Our New Pearl Harbor 1402
Eerily, the scene invokes disaster movies -- a number of which have actually shown the World Trade Center towers being blown up. Staring across the harbor on this gorgeous day, it takes a few seconds to realize that this isn't the evocation of something new and horrible, but the real thing, our own Pearl Harbor, perhaps even worse, since it struck us closer to home and reminded us all how technology can bring us all nose-to-nose with war in seconds, and there are no real barriers between people willing to use it in evil ways and us. Technology allows us to see the building collapse before the reporters even know what has happened. We have to try and make sense of it ourselves.
The silence is stunning, unprecedented for mid-morning, mid-week anywhere near Manhattan island. Everyone is in shock. Stories, malls, business are closing, their workers crying, distracted, unsure of how to behave.
Technology turns planes into weapons. It tracks aircraft hundreds of miles away. It brings us instant and horrific images. It sends us to e-mail, telephones and cell phones to spread news, facts, rumors and stories.
We are both shocked and oddly prepared. Sci-fi and other forms of popular culture have been preparing us for this kind of Techno-Armageddon for years. Technology can do all sorts of amazing things, but it can't protect us from a handful of determined people. We've never seen anything like it, yet in a strange way we have thought of it for years.
Standing over the harbor, I did something I haven't done in 20 years. I dropped to my knees -- following the lead of a bunch of strangers -- and prayed. I have a bunch of friends in somewhere in that Techno-Armageddon, and just wanted to post these thoughts. If anybody wants to post their own, hopefully here's a good place.
News Links (Score:5, Informative)
World Leaders react [theglobeandmail.com] -- "The following are reactions from around the world to the disasters at New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon."
Related Links [theglobeandmail.com] -- US Gov't, US Military, NYC, Airlines, and Anti-Terrorism Resources.
Who Dunnit [bbc.co.uk] -- the BBC "Within minutes of the horrific chain of events unfolding at the World Trade Center, information began emerging suggesting it was not a terrible accident but a terrorist attack."
World Shock [bbc.co.uk] -- BBC "The attacks on New York and Washington have brought swift reactions of horror and condemnation from around the world."
Notable quotable: "But Iraqi television played a patriotic song that begins "Down with America!" as it showed the World Trade Center's towers falling, The Associated Press news agency reported."
America has made a permanent enemy of Iraq. I can't imagine how that will ever be changed.
Also worth noting that many mid-East leaders of all stripes and colours are denouncing this terrorist act.
Don't paint all the mid-East with one brush. This terrorist attack was the action of a very, very small radical group that is roundly despised by many mid-East civilians.
The more I watch this on television, the less real it becomes. Repetition = numb.
Evil is Evil (Score:5, Informative)
Lets not forget evil is evil and technology has nothing to do with that fact. It's just the means to an end for the evil.
There May Still Be Hope (Score:5, Informative)
Unfortunately, it looks like there were hundreds of people on the ground by the towers watching the fires burn, both when the 2nd plane hit... and when the 1st tower fell.
I've been listing my friends who make it out safe on my website, as well as adding an information I get from 1st and 2nd hand accounts of people who were there. All said it was gruesome, even after just the 1st plane hit. Pictures and a live webcam are on my site. SOMEONE PLEASE MIRROR the terrorism and webcam subsite so I don't get Slashdotted.
http://johnhaller.com/jh/terrorist/
I will also be creating a site tonight to try and help people get in touch and find people affected by this. I will post more when I have it up.
Best wishes for all everyone knows and loves to make it home safe.
a list of the buisnesses at the WTC (Score:5, Informative)
(OT)Page for those who are alive in NYC (Score:5, Informative)
It is said that cell phones are unusable, so people can post their names to make a list of survivors.
Mirrors of news sites; check Google. (Score:5, Informative)
I was there also, peoples reactions are mixed. (Score:2, Informative)
I really hope that we as a nation take the correct next step, what has happend is horrible but what could come because of it chills me to the bones. On one side I want to strike back, on the other I am scared straigh shitless of what will come from the actions that are sure to follow. Our world has changed, I mean mine and everyone else. Because where you want to see it or not this is going to have an impact on all of us, not just the US. Get ready, because someone is poking the sleeping giant and I fear what will happen.
WTC pictures from the Hudson [mesmerism.net]
last year? quite a feat (Score:2, Informative)
That would be quite a feat, since it means that President Bush has not only invented a time machine and made himself the President a couple months early, but also managed to remove legislative capabilites from Congress and vest them in himself.
Cambridge/Boston Update (Score:2, Informative)
- Both the AA and UA planes that hit the WTC came from Boston Logan and bound for LA
- 56 and 81 passengers per plane
- AA's family response number is 1-800-245-0999, UA's number is 1-800-932-8555
- The pilot and crew of one of the planes were from the Boston area
- Both planes stayed overnight in Logan airport the night before
- Families of passengers can go to the Hyatt where an emergency center is being set up
- CTO and co-founder of Akamai on one plane
- Donate blood at Beth Israel, or 25 Stuart St, or other centers. Appointments not needed, but expect long lines. Don't hesitate to give tomorrow or later this week.
- Cellular 911 seeing major congestion problems, PLEASE DON'T USE CELLULAR 911 UNLESS ABOSOLUTELY NECCESARY
- Logan Airport was surprised about the incident - claims to have known anything only after crash
- Tall buildings evacuated, including Hancock and Prudential
- Federal employees sent home
- Most non-critical city employees sent home
- Many colleges closing
- Most schools, including after-school programs, not closed
- T rides for free, extra capacity hauled out to accomidate people going home
- Northeast Amtrack shut down, including Boston-DC
- 9th district primary elections going on as scheduled
- MIT not cancelling classes, but attendance is optional, cars not allowed to enter inside campus, vigil at 5pm in front of Student Center
- No major police presense or activities (yet)
- Otherwise a nice day, sunny and a good wind. Perfect day for sailing if I weren't feeling so bad. People crying and running around the corridors. Quiet everywhere. Please don't rush to conclusions and bomb anybody until somebody takes claim and it can be substantiated. Note that Taliban, Hamas, DFLP, Jihad, and Arafat have explicitely denied involvement.
patiwat@NOSPAM.mit.edu
Pictures of the World Trade Center (Score:5, Informative)
#1467 - 1472 were taken before the second tower collapsed.
#1473 - 1474 is the National Guard deployed on Lexington Ave.
#1775 - 1746 are people trying to get out of Manhattan waiting at a bus stop.
#1477 - 1490 is lower Manhattan at 3pm.
#1491 - 1496 is two blocks from the world trade center at 3pm.
#1497 is a fire boat on the Hudson river.
#1499 - 1503 is the world trade center an surrounding buildings
#1505 is a fire truck damaged by the collapse 2 blocks away from the WTC.
#1507 - 1510 is the WTC.
#1511 - 1512 is a neighboring building.
#1513 - 1515 is the surrounding area to the WTC.
Everyone is free to forward these pictures, and use them without permission. Mirrors are welcome. --Terry
Re:Hopefully this hasn't already been posted (Score:4, Informative)
Here's his post copied for your convience. Please mod him up.
Re:What repercussions (Score:4, Informative)
When someone else has sworn to kill you, sitting around and trying to be nice is stupid. Kill them first. Or are you not paying attention to what those vermin are preaching in their newspapers, television programs, and mosques? Imagine a TV show for children which told kids how sweet the blood of the infidels smells. Or, if you'd like, move to the West Bank and watch it yourself.
They started the fight. It's time to end it.
-jon
Two 747's forced to land in Whitehorse Yukon (Score:2, Informative)
Now, my report regarding the escorted landing of two 747's at Whitehorse International Airport:
11:42am A Korean Airlines cargo 747-400 landed using every inch of available runway
11:50am We spotted another inbound jet
11:52am A Korea Airlines passenger 747 landed coming down just 15 feet above the fence....an awesome and scary sight from only 100 feet away. 3 F-18's (hard to say, they were pretty high up) escorted them in and continued to circle Whitehorse's airspace.
Luckily Whitehorse's runway had just been extended to facilitate 747's last year.
Emergency vehicles kept their distance from both planes, the passenger plane having taxied back to the north end of the runway, as far away from the terminal as possible.
A gray truck approached the passenger plane, dispersing ground personnel to chalk the wheels, then fell in behind an officer wielding a long barreled weapon and backed up behind the officer to the truck and departed the scene
A ramp was brought to the aircraft but no one left for about 20 minutes (at 12:36pm) when a single male came down and walked towards the police vehicles (we could hear the occasional word from a police loudspeaker) he made it about half way when he was obviously ordered to lift his shirt up, turn around, lift his pant legs, then he removed the shirt completely, holding it over his head while continuing to walk towards the vehicles. People with binoculars were able to see several FBI jackets amongst the police. There was a lear jet nearby which was probably used to get the FBI here from Alaska (since as far as I know we don't have any resident FBI in Yukon).
At 12:43pm we were ordered away from the area by the RCMP. Apparently for 'our own safety' - we were on crown land, outside the airport's perimeter fence.
There is the possibility that we may be receiving up to 10 planes, but I have no idea where they could park them.
Further information available at:
http://www.canoe.ca/MoneyNews/sept11_yukon-dow.
http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSWorldTrade0109/11_whit
http://cbc.ca/
OK... (Score:4, Informative)
So, basically you think we should fight fire with fire. We should become terrorists ourselves in order to punish those who committed this act. In the end, we will end up locked in a battle to the death with the terrorists responsible for today's attacks, and probably others as well. We will have no moral justification for our acts other than the same justifications that the terrorists of the world normally give. This was not the first stone to be thrown. This is just a bigger stone than usual. Most Americans don't even know what the hell our country does overseas or how our actions affect the people of other countries. Most people don't seem to really care. Is it any surprise that we've made enemies such as this?
Re:rebuilding the towers... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:New perl harbour, or? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:rebuilding the towers... (Score:2, Informative)
See this article [cnn.com].
Re:fp - mev (Score:5, Informative)
On opening day of what is still a very popular (and large) trade show, attendance was shockingly, and understandably, low. The CNN building directly across the street stood empty, evacuated against the remote possibility that it might be a target.
Streaming media products were quickly retooled and retasked. Clusters of stunned attendees and staff gathered around state-of-the-art flat panels and projection screens as today's events progressed. The 2x4 edge-to-edge video wall within the NOC has been displaying streaming media and television all day, workstation monitors spun to face outward so passerby's can have other places to view.
By 1 pm, Interop team volunteers were paired with Event staff to canvass the show floors to advise exhibitors that we'd be closing the show floor early to allow people to depart where possible. In between, people are emailing, messaging, calling, checking on loved ones. As I write this, Interop team members are still clustered within the I-Labs area, watching live newsfeeds streamed over the grid.
The shock of the incident is incredible. This is the kind of tragedy you see in movies and pray never happens. During one of a couple meetings today, someone present for the Oklahoma City bombing brought up a powerful notion: The victims of these tragedies, and the people they leave behind, need to know there is support for them, that people care. I consider myself to be a fairly thick skinned individual, and this event has struck me to the core.
We, as a chorus, are the voice of the world. Take the time to show your support. Resist the kneejerk response to lash out in anger. Even more, demolish the impulse to turn this into a laughing matter.
Allow me a brief moment to express some outrage: Within hours of the initial incident, the remains of the WTC were placed for auction on eBay. I'm sure someone thought it was funny. I'm sure some people still think it's funny. I hope those of you who do mention it in mixed company, and have to face down the family member of a victim of today's incredible tragedy.
Re:Careful about targeting one source... (Score:3, Informative)
So, what are the muslim authorities doing to get rid of that image-breaking Ben Laden???
Re:Careful about targeting one source... (Score:2, Informative)
Friday, October 13 - GAZA - Calls to kill US. (Score:1, Informative)
Following are excerpts from a sermon given Friday, October 13, in the Zayed bin Sultan Aal Nahyan mosque in Gaza, broadcast live on the official
Palestinian Authority television. The speaker is Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, Member of the PA appointed "Futwa Council" and former acting Rector of the Islamic University in Gaza:
"None of the Jews refrain from committing any possible evil. If the Labor party commits the evil and the crime, the Likud party stands by it; and if
the Likud party commits the evil and the crime, the Labor party stands by it? The Jews are Jews, whether Labor or Likud? They do not have any
moderates or any advocates of peace. They are all liars. They all want to distort truth, but we are in possession of the truth."
"O brother believers, the criminals, the terrorists are the Jews, who have butchered our children, orphaned them, widowed our women and
desecrated our holy places and sacred sites. They are the terrorists. They are the ones who must be butchered and killed, as Allah the Almighty
said: "Fight them: Allah will torture them at your hands, and will humiliate them and will help you to overcome them, and will relieve the minds of the
believers?"
"O brothers in belief, this is the case of the Jews and their habitual conduct, and what happened yesterday, and has been going on for two weeks,
and before that for many years, and which will be repeated in future years unless we stand up like men and unless we have the known Muslim
position, [the position] of those who wage Jihad in the path of Allah, those who defend their rights and who sacrifice all that is dear to them."
"O brothers in belief, the beautiful bride has a costly price and dowry? Our bride is paradise, o brothers in belief. ?The cost and the dowry of this
bride, the dowry of this paradise, is that we fight in the path of Allah, and kill and be killed."
"Allah has purchased from the believers their persons and their property in return for the promise that they shall have paradise, for they fight in the
cause of Allah, and they slay the enemy and are slain. This is a promise that He [Allah] has made incumbent upon Himself, as set out in the Torah,
and Gospel and the Koran"
"We say to the Jews, and we say to Clinton, and we say to all those who supported the Jews and still cooperate with the Jews, we say to them, that
this will not shake us, we are the Palestinian people, who are positioned in the land of the Isra' and Mi'raj. It will not shake a single hair of ours. Our
determination will not sway. We will raise the banner of Jihad?"
"America and Europe and the world were shocked by the kidnapping of three tramps, the kidnapping of three wretched soldiers, and the killing of
two in Ramallah. But their feelings were not moved, and they did not shudder when they say the children Muhammad ad-Durrah and other women,
and men, and youths - being martyred by cannons and missiles, and all the barbaric instruments and the Jews possess."
"They were moved, for the sake of five persons, and the world went into turmoil and it will not stop for Clinton or for the old hag Albright, they will
not be relieved, and they will not cease to be concerned, and they will not rest until the Jews return to their families. But as for the Palestinians, as for
this pure blood, it can go to Hell in the eyes of the Americans and Europe and the Jews"
"This is the truth, O Brothers in belief. From here, Allah and almighty has called upon us not to ally with the Jews or the Christians, not to like them,
not to become their partners, not to support them, and not to sign agreements with them. And he who does that, is one of them, as Allah said: "O you
who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies, for they are allies of one another. Who from among you takes them as allies will
indeed be one of them"
"The Jews are the allies of the Christians, and the Christians are the allies of the Jews, despite the enmity that exists between them. The enmity
between the Jews and the Christians is deep, but all of them are in agreement against the monotheists - against those who say, 'There is no God but
Allah and Muhammad is his messenger,' that is they are against you, O Muslims."
"Even if an agreement of Gaza is signed - we shall not forget Haifa, and Acre, and the Galilee, and Jaffa, and the Triangle and the Negev, and the
rest of our cities and villages. It is only a matter of time. The weak will not remain forever weak, and the strong will not remain forever strong? If we
are weak today? and we are not able to regain our rights, then at least we have to pass on the banner - waving high - to our children and
grandchildren?"
"None of the factions is allowed to stand on the sidelines at this stage, or not to think well of avenging our pure martyrs and wounded. ?Our people
must unite in one trench, and receive armaments from the Palestinian leadership, to confront the Jews. By Allah, the Jews, O brothers in belief, do
not know, nor have they ever known throughout history, anything but force and Jihad in the path of Allah. The Jews are like a [gas] pedal - as long
as you step on it with your foot, it doesn't move, but if you lift your foot from it, it hurts you and punishes you. That is the case of the Jews."
"Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are, in any country. Fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them, kill them.
Wherever you are, kill those Jews and those Americans who are like them - and those who stand by them - they are all in one trench, against the
Arabs and the Muslims - because they established Israel here, in the beating heart of the Arab world, in Palestine. They created it to be the outpost
of their civilization - and the vanguard of their army, and to be the sword of the West and the crusaders, hanging over the necks of the monotheists,
the Muslims in these lands. They wanted the Jews to be their spearhead"
"Let us put our trust in Allah, close ranks, and unite our words, and the slogan of us all should be, 'Jihad! Jihad! For the sake of Palestine, and for the
sake of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa!'"
"We will not give up a single grain of soil of Palestine, from Haifa, and Jaffa, and Acre, and Mulabbas [Petah Tikva] and Salamah, and Majdal
[Ashkelon], and all the land, and Gaza, and the West Bank?"
"Allah, deal with the Jews, your enemies and the enemies of Islam. Deal with the crusaders, and America, and Europe behind them, O Lord of the
worlds."