was he mistakenly ap
prehended? These questions are posed
by the video, but they remain unan
swered.
The truthers also claim that there
were discrepancies as the story was
unfolding about how many guns were
found inside the school. The media
first reported that two handguns were
found with Lanza and a rifle was found
inside his trunk. However, the medi
cal examiner said at a press confer
ence that the rifle, found outside the
school and in the trunk of a car was
the primary weapon. The media then
changed the story to say that the rifle
was found next to Lanza and four
handguns were found in the school.
Was it bad reporting in the beginning,
or did the story change intentionally?
“'V
%
f «
Memorial at Sandy Hook Elementary
photo via Mashable
The video also calls attention to
Robbie Parker, the father of Emilie
Parker, whose daughter was one of
the victims. He was filmed at a press
conference smiling and joking seconds
before appearing incredibly sad to give
his statement. The video also points
out several holes in an interview with
Gene Rosen, a member of the Screen
Actors’ Guild, and a man who found
six children outside his house and
brought them inside the day of the
shooting. The video shows
more footage of parents smiling and
laughing and it claims that actors
could have been
hired to play wit
nesses and parents.
The conspiracy
theorists also call
attention to several
dates surrounding
the incident. The
shooting occurred
on December 14th,
2012. A Facebook
page mourning the
loss of one of the
victims was created on December
loth. At least six fundraising websites
for the victims’ families were created
days before the shooting, as well. The
truthers argue that so many websites
with the wrong dates cannot be a coin
cidence, but the Internet is not known
for its reliability.
On the same subject, a website was
discovered that announces a Connecti
cut Department of Emergency Services
and Public Protection training course
scheduled for December 14th from
9 AM to 4 PM titled, “Planning for
the Needs of Children in Disasters.”
The course was held in the vicinity of
Sandy Hook Elementary the same day
and time of the tragedy.
Part two of the YouTube video ends
with the text, “It’s not fair to label
a group as ‘truthers’ or ‘conspiracy
theorists.’ That implies they are over
the top, crazy, and against everyone
else. These are millions of everyday
people that deserve answers to their
questions. And it seems by labeling
them like that, it’s easier to dismiss
them and not have to look at the facts.”
All things considr
In response to the tragic
. j T-.7 contain evidence
shooting at Sandy Hook El- of anomalies or
ementary, a group has re- questionable activ-
leased a video claiming that the government.
the murders were part of a The claims should
conspiracy to push forward not be dismissed or
^ pushed aside, but
gun control legislation, they should also be
investigated with
an attitude of respect for the families
of the victims and reverence in light of
this incredible tragedy. Each person
should decide for herself to what ex
tent holes in stories and coincidences
ought to be construed as a conspiracy
cover-up.
The original video can be found
at http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=WxgGxXYKx_8, and Part
2 can be found at http://www.you-
tube.com/watch ?v=_nUOBSN03TU.
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Editor: Amy Hruby — Assistant Editors: Jessica Feltner, Cody Jeffery — Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Duncan
Staff Writers: Alexus Stout, Cheyenne Williams, Christa Riley, Cody Jeffery, Lizzie Wood, Helen Kenney, Jennifer Cash, Jessica Feltner, Larissa Icard, Leslie Bunch, Mary
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