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U.S. Attack -- More Updates
I'm trying to get stuff together, and post an update: The Pentagon, which evidently has partly collapsed with a chasm 200-300 feet across, and fires on six
stories, has ordered the USS JFK and George Washington into NYC. PLEASE GIVE BLOOD. Over 200 firemen are reported missing, and
reports of 50,000 dead in the WTC collapse are being bandied about. Dick Cheney has assumed control of the White House, and is in the situation room there. GWB is not returning to the White House until things have calmed down -- and has gone evidently to an undisclosed location. The [CDC] in Atlanta has largely evacuated but has activated their bioterrorism
units. American Airlines flight 11, the first to crash into the WTC, was going from BOS -> LAX. There are rumors of Akamai's founder being onboard on Flight 11, As well, the rumor is that the pilot of United Flight 193 flew it in
into the ground, outside Pittsburgh, rather then fly into the USX building, which if true, makes him a better person then I -- but there are also rumors that it was shot down by a F-16. United Flight 175 also crashed into the WTC, according to Boston.com, and originated from Boston -- so the WTC was both Boston
flights. Reports of a car bomb that was supposed to have gone off int front the State Department have been denied. In a statement, the Taliban government of Afghanistan has denied any involvement, and Yassar Arafat has denounced the attack. Remember: No one knows who did this yet, so don't make any assumptions -- remember what people
first thought about the OKC attack. In other news, the US - Mexico/Canada borders are being heavily screened; all air traffic has been grounded; nationwide federal
buildings are being evacuated; NATO personnel in Brussells have been sent home, Israeli embassies worldwide have been evacuated, all U.S. Disney parks shut down;
major parts of European cities, Britain in particular, are being shut down; stock trading is shut down in all major European and American exchanges. There are 50 flights still in the air, with 2
international flights that have yet to respond. F16s from the US Air Force has been instructed to shoot down flights in a no fly zone over NYC & DC - an AVI of the WTC plane or mpeg here.
More as we
know.Update: 09/11 18:10 PM GMT by H :I've heard on NPR that all flights and planes are now accounted for -- but that a fifth crash has occurred in an undisclosed location. As well, a car bomb did go off in front of the State Department, and there was a crash near Camp David. There's a well done timeline - we also had a report from someone who lives 3 miles away from the PA crash. Evidently the plane veered several times, and then smashed into an abandoned strip mine - which was luckily not near any people or anything.
Here are emergency contact numbers for the airlines with planes down.
American Airlines - 800-245-0999
United Airlines - 800-923-8555
Hope this helps
I am me...I think
http://www.penguinradio.com/ has live streams of the DC Police Special Operations channel. This is a shoutcast MP3 feed.
Even if you're not in NYC, blood supplies can be moved around, and are desperately needed in a situation like this. Given the situation, does anybody know if they'll accept donations from folks who gave less than 8 weeks ago?
Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
Continual updates on poliglut. And we're still operating without lag.
Please, no matter where in the country you are - GIVE BLOOD! Blood banks all across the nation will be getting blood and plasma to NY and DC at this time, and we already have a serious shortage nationwide. If you're over 17 years old, 110 lbs, and have no STDs, call 1-800-give-life and find out where you can donate.
Think outside the... Hey, where'd the friggin' box go?
If you are looking for news, you will find the most current information on TV or radio.
Many online news services are not available, because of extremely high demand.
Below are links to cached copies of news sites as they appeared earlier today.
Breaking news: Attacks hit US [Washington Post - CNN.com (cached)]
The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
I have been watching a continuous video feed for the past hour from http://www.sky.com/skynews/home/
BTW, they www.sky.com runs Solaris. So does washingtonpost.com - which was one of the few sites that was up. I don't promote Solaris - but it is interesting.
About 3,000 have been killed since the sixties in Northern Ireland related violence. I suspect that today's deaths dwarf that figure.
Xenu loves you!
I've already posted this in the earlier topic, but it's a bit buried.
The date itself indicated that this is probably a Palestinian action. September 11th is the mean date of the Camp David Accords, which essentially ended the conflict between Egypt and Israel and indirectly lead to the current conflict there.
You were eaten by a grue.
Here are some pictures taken by a co-worker. I could see the WTC burning this morning on my way to work. http://www.netbsd.org/~groo/
www.bleepyou.com
Not sure if this has been posted yet...
Today is September 11th...
September 11th was also the date that certain conditions were reached under the Camp David accord, a treaty which terrorist groups have regularly rallied against.
I alternate between posting +5 and -1 Comments. Karma: +53 -47 = 6
BBC reported that a US statesman as saying this is the second pearl harbour
It is not
Pearl Harbor was an attack during a time of global war on a military installation that cost a total of 2,403 lives.
This attack occured during a time of peace on civilain installations and the death toll is being estimated at over ten times that of Pearl Harbor (at least).
Phone Center number 1-800-387-3624. Not sure if that's just for Canadian or for generally anyone in NYC.
There is a big hole IN the Pentagon where an airplane crashed into it. It is ONLY 5 stories tall (well, there is that *alleged* basement), 5 sides, 5 rings. A 300 foot hole can not swollow the worlds most massive office building.
Plane crashed by the helliport, on the Southwest side. Most reports are that it hit between the E and D rings (outermost ring is E).
Not sure if this was the wedge that is currently under renovation or not.
There are confirmed dead adults in the building. None of the children in the daycare center were harmed. All of the children are accounted for and safe.
Verizon is asking everybody in the DC area to stay off of ANY phone line unless it is an emergency.
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
Immediate
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien expressed his horror at the news that the United States has been the victim of multiple terrorist attacks :
"I was stricken by news and television pictures coming from the United States this morning. It is impossible to fully comprehend the evil that would have conjured up such a cowardly and depraved assault upon thousands of innocent people. There can be no cause or grievance that could ever justify such unspeakable violence. Indeed, such an attack is an assault not only on the targets but an offense against the freedom and rights of all civilized nations.
All Canadians are praying that the brave firefighters and rescue crews who currently on the scene will be successful in limiting the casualties. We stand ready to provide any assistance that our American friends may need at this very, very difficult hour and in the subsequent investigation.
Aline joins me in offering, on behalf of all Canadians, our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the American people.
- 30 -
PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
This document is also available on the following Web site:
http://pm.gc.ca
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/webcam s/eyeondc.htm - just got the idea to search for webcams and I found this one aimed at the Pentagon. You could probably find many more out there from http://www.webcam-index.com/USA/ or something like this site.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Oh bother.
no no... I'm kidding... really
The Cdn Blood Agency has lots of locations, might even set up triage sites for those situations needing "emergency" supplies. Check your local phone books for numbers to contact the Canadian Blood Services.
I just donated a few weeks ago so I can't give again. Those people who don't donate because they "can never find the time" should get off their asses now.
Also, Major League Baseball has canceled all games tonight in order to reduce traffic country wide and also because they felt it would be more important for families to spend time together at home rather than go to an entertainment event.
Here in San Diego there are several buildings that have been cleared and are shut down. Remember, even though we're on the opposite side of the country from New York we do have a tremendous amount of military installations here. (North Island Navy, Miramar Marines, Point Loma Submarine base, Camp Penalton Marine base, Point Loma SPAWAR and NOSC (battle simulation research and development) as well as the Marine Corp Recriutment Training Depot (Marine Boot Camp)) So when stuff like this happens we get justifiably nervous.
Just heard that the city is on "tactical alert". All non-essential city workers have been sent home. Only Fire, Police etc are working today. The San Diego Federal Buiding and most of the tall downtown buildings are closed.
Hey folks, give your kids some extra hugs. It's been a rough day.
http://mambo.fiberio.net/ has quite a bit of both TV captures, personal pics, and video of whats been happening. It still amazes me how quickly news, pictures, and video can spread today thanks to our little friend, the internet.
So far, Nellis AFB is on Delta Security Level (as are all military bases, by now, I'm sure) and the Hoover Dam is closed to traffic. People are being diverted to Laughlin by US 95. The Meadows Mall, Stratosphere Tower and Convention Center are also closed. School is still in session, as well as UNLV.
US currency is trading at 1.4759 USD to 1 GBP, according to Yahoo! Finance.
Often in Error, Never in Doubt.
Latest from WTPOP-FM Washington, DC/Manassas, VA
Mayor Williams of DC has just declaired state of emergency in DC. DC Government closed.
VA Governor declairs State of Emergency.
Camp David airplane crash report is false.
Regan National Airport to remain closed until at least 1100 12 Sep 2001
Massive gridlock leaving DC, similar to the first flake of snow day in this area (locals will know what I mean).
Reminders that low flying aircraft around Dulles and National Airports are US MILITARY aircraft, NOT foreign.
Reminders to stay off the phone.
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
The flights that crashed into the WTC towers were both American flights. Straight from a story on Boston.com, there's a breakdown on the known plane crashes:
-American Flight 11
Boston to Los Angeles
A Boeing 767 with 81 passengers, nine flight attendants, and two pilots aboard crashed into the World Trade Center.
-American Flight 77
Washington-Dulles to Los Angeles
A Boeing 757 with 58 passengers, four flight attendants and two pilots crashed into the World Trade Center.
-United Flight 93
Newark, N.J. to San Francisco
A Boeing 757 with 38 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants crashed southeast of Pittsburgh.
-United Flight 175
Boston to Los Angeles
A Boeing 767 with 56 passengers, two pilots and seven flight attendants crashed, but United won't say where
Perl - $Just @when->$you ${thought} s/yn/tax/ &couldn\'t %get $worse;
http://robots.cnn.com...it's mostly text and hasn't been overloaded yet.
www.code-fix.com
1) Atomic bombs on Japan
....
2) Attacks on Iraq (A couple of days before US attacked Iraq)
3) Kosovo
4) Palestine (US have vetoed all of the security counsel resolutions in favour of Israel who uses US made weapons to kill innocent citizens).
5) Vietnam
6) Somalia
.... the list goes on and on
You can find a listing here and good old MapQuest here.
My boyfriend and I are going to Goveurnor's on the Lower East Side. You can also call 800.933.BLOOD (800.933.2566) for locations, but good luck getting through.
Peace, everyone.
Im setting up a mirror of Neck_of_the_Woods' pictures.
http://mesmerism.net/wtc.html
Consider giving blood components.
I know a lot of places run people in to "donate" plasma - and then give the donors a check for a ~1 - 2 donation. The check structure is based so that those who need the income, are prompted to go in on a regular basis:
1st week:
Day 1 $25
Day 2 $15
2ND WEEK:
DAY 3 $20
DAY 4 $25
These places take in just about anyone, but test blood before thaey take it. There is usually long lines and it's uncomfortable.
If you don't like taking money for blood donations, check out Carter Blood Center. They will accept platelet donations 2x per week, and repay donors with the standard cookie / apple juice fare. It's also a longer process - about 1n hour, and you've got needles in both arms. But the nurses have to totally wait on you, and they let you bring in movies to watch, or watch the ones there. An excellent setup. As an added bonus, there's the excuse to drink two extra milkshakes a week - this is recommended to make up for the Calcium and protein loss.
It should be noted that plasma can be donated every 48 hours prn for use. Plasma is mainly used for preemies, and in this case, burn victims. From what they told me, if you are a burn victim and don't get enough plasma, you die.
Plasma is just the fluid portion of your blood. The process takes about 45min with a machine that looks like a dialysis machine. I've done it before, boring, but real easy to do. I suggest if you want to donate, think about plasma. If you drink enough Gatorade/water, you can come back two days later and do the same thing. Call the RedCross if you are interested. I'm sure they need it right now.
For those in the UK (who may be unable to get through to the US), the UK Foreign office has issued a number: 020 7008 0000.
I live in Tampa. MacDill AFB has locked down and is the home of the Central Command, which the logistics and control center for the MidEast. There is a large contengent of heavily armed MP's
guarding the gate. VERY throughly searching all persons that need to go to work there.
Barksdale AirForce Base is a SAC (Strategic Air Command) base. The base is the home of the B52's
is very secure and does have an underground bunker for those wondering why the President was flown there.
What REALLY pisses me off is the 100's of millions
of dollars that our government have been spent on 'cyberwar', persecutions of intellectual property 'crimes', and other vaporous made up problems when we do obviously have real world problems that should have been addressed.
There does exist the technology that could have lessoned the chance of this getting by the airport
security. Our priorities have been skewed and now
we've been caught in Pearl Harbor fashion.
If you plan on helping
Visit American Red Cross at RedCross.org
Type your zip code to find your local Redcross chapter or call
1-800-GIVE-LIFE to make an appointment to donate blood.
Taken from the New Jersey side at about 10 a.m., except the last one, which was taken about an hour later. What words cannot describe, I hope these pictures have captured.
WGST News Radio is reporting that lines at Red Cross blood donation points in Atlanta are 6 to 8 hours deep, and that people should return Wednesday.
If you're without a radio or TV in your office, try #CNN_Newsfeed on chat.cnn.com. It shows the closed captions for what's currently on-screen on CNN.
Red Cross offices (in the Raleigh NC area at least) are being overwhelmed by donors and are asking everyone to call and make an appointment rather than just dropping by.
-Ben
According to a witness interviewed on MSNBC, the people from the second building were NOT evacuated when the first building was hit. At that point, they had no idea what really was going on and assummed it was an accident.
The skyscrapers in fight club were empty, these were not. there is a big difference. fight club was not about killing people it was about killing the debt record. dont mix these two things up.
Treason doth never prosper. What's the reason? For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.
CORRECTION:
There are five confirmed crashes. The "Camp David" one is actually the PA crash; it crashed relatively close to Camp David. The flight number is still unknown.
I've got flight 175 listed twice. I haven't heard confirmation of the rumoured CO crash, so presumably it didn't happen.
All the flights were East Coast take-offs heading for the West Coast. This is not because LA or SF were under threat of attack, as some stations are stupidly reporting, but because these are the flights with the most fuel onboard.
Transalantic flights would have provided even bigger planes and more fuel, but security on them is more stringent than those for domestic flights.
--
Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
If retaliation will get the people who planned and organized this attack, then it's all good, in my opinion. Do you honestly think that the planners of this attack were the ones who were hijacking the planes?
And I happen to believe that if you show what happens to the people who organize and plan terrorist attacks, it does deter those who are still out there and haven't been caught/punished yet.
Lastly, it's not any national attitude. Some of these terrorist fruit loops hate the U.S. for no logical or sane reason. These are the same people who quote the Koran to give an excuse for killing Christians and Jews, while simultaneously ignoring the parts of the Koran that preach the ways of peace to the other peoples of God (which, coincidentally are Christians and Jews).
Kierthos
Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
The only people in the exploded buildings in "Fight Club" were Tyler's people - in other words, the people in on the plot (suicide bombing if you will). Don't even try to compare the two. 0 innocent lives lost compared to tens of thousands? That's not a comparison. I suggest you watch the movie again and get your facts straight.
I just wanted tos ay that I was at the Pentagon this morning, and that everything there seems to be like it's very well under control. There were a bunch of different people there watching the flames be put out - TV stations and such, as well as tourists and residents who, like me, wanted to see what the hell was going on.
:)
Probably the most interesting thing that happened was talking to one of the officers who works at the Pentagon. She told me not to get any nearer (which I declined to listen to) and then said, I don't know if this was a joke or not, that I should try to stay alive so I could serve the country. God save us if we have to go to war!
DC is currently in a state of emergency, and almost all the streets are closed - it's pretty eerie. I walked by the state department, and the whole thing is shut down. There are cops and agents from every sort of government department everywhere - you literally can't go a block without seeing a handful sitting around or directing traffic or doing whatever they do. Washingtonians are being pretty calm, though, so there aren't any riots or looting or anything like that.
Just to give another view on the situation here in DC
-- K
http://www.live365.com/stations/206780
--- sig moved for great justice.
I tried to give blood at 2500 Marcus (very near Long Island Jewish hospital) and I couldn't even get in the parking lot. I'll try again later or tomorrow. Please, if you are in the area, help out...
I feel so useless... giving blood is all I can do to help.
Here's the text of that URL in case it's down for whatever reason:
rooooar
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.
... American Flight 77, a Boeing 757 from Washington Dulles airport to Los Angeles with 58 passengers and six crew is unaccounted for. Witness says plane that hit Pentagon was an American Airlines Boeing 757.
... United confirms the crash of Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles with 56 passengers and seven crew aboard. It's possible, but not confirmed, that this is the second plane that hit the World Trade Center.
In the first attack, a plane hits 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 collapse.
About an hour later, a plane crashes into the Pentagon, part of which later collapses.
American Airlines tells CNN that it lost two planes, both en route to Los Angeles: American Flight 11 from Boston with 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard is lost. This is believed, but not confirmed, to have been one of the planes that crashed into the trade center.
United Airlines loses two planes: United Airlines Flight 93 airliner headed from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, crashes near Somerset, Pennsylvania -- police say initial reports indicate no survivors.
FBI sources said all four planes that crashed had been hijacked.
The Pentagon, the White House, the State Department, the Justice Department, the Capitol, the CIA and all other government buildings in Washington are evacuated.
President Bush calls the crashes "a national tragedy." Later in the day, Bush issues a statement from Barksdale AFB near Shreveport, Louisiana. "Make no mistake: The United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."
In the first-ever national ground stop of aircraft, all flights nationwide are stopped at their departure airports.
International flights are initially diverted to Canada; FAA says later, however, that 22 U.S.-bound international flights will be allowed to land.
Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, says in reaction to the terror attacks that "we want to tell the American children that Afghanistan feels your pain and we hope that the courts find justice."
In New York, more than 10,000 rescue personnel rush to the scene. Evacuation of lower Manhattan begins.
Israel evacuates all of its missions around the world.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is evacuated. CDC prepares bioterrorism teams in case they become necessary.
Philadelphia landmarks are evacuated.
In Chicago, the Sears Tower is evacuated; United Nations in New York is evacuated.
Five battleships and two aircraft are deployed along the East Coast of the United States, and two aircraft carriers go to New York area, all from Norfolk, Virginia.
The New York Port Authority closes all bridges and tunnels into the city.
U.S. stock markets close after the New York attacks.
NATO sends home all non-essential personnel from its Brussels, Belgium, headquarters.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service puts the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada on highest state of alert.
Los Angeles International Airport is evacuated.
Disney closes its parks in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
FEMA implements plan established for such events: FBI leads investigation, and Justice Deptartment heads crisis management.
Three Palestinian groups -- Hamas, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Islamic Jihad -- deny responsibility for the attacks, but blame U.S. policies in the Mideast.
Mayor Anthony Williams of Washington, D.C., declares a state of emergency.
A Delta flight makes emergency landing in Cleveland and all passengers are safely evacuated. Federal officials search the plane for a possible bomb.
Shop smart, Shop S-Mart.
From Boston.com
Akamai Technologies of Cambridge announced that Daniel C. Lewin, co-founder, chief technology officer, and board member of the company, died in the American Airlines Flight 11 crash in NYC today. Lewin, 31, is survived by his wife and two sons.
The World Trade Center had inadequate protection systems in the 1993 bombing; the truck bomb in the parking garage knocked out emergency power and the fire pumps. Last time, they didn't even have battery backup on the emergency lighting. The FEMA study of the bombing and fire indicates only minor upgrades were made to fire protection systems; better emergency lighting and such. No improvements to sprinklers or new fire barriers were made, other than improving backup power to the fire pumps. Most of the improvements were to communications and control.
This was much worse than it should have been.
The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.
Terrorism, term usually applied to organized acts or threats of violence designed to intimidate opponents or to publicize grievances. The term dates from the Reign of Terror (1793-94) in the French Revolution but has taken on additional meaning in the 20th cent. Political terrorism may be part of a government campaign to eliminate the opposition, as under Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and others, or it may be part of a revolutionary effort to overthrow a regime, a common tactic in guerrilla warfare. Terrorism by radicals (of both the left and right) and by nationalists became widespread after World War II. Contemporary revolutionary groups that engage in terrorist activity include the "provisional" wing of the Irish Republican Army; the Palestine Liberation Organization; and the Shining Path, in Peru.
grep >= ! == $your
Just saw - Air Force One and fighter escort arrived at Offutt a few minutes ago.. Very safe place to be.
I just noticed on soutcast [www.shoutcast.com] there are two diffrent news feeds listed on the top page if any one wants to listen through something other then WMP and Real.
Yahoo news is carrying a press release that confirms that one of their founders is dead.
--
Runnin' around, robbin' banks all whacked on the Scooby Snacks...
Structural design flaws or additional explosives involved? Of course a 757 is bigger than a 707.
Engineers shocked by
towers' collapse
BY BLAIR KAMIN
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO -- The World Trade Center, a
symbol of American economic might, survived
one terrorist attack in 1993. It was designed to
withstand the impact of a jet, but both its
towers collapsed this morning after planes
rammed them.
The structural engineer who designed the
towers said as recently as last week that their
steel columns could remain standing if they
were hit by a 707.
Les Robertson, the Trade Center's structural
engineer, spoke last week at a conference on
tall buildings in Frankfurt, Germany. He was
asked during a question-and-answer session
what he had done to protect the twin towers
from terrorist attacks, according to Joseph
Burns, a principal at the Chicago firm of
Thornton-Thomasetti Engineers.
Burns, who was present, said that Robertson
said of the center, ``I designed it for a 707 to
smash into it.''
Burns, whose firm did the structural engineering
for the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia --
the world's tallest buildings -- said Robertson
did not elaborate on the remark. Robertson
could not be reached early Tuesday.
Completed in 1972 and 1973, the 110-story
twin towers were the fifth and sixth tallest
buildings in the world. One World Trade
Center, finished in 1972, was briefly after its
construction the world's tallest building. The towers have been called
``a monumental gate to New York and the United States.''
They withstood the 1993 attack, when a bomb-laden van exploded,
killing six people and injuring more than 1,000.
Closely spaced steel columns that ringed their perimeter held up the
World Trade Center towers. Chicago's Aon Center (formerly the
Amoco Building), completed in 1973, uses a similar support system,
known to structural engineers as a ``tube.''
Shocked by the building's collapse, structural engineers pointed to fire
as the likely cause of the structural failure.
``Fire melts steel,'' Burns said. In addition, he said, the impact of the
plane could have severely damaged the building's sprinklers, allowing
the fire to rage, despite fireproofing supposed to protect steel columns
and beams.
``You never know in an explosion like that whether they (the
sprinklers) get cut off,'' Burns said.
Architects Minoru Yamasaki and Associates, in association with
Emery Roth & Sons, designed the World Trade Center.
The structural engineers were the firm of Skilling, Helle, Christiansen,
Robertson. The developer was The Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey.
Tuesday's attack marked the second time that a plane has crashed
into a New York City skyscraper, although the first incident was an
accident.
In 1945, a B-25 flying at 200 miles per hour slammed into the 78th
and 79th floors of the Empire State Building, gouging an
18-by-20-foot hole 913 feet above the streets of Manhattan. The
pilot, Lt. Col. William F. Smith Jr., had been heading from New
York's LaGuardia Airport to Newark, N.J., when he became
disoriented.
Fourteen people died in the crash and the fire that followed -- three
people in the plane and 11 in what was then the world's tallest
building.
Like the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, which also was struck
by a plane, provided a sizable and symbolic target.
The Pentagon is the world's largest office building, with a total of 6.5
million square feet, serves as headquarters for the world's most
powerful military. Sears Tower, by comparison, has about 3.5 million
square feet of office space.
Beta sux! Join the Slashcott! http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=4760465&cid=46173047
No, it's not even close to what a tactical nuke would have done. A 5-kiloton yield warhead would kill 98% of the people within one square kilometer instantly just from the pressure (~12psi). Out to about 3 square km you have 50% fatalies from pressure (~5psi). The thermal effects would be fatal (6.7 cal/cm^2) to a radius of about 1.3km and there would be significant injuries out to about 1.8km radius. Immediate radiation would be lethal to 90% of those within 1.2 km of this "low-yield" "clean" burst.
Also thanks to the radiation, clean up and rescue proceeds at a snail's pace.
And that's the low end of sub-strategic yields. The B-61 is lower, at about 1 kiloton, but you also have tactical nukes like those on the Trident that would cause an estimated 200,000 fatalities in an urban area with density similar to Moscow.
Only for a loose definition of "approach" does this tragedy begin to approach the amount of destruction nuclear weapons are capable of even in their tactical form.
Why would Palestinian terrorists target the USA?
Well, perhaps because the USA has exacerbated the mid-East problems, rather than help reduce them.
From BigEye's Foreign Correspondent. No idea how truthful all this is, mind you, but I'm fairly sure it's worth consideration:
BUSH FIDDLES WHILE PALESTINE BURNS
NEW YORK - Pre-election concerns that George W. Bush had a weak grasp of world affairs have been confirmed by a succession of ideology-driven blunders and amateurish fumbles made by his administration that have damaged America's interests and image around the globe.
To whit: trying to rush the anti-missile defense project when there was no need for haste; the tactless rejection of the Kyoto environment accords; Washington's crude enlistment of India in a new anti-Chinese alliance; boycotting this weekend's UN racism conference at Durban: and, most disturbingly, fiddling while Palestine burns.
Who, one wonders, is running US foreign policy? Certainly not the nearly invisible `stealth' Secretary of State Colin Powell. America's first black Secretary of State was not allowed to go to an African-oriented conference in Durban because Israel was being accused of racism.
Last week, Bush berated PLO chief Yasser Arafat for failing to end `Palestinian violence.' Soon after, Israel assassinated Mustafa Zibri, a senior Palestinian political leader, by firing Maverick missiles from Apache helicopter gunships into his office.
The next day, Israeli M-60 tanks and M-113 armored personnel carriers occupied the Palestinian Christian town of Beit Jala.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Israel is using the M494 105mm APERS-T tank round against Palestinians. This deadly round, designed for use against enemy anti-tank missile crews, disperses a conical spray of 5,000 tiny, razor-sharp darts known as flechettes. In the past, Israel has also used anti-personnel cluster bombs against Palestinian refugee camps.
All of the above-noted weapons were supplied to Israel by the United States. Israel is also using an arsenal of other US-supplied weapons, from F-16 fighters to M-16 rifles, against Palestinians. Israeli-designed Merkava tanks `pacifying' rebellious Palestinians were built with US military aid.
Israel is the largest ever recipient of US foreign aid - at least $91 billion since 1949, a sum that could have bought four complete aircraft carrier battle groups ( about 80 ships) for the US Navy. Each year, Israel gets $3-5 billion in US aid.
The 1998 Wye River `peace' accords negotiated by President Clinton gave Israel an extra US $380 million for Apache helicopter gunships and armored vehicles - both currently being used against Palestinians. Just before leaving office, Clinton, quietly sent Congress a request for an additional US$800 million in military aid for Israel, a gift no doubt aimed at securing his future in publishing and Hollywood. Soon after, in a startling coincidence, Clinton received a book contract for $12 million.
Many American conservatives and Jewish Americans are praising Bush for giving Israel's rightwing government carte blanche to crush the Palestinian uprising and assassinate its leadership. VP Dick Cheney has repeatedly accused Palestinian of `terrorism' while praising Israel's `restraint.' One wonders what Washington's response would be if the PLO began assassinating Israeli politicians who advocate murdering or ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Israel brushes aside occasional tut-tuts from the US State Department, and ignores charges its American-supplied weapons are being used in direct violation of the US Arms Export Control Act, which forbids recipients use of American arms except for national self defense in wartime.
The White House and US Congress, fearful of antagonizing the Israel lobby, have refused to address this issue. Ironically, it was left to Gush Shalom, the courageous Israeli peace movement, to protest to Bush the clearly illegal use of American arms against Palestinians.
It is increasingly clear that unless the mayhem in Palestine is ended, the entire Mideast could careen towards an explosion. Ariel Sharon, Israel's rightwing Prime Minister, has painted himself into a corner by vowing to crush the `intifada' and never allow a viable Palestinian state. Having provoked the current uprising, and vowed to break its back, Sharon now finds himself trapped in a cycle of violence, terror and counter-terror.
Sharon's only answer so far is more of what he has done his entire career: blowing up houses, assassination, martial law, collective punishments. Now Sharon's aides are hinting at attacks against Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and even Egypt. Israeli critics are warning the Sharon is running amok and must be reigned in.
Given Sharon's adamant refusal to halt Jewish colonization or allow a Palestinian state, Palestinians have no reason to halt their uprising. Only America has the power to push the two sides into an eventual peace agreement.
Israel's brutal repression of the Palestinian `intifada' is being telecast around the globe, producing rage against Israel and its patron, the United States, and a worldwide surge of anti-semitism. America's strategic and economic interests across the Mideast and Muslim World are being threatened by the agony of Palestine, which inevitably invites terrorist attacks against US citizens and property.
President Bush needs to act urgently. He needs to help Sharon find a way out of the corner in which he is stuck. Sharon has left himself no line of political retreat - other than being seen to bow to irresistible American pressure. Bush and VP Dick Cheney should cease helping Israel's rightwing and its American media mouthpieces demonize Yasser Arafat, who, however guilty of condoning violence, is the man with whom Israel has to make peace. Being rightwing does not automatically make one right.
Bush's vanishing act over the Mideast has handed the initiative by default to Arab and Israeli extremists. Unless the US forcefully intervenes, Hamas suicide bombers and Sharon's death squads will determine policy. The result will be a disaster for Jews and Arabs alike.
Bush is being irresponsible and dishonest by pretending America has nothing to do with this horrible mess. America has everything to do with it and could stop the carnage overnight if the White House showed sufficient political will and courage. Bush needs to recall the old adage, he who pays the piper, calls the tune.
Copyright: Eric S. Margolis 2001
Again, perhaps this fellow is lying or out-to-lunch. But if what he states is truthful, I think it's fair to say that the fanatics have just cause to be pissed off (and that's not to say that they are excused for being terrorists.)
--
Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
Boston.com is listing that Daniel Lewin, co-founder of Akamai, did in fact die in the WTC plane crash
50,000 people work in the towers, not half a million.
Akamai's press release can be found here.
NYC September 11th, 2001
The plume extends about 100 miles along the NJ coastline.
http://www.iceaxe.org/misc/010911WTCPlume.jpg
Just a few moments ago WTOP - FM, Washington DC, interviewed a Congressman (sorry, missed his name) and the Congressman confirmed that the PA crash was from a shoot down by US Military.
d =1 87235 indicates that some sort of explosion happened before the plane went down.
Note: info is from a Congressman, could be total BS, ya never know. Might be why WTOP is not running it on their website, but the descriptoin from a witness on the plane in this story:
http://www.wtop.com/news/news-story.jhtml?NewsI
The same radio story reported that the Congressional Leadership has been evacuated to their safe facility.
Flight 77 is confirmed to be the one that hit the Pentagon. A Congressional aide was on the flight and reporting to someone by cell phone about what was going on.
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
from: http://www.myacen.com.au/
The Myacen Network, wishes to send our condolences to the people in America, we have made a few servers that you can listen to events unfold live
213.112.17.26:8000
mille.ath.cx:8000
217.208.77.17:8000
166.90.143.147:23160
213.204.131.71:8000
194.236.120.230:8000
A 707 NOT 747.
A 707 is a MUCH smaller plane. It's MUCH smaller than than a 747 and still smaller than the 757's that were involved.
Get your facts straight.
The towers survied the impact. They did not survive the fire.
Just because a bullet proof vest can stop a bullet doesn't mean it will prevent you from burning alive.
Same applies to this. The supports were destroyed by the extreme fire.
In Soviet Russia, the television watches YOU!
From a site that seems to be working well:
World Leaders react -- "The following are reactions from around the world to the disasters at New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon."
Related Links -- US Gov't, US Military, NYC, Airlines, and Anti-Terrorism Resources.
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.
--
Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
There is a report on the CBC website that Canadian Fighters have forced down two Korean aircraft in Whitehorse in the Yukon. It is believed that at least one of the jets was hijacked. It is currently surrounded by RCMP and the local Military from what I understand.
Here is the article since the site is hard to reach at the moment:
Suspect 747 escorted down in Yukon
WebPosted Tue Sep 11 15:44:33 2001
TORONTO - Schools and government offices in Whitehorse, Yukon were evacuated Tuesday as jet fighters escorted two commercial airliners to unscheduled landings, after aviation authorities suspected one of the aircraft may have been hijacked.
One of the airliners is a Korean Airlines 747, the other an unknown 747. Both landed at Whitehorse airport. The jet fighters continue to circle over Whitehorse.
Peter Novak of CBC Radio in Whitehorse told CBC News Online that aviation authorities said one of the aircraft may have been hijacked. Novak said highways in and out of town may have been closed, and a bomb squad was at the airport.
The identified Korean aircraft is believed to have been low on fuel and was redirected to Whitehorse.
Canadian transportation officials have also shut down all airports in Canada indefinitely as U.S.-bound international flights arrive on Canadian runways.
All domestic and international flights have been grounded as a precautionary measure after a series of attacks on high-profile targets in the United States.
Transportation Minister David Collenette says Canada is taking security very seriously and will be carefully monitoring the situation.
Prime Minister Jean Chretien has condemned what he called a "cowardly attack" south of the border and pledged full assistance to the U.S. He assured Canadians to remain calm, noting that the government was increasing security.
Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a phone number for anyone worried about friends or family in the New York area. Spokesperson Marie Lilkoff says Canadians can call 1-800-387-3124 for information.
U.S. flights diverted to Canada
The United States Federal Aviation Authority had earlier ordered all international flights to the United States to be diverted to Canada.
Airports throughout Atlantic Canada are beginning to receive a large influx of flights. Moncton, N.B., and St. John's, Nfld., expect up to 25 diverted planes, and CFB Goose Bay in Labrador expects close to 60 unscheduled landings.
Halifax airport says they currently have 23 planes on the ground and expect 27 more. The RCMP will search all of the passengers' luggage and they will be transported to large sports facilities in the city for the night. All the hotels in Halifax are full.
Passengers arriving in St. John's will be put up in hotels, conference centres and private homes. Many Toronto residents are also offering their homes to travellers stranded at Pearson Airport.
"All Canadian airspace has been closed other than for inbound overseas flights," said Calgary Airport Authority spokesperson Mike Cunnington.
Effects across Canada
All Canadian border traffic to New York state is limited. Border guards are on high alert and inspecting all vehicles, said Serge Charette, national president for the customs union. He says travellers with a valid reason to be in either country will be allowed through.
The Chief of Maritime staff in Halifax has ordered a lock-down and has posted guards at the gates the navy dockyards and the Shearwater air base.
The rocket-proof gates of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa were surrounded by police cruisers and plain-clothes officers. Public Affairs officer Buck Shenkman says security will increase, but the embassy will remain open.
The Canadian Blood Services is urging people to contact their local donor branch in a cross-country effort for blood donations to ship to emergency centres in the U.S.
In Ontario, Premier Mike Harris offered his province's full support to the U.S. government, including medical support.
Many office complexes in Toronto allowed their employees to leave work as a precaution, jamming subways and the downtown train station. The CN Tower has also been shut down.
The CN tower belongs to the World Federation of Tall Towers, along with the World Trade Centre and the two work together frequently.
"Quite a few of CN Tower staff work with World Trade Center staff. There was a lot of back and forth travel in the last month. We both belong to the same industry association and this tragedy has hit us personally," commented Bud Purves, President and GM of the CN Tower.
Written by CBC News Online staff
"The first time I got drunk, I got married. The second time I bought a chimpanzee, after that I stayed sober" Arian Seid
Just think about this
Matteo 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
Matteo 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places:
Matteo 24:8 all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.
Matteo 24:9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
Matteo 24:10 And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another.
Matteo 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
Matteo 24:12 And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold.
Matteo 24:13 But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Matteo 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.
Most of the commercial insurance policies in the US do in fact cover terrorism and shares of insurance and reinsurance carriers are already suffering today. The World Trade Center is insured for 1.5 billion. Swiss Re and Munich Re probably have the most exposure in this incident. As of this morning, Swiss Re shares are down more than 17% and Munich Re shares had fallen more than 15%. Lloyds of London also has exposure, most likely through the aircraft. This is not good for Lloyds, who is just getting back on its feet after liabilities from asbestos, Exxon Valdez, and some big storms in 1989
maru
www.mp3.com/pixal
A co-worker recieved a call from a friend at American Airlines (he works at the airline's call center) and apparently there was a call from a flight attendant reporting that the hi-jackers where of arabic origin and that 2 flight attendants and a passenger (trying to put up a struggle) was killed with a knife.
A key was taken from one of the flight attendants and they entered the cabin and killed the pilots.
"A mind is a terrible thing to taste."
someone sent me these links:
This site will register people who are safe:
http://do.millennium.berkeley.edu/
You can query this site to search for people:
http://do.millennium.berkeley.edu/find.php
For Canadians worried about relatives in NYC.
1-800-387-3124
I hope you're not pretending to be evil while secretly being good. That would be dishonest.
I can't connect to that site, but the news is on Akamai's main page.
Complexity is Easy. Simplicity is Hard.
Actually, it is now being said that both planes that hit the towers were 767s. The 757s were to attack the Pentagon and Camp David. The Pentagon plane hit its target. The Camp David plane did not.
This from:
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/
Daniel Lewin, co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO) at Akamai Technologies Inc., is said by his company to have died Tuesday as a passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 11. The Boeing 767, originally bound for Los Angeles from Boston, crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and became the first of two airliners to slam into the 110-story structure, opening an apparently coordinated terrorist attack.
People will die without it - here is information on where to donate:
http://www.nybloodcenter.org/
Even if you don't live in the NY or NJ area any sort of blood donation is needed! There are huge lines today at Red Cross but blood will be needed in the coming days as well.
sides could be destroyed and the Tower would still remain standing.
OK, I'll bite. You'll notice that the towers did survive the crash. They didn't, however, survive the aftermath. As an earlier post said "fire melts steel." Take a highly combustible substance like, um, I don't know, jet fuel, and toss a few hundred (thousand ?) gallons around and add a crash to kick it all off and I bet you have a fire to best almost any solid engineering.
Besides, if you watched Building Big, you'd realize that the worst place to hit a skyscraper is about two thirds of the way up. You see, they have these huge stabilizers in their upper floors that glide back and forth to help combat the effects of wind shear. If the building is hit around this area it turns into a critical breakpoint. It seems, from the series at least, that wind alone can tear skyscapers apart if they don't have systems actively counteracting the affects of wind.
My guess is that the planes started the job (which the building survived), but the fire and Mother Nature finished it up.
http://spies.com/~gus/ran/body.htm
-Legion
The CBC website is now reporting this was a mistake. The airliners were off course and low on fuel due to being diverted from closed airports.
Race and religion is not the enemy, fundamentalism is the enemy. Only when one believes in something so strongly that there is no longer room for reason are acts like these possible. The Inquisition, the Holocaust, and the recent actions of the taliban come to mind.
On another note, it seems to me that if the cockpits of the airplanes that had been hijacked had been sealed off, there would be many many fewer dead. The US has Tomahawks, the terrorists have 747s. Some people from the airlines, or airport security should go to jail, if multiple planes can be hijacked at the same time something is very wrong . Things will have to change, "just" blowing up a airliner is a far better thing than ramming the plane into a building full of 25,000 people.
Also, I now have a much less harsh attitude towards "privacy invading" measures such as face recognition software. In fact I want my privacy invaded a whole lot more especially when I'm getting on a plane.
Maybe the one good thing about this is that if Bin Laden is to blame, the US will certainly cease its support of the taliban, and will almost certainly take punitive measures. Of course whether such measures will hurt the taliban, or just the innocent people of Afghanistan remains to be seen. If of course it was bin laden.
Finally, yes, give blood, as so many others have today.
There is a national call for everyone having type "O" blood to contribute to the effort.
Israel Radio Military correspondent Carmela Menashe reported that Israel is sending its IDF emergency evacuation team to the United States and that the Israeli flag will fly at half mast.
Woopty Doo Basil, what does it all mean?!
Edmund Glazer, 41, CFO of MRV Communications, an optical network vendor. Survived by wife and son.
Barbara Olsen, 45, conservative commentator, lawyer, and wife of Solicitor General Theodore Olsen. Mrs. Olsen called her husband during the hijacking of America flight 77 from Dulles and reported details of the terrorist act as it occured.
David Angell, 54, executive producer of the television show 'Fraiser.' Mr. Angell and his wife were killed aboard American flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles. He is survived by his brother, Roman Catholic Bishop Kenneth Angell of Vermont.
At this time, the explosions reported in Kabul, Afghanistan, are claimed to be the work of rebels retaliating against the ruling Taliban for their assassination attempt on the opposition leader Ahmed Shah Masood Sunday. Contradictory reports have left the for Mujahadeen rebel's future uncertain; Western intelligence sources believe he was killed by agents of Saudi billionaire Osama bin Laden, whereas Tajiki opposition members insist that Mr. Masood is still alive following the assault. His death would prove to be a decisive turn in the struggle for Afghanistan, as he forms the linchpin of the anti-Taliban coalition.
The United States has denied any involvement in the attacks currently rocking Afghanistan.
(killdash9)