9/11 Extra: Planes Crash Into World Trade Center

[Whit]

Hey Dham, how's this for a reason this date was chosen. Isn't today the anniversary of the Camp David Peace Accord/Treaty?
That seems like a good bet.

I'm still numb from the idea that they hijacked these planes with KINIVES, not guns or bomb's. Incredible.

[wolf]

Originally posted by Whit
Hey Dham, how's this for a reason this date was chosen. Isn't today the anniversary of the Camp David Peace Accord/Treaty?
That seems like a good bet.

My guess was that the date was chosen for it's general memorability ... 911 ... this certainly is an emergency.

I learned today that my boyfriend's sister works in the WTC. We still haven't heard anything. I don't know which tower she was likely to be in.

Also, my personal involvement may get deeper. I am a critical incident stress managment debriefer, and the Montgomery County team is on alert for possible activation to go to provide service to fire, ems, and police personnel in NYC.

The world is changed forever.

[elSicomoro]

I was plugging away on the phone at work today, when someone made an offhand comment just after 9 this morning...

"Hey, a plane crashed into one of the World Trade Towers..."

Unfortunately, my company has a firewall up, so I can't access the internet. A short time later, I hear that another plane has crashed into the second tower. From there, the news continued to trickle out further. At 11:30, we sent all the parents home, which took about 1/3 of our workforce. One employee's sister was at the WTC--she got out. Another employee's mother works there--no word yet.

During lunch, I scanned my boss's computer (since he has the net). I was only able to access the Washington Post. Quite frankly, it was frightening. My fiance used to drive by the Pentagon every morning, and worked a mere 10 minutes from there.

Then I saw this particular number: 50,000. 50,000 people possibly dead?! On our own soil? At this point, all the chaos seemed so unreal.

Then further news: Palestinians celebrating. Immediately, the anti-Arab sentiment started rising. I tried to keep my own employees in line by trying to focus them on work...although it was admittedly difficult.

At times during the day, I would begin to tear up. No god, goddess, or creator would ever justify something like this as means to an end. Why on earth would someone or some people feel a need to commit an act like this? In most religions, suicide is the ultimate sin that bars you from the pearly gates. In my opinion, there is no real honor in killing yourself. Rather than carry themselves like dignified human beings, they cowardized themselves...possibly killing thousands in the process.

As I drove home about 5:30, there was an eerie calm. The Schuykill Expressway was quiet, as if it were a Saturday morning and not the middle of rush hour.

I got home and had a chance to see some of the taped feeds. The only pictures I had seen online were the damage to the first building (before the second plane hit) and a picture of the second building collapsing. Unreal...

But perhaps the picture that was most jarring was shown about 8pm on NBC. Someone had climbed out one of the towers and jumped. The camera followed the jumper's fall until blocked by another building. My fiance burst into tears.

I am relieved, however, that some of things I had initially heard were not true (e.g. that there were 8 unaccounted planes; that the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania was shot down by the military).

If any of you lost friends or loved ones, let me offer my deepest condolences.

I don't believe that God is an angry God, nor do I question God. Whoever committed these attacks, or was responsible for authorizing them, will be punished--severely. I don't anticipate France or Russia giving the US too much of a hard time on this one.

At this point though, the only thing we as American citizens, and as a country, can do is move forward. Obviously, it is a time for mourning right now. However, if we let ourselves crumble at this tragedy, then we only show the world, and these terrorists, how weak we are. I'm not one for patriotism or anything like that, but we really do need to rally the troops here: do what we can to help, stick together, "rebuild" our damaged psyche, and keep the faith.

[Undertoad]

The Tom Clancy book Executive Decision opens with Congress and the President being offed by an errant Japanese pilot who divebombs directly into the capitol.

The sort of thing the new President points out goes well here. The country's psyche may be shaken, but the infrastructure - well 99.9% of it - is still here. And the people who make that infrastructure go are still here.

While we may have a new view of terrorism, and a vengeance to do away with it completely, the things that really make the country operate from day to day are going to go back online.

The more shaken we are, the more the terrorists win. We should show how strong we are by making tomorrow the most productive day in months. I know I will.

We should stand up, call time, dust off the front of our uniforms, and ask: ...is that all ya got?

[Nothing But Net]

This is obviously best-documented mass-murder in history.

There was, undeniably, a major breakdown in airport security. How could this happen?

As a person who is scheduled to fly in a few weeks, I am understandably concerned.

If it will ensure my safety, I would undergo a strip-search, if need be.

This country will survive. It always has, and always will.

Whoever the perpetrators are, we will bury you, I promise.

Don't f*** with the USA.

- Nothing But Net

[Count Zero]

Somebody sent me this :


"In the City of God there will be a great thunder, Two brothers torn apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb"
"The third big war will begin when the big city is burning"
-- Nostradamus 1654


Comments ? ;-)

My mom went to the US last week. She was first in Washington, but now she is in Boston. I got scared out of my wits, even though I never thoght she could be in danger. But the images of those people falling of the WTC were too impressive.

A friend of ours, whose house my mom is staying at, works at Oracle, and he knew some people that worked at the Oracle office in the now extinct WTC. Just terrible.

[Nothing But Net]

If true, this has to be be the most accurate prediction Nostradamus ever made.

Do you have a cite?

If you do, THAT IS SCARY!

Please, please respond, and tell me no, it's not true... - NBN

[tw]

Some background notes:

NYC has just lost almost all TV stations 2, 4, 5, 7, 11 which include ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. However most FM stations used the Empire State or other facilities. These are guesses that only NYC area residents can confirm. Ironically 2 (CBS) used the WTC for analog but (I think) used the Empire State Building for digital broadcasting.

For some reason, many NYC AM stations were also off air for some hours as best I could tell.

Little known was how close the WTC came to collapse in the 1993 bombing. Theoretically both towers should not have survived in 1993.

Morgan Stanley Dean Witter had 50 floors of offices - almost the entire company.

The WTC was 10% of NYC's office space.

One NYC fireman morned the death of his friend killed by a falling body. Missing will be many of NYC's fire Department including top officers since they went in to fight a big fire. It was the fire, not the shock from the plane, that brought down all three buildings.


How well did your news service operate. ABC News was doing a superb job compared to NBC and Fox. However local ABC's Action News would keep interrupting good facts to report how Philadelphia was severely impacted. IOW Jim Garnder and company just want more air time; no matter how nothing they had to report. By his air time, you would have though the WTC rubble fell into Philly. Garnder would have been more responsible by reporting the weather. Just to stop hearing Action News very embarrassing 'need to show face', I setup an antenna to receive an ABC station located elsewhere. What a relief to not deal with the local mentalities of WPVI's Action gossip.

For example, just as ABC network was reporting what business were located where, instead Jim Gardner interrupts with nonsense - maybe something silly like schools are closing or was it the report how fast people were lowering flags to half mast. Does he ever report News?

I am rather pleased with ABC Network news especially Peter Jennings. First they eliminated alot of those unnecessary teary eyed bullshit reports. They put all those rumors into perspective so that 4 more planes are not missing over the US and so that we are not attacking Afganistan. They even took Sen Hatch through a grilling when Hatch had made some most misleading and easily misinterpreted comments by partially leaking an intelligence briefing.

Also from what was leaked. The CIA bluntly put the facts on the table also noting bluntly that they had been providing this material previously. Remember the invasion of Kuwait? Another Pres Bush made a special trip to the CIA to apologize when again another administration had ignored CIA's warnings that Iraq was going to invade.

Keep in mind the comment made by Bush. If taken as he stated it, then any country identified as supporting or harboring these terrorist, either now, previously, or in the future can worry ... that the US Congress will declare war on that nation. How might he back out of that statement? Easy because of how it was phrased. But the message could be chilling - or an idle threat.

Massive insurance payments will require extensive money withdrawn from the stock markets. Bush may just get the recession he wanted when he took office.

So where is the need for Bush's multi-$billion defense shield? They didn't even use guns - used knives. They didn't even use weapons of mass destruction. Where should those $billions really be spent? Certainly not to defend rockets that will not exist - when airliners and knives can kill thousands.

Nostradamus - how embarrassing since his comments could apply to most any disaster. To think a Nostradamus prediction is scary is equivalent to worshipping gods who live on Mt Olympus - then blaming the gods when the crops don't grow. We are expected to think logically - not wish we could see the future through tarot cards.

[jaguar]

.......i don't know what to say any more. Mum woke me up saying there had been a disaster in the US, i didn't know what till I logged into slashdot, then CNN. I was shellshocked. At school we have been watching it all day, mostly CNN feeds on TV and news websites. Knifes aren't hard to get on to domestic flights, creamics or glass work well and are hard to pick up by dectector.

Yea i saw that quote on slashdot - we'll see about the last two bits of it. Anyway i wouldn't call Shrub a great leader - no matter what Fox News says =P

General opinion is that its Osama bin laden. If it is i really do hope they nail his ass to a wall for this one. Literally.

.............................*sighs*

[Nothing But Net]

YOU don't know what happened on those airplanes! You shouldn't be second guessing the heroism or lack thereof onboard, you fucking unproven hero. What an asshole you are, cocksucker!

Fuck Off, asshole.

[jaguar]

On the upside X10 ahve suspended thos fucking ads !!

*something* not awful had to come out of this. Our school is flying a US flag (obviously they were keeping it in rediness of becoming the 61st state) at half mast....

Have to agree with tw on nostrodamus though. What was that quote about creationisim working when u twisted and bent it until it fit the best science can currantly muster came to mind.

[Nothing But Net]

These were the quotes from 'tw' that I found offensive:

"Massive insurance payments will require extensive money withdrawn from the stock markets. Bush may just get the recession he wanted when he took office.

So where is the need for Bush's multi-$billion defense shield? They didn't even use guns - used knives. They didn't even use weapons of mass destruction. Where should those $billions really be spent? Certainly not to defend rockets that will not exist - when airliners and knives can kill thousands."

If you feel the same way, then you're on the list as well.

If you are not my friend, then you give solace to my enemy!

NBN

[jaguar]

sorry net i didn't see your heading when i read that the first time.
then i change the message entirely just to confuse you =P (joking)

I assume your anger is aimed at the dry nature of his comments - rather than their content themselves. I agree with you - this is not a time for political trolling.

On the other hand going on a jihad yourself (oh that was a poor choice of words wasen't it) won't help. Save the anger for those responsible.

*straps on fireproof gear in case*

[Nothing But Net]

To all concerned,

I have several friends in the New York City area.

I don't have any idea of their condition.

Now is not the time to joke with me.

NBN

[jaguar]

We realised that (your not in a good mood)
Personally I extend my deepest condolences, overused as that phrase is. I'm sure the rest of cellar does too.