What is the NIST really about?

National Institute of Standards and Technology Boulder, Colorado

We may think that we live in a Democracy, but it is pretty much controlled by the Executive part of the White House. The directors of many of the institutes and foundations that are involved in the shaping of our policies are appointed by the POTUS.

Both the director of the NIST and the director of the NSF were appointed by George W. Bu$h for six year terms. The study on WTC1 from my previous artical, by Purdue University was funded by the NSF, which was funded by the US corporate government.

The current NIST investigation of the World Trade Center disaster
is also funded by the US government and has been stonewalling a real investigation for seven years. The NIST is a non regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. and headed by A bush appointee.


NIST Director William Jeffrey

Jeffrey, 45, was nominated by President Bush on May 25, 2005, to succeed Arden Bement, who was appointed director of the National Science Foundation in November of last year. NIST Deputy Director Hratch Semerjian has served as acting director in the interim.

Jeffrey has been involved in federal science and technology programs and policy since 1988. Previous to his appointment as director of NIST he served as senior director for homeland and national security and the assistant director for space and aeronautics at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) within the Executive Office of the President. Prior to that he was the deputy director for the Advanced Technology Office and chief scientist for the Tactical Technology Office with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). While at DARPA, Jeffrey developed research programs in communications, computer network security, novel sensor development and space operations.

Prior to joining DARPA, Jeffrey was the assistant deputy for technology at the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office, where he supervised sensor development for the Predator and Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and the development of common standards that allow for cross-service and cross-agency transfer of imagery and intelligence products. Jeffrey also spent several years working at the Institute for Defense Analyses performing technical analyses in support of the Department of Defense.

Well, one would think that this guy would come in real handy for the WTC investigation with his DARPA connections and knowledge of novel sensor development and space operations, but I doubt that we'll hear about anything except "Fire in the Skyscraper" and debunking the Twoofers.

Read more about the NIST

NIST is a nonregulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The purposes of NIST investigations are to improve the safety and structural integrity of buildings in the United States and the focus is on fact finding. NIST investigative teams are required to assess building performance and emergency response and evacuation procedures in the wake of any building failure that has resulted in substantial loss of life or that posed significant potential of substantial loss of life. NIST does not have the statutory authority to make findings of fault or negligence by individuals or organizations. Further, no part of any report resulting from a NIST investigation into a building failure or from an investigation under the National Construction Safety Team Act may be used in any suit or action for damages arising out of any matter mentioned in such report
(15 USC 281a, as amended by P.L. 107-231).