Here is the problem with the 911 conspiracy theory's......

[eomer]

52. That would be the scenario in which only a few were part of the consipiracy.

For example, imagine that Cheney made contact with a few operatives (CIA or private contractor types) and asked them to use their contacts with al Qaeda to instigate a dramatic attack. Further imagine that Cheney asked one or two high officiers in the military to arrange that exercises that were to be held anyway would coincide in time. Beyond these couple of officers that Cheney chose because he knew they would be in favor of a 9/11 type event, no one else in the military would know the real reason for the timing of the exercises - they would just be following orders as usual. The operatives would similarly have been chosen by Cheney because he knew they would be on board with a 9/11 type event.

Under this scenario the number of people who were part of the conspiracy would have been Cheney plus four or five others, all of whom were hand picked because they recognized and were in favor of the benefits to the rightwing and the military industrial complex of a 9/11 event.

And there are many other possible scenarios. For example, imagine a variation of the above where the military exercises were not manipulated but rather their timing was just leaked so it could be taken advantage of. Now you don't need high officers to issue orders, you just need one person (perhaps Cheney) who knew the timing to provide that information to the operatives who were part of the conspiracy.

And regarding huge numbers who would realize they had unwittingly participated, how would that be different than what we know? There were in fact military exercises that worked out to aid the attack and huge numbers who participated in them.