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 19.
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294.
 
problems
Sep 11, 2001, 21:37
anon@130.195
problems Sep 11, 2001, 21:37
Sep 11, 2001, 21:37
anon@130.195
 
I may not be the most american loving person, but I know that if this comes to war, I'll be the first person to jump in and help. Because despite the long wait for intervention during ww2, I believe that if any western country was in the center of a war in this day and age, the USA would be there from the get go.
Does anybody remember the simpsons episode, where two guys are in a bar, a yank and a pom, the yank it blow arsing about how he saved the brits in ww2, then the brit says 'yeah, but we saved you guys in ww3'.
That cracked me up.
293.
 
Food for thought.
Sep 11, 2001, 21:32
anon@213.122
Food for thought. Sep 11, 2001, 21:32
Sep 11, 2001, 21:32
anon@213.122
 
A bit controversial this BUT...........

(First I am pro America - hey I love your country!!!)

All those that have donated to IRA fund raisers or just ignored or condoned the practice can now hopefully realise what terrorism is like. It's not some romantic struggle in some beautiful distant isalnd.

It can affect YOU! The IRA's funds come 90 percent from America..... I hope that you now realise how much damage terrorism can cause. Us Brits have never suffered anything of the scale of this atrocity but rest assured that the IRA have killed thousands both military and civilian over the past many, many years.

Next time you see an IRA fund raiser.... don't act by bad mouthing them (for your own safety) just ignore them..... after all it IS terrorism...........

As I have said many times before in this forum.... my heartfelt sympathies are with those who have been affected.
292.
 
Re: To post a famous quote:
Sep 11, 2001, 21:30
anon@213.122
Re: To post a famous quote: Sep 11, 2001, 21:30
Sep 11, 2001, 21:30
anon@213.122
 
I totally agree with 264's sentiments, I've not been so gut-wrenchlingly shocked watching the coverage today since the night the gulf-war broke on CNN and around the world.
A cloud of darkness is upon us all and I fear this is the beginning of something bad.

Whatever your political lean or religion, recognise all human life is precious and today may have seen the loss of thousands of civilians who were just minding their own business. That is inexusable and deeply saddening.
I simply cannot understand the people celebrating on the streets of palistine today - whatever their sentiments towards the US military power, the deaths of innocents whatever their nationality can only ever be a tragedy.

My thoughts too, like so many others, go out to all those injured and killed, and to their friends and families.


AndyJ
291.
 
Re: Fallout and stuff
Sep 11, 2001, 21:22
anon@195.92
Re: Fallout and stuff Sep 11, 2001, 21:22
Sep 11, 2001, 21:22
anon@195.92
 
286. said..."wasnt the hydrogen (?!) bomb invented to get around the 'fallout' problem?". It was the neutron bomb, it used a purely plutonium jacket so was cleaner then the origional A-bomb. The hydrogen bomb used nowadays uses a fairly clean bomb - like a nuetron bomb - to set off the explosion. Once that goes off there is lots of fallout.
The main problem is not so much the radioactive fallout that is the problem but the amount of dust kicked up into the atmosphere, just look at what the collapse of the WTC did...

On the political fallout front what the hell are the israli's doing? The last thing we need is a kneejerk reaction against the Palestinians when it looks like they didn't have anything to do with it. Then again maybe it's just kicking off all over the place. Ah well, at least there's no impossibly huge astroids falling from deep space powered by the Mysterions...


'''yet
290.
 
Re: Let's not make this a witch hunt.
Sep 11, 2001, 21:21
anon@165.121
Re: Let's not make this a witch hunt. Sep 11, 2001, 21:21
Sep 11, 2001, 21:21
anon@165.121
 
Re: 281
I wish we had more kids like you. The difference between you and the other students? You obviously were raised with a sense of morals and responsibility. How do I know? It shows in your reaction, your intelligence, and your demeanor. While you are watching the Crucible, they are watching Jackass. What did you really expect from them?

I hear about the apathy of today's youth all the time and am often saddened by it. But I am encouraged by the likes of you, because I know that you are our true future. You will be successful, and you will be the leaders, and the apathetic lazy buttholes you speak of will fade into oblivion.

Any way, just wanted to thank you for reminding me of that, and I want to encourage you to keep up the good work.
289.
 
Re: Screwed up folks...
Sep 11, 2001, 21:18
anon@66.69
Re: Screwed up folks... Sep 11, 2001, 21:18
Sep 11, 2001, 21:18
anon@66.69
 
I thought I would add something:

Though I walk through valleys of shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For God is with me;
Your rod and your staff,they comfort me.


PSALM 2
288.
 
Screwed up folks...
Sep 11, 2001, 21:14
anon@66.69
Screwed up folks... Sep 11, 2001, 21:14
Sep 11, 2001, 21:14
anon@66.69
 
Hey guys, I'd just like to state that those people who think that the US deserves this is extremely lucky that they live in a country where they can say that without being killed or imprisioned. Most people take for granted the fact of living in the US is something they should be grateful for. My friend IMed me this link http://kotisivu.raketti.net/wadez/ter.jpg . Those people who made that have some serious issues. I waited in line for 5 hours to donate blood. It's the most I can do. A lot of the people on here, if they live in the US, can be drafted if the President decides to retaliate with war against those countries who have harbored whoever has done this. Those people who are from different countries saying that the US deserves this, you can all kiss my ass. I'm extremely patriotic and I hope that you rot in hell. This was not the US Military that was attacked, this was US Citizens. They do not do anything to deserve this, and I wish you could sit in the place of those who have lost loved ones and neighbors and say that exact same thing. I'd like to see you walk your ass down a US Military base, New York or Washington D.C. and get beat for just saying that. Be glad that you can sit behind a keyboard and say this stuff and not have to face truly patriotic citizens. My condolences to the families that lost loved ones and my best to Blue and his family, and to looneyboi.

God bless America and those of you true American's out there.
287.
 
Re: No subject
Sep 11, 2001, 21:12
anon@64.12
Re: No subject Sep 11, 2001, 21:12
Sep 11, 2001, 21:12
anon@64.12
 
You know, you mention that you're surprised that they didn't try to take out the statue as well. Imagine the parallels to Deus Ex if they did. What if it turned out that the head of FEMA had something to do with it? By the way, why hasn't anything been said of FEMA's involvement?
286.
 
Re: Fallout
Sep 11, 2001, 21:08
anon@213.122
Re: Fallout Sep 11, 2001, 21:08
Sep 11, 2001, 21:08
anon@213.122
 
urm prolly wrong........ but wasnt the hydrogen (?!) bomb invented to get around the 'fallout' problem? At least I thought some bomb habd been invented that air exploded above a city, left the buildings standing, killed everyone with intense radiation but only had a half life of 2 weeks or something like that.........? So city is inhabitable a short time after.
285.
 
not sure what jihad means but
Sep 11, 2001, 21:08
not sure what jihad means but Sep 11, 2001, 21:08
Sep 11, 2001, 21:08
 
but if it means feud [us kentuckians] us americans know how to win one.bring it on spineless *asturds.

This comment was edited on Sep 11, 21:16.
284.
 
No subject
Sep 11, 2001, 21:03
anon@63.127
No subject Sep 11, 2001, 21:03
Sep 11, 2001, 21:03
anon@63.127
 
Dang, this is so unreal. The world trade center is one of America's biggest symbols. I'm suprised they didn't try to take out the statue of liberty as well.
283.
 
Re: Individualism
Sep 11, 2001, 21:02
anon@130.195
Re: Individualism Sep 11, 2001, 21:02
Sep 11, 2001, 21:02
anon@130.195
 
10 nuclear weapons will end all life? I think that's a little unjustified
Even from all of the fallout, life will not be ended. We're humans, we adapt. ok, we'll be having babies with arms coming out of their heads, but we wont die.

I've just finished listening to Bush's speach, I'm a little frightened about just what he means with that quote (see below). But after hearing that, and seeing the plane flying into the side of one of the WTC buildings, I'm for action being taken... just not nuclear.
Our countries spend millions (probably billions in the case of america) of dollars on anti-terrorist specialists, the united states, britain, germany, australia, they all have men trained in taking out bastards who partake in activities like those seen today. I say use them to their full potential, and wipe these fuckers off the face of the planet. I'm angry. Seeing that plane fly into the building and seeing the resulting explosion, thinking about the people inside, I can't think of words to describe it.
282.
 
Fallout
Sep 11, 2001, 21:00
anon@63.127
Fallout Sep 11, 2001, 21:00
Sep 11, 2001, 21:00
anon@63.127
 
You're wrong. You are forgetting the effects of fallout wich lasts for years. Fallout does NOT just fall to the ground, it travels with the wind. You may not have been hit by the nuke, but the fallout will get you eventually. I'm sure someone else knows about these facts besides me.
281.
 
Let's not make this a witch hunt.
Sep 11, 2001, 20:59
anon@24.4
Let's not make this a witch hunt. Sep 11, 2001, 20:59
Sep 11, 2001, 20:59
anon@24.4
 
I walked into the second period of class at Pike High School to see both the world trade center towers on fire. I saw on live television both building collapse. I wanted to cry out. This was a personal affront to my country and I, not to mention a terrible tragedy to hundreds, perhaps thousands of families.

In between classes and while at lunch I was appalled by the lack of interest of the other students. They joked about it, acted like it wasn't that important. These are high school students that, if for some reason war was declared on a country, would be the first to be drafted.

"It's the Canadians!" they cried in between bursts of laughter. It did not seem to bother them that thousands had died.

"Look at that dude jumping out the window," they said to each other, "I bet he's going to splat." There was no respect for the lives of those involved, no thoughts about the seriousness of the event, no condolences spoken towards the families of victims.

As the day went on I almost became more disgusted with my fellow students at Pike -- or rather, some of the students, there were some that wandered the halls in silent complentation like I -- than at those that committed this terrible atrocity. When the youth of our country are apathetic to an attack of this magnitude there is a serious problem.

I am saddened that I am too young to donate my blood, I want to help in some way. Action needs to be taken, and unfortunately is was most likely a small group of rebels that attacked us. This means there will be no country to attack, only a small group. Thousands lost because of a small group. There is no "eye for an eye" when thousands die compared to perhaps a few hundred terrorist that we actually kill.

Nonetheless, I cannot help but thinking of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Action must be taken, and although I am disgusted by the inactivity of my fellow students I, at the same time am just as fearful of overaction. I remember what I have learned about Senator Joe McCarthy's red scare. We must not have another witch hunt in America. We have already lost uncounted innocent lives in America, we do not need to unnecessarily increase that number of innocent deaths.

Remember, inaction is , but too much action is just as awful.

--Ewigekraft23
280.
 
Re: To people who want to use nukes
Sep 11, 2001, 20:54
anon@195.92
Re: To people who want to use nukes Sep 11, 2001, 20:54
Sep 11, 2001, 20:54
anon@195.92
 
Uh... Dude... No... Well maybe if we were all shoved on one island and then bombed, otherwise it would take one nuke per city, so say two hundred and let fallout take care of the rest.
The main reason for not using nukes is they would raise the stakes to incredible levels. Still, right now I would believe anyhing...:(
279.
 
From .ru
Sep 11, 2001, 20:52
anon@62.178
From .ru Sep 11, 2001, 20:52
Sep 11, 2001, 20:52
anon@62.178
 
he-he... no really, is Afghanistan the only word you can say?... and weren't you there too? And by the way, it had way more to do with Russia than the US... and Chechenia is NOT A COUNTRY BUT A SEPARATE STATE OF RUSSIA and has been the source of quite a few terrorist attacks all over Russia in the past few years...

Now you are saying that I wouldn't be able to post here if not of the US?... well, I admit that the internet started out in the states, just like Russians have had their First Austronaut in Space... DOES THIS MATTER A COUPLE OF DECADES AFTER??? NO!...

And you are saying the country is dying... ha-ha-ha... it is the only country in the world, that has enough resources to live ALONE, but its size plays for its negative side too, it is real hard to have a centralized government then, and with the new democratic regime, that had come into power less than 20 years ago, it is quite a big task to handle... BUT the richest people live in Russian, Moscow has more Mercedes 600 Cars than the whole of Europe and an average Russian has at least 1 University Degree... AND most of the masterminds in Silicon Valley strangely have Russian Family Names... hm?
278.
 
Re: There's something that's bugging me ...
Sep 11, 2001, 20:50
anon@64.222
Re: There's something that's bugging me ... Sep 11, 2001, 20:50
Sep 11, 2001, 20:50
anon@64.222
 
I find it very troubling that we have in our midst here, those who hate America. Further troubling is the many who hate this country so much live and work here. It's disgusting.

I'm so sick of American apologists and bleeding heart liberals who think we should sit on our aZZes and do nothing bc if we possibly kill one innocent person we're tyrannical. Sure, we're not perfect. No country is. But the US has helped many nations, given aid to many an ailing country, even fought two world wars it did not need or want.

There are those who say the US was wrong in using the A bomb in WWII. However, what they almost always fail to note is that Germany was working on the self same bomb and would have used it just as we did. What these people also seem not to understand is that a positive outcome of WWII for the Allies was not an assured prospect. In fact, it was far from it. The Axis Powers were formidable foes. To say we relished using the A bomb to put quick end to the war is absurd. Noone likes killing so many people.

Gawd, I just love reading these self-serving posts from this amusing collection of self-proclaimed Gen X historians. To you I say talk to a WWII veteran if you want a real account. Go back, LIVE IT AND FIGHT IT, and then come back and spew your bullshit. At least then you'll be entitled to it. Until then STFU.
277.
 
To people who want to use nukes
Sep 11, 2001, 20:47
anon@63.127
To people who want to use nukes Sep 11, 2001, 20:47
Sep 11, 2001, 20:47
anon@63.127
 
Do you not have any idea of the power a nuclear weapon has? It takes only 10 nuclear weapons to end life on the planet. just TEN! We have thousands of nuclear weapons stockpiled! Think about it. Ten nuclear explosions and we are ALL dead.
276.
 
Re: Bush's address
Sep 11, 2001, 20:46
anon@64.166
Re: Bush's address Sep 11, 2001, 20:46
Sep 11, 2001, 20:46
anon@64.166
 
"We will make no distinction between terrorists who commit these acts, and those who harbor them."

It's about fucking time!
275.
 
Bush's address
Sep 11, 2001, 20:42
anon@149.169
Bush's address Sep 11, 2001, 20:42
Sep 11, 2001, 20:42
anon@149.169
 
"We will make no distinction between terrorists who commit these acts, and those who harbor them."
- President Bush

indiv
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