Validity of petition signers crucial to AE911Truth's credibility

Ed: The Verification Team is one of the unsung heroes of AE911Truth. Working diligently behind the scenes, this team provides assurance the petition signers are legitimate, and that their credentials are valid.

The Verification Team is a group of volunteers responsible for ensuring that signers of the AE911Truth petition are real and the information is accurate. All petition signers are verified, whether they are architects, engineers or supporters, living in the US or outside of the US.

Grazyna Samborska is responsible for verifying the petition signers from outside the US. She does a web search on each petition signer she verifies, looking for information that is beneficial or detrimental to AE911Truth. Grazyna sends a welcoming email to foreign architects and engineers and requests them to provide credentials that prove their license or degree qualifications. When she receives proof of license or degree from a foreign architect or engineer, Grazyna emails a copy to the AE911Truth archive so it can be recorded and available if the petition signer is challenged in the future. The petition signer profile is checked for accuracy, grammar, and consistency with the AE911Truth focus. When the profile is determined to be acceptable it is displayed. She then sends an email to the petition signer thanking them for sending their credentials and informing them that they are listed on the petition.

Sean Brizendine, Mark Phillips, Laura Nieboer and Dave Carrig are responsible for verifying architectural and engineering professionals in the US. AE911Truth procedures require that each US architect and engineer be personally contacted by a verifier. In the beginning Richard Gage, AIA, made personal contact with each architect and engineer during presentations at individual architecture and engineering firms as well as at public presentations. AE911Truth has experienced most of its growth after NIST published its final report on WTC 7 last year. The largest jump in petition signers occurred between April 2009 and November 2009, as the number grew from 640 to 950. Since it was not possible for Richard to personally contact every petition signer, they have been contacted by phone. Sean, Mark, Laura and Dave make phone calls and speak personally with each architect and engineer who signs the petition.

First the web search is done to see if there is any information available on the petition signer. The verifier finds the architect's or engineer's license and records it in the notes on the database. If the architectural or engineering professional is not licensed but has a degree in architecture or engineering, he or she is asked to email or fax a copy of his or her diploma. Many petition signers are not able to find their diplomas, but are able to give us their birth date, name of the university and discipline in which the degree was earned. Mark Phillips is able to take this information and get proof of credentials for them. When the verifier has proof of license or proof of degree, it is entered in the records and the architectural or engineering professional is displayed on the petition. Finally the verifier sends an email notifying the person that they are displayed on the petition and thanking them for their support.

Chris Sarns, Mike Cook, and Steve Haslet verify the petition signers who are not architectural or engineering professionals. These volunteers check the information provided when the petition is signed, for accuracy, grammar and consistency with the AE911Truth focus. Unfortunately there are some pranksters that have to be weeded out. When it is determined that the petition signer is real and serious, the verifier sends an email welcoming them and thanking them for their support. The supporter is then displayed on the petition as an `other' supporter.

When a petition signer logs on and updates his or her profile it is temporarily removed from the petition. Chris Sarns has now taken on the responsibility of reviewing these profiles and displaying them again.

Joe Heller has just joined the team and has taken on the task of cropping and formatting the photos submitted by petition signers.