Get a clue, here.
We're not talking about some random "letter to the editor." We're talking a guest column. The person who decided to publish this in the newspaper knew damn well what he was doing.
And, no, the poor guy was not "misquoted." You can go to the website he provides, and wallow in what he and an increasing number of people are pushing: that the U.S. government engineered 9/11.
It's no surprise to me at all that the academic field is richly represented on their lists.
But by all means, keep breaking your spine making excuses for him and the paper.