NEWSFLASH World Trade Centre NYC is on fire [Terrorist Action 11/9/2001 - Thread 2]

You can't pay people to do suicide bombings. Crashing a plane into a building = suicide bombing. Zealots & fundamentalists modus operandi.

I think the us has plenty of enemies.

You fund the groups not the individuals. the suicide people fundamentalists think they are doing an honour for their cause. Money goes to groups/ family etc.

Ed left a message on your dad's answering machine. Hope you're ok.

No disrespect to people who have been killed, but I am seriously most scared about the US retaliation for this (if it is indeed an Arab attack)

that's the main topic here too Nick, Bush is going to unleash his gung-ho dogs

facts - 50,000 people work in the World Trade Centre buildings.

As well he should, there are probably tens of thousands of people dead. Like it or not you Brits are involved too.

I'm with Nick on this. Obviously this is horrific but I am sure America will demand a response, and will that response be measured and appropriate or just increase the loss of innocent life.

DJ Martian - surely most of these had time to evacuate before towers collapsed?
Lesley, I don't know what you mean. What are you saying Bush should do?

third-hand info via new statesman: "the city" ie london financial district is being evacuated (lotsa sirens heard in angel maybe 3.oo, none since, may be unrelated)

It is is Afghanistan/ taliban behind it, will the US - launch a full scale attack on the Taliban/ Afghan islamic fundamentalist state ?

Yeah, Stock Exchange (and Canary Wharf I think) has been evacuated as a precaution.

The evacuation effort was not finished, many were trapped - the elevators were destroyed, people were having to walk. Does anyone know when the tourist decks open up? I thought they were pretty early, like at 8 - WHERE THERE PEOPLE UP TOP????! That freaks me out completely. Plus all the transport goes thru there - a grand total of *2 million people* go thru WTC every single weekday.

I am off work today ... Hoboken is a madhouse, cops and people running around like crazy. Air Force jets zooming overhead. People on the docks looking out at where the WTC was ... all train service in and out of Hoboken is shut down ... phone service intermittent, can't call my folks to tell them I'm OK

This is too fucked up for words ... I know people at the WTC

Camp David just got hit. WTF?

"It is is" = "If it is"? (sorry djm to be pedantic, but it is NOT YET A FACT that it "is" the taliban or anyone else...)

there is still profound controversy over who was behind the berlin disco bombing (which libya was bombed for) and lockerbie

(I am suddenly extremely aware of the sounds of aeroplanes as they fly over central london)

Sirens started going in Kingston about 3pm as well, presumably heading into London.

I would assume NOTHING abt who is resonsible for this. Remember the mcveigh bombing, and all the assumptins that were made then. I hope monkey-boy, or his advisers have the wisdom to realise this

Just heard from KJ mailing list - Alex in NYC is safe.

Evac plans for a building like the WTC would work on a zoning system, suitable for fire and often meaning that people in the higher areas would not get out for 20 minutes. This is assuming that everything is free from debris and structurally sound. It is impossible to make a building on that scale easy to evacuate - you just make them more fireproof. WHich does not help in a situation like this.

This is so fucked up ... I can't even think straight

I saw too too much.

If it is - correct MS that is what I meant to say.

NO clue who's resp. for this ... I'm afraid some scapegoat's gonna get blamed with or without proof ... this jack-ass is gonna start a war over this, you watch

I work in Canary Wharf. It's a kind of unofficial evacuation. You can go home if you want to. So I'm going to.

The attacks are too well orchestrated for terrorists.

Plane near Camp David, not on it. Still!

i'm absolutely not a fan of the bush administration but i'm confindent that they will not act rashly in terms of counterattacks. Nothing was ever done about the bombing of our aircraft carrier b/c we still don't know who's responsible. I think their main concern right now would be securing our cities. But not since the brits burned down the white house has there ever been this kind of attack on american soil.

I do not advocate starting a war. I advocate a systematic investigation to find out who is responsible. If the group responsible is uncovered, we should BOMB ALL HOLY FUCK OUT OF THEM.

this is why NMD is futile

My last coworker is accounted for, he finally showed. He's from Staten Island and goes thru WTC to get in every day, we had no clue what happened to him.

Ally have you heard from fred?

Taliban have called a news conference for 15 mins time. Hmmm....

Fred is fine, he posted from his account. But he passed the news that Mike Daddino works at the WTC. :-( :-(

Taliban will be giving a press conference soon.

Tadeusz, my phone works I'm in NJ and about 4 miles from Hoboken where I live. If you need me to make a call for you, just say so.

Oh god.

Fred is ok by all accounts. Only person unaccounted for is Mike Daddino who apparently works in WTC. Pray that he is ok.

Canada has just closed its airports. Meaning there are loads of aeroplanes in the air with nowhere to land.... Paranoia making things worse?

MSNBC just reported that NYC Police are evacuating a high school (Stuyvesant?) due to a bomb threat.

I'm just as fearful about the retaliation, if not more so.

At some point they'll have to at least let people land, but that's about it.

Ed, what about Linzi? is she in nyc with you?

how many floors on the world trade centre?, reports state that anything above the 67 level would have been killed by the impact of the plane, i.e anything above this would be trapped, and the bleak pictures of the second tower of the plane crashing into the tower.

from the floors downwards from the impact, how many managed to escape before the second tower collapsed? the delay was about 15-20 minutes?

~110 floors I think.

110 Stories on WTC

My friend Ryan's just emailed me to say he's okay, thank goodness he works at the opposite end of Manhattan! He can see the devastation from the top of his building and says he's never seen anything like it. It wouldn't surprise me if he's feeling a little homesick for the graffiti strewn suburbs of South Ockendon right now.

from another mailing list

Just pulled the following off www.emergency.com, it seems some action has been anticipated since at least Friday:

"Worldwide Caution - Public Announcement

Dtd. September 7, 2001

Over the last several months, the U.S. Government has learned that U.S. citizens and interests abroad may be at increased risk of a terrorist action from extremist groups. In addition, we have received unconfirmed information that terrorist actions may be taken against U.S. military facilities and/or establishments frequented by U.S. military personnel in Korea and Japan. We are also concerned about information we received in May 2001 that American citizens may be the target of a terrorist threat from extremist groups with links to Usama Bin Ladin's Al-Qaida organization. In the past, such individuals have not distinguished between official and civilian targets. As always, we take this information seriously. U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert.

U.S. citizens are urged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness to reduce their vulnerability. Americans should maintain a low profile, vary routes and times for all required travel, and treat mail and packages from unfamiliar sources with suspicion. In addition, American citizens are also urged to avoid contact with any suspicious, unfamiliar objects, and to report the presence of the objects to local authorities. Vehicles should not be left unattended, if at all possible, and should be kept locked at all times.

U.S. Government personnel overseas have been advised to take the same precautions. In addition, U.S. Government facilities have and will continue to temporarily close or suspend public services as necessary to review their security posture and ensure its adequacy.

U.S. citizens planning to travel abroad should consult the Department of State's Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets, and regional travel brochures, all of which are available at the Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov. We will continue to provide updated information should it become available. American citizens overseas may contact the American Citizens Services unit of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate by telephone or fax for up-to-date information on security conditions. In addition, American citizens in need of emergency assistance should telephone the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before visiting the Embassy or Consulate.

Department of State travel information and publications are available at Internet address: http://travel.state.gov. U.S. travelers may hear recorded information by calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C. at 202-647-5225 from their touch-tone telephone, or receive information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from their fax machine.

This Public Announcement supersedes the Public Announcement - Worldwide Caution of June 22, 2001 to inform U.S. citizens of unconfirmed threats against U.S. military facilities, personnel and establishments frequented by U.S. military personnel. This Public Announcement expires on December 22, 2001.

See http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html for State Department Travel Warnings"

Flights involved (these are not all confirmed):

United Airlines 175 BOS-LAX (allegedly the second WTC crash)
United Airlines 93 (not sure of destination, confirmed by united.com)
At least one American Airlines flight (can't find flight #, but confirmed 164 people were lost)

There's a fourth flight, but I can't track down the info for it.

Islamic Jihad just claimed responsibility. Several Jewish friends of mine are currently arguing over whether they actually did it or not. This is in addition to anthoer Palestinian group which has claimed responsibility.