TURN ON THE NEWS!

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
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[spyone]

First, I am healthy. In case anyone is doing a role call.

I heard a report that, in addition to the plane crashed in Pennsylvania, a plane crashed in Maryland "near Camp David". While I have not heard this again, it was only recently that I found confirmation of the State Department car bomb my Father told me about on the phone.

This is BAD MOJO.

For those looking for updates:
8:45 am, a plane hits the North tower of the World Trade Center
9:03 am, a plane hits the South tower, covered in multiple angles by TV cameras covering the first plane.
9:45 am, a plane crashes into the Pentegon
10:00 am, the South Tower collapses
10:15 am, a car bomb explodes at the State Department
10:29 am, the North Tower collapses.

If the second plane had hit at 9:15 instead of 9:03, that would be exactly every 30 minutes.

I'm going to bed.

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You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

[Jabara Eris]

Although I follow international news, I'm somewhat confused about the full details of a point stated earlier:

Why exactly do the Palestinians hate the United States -- so much that they would celebrate something like this happening?

Anybody have any political insights?

-- Eris

[spyone]

Quite simple, really. The Palestinians hate the Israelis. It's an old dispute largely about land.
Most of the Arab world was Soviet-Backed, and most of the arab world hated Israel. Since the enemy of my enemy is my friend (and the enemy of my enemy's friend is, well, ...) We became a good friend to Israel.

The Palestinians hate us because we like the Israelis, who the Palestinians hate.

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You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[Protius]

No, that is confirmed. They are both down. Both towers hit, then collapse later (very well planned, I'm surprised they didn't hit lower to ensure a collapse).

[Protius]

There was just a report of a confirmed cell phone call that was made from this one plane jetting up the Potomak by a passenger locked in the bathroom, screaming that the plane had been hijacked. This plane, thankfully, never reached its intended target.

The injury extent at the Pentagon is stated at 40, with 7 in critical condition, due to the renovations going on. Considering what the terrorists were after, it's a blessing it was this low.

[spyone]

I forgot to mention my community's contribution to the emergency:
The USS George Washington and USS John F. Kennedy are on their way, allong with the entourage they like to call a Carrier Battle Group. While their specific destinations are not specified, they are headed "up the east coast" and it is expected that one will go up the Chesapeake Bay towards DC while the other makes for the Atlantic and NYC.

I'm not sure how much good a Carrier Battle Group will do, but I imagine it can't hurt.

(Perhaps they aren't part of the relief effort. Perhaps we think the attacks came from Greenland. Or Boston. Nice to know I still have a sense of humor.)

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You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

[spyone]

BTW:

In the US, "nuke" has become slang for destroying something quite thouroughly. conventional bombs will do. Fists will serve.

all I can say is whoever did this thing had better hope we calm down before we find them. Under this kind of emotional distress, many of us could forget our feelings about peace, love, joy, and due process of law and rely instead on the primal release offered by stomping up and down on something until you feel better.



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You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

[J.Ramirez]

My god. . . what kind of madness have we spiraled into ??

To watch all of this hell unfold in front of the nation. . .

I couldn't help but think I'd woke up in the middle of a Tom Clancy novel....


We need prayers now, more then ever.

[Phantom]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by J.Ramirez:
My god. . . what kind of madness have we spiraled into ??

To watch all of this hell unfold in front of the nation. . .

I couldn't help but think I'd woke up in the middle of a Tom Clancy novel....

We need prayers now, more then ever.</font>

Thought the same thing this morning. I just read in a previous post here that the car bomb out side the American State Department was confirmed. Is this new? I heard on the news that was a false report?

Christ, don't these people realize what Pandora's Box they have opened? This how wars start? I have studied terrorist attacks from Munich up to Oklaholma...this is despicable.


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In the Praetors Name!

[mactavish]

The Tom Clancy novel comment really rings with me as well... I had the same thought.

So Usama bin Laden and his group have denied responsiblity for the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. If they didn't do it, then that leaves only one other option: a sovereign nation.

There is, to the best of my knowledge, another terrorist group with the means to perpetrate such a coordinated, wide-reaching attack.

Who did this? WHO?!

[dhorkan]

I wished to send my condolences to the american people in this day that surely entered to the History as one of the darkest days of the Western Civilization... Especially to those whose live were affected more significantly by this coward action...

I saw all your anger through these posts, and I think I understand your feelings. But I'd like to tell you about the consequences of the attack in other countries, especially here in Brazil. All US government related institutions have been shut down. The embassy and the consulates were closed at 12:00pm, local time (11:00 am in New York). Security have been tighten all around the country, specially around these buildings, with the Federal Police (our version of the FBI) and squadrons of the police special operations watching for any disturbance. Airports and the armed forces were put on alert state. The Sao Paulo Stock Exchange stopped its operations 11:00am. President Fernando Henrique Cardoso called the National Defense Council in Brasilia (our capital) to discuss the situation and its possible implications to our country.

The people here were shocked by the news. On TV, all channels began to transmit short after the first plane hit the North Tower and continued during all day. I actually watched horrified to the second crash, live, with all details... and to the towers'collapse... and to the attack on the Pentagon...

Talking to the people, we can see clearly that not only the american people were affected by the attack. People here are sad, afraid, or just angry, much like you.

Many of you must be thinking right now: "What the hell this stupid and underdeveloped brazillian want to say?"

I guess very few among you have any idea of the importance your country TRULY has in our world. I don't know if this is the right moment to say that, but being the most powerful nation in the planet don't have only advantages. This brings you some, let's say, obligations to the world. Gone are the days when US could turn its backs to what was happening around the planet. Now things are very, VERY different... I'm sure you don't like this... I wouldn't if I were in your place... but this is true. A truth your current president seem to forget everytime he opens his big mouth to speak about the american actions around the world.

IMHO, US government should think about its role in the international politics right now instead of planning an irrational and barbarian attack against anyone who planned/funded/acted in this terrible incident.

Ok, I know... You all are horrified right now... You all want the blood of the monters to avenge your victims... That's really the hardest test to your country in all history. But it's a time to think, not to act. Let's heal the injured, let's honor the dead. And then look to the future with better eyes...

Sorry if my opinions hurt you. That's not my intention, believe me. I just want to express my thoughts... my best thoughts towards you...

God help you all in this moment of pain. The brazillian people send their best thoughts to you all. I'll pray for you my friends...

God bless Earth...

Ronaldo Ferreira Marques

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[Phantom]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by mactavish:
The Tom Clancy novel comment really rings with me as well... I had the same thought.

So Usama bin Laden and his group have denied responsiblity for the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. If they didn't do it, then that leaves only one other option: a sovereign nation.

There is, to the best of my knowledge, another terrorist group with the means to perpetrate such a coordinated, wide-reaching attack.

Who did this? WHO?!</font>

And that organization is? If Bin Ladin isn't responsible (not jumping to conclusions, but past circumstancial evidence does point that way) then who is. If it is another country.....



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In the Praetors Name!