More on the WTC Disaster (Updated)

Of course this is not game related (we do not expect to be doing any further game coverage today), but with the legit news sites being almost impossible to access at times today, we've been getting loads of requests for more information about what's been going on. Here is the latest as of about 9:00 PM EDT:

  • President Bush addressed the nation 8:30 PM EDT. Here's a wire report: WASHINGTON (AP) - A grim-faced President Bush condemned ghastly attacks in Washington and New York on Tuesday and vowed to "find those responsible and bring them to justice." In the second Oval Office address of his presidency, Bush said the United States would retaliate against ``those behind these evil acts,'' and any country that harbors them.

To recap:

  • In two separate attacks, hijacked planes struck both main towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan this morning, and both of the "twin towers" subsequently collapsed.
  • A hijacked plane struck the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and part of it has collapsed as well.
  • A hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Reports indicate the hijackers planned to crash this plane into Camp David in Maryland.
  • 47 Story WTC building seven, one of the five (relatively) smaller buildings in the World Trade Center also later collapsed from ancillary damage.
  • The White House, the Pentagon, and the Capitol Building were all evacuated, all domestic flights in the US have been grounded through at least noon tomorrow.
  • Other closings include most federal offices, the stock markets, the Disney theme parks, and the cancellation of today's Major League Baseball schedule. The President's speech announced that all federal agencies will be open for business tomorrow.
  • Broadcasts out of Afghanistan showed evidence of missile attacks and antiaircraft fire, but what connection this has to today's apparent terrorist attacks in the US is not clear at this point. The US has denied involvement in these attacks.
  • In the first hints of any sort at the scope of casualties, the New York City Fire Department has estimated that as many as half of the 400 firefighters dispatched to the scene are missing. CNN has said that 78 Police officers are missing. Also, the death toll from those on the four hijacked planes has been placed at 266. The number of dead and injured at the Pentagon has been widely reported as about 100. No estimates of the number of victims from the World Trade Center have been made.
  • People throughout the United States have are being urged to donate blood to help offset significant shortages in New York and Washington. The American Red Cross in Greater New York or the American Red Cross are places to contact about donating blood or money, or both.
  • Some news sites seem to be back online. Here are some links that have been more reliable: CNN.com; CNET.com; Yahoo; The New York Times; washingtonpost.com; usnews.com; ABCNEWS.com; FOXNews.com; MSNBC; and BBC News Online.

All of our thoughts go out to the victims of these attacks and their families and friends in what must be an incredibly difficult time.

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654 Replies. 33 pages. Viewing page 20.
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274.
 
Walking through the valley
Sep 11, 2001, 20:40
anon@195.92
Walking through the valley Sep 11, 2001, 20:40
Sep 11, 2001, 20:40
anon@195.92
 
#268 Chechneya? Afganistan?? Prague??? I don't think America has a monopoly on a dodgy foreign policy. Then again America's place as the foremost induvidual power on the planet makes it such a terget because it's foreign policy decisions are rather more absolute than anyone else's.
Apart from that hope everyone over there is o.k., personally I think the majority of Americans are idiots, but who isn't?. Being stupid is what humanity is good at, kinda hope it stops here.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{America}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{everyone}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
273.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:38
anon@64.166
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:38
Sep 11, 2001, 20:38
anon@64.166
 
Komrade, can you say Afghanistan?

Of course, this kind of delineation and dissention is just what the terrorists want.

Didn't mean to strike out at you. Name calling isn't going to change today.

The saddest part is that most Americans don't "know" US foriegn policy much less understand it. Most don't know the difference between Palestine and Pakistan.

It's too bad civilians got involved. If only these fanatics could fight like men...
272.
 
There's something that's bugging me ...
Sep 11, 2001, 20:37
anon@203.173
There's something that's bugging me ... Sep 11, 2001, 20:37
Sep 11, 2001, 20:37
anon@203.173
 
... Why wasn't the White House targetted?

Why attack Camp David, but not the White House?
271.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:36
anon@134.197
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:36
Sep 11, 2001, 20:36
anon@134.197
 
Dear Russia:
I don't know how you can think things like that considering. We have been trying to help your dying country for years now. Maybe we shouldn't. This really upsets me you people bash our country yet fail to realize you couldn't even be posting this without us here. I want all you people to take a look at this site..

http://www.solidfunk.com/canadiansympathy.txt

270.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:32
anon@62.178
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:32
Sep 11, 2001, 20:32
anon@62.178
 
To 267

And one more thing... kommunism is over in Russia, sorry, you may address me as "Sir" though...
269.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:30
anon@213.122
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:30
Sep 11, 2001, 20:30
anon@213.122
 
Me from the UK again..........

Again my heartfelt sympathies go out to anyone affected by this incredulous act of barbarism and stupidity.

post #180
A) It took the Abomb for them to stop. Experimentation was therefore justified.
B) Like it or lump it, Japanese culture is 'strange' to us westerners. Mainly cruel, brutal and dare I say it fanatical (still is, really).
C) The losses.... look at the losses elsewhere within that war theatre (world war II) then tell me a million people was a lot.

Other stuff...........
Elsewhere in this forum it has been suggested that the yanks 'saved' Europe in WWII... hmmmmm I really suggest that you read a little more history. No one can know what the outcome would have been.... however if the Germans would have gotten hold of Europe, I suggest the possibility that it would not have been only us Europeans under the thousand years of the reich.......

Elsewhere on this forum, it has been stated that 'I am sick of America being cast as the bad guy' (or some such) Join the club, apparently Britain is directly to blame for all the worlds ills (most of the time).

I have a resolution to all of this......... but...
A) it wont be easy to implement.
B) all you do good idiots won't agree.

An idea from the UK.
I pay loads of taxes, some countries pay more, some less.
Quite a proportion of those taxes get spent on criminals, prison service and justice system. We now have the technology of a tagging system for all people. So that a computer/satellite system knows everyones whereabouts in the UK (could easily be worldwide) Ofcourse the computer system would have to be secure and literally untamperable (as would the 6 smartchips placed strategically in the body at birth). In the case of crimes this would provide location information. So individuals can be traced to be within a certain place/building at a certain time etc etc etc. NOW..... the only people that would be against this (IMHO) would be criminals (or perhaps do gooders) surely......... I am completely for it. I am a relatively law abiding person therefore I have nothing to fear from this system. To add to the 'truth' of the system 100 people each year should be randomly picked as the 'keepers' of the system, acting as the 'moral' conscience if you will, paid hansomely for the inconvenience (and anti-bribery).

Tell me what crimes could/would be done if this system was in place. Trust usually necessitates face to face contact (esp in criminal circles) not just voice (over the phone) communications.

Anyway.......... I have rambled...... and here in the UK it's time for bed..........
268.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:29
anon@62.178
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:29
Sep 11, 2001, 20:29
anon@62.178
 
To #267

I am not saying that my country is any better, unfortunately it has its downsides too and enough of its own problems to solve... BUT Russia is NOT bombing places it has nothing to do with, and is NOT dictating the "rules of life" to other countries...
267.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:25
anon@64.166
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:25
Sep 11, 2001, 20:25
anon@64.166
 
#263 = ANOTHER TROLL

BTW, russian komrade, maybe we need to be like your...ummm...country?
266.
 
I sign...
Sep 11, 2001, 20:22
anon@216.12
I sign... Sep 11, 2001, 20:22
Sep 11, 2001, 20:22
anon@216.12
 
Durring TV coverage, i saw 2 banners made by construction workers on a nearby (Toys'R'Us i believe) building.

"God Bless America" and one remembering the fallen.

This kind of thing really grabs ya deep.
265.
 
Re: the bomb
Sep 11, 2001, 20:16
anon@217.5
Re: the bomb Sep 11, 2001, 20:16
Sep 11, 2001, 20:16
anon@217.5
 
# 219 Read post 223

# 225 "I know far from everything on history, even though ive read over 60 books on various historical eras and wars."

You may have read many books on history but you ignore the simple fact... over 1 million people, mostly civilian were killed. That equals atrocity.

# 228 "The atrocities the Japs commited absolutely pale in comparison to the use of the bomb."

You obviously have not seen footage or any description of the events that occured to innocent people after those bombs went off.
264.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:14
anon@132.229
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:14
Sep 11, 2001, 20:14
anon@132.229
 
Reading this newsboard makes me cry. I am seriously disturbed by the amount of hate that people are able to spawn using either their keyboards, their kalaschnikovs or their suicide commandos. Please think about which of your emotions is the basis for your statements, because hate is NEVER a good basis. My heart lies with those people that either got killed, injured or lost loved ones today. Please do not resort to name calling, finger pointing or any other 'legitimite' hateful act. The majority of people in the middle east are themselves victims of a few dangerous minds, don't punish them by immediately thinking their leaders are to blame. A lot of people dying in those countries are just as innocent as those people that died due to today's terrorist act, may they rest in peace. Let's halt the hate right here.

W.
263.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:13
anon@62.178
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:13
Sep 11, 2001, 20:13
anon@62.178
 
Dear Americans,

This situation reminds me of the thousands of films and books that have been filmed and written on the theme of international terrorism. Just realize how fine were ideas of screenwriters at that time, and how unimaginable they have sounded...

Many people have critisized post 240, but, salieri is a very articulate user and has based his message on bare facts, which many of you are too afraid to face...

Long long ago, back in the 20th century, the world was divided by race, skin color and religion. Countries fought wars over world domination, but it lead to nothing in the end... In the 21st century, the whole planet has been divided into 2 halfes, the South and the North... All the Northern countries are richer, have a higher GNP and an overall higher living standart, and on the other side, almost all the Southern countries face poverty and horror... people work up to 16 hours per day just to be able to literally feed themselves, and if I were them, I'd start thinking about punishing the rich (History people, history, poor have always punished the rich, ALWAYS)... This is the reason why all QUROPEAN countries have RED ALERT status... but as in any real live situation, the one who FUCKS AROUND THE MOST AND TELLS OTHERS THAT HE/SHE IS THE ONE AND THE ONLY ONE SMART ASSHOLE gets his ass kicked first, and this is exacly what has happened on the 11th of September 2001... This is the beginning of a new epoch, and epoch of NO-USDOLLAR-MONOPOLY, an epoch of no World Dictatorship...

I just hope the government will not do anything stupid, like hunt down all the Muslims and Arabs in the country, drop a few bombs on some innocent people (they are really good at doing this) and try to get revenge... because there is no Scape Goat this time - only bare facts and an invisible enemy...

The USA though of themselves as the "World Dictator", in terms of taking the Right/Wrong decision in Kosovo, when bombing Belgrade and killing innocent people, the USA has lost something in Israel, the USA has had a great time... and someone felt totally sick with that and has had their revenge on the states.

Simply Brilliant Work... Not the death of thousands of people, but the idea and its political consequences.

I hate the world today,

Best Wishes From RUSSIA
262.
 
Re: looniboi?
Sep 11, 2001, 20:02
Re: looniboi? Sep 11, 2001, 20:02
Sep 11, 2001, 20:02
 
As frans already mentioned I'm back, and doing fine.

I was down on Wall Street when the buildings went down, so I was caught in the giant dust fallout. It was an absolute madhouse. Suffice to say, I'm glad to be home, and happy to report that all of my friends and family have been accounted for.

-jason
261.
 
Re: So where now ?
Sep 11, 2001, 20:01
anon@208.237
Re: So where now ? Sep 11, 2001, 20:01
Sep 11, 2001, 20:01
anon@208.237
 
260.
 
Not unexpected
Sep 11, 2001, 20:01
Not unexpected Sep 11, 2001, 20:01
Sep 11, 2001, 20:01
 
I believe the rest of the world is suprised something like this did not happen sooner.

For quite some time now international opinion (including allied nations) has been swinging against the US.

Your average world citizen sees the US as egocentric, decedent hiprocrites whos government and industry are completely driven by popular opinion and greed all not-so-cleverly passed off under the guise of objective ethics.

I dont condone any terroist actions, and the loss of life is appalling. However the rest of the world will judge very harshly if the US acts in a blind retaliatory witch hunt.


Rob

259.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 20:00
anon@206.19
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 20:00
Sep 11, 2001, 20:00
anon@206.19
 
#240, You don't get it. I didn't call for nukes, I didn't say blow up Afganistan. I said that this country wants justice and it will get it. America didn't get f'd. We got shocked, we got stunned and now we're gonna get pissed. Doing things like this doesn't "f" America. America is a principle and an ideal. Destroying a building, a city, a whole state could never destroy that ideal. All this could do is make us angry, and you wouldn't like us when we're angry. You make the assumption that terrorism could never be stopped, or that we can't kill them all. Why? Why can't we? You saying that we could never do it? Don't ever tell an American there is something we can't do! Don't ever put something past this country. Maybe we will be forgiving, but I doubt it. But one thing you can be sure of, if we decide that we want the heads of every single terrorist, we will get them and every freedom loving, true blooded American would help to achieve that. You can bet that even some of those anti-death penalty people have got to be wishing that whoever did this gets punished, in this life or the next. Hell, most of them would like to hurry the bastards on to the next, and then they'll go to confession (gotta love that loop hole).

Oh and as for always having to have some one to blame...Are you saying that the USA should blame themselves for this tragedy? Are you saying that this is some big conspiracy in order to get Bin Laden? ARE YOU HIGH?!!!
If we wanted to really get Bin Laden we wouldn't have to do this, nor would any other country for that matter.

Gam[Bot]
AKA Addicted
258.
 
A brief recap:
Sep 11, 2001, 19:58
anon@198.83
A brief recap: Sep 11, 2001, 19:58
Sep 11, 2001, 19:58
anon@198.83
 
Brief recap:

1. America fights Israel's wars in the Mid East for them for several decades.

2. Israel's enemies take a swipe at the US (today) for obvious reasons.

The only question that remains to be asked, is, why have we been bombing Arab countries for the past two decades?

Do we really have an interest in the Mid East? If our interest is oil, shouldn't we ally ourselves with the coutries that have oil, rather than the country that does not even have water, much less oil?

I agree with the guy who said that today's bombing is simply the result of our US foreign policy. We have been shooting cruise missiles into Arab states for quite a while now, and finally they strike back (not that two wrongs make a right).

The question is, why have we been picking on the Arabs in the first place?

Traditionally, America stays out of foreign wars. We let the europeans war against themselves every century or so, we let the asians have their wars, we should let the Arabs have their wars, and stay out of it. Some say that Sadam was as willing to sell oil to the West as Kuwait was. Do we really have an interest?

Is it our moral imperative to defend countries like Saudi Arabia, where they arrest anyone who holds a religious gathering that is not Islamic?

All the arab countries are a little wacky, and even the most "Western" one, Saudi Arabia, is a horrible persecutor of religious freedom, which is a basic human right. Our foreign policy should be to maintain amiable relations with all of them, and let them have their own wars, and stay out of it.

American foreign policy has two possible routes:

- Leave the world alone, and the world will leave us alone, or

- Police the world effectively, and remove all the bad rulers and put the good guys in power.

Either of these routes would be ok. But we have been following a third path that is not ok:

- Harrass countries just enough so that they hate us, but not enough so that we effectively cast out the bad guys and put the good guys in power to stabilize the region.

Our Arab policy has been like the Vietnam War: fight just enough so that the victim country hates us, but not enough to effectively overthrow the baddies.

If you're going to police the world, then do it right. Otherwise leave everybody alone. None of this intermittent bombing every year or so. All that does is generate anti-american sentiment, and invites terrorist attacks in America.
257.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 19:57
anon@64.166
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 19:57
Sep 11, 2001, 19:57
anon@64.166
 
Today aside (and I DO mean that):

Palestine isn't worth the sand they're fighting over. They SHOULD be taken care of, but I sure wish that Israel could have done it before this catastrophe happened.

Which puts the point on it: the Middle East is just a mess of infighting fanatical countries that can't even fight their own battles. They're not unlike a group of preschoolers in a sand box fighting over whatever the other has at any given time (yes, the temple, etc.) and then crying for mommy when they don't get their way. It's a common fear (and utterly within reason), that WW3 will start from within this cesspool.

And all this pain in the name of a non-existant god...what a bunch of fools.

Now, as for today:

ANY country that supports terrorism and ALL terrorist groups MUST be punished severely. If a person is even *capable* of an act such as today's, then that person should be put down for the sake of the common gene pool.
256.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 19:51
anon@64.7
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 19:51
Sep 11, 2001, 19:51
anon@64.7
 
Rock-throwing, sand eating, fanatical a-wipes...

They just killed thousands of CIVILIAN AMERICANS...people who did NOTHING to deserve this...and I sit here and read a bunch of you mother f'ers say we shouldn't attack?!

Perhaps we should drop YOU out of the planes before the bombs, so you can apologize for evil america before their bodies are engulfed in flame and death.
255.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 19:43
anon@64.7
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 19:43
Sep 11, 2001, 19:43
anon@64.7
 
This is what was posted on a news site:

While the West and Russia urged unprecedented solidarity after an unprecedented catastrophe, Palestinians fired into the air and handed out sweets in the West Bank to celebrate, and Egyptians said maybe the Americans had got their just deserts.

``I am in a dream. I never believed that one day the United States would come to pay a price for its support to Israel,'' said Mustafa, a 24-year-old gunman in Arab East Jerusalem.

So, to all those whiney, "calm down, terrible america" mother f'ers, I hope the military unleashes it's hellfire down upon ALL these anti-american bastards.

I hope they wake up on fire as their land is incinerated.
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