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World Trade Towers and Pentagon Attacked
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Tue Sep 11, 2001 08:12 AM
from the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up dept.
from the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up dept.
The World Trade Towers in new york were crashed into by 2 planes, one on each tower, 18 minutes apart. Nobody really knows who did it, but the planes were big ones. Normally I wouldn't consider posting this on Slashdot, but I'm making an exception this time because I can't get news through any of the conventional websites, and I assume I'm not alone. Update We're having server problems. Sorry. Updated info, both towers havecollapsed, pentagon hit by 3rd plane. Part of it has collapsed.
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Having trouble here... (Score:3, Interesting)
We had it coming... (Score:5, Insightful)
Now, a couple things.. this is bad, this is really bad..
Apparently it was Palestinian terrorists that
did it (so TV is reporting)..
If it really was Palestinians, as much as I hate to say this.. I sort of understand..
before I start, I am a normal American white guy, am open minded, and think every race in the world has a right to their own safety and piece (including Americans).. I have absolutely nothing to do with the Arab israeli conflict (I am not arab, or Jewish, or anything like that), nor do I know any of either side closely at all..
But I was in Isreal once on business, and I saw what the Israelies do to the Palestinians, and what I saw made me sick to be an American because of how our government supports what the Israelis do to those people..
Basically, the isrealis take palestinian land bit by bit to make settlements for Israelis only, and shoot/run over/kill Palestinians with the guns, helicopters and bullets that we, America give the Israelis.
We dont report these travesties on American news (though you can get it on the BBC, CBC and other foreign outlets, and watch Israelis shoot with machine guns, 12 year old arab kids throwing rocks).
It is worse than south Africa, and I go as far to say, that the Israelis have put the Palestinians in concentration camp like conditions for the last 20 years or so, bulldozing their houses for their land, shooting their kids, controlling their land, their economy and choking them off one by one..
And when other countries like the Africans try to tell the truth (yes, the Israelis are racists..absolutely, they have dual licence plates for Palestine cars, dont let them drive on the same roads as Israelis, and occupy their country).
And we, the United states government, give more money, bombs, guns and weapons to Israel than to any other country in the world in foreign aid.., knowing (and allowing0 the Israelis to shoot, maim and rob more palestians of there property, lives and freedom.
And we have been doing that for 20 years now at least..
What else should we have expected really?
This terrorism really sucks,
also look at what we have been doing too the last 20 years.. and why a people felt so driven to do this to us..
Parent
Re:We had it coming... (Score:4, Insightful)
With regard to your words about atrocities, both sides are equally guilty of brutality. Don't lay all the blame on Israel. The main reason why we side with the Israel, aside from the Holocaust, is the fact that SEVERAL leaders of Middle eastern nations have vowed to ELIMINATE the Jews. Not "get our land back," or "defend ourselves and our way of life," but ERADICATE the jewish people. All Jews everywhere. By aiding Israel we are not participating in a mass extinction, we are trying to prevent one from happening.
Zeus_tfc
Parent
Re:We had it coming... (Score:4, Insightful)
If Palestinins did this, they have killed any chance for poeace in this generation - and the real killing is probably just beginning.
As a side note, if our airline security is so good these days, how come they were abler to use 3 (or is it 4 - just heard Camp David got hit, don't know if this is true or not) airplanes as weapons?
Parent
Re:We had it coming... (Score:4, Insightful)
That won't solve anything. I have family in Ireland, and we well know the result of that kind of an attitude. The right way forward is much harder than just bombing the crap out of a random Islamic country. It's down to GWB to do the right thing.
Regarding airline security: this is the result of the US having had it so EASY for the last 40 years. As a friend said, none of us (Euros) would have been surprised for something like this to have happened at any time, virtually, since the 1982 massacres in Beirut at least. Not to mention the many, many, many other countries around the war that the US has picked on to protect their trade interests, or to prop up some dictatorship.
Parent
Re:We had it coming... (Score:4, Flamebait)
What goes around comes around.
Also, who are you going to bomb ? Non-state entities are very difficult to attack. It almost certainly wasn't Arafat.
Finally, do you realise what you're advocating is very similar to what whoever has done this has just done. You condemn attacks against US civilians and come very close to advocating attacks against foreign civilians.
Parent
Do we become terrorist, ourselves? (Score:4, Insightful)
Oh, great! This sort of revenge attitude is precisely the kind of thing that which whe terrorists want, and the kind of thing that leads to more of these terrorist attacks.
-
We get attacked, and innocent people die, so
- we go out and 'punnish' innocent people who are vaguely associated with the cause of the killers.
- switch sides and go to step one.
Hatred and random violence are not the appropriate responses to violence. Hatred comes from fear. Generating fear in random people on the other side is only going to create an opening for those who wish to generate more hatred against us.Most notably: attacks against innocents only vaguely associated with the terrorist only helps the cause of the terrorists. It makes more people desperate and angry -- feeding the machinery of the terrorists. This is the last thing we want.
Parent
Re:FUCK YOU!!! (Score:4, Insightful)
I think I heard that one before.
Did it work then ?
Parent
cnn report (Score:5, Informative)
NEW YORK (CNN) -- What appeared to be two passenger planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan on Tuesday, leaving both towers in flames.
About 18 minutes after the first plane hit the northern tower, a second plane slammed into the southern tower, erupting into a huge fireball. The harrowing images were caught in live video.
Live pictures showed a gaping hole on the side of the northern building, several stories down from the top. Black smoke was billowing from at least two sides.
The second crash hit the second tower several stories lower than the first in a huge burst of flame.
Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, was in an office near the World Trade Center towers at the time of the first crash. He witnessed the crash.
"It was a jet, looked like a two-engine jet," Murtagh said. "It looked like maybe a 737."
Murtagh said he saw the plane "teetering back and forth, wingtip to wingtip" before the plane smashed into the side of the building.
Jeanne Yurman witnessed the explosion that followed the crash.
"At first it was like leaflets," she said, describing the debris that fell to the ground. "There was tons of debris and it continues to fall out."
Yurman said she did not see the plane.
News so far (Score:5, Informative)
8:55 one Plane or missile hits tower
9:05 secone 727 Passanger plane hits tower
Eye witnessess are pretty sure the first one was a plane, but some believe they saw a missile.
2nd crash caught on tape because news crews came to cover 1st crash.
Not sure if it is navigational error or deliberate attacks.
All I know, and could be erronous - everything is the first hour into an event like this
Re:News so far (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:News so far (Score:3, Insightful)
------
Are you BRAIN-DEAD?
BREAKING NEWS! (Score:3, Informative)
This is definitely a carefully planned deliberate attack by some large terrorist organization!
photo (Score:4, Informative)
MIRROR (Score:5, Informative)
Planes Crash Into World Trade Center
NEW YORK - An aircraft crashed into the upper floors of one of the World Trade Center towers Tuesday morning, and black smoke poured out of two gaping holes, witnesses said. Shortly afterward a second explosion rocked the other tower.
There was no immediate word on injuries or fatalities in the disaster, which happened shortly before 9 a.m.
The plane was coming in low and ... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
Large holes were visible in two sides of the 110-story building, one of landmark twin towers.
There was no immediate word on injuries or fatalities in the twin disasters, which happened shortly before 9 a.m. and then right around 9 a.m.
The towers were struck by bombers in February 1993.
"The plane was coming in low and ... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
Large holes were visible in sides of the 110-story buildings, landmark twin towers.
The tops of the twin towers were obscured by the smoke.
Thousands of pieces of what appeared to be office paper came drifting over Brooklyn, about three miles from the tower, one witness said.
The center bombingon Feb. 26, 1993, killing six people and injured more than 1,000 others.
In 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25, a twin-engine bomber, crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building in dense fog.
Parent
More pictures (Score:3, Informative)
alternative link (Score:5, Interesting)
This is the stopry on sky news
Unconfirmed report... (Score:3, Interesting)
-Henry
Re:Unconfirmed report... (Score:3, Interesting)
Because terrorists are primitive and think in a sort of 19th-century way about "symbols" and the like. To them, the World Trade Center is the symbol of America's economic success, and they think that Americans will be devastated if it is successfully attacked.
The truth is, if anything, it shows how limited and weak the terrorists really are - their one and only target has been standing there for decades and they've just finally figured out how to seriously damage it.
If they had managed to simultaneously do the same thing in multiple cities, one might be impressed at their capabilities - as it stands, woop-de-do, they can hijack two planes at the same time.
America doesn't have anything real to worry about, not that it shouldn't go after the perpetrators with everything it's got.
Re:Unconfirmed report... (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Today Show (Score:3, Informative)
BBC Coverage (Score:4, Informative)
I hope you all enjoy. The BBC ususaly is better at reporting anyway.
I saw it... (Score:4, Informative)
When I got to work in DUMBO, I saw that the other tower was on fire.
This is insanity.
url (Score:4, Informative)
PHOTOS AT BBC ONLINE!!! (Score:3, Informative)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/n
God help them (Score:3, Redundant)
oh man (Score:3, Insightful)
that said, i hope everyone is ok. the two towers make a great target for anyone. i didn't work that high up, but i can't imagine walking the stairs. they're plain concrete stairs without windows or anything. in a time of panic like this, it would be easy to get hurt simply trying to evacuate.
i really hope everyone is ok.
Latest from ABC News: (Score:4, Informative)
The second plane was shown crashing in. From the outline of the plane in the video, it was a Boeing 737 or 727. Midsized twin-engine jet, full of fuel.
Reports are confirmed of one hijacking; they are also sure that they were both planes.
I'm thanking God that my father didn't have any business in NY today. I'm also praying that none of my family were around there.
Accident...? (Score:4, Insightful)
I really don't see how this could be an accident. The rule is that any airplane accident is a combination of at least three different errors/factors.
However. Any urban area, especially one with such a dense traffic, is at all times under radar surveillance and Air Traffic Control. Unless a number of people simultaneously had their braincells commit mass suicide, this could (or should) not have happened.
I fear that this is the result of terrorism. And if the news say different, I'll be very skeptical. After all, if it were terrorism, what does this show to the US public? That they're vulnerable at any time. Not exactly a sentiment the Powers That Be would like to instill to their voters...
And one last thing. Whatever this turns out to be, and as much as people all over the world are glued to their PCs or TV sets for news, there's one thing to remember here. It's not 'exciting', it's not 'fun'. It's tragic. These were real, live people...and the news channels are having a field day.
One of the planes... (Score:3, Interesting)
My guess (at 9:33am EDT) is that both planes were hijacked.
NSA and CIA SIGINT ? (Score:5, Interesting)
How many slashdotters will rethink their views on the necessity of CIA and NSA covert SIGINT after today's tragedy?
-jerdenn
FL Today Story #1 (Score:3, Informative)
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - Two planes crashed into the upper floors of both World
Trade Center towers minutes apart Tuesday in what the President Bush said
was an apparent terrorist attack, blasting fiery, gaping holes in the 110-story
buildings. There was no immediate word on deaths or injuries.
Within the hour, an aircraft crashed on a helicopter landing pad near the
Pentagon, and the West Wing of the White House was evacuated amid threats
of terrorism.
The president ordered a full-scale investigation to "hunt down the folks who
committed this act."
One of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center had been hijacked
after takeoff from Boston, a U.S. official said, citing a transmission from the
plane.
All planes were grounded across the country by the Federal Aviation
Administration. All bridges and tunnels into Manhattan were closed down.
The twin disaster at the World Trade Center happened shortly before 9 a.m.
and then right around 9 a.m.
Heavy black smoke billowed into the sky above the gaping holes in the side of
the 110-story twin towers, one of New York City's most famous landmarks, and
debris rained down upon the street, one of the city's busiest work areas. When
the second plane hit, a fireball of flame and smoke erupted, leaving a huge
hole in the glass and steel tower.
People ran down the stairs in panic and fled the building. Thousands of pieces
of what appeared to be office paper came drifting over Brooklyn, about three
miles away.
"Today we've had a national tragedy," Bush said in Sarasota, Fla. "Two
airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist
attack on our country." He said he would be returning immediately to
Washington.
Ira Furber, former National Transportation Safety Board spokesman,
discounted the likelihood of accident.
"I don't think this is an accident," he said on CNN. "You've got incredibly good
visibility. No pilot is going to be relying on navigational equipment."
"It's just not possible in the daytime," he added. "A second occurrence is just
beyond belief."
Terrorist bombers struck the World Trade Center in February 1993, killing six
people and injuring more than 1,000 others.
Several subway lines were immediately shut down Tuesday. Trading on Wall
Street was suspended.
"The plane was coming in low and
Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
"I was watching TV and heard a sonic boom," Jeanne Yurman told CNN. "The
side of the World Trade Center exploded. Debris is falling like leaflets. I hear
ambulances. The northern tower seems to be on fire."
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the
agency is pursuing reports that one or both of the planes were hijacked and
that the crashes may have been the result of a suicide mission.
"It certainly doesn't look like an accident," said a second government official,
also speaking on condition of anonymity.
In 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25, a twin-engine bomber, crashed into the 79th
floor of the Empire State Building in dense fog.
In Florida, Bush was reading to children in a classroom at 9:05 a.m. when his
chief of staff, Andrew Card, whispered into his ear. The president briefly turned
somber before he resumed reading. He addressed the tragedy about a
half-hour later.
Watch for the attack on your rights! (Score:4, Insightful)
Congress typically feels the need to respond after some high profile incident like this. There is no way at this time to know what accually happened, or how to prevent this. (Much less how to prevent this without trampeling your rights). Still congress wants to do something, so they appear to have the ebst attentions. Odds are this will be used to trample on your rights.
Century 6, Quatrain 97 (Score:3, Interesting)
Fire approaches the great new city [New York]
Immediately a huge, scattered flame leaps up
When they want to have verification from the Normans [French].
The biggest casualty (Score:5, Insightful)
Constitution. Whenever a tragedy likes this occurs, the government always announces a get tough on terrorists policy that will have no effect on the psychopaths who do this, but will severely limit our rights.
The huge loss of life is bad enough. The subsequent loss of what truly represents what this country stands for will be intolerable.
I am looking at the Pentagon (Score:4, Informative)
windows. We heard a second large explosion around 10:30. Don't know what it was yet.
One guy here was outside when the plane hit
the Pentagon, he heard the plane's engine, saw
the fireball. We had debris coming down in the
courtyard here from the explosion. Have a couple
people from the company over at the Pentagon, but
everyone's accounted for now.
Latest from Sky news (Score:5, Informative)
Both the 1,360-ft towers have now collapsed. More than 50,000 people work in the complex.
There are also reports of an explosion at Capitol Hill and of a fourth hijacked aircraft heading towards Washington.
A separate fire forced the evacuation of the White House.
Reports are coming in that another large plane has crashed south of Pittsburgh.
Hijack
It is reported two United Airlines passenger planes were hijacked shortly before the first plane struck the Trade Centre in Manhattan.
One was thought to be a 737 capable of carrying more than 100 passengers. The other was confirmed as an American flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles. A Boeing 767 can carry up to 269 people.
A third plane has slammed into the Pentagon just outside Washington DC parts of the complex collapsed after fire engulfed the building. Much of the complex is in flames.
Gaping hole
The first plane smashed into the top stories of one of the Trade Centre's towers, leaving two gaping holes in the side.
Minutes later another aircraft approached, turned in the air and crashed into the lower storeys of the second tower - the footage was seen live on TV stations around the world.
The second explosion engulfed several floors.
A person who answered the phone on the trading floor at interdealer-broker Cantor Fitzgerald, located near the top of the World Trade Center, said: "We're f***ing dying," then hung up. There was screaming and yelling in the background. A follow up call was not answered.
"This has got to be one of the most horrendous terrorist attacks perhaps ever perpetrated," terrorism expert Chris Yates told Sky News.
Flights grounded
At least 1,000 people have been reported injured. The 110-storey towers are in lower Manhattan.
All flights to the US have been diverted to Canada. All flights in the US have been grounded. Telephone lines to New York are all down.
President Bush was in Florida at the time of the attacks but is now returning to Washington.
More follows .
Last Modified: 15:44 UK, Tuesday September 11, 2001
DONATE BLOOD (Score:5, Insightful)
here is a link that is working right now (Score:4, Informative)
More reports (Score:5, Informative)
Both Trade Center buildings have totally collapsed. A plan has hit the pentagon building.
The FAA is reporting that SEVERAL planes are unaccounted for. No word on how many of those might be hijacked or their destination, although one Trans-atlantic flight is reportedly headed for Washington,DC. As a result, fighter jets are currently flying cover over the city as everyone evacuates.
No other word so far.
More planes must land (Score:5, Informative)
Trackable here, with maps, direction, and air speed:
http://www.flightexplorer.com/FastTrack.asp
Track a random flight, or select one of particular interest.
Reports just gathered on random flights:
Continental express #4804 from GWB Intercon to Jackson Inter ETA 14:42 UTC
** American #14 from Brussels to JFK, ETA 18:28 UTC
American Airlines #2401 Dallas to Phoenix ETA 14:40 UTC
** United #26 Schiphol to Newark ETA 18:22 UTC
Delta #368 Seattle to Seattle ETA 14:34 UTC, turned back
** Air France #378 De Gaulle to Philadelphia ETA 16:17 UTC
** American #936 Simon Bolivar to Miami ETA 15:38 UTC
Northwest #1019 George Bush to Memphis ETA 14:54 UTC
Southwest airlines Kansas city to Will Rogers ETA 14:18 UTC
Southwest airlines Indianapolis to Albuquerque ETA 14:44 UTC
** Telford Aviation #106 Heathrow to General Edward Lawrence ETA 17:42 UTC
** Continental #37 Dusseldorf to Newark ETA 18:08 UTC
= Chataqua #4758 Gatwick to Orlando, has turned back
** Northwest Airlines #12 Tokyo Intl to Detroit ETA 19:14 UTC
Northwest Airlines #1843 Buffalo to Minneapolis ETA 15:13 UTC
** American #83 Frankfurt to Chicago ETA 18:33
= Delta #127 Barajas to JFK at 16:32 , has turned north
** Virgin Atlantic #27 Gatwick to Orlando ETA 18:32
= Delta #11 Gatwick to Atlanta ETA 19:33 UTC, now turned west
Flight International Jacksonville, Jacksonville circling.
** Delta #1852 Schiphol to GWBush ETA 18:14 UTC
** American Eagle #622 Frankfurt to Dallas ETA 19:53 UTC
Air Canada #993 from Toronto, turned back to Toronto
= Delta #1581 Heathrow to ? now turned north to Toronto ETA 14:17 UTC
= Unknown #LU Gatwick to BWI at 19:33 UTC, now turned back Northeast
= US Air #2296 Luis Munoz to Philadelphia ETA 16:06 UTC, now turned back south
Note that some flights may not have sufficient fuel to turn back or divert -- perhaps those from the Far East, Africa, or the Middle East are the most likely to need to land in the US.
Other options:
http://www.trip.com/trs/trip/flighttracker/flight
GS http://www.unblinking.com/
This is a sad sad day for palestine (Score:4, Insightful)
But now, this attack will rate up their with the loss of the Battleship Maine and the attack on Pearl Harbor. Who ever has done this has doomed themselves, and they have destroyed Palestine as well.
If you are religious this would be a good time to pray that no nukes are used in retaliation. There will be retatliation. Even God can't stop that.
Stonewolf
Airplanes that hit the towers (Score:4, Informative)
I saw it happen. (Score:4, Insightful)
Please, if anyone wants to help, go see your local red cross, and donate a few pints of blood. We are going to need it.
Don't take it out on your Arabic neighbours (Score:5, Insightful)
Donate Blood (Score:4, Informative)
If you cannot do that please just go and donate blood. It is desperately needed.
Re:Wrong place to post (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
sarcasm, folks (Score:5, Insightful)
Here we all are -- on Slashdot. I'm at home, and I bet that I won't go to work until late this afternoon. Most of the country is in similar shape. No missle defense shield could help this. In fact, I'm not sure that *anything* could help this. If half a dozen guys decide to hijack airplanes and crash them into major buildings, no defense shield or anything else will help.
Parent
Re:An interesting test (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Do not seek revenge against the wrong people (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent