World Trade Center Towers and Pentagon Attacked...

Terror attacks hit U.S. September 11, 2001 Posted: 1457 GMT

People walk away from the World Trade Center as ash rains down. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Terrorists struck the United States Tuesday morning in harrowing, widespread attacks that included at least three commercial jet crashes into significant buildings.

* In the first attack, a plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan shortly before 9 a.m., followed by another plane into the second tower about 20 minutes later. Both towers later collapsed.

* About an hour later, a plane crashed into the Pentagon, part of which later collapsed.

* American Airlines told CNN that it lost two planes in "tragic accidents:" Flight 11 from Boston with 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard and Flight 77 from Washington Dulles airport with 58 passengers and six crew aboard. Both planes were en route to Los Angeles

* United Airlines Flight 93 airliner headed from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, crashed near Somerset, Pennsylvania -- police said initial reports indicated no survivors. It was not known if this was connected to the attacks. United also said it was "deeply concerned" about Flight l75 from Boston to Los Angeles.

* The Pentagon, the White House, the State Department, the Justice Department, the Capitol, the CIA and all other government buildings in Washington evacuated.

* In the first ever national ground stop of aircraft, all flights nationwide have been stopped at their departure airports.

* All international flights were diverted to Canada.

* Israel has evacuated all its missions around the world.

* President Bush cancelled an appearance in Florida to return to Washington, calling the crashes "apparent terrorist attacks" and "a national tragedy."

* In Chicago, the Sears Tower was evacuated; United Nations in New York evacuated.

* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta was evacuated. CDC was preparing bioterrorism teams in case they become necessary.

* The New York Port Authority said it had closed all bridges and tunnels into the city.

* New York's Bellevue Hospital was designated command central for handling the catastrophe. Several hospitals have already reported receiving victims with burns and head injuries.

* U.S. stock markets were closed after the New York attacks.

Nostradamus once wrote: "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

I always believed in the words of the great Nostradamus. Again, he prophesized the truth.

You are so right there. The moment I saw the video footages of the twin towers getting hit and collapsing instantly reminded me of the Nostradamus quartrain.

I find it so appalling and terrifying that many lives were lost. What I'm afraid of right now is that I may have friends working in that area.

Sometimes I find that everything we do is useless. We "fight" or at least advocate the freeness of software. But what is it compared to the freeness of living? What about all those innocents (several thousands) that where killed just because they were in the wrong building at the wrong time, doing what they think is safe? What about those crew members and those passengers that wanted to go to Los Angeles or simply were doing their job? I think that everything is more important than what we do here.

PS: please consider this as a thinking, not an attack.

Uh, the first part matches up, but the second doesn't.

That's the problem with believing something like Nostradamus' prophesies- the stuff was worded so that he'd not run afoul of the Inquisition. The stuff could mean ANYTHING.

I am saddened by the pointless loss of life... and also scared as hell by what will be pushed through by our government with this as justification. Keep your eyes open, things are going to get ugly.

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." - William Pitt, 1783

"Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin

Today's events are the Pearl Harbor/JFK of this generation down to the sheer enormity of them. I have been horrified at the immense loss of life that has taken place today. I sincerely hope that every Advogateur here is unhurt and that your families are OK.

I also hope that todays events will not result in a backlash against the net, encryption and other tools that may have helped the terrorists commit such an atrocity

Could you quote century and quatrain on that quote? I'm having trouble finding it.

By the way, I thought the second half of that ("The third big war...") was from a different quatrain.

I do not know is it correct - I got it from "venom.irc" script for ircII by VeNoM v2.07c by Dethnite

On the third day of the second month, in the year of TwoThousand - and One, there will be war. There will be death... There will be -- Armageddon.
Nostradamos

All are overhelmed.... but what if tomorrow whould be next act? And in different countries? (like in Afganistan)

Also.... it's pity ,that such deathes will lead to more deathes..... it's recursion...

How does one classify a suicidal terrorist? Are they driven by religous, economic, political or philosophical beliefs? Do they see themselves as an offering to a greater cause? Or just simply brainwashed?

The Nostradamus quote seems to be a hoax, even though it is hitting my inbox with never tiring intensity.

My main concern right now though, are my friends in New York and Boston. I think the entire event is to horrible to even grasp and I agree with the original submission on the need of some silence and contemplation.

This is probably one of the most dire events of our lifetimes. I'm not a religious person but if there ever was a time for prayers this is it.

Mikael

With the right interpretation of the Islam you can justify such an action. You can find a paper about it here and some more general information about the Islam here, but I have no idea how trustworthy these sources are.

Sorry, with "the right interpretation" I did not want to say that this is the correct interpretation of the Islam, but that at least you can find one if you want to.

I have never seen that quote before and believe it to be fake. Also no way do I consider NY to be the city of God.

Is it just me? I find it startling some entries here both in the diaries and here are somewhat way below my expections. I think we should talk about it and write our feelings down and express them, otherwise, it's going to get out in some other ways. I choose to write them here so all my fears are channeled in a peaceful way.

To me, I'm just starting to realize how big the attack was. That attack was probably the worst that I've ever seen in my whole life. Nothing was ever much worse than what I've seen. I just couldn't shake the thought of those people who were on board the plane, whose lives were taken by terrorists. To the people who were inside the plane that gave their lives trying to save plane. To those poor souls who were in the WTC buildings. And most of all, the rescuers and police who were caught by the collapsing building.

I hope that we handle our emotions well. I know most men aren't really good at expressing their emotions and I urge you please handle it well.

Let's talk about it here or write it out on your diary.

Peace Be With Us.

No? Well, here's proof:

http://www.ed.brocku.ca/~nmarshal/nostradamus.htm

Capsule summary: this is a high school paper that attempts to explain how gullible people are for believing the "nostradamus" crap, and the "two brothers" quote is a made up example of an abstract prediction that could be interpreted in lots of different ways to fit future events.

I hope Neil Marshall got an A on his paper, because he sure was right :)

I'm sorry for what happened in the US. But I take extreme offense about blaming this on Islam. How come Timothy McVeigh was not declared a "christian extremist"?

Anyway, thats not the issue. It is very premature to predict who did this. In the Oklahoma bombing, it was automatically assumed an Arab was to blame for the bombing, and an Arab was arrested for it...Until the cops realized they were wrong.

Don't be so quick in judging.

I live in Germany but I lived for two years in Boston, and made many friends in America.

My sister was in New York on business: I heard last night that she is well, and at the other side of Manhattan during yesterday's attack. I have two good friends who worked in New York, both in the financial ditrict and one for Deutsche Bank in the WTC building: I heard only an ahour ago that they were both OK (it is still difficult to call New York mobile numbers). Another colleague of mine Prof. Assaf Kfoury, has relatives in New York, but I have not heard from him yet.

I've found this attack upsetting. I'm glad that Libya and Afghanistan have condemned the attacks as evil and against Islam, I hope this helps to stop George Bush from perpetrating atrocities against innocent people in those countries.

Rakholh is very right - and I would go further and say that what is important is not finding out who is to blame, retalliating, or dancing the war-dance of sweet revenge. It is helping those who have lost loved ones, care-givers, supporters, family, friends, colleagues. It is helping to restore health and safety.

The media are quick to assign blame, but even if Islamic people were invovled, that does not mean all such people are terrorists, or intolerant, or filled with hate. Don't hate others: hate their hatred. We all live together in communities.

Perhaps a few hundred children will have lost one or both parents this week, and there will be many single mothers who find themselves suddenly without income or support.

I'm with Ali on this one. Fundamentalists have far more in common with each other than with the people whose religon they claim to share. Middle Eastern terrorists have nothing to Islam and I won't hold islamic people responsible for their actions - just like I won't hold all jews responsible for the attrocities in palestine and like I won't hold all catholics responsible for the terrorism of the IRA.

I understand what Ali Abdin is trying to say and certainly think that Islam is not to be blamed for it. I know most religions profess peace and harmony is much higher than almost anything. I have also spent two years learning arabic and have now come to a level where I can read and write at a beginner level. I have also provided assistance to others who can't read the Koran and voluntered myself in helping them read it, though I don't consider myself a muslim. With that, I was able to know, understand and relate to some of my muslim friends.

However, I have reasons to believe that for every religion there are certain groups who are going to initiate conflict and inflict terror with the goal of pursuing their beliefs. Perhaps it is borne out of seeing others as gentiles and worthy of being decimated off the face of the planet.

But the thing that I don't understand is why the militant behavior behind a religuous facade? One example I could give relating to the attack is here. That is just one example I could give, I'm sure there are others out there involving other religions that are also into this kind of activities.

But the thing that I don't understand is why the militant behavior behind a religuous facade?

Because people need a "good" cause in order to perpetrate a "bad" act. Note, for example, how Bush stressed the idea that the terrorist attacks were attacks on "democracy" and "freedom", even though they strictly speaking were not. "Democracy" and "freedom" are good causes, and it will help people live with the retaliation that is to come. (Note to conspiracy theorists: I don't know if this was a conscious act on Bush's behalf or not. Neither do you.)

Hell, ESR thinks we should be able to carry firearms on planes in the name of "freedom" or "liberty" or something. That an undoubtedly intelligent person can suggest this with a straight face should be a clue that none of us are immune.

Let's face it: the ends justify the means in most peoples' minds.

it's an indicative sign of the level of consciousness of the people involved, that they can disassociate the consequences of atrocities by cross-associating with powerful, positive words. and in case i have to spell it out, i am referring to both the terrorists _and_ the united states president.

my guess is that the terrorists also use the word 'freedom' a lot, too, just as george bush and other western leaders are encouraging people by using the word 'freedom' a lot, too, as you say.

It's a crime, not an act of war. For anyone who would disagree, I ask: "if war, then with which country?" -russ