Sanders details witness testimony including a woman who saw a missile strike where the wing meets the fuselage, and National Guard pilots who saw missiles converge on the aircraft. He recounts obtaining seat fabric with a red residue a missile scientist identified as consistent with a thermite warhead, for which the government indicted him on felony conspiracy. Sanders refused to reveal his source despite prosecutors threatening his wife, a TWA flight attendant. Birnes reveals that Pierre Salinger held Mossad satellite imagery concluding the Navy shot down the plane, a detail Sanders could not share while Salinger lived.
Art Bell signs off: "I guess they don't always tell us the truth, do they?"
Key Moments
Algorithm fired the missile: Sanders and Birnes argue that no human fired the missile: an automated system targeted Flight 800 because it was not supposed to be there.
Red residue as thermite warhead evidence: Sanders says a missile scientist identified red residue on seat fabric as consistent with a thermite warhead on a solid-fuel missile.
Threatening Sanders' wife: Sanders recounts refusing to hand over his source and says authorities responded by threatening to indict or target his wife.
Felony conspiracy for receiving residue: Sanders says the charge was felony conspiracy, aiding and abetting, despite his claim that he merely received the residue rather than asking for it.
Salinger's Mossad satellite evidence: Birnes says Pierre Salinger's best evidence came from Mossad satellite imagery, but Salinger could not say that publicly.