johnc Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 From today's Washington Post: "A first review of the Sept. 11 commission's report indicates that the system failed, but that is wrong. While the U.S. air defense system did fail to halt the attacks, our improvised, high-tech citizen defense "system" was extraordinarily successful... Requiring less time than it took the White House to gather intelligence and issue an attack order (which was in fact not acted on), American citizens gathered information from national media and relayed that information to citizens aboard the flight, who organized themselves and effectively carried out a counterattack against the terrorists, foiling their plans. Armed with television and cell phones, quick-thinking, courageous citizens who were fed information by loved ones saved the White House or Congress from devastation." From: http://216.111.31.12/details.asp?PRID=32 At 8:48 a.m. Mohammed Atta took a jet headlong into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Eighteen minutes later and accomplice did the same to the south tower. When Jeremy Glick called his wife, his first question was an attempt to confirm something another passenger had heard on his spousal call: was the World Trade Center story true? Lizzy Glick paused, thought for a minute, swallowed hard, and told him the truth. Yes, they had. Moments later, still on the line with her husband, Lizzy Glick saw that another plane had run into the Pentagon. She passed that information on as well to her husband, who relayed it to the other passengers. Jeremy Glick then told her that the passengers were about to take a vote and decide if they should rush the hijackers and attempt to foul up whatever evil plans they had. He put down the phone and a commotion was heard by those on the other end of the line. Then nothing. A dead line. An aborted missile launch against the town where I live. That was 10:37 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11... just 109 minutes after Mohammed Atta rammed the first plane into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Just 109 minutes after a new form of terrorism -- the most deadly yet invented -- came into use, it was rendered, if not obsolete, at least decidedly less effective. Deconstructed, unengineered, thwarted, and put into the dust bin of history. By Americans. In 109 minutes. And in retrospect, they did it in the most American of ways. They used a credit card to rent a fancy cell phone to get information just minutes old, courtesy of the ubiquitous 24-hour news phenomenon. Then they took a vote. When the vote called for sacrifice to protect country and others, there apparently wasn't a shortage of volunteers. Their action was swift. It was decisive. And it was effective. United Flight 93 did not hit a building. It did not kill anyone on the ground. It did not terrorize a city, despite the best drawn plans of the world's most innovative madmen. Why? Because it had informed Americans on board who'd had 109 minutes to come up with a counteraction. And the next time a hijacker full of hate pulls the same stunt with a single knife, he'll get the same treatment and meet the same result as those on United Flight 93. Dead, yes. Murderous, yes. But successful? No. So I think the answer I come to is "yes, but at least not for long." They did whip us. And maybe those of us who've demanded to be let on airplanes at the last minute fed a culture of convenience that made it possible. But they only had us on the mat for 109 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I gotta say I keep hearing that Al Qaeda wants to hijack more planes on the news, and I just can't imagine that working after 911. The shoe bomber had a chance, except for the (professional?) boxer sitting behind him on the plane. But I just can't bring myself to believe that a whole plane full of people are going to sit like sheep now that the stakes have changed. The passengers now know that they are not going to go to an airport and negotiate for the release of terrorists. They're going to die. They have nothing to lose. Apparently it does only take 109 minutes to change terrorist strategy forever. The goal will now be to shoot down the plane or plant a bomb on the plane, but I don't think it will ever again be to hijack the plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Well, since I live in a VERY TARGET rich environment (3 major targets within 2 miles of my house), I am very sensitive to reports of impending attacks!! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I was standing between the two towers when the second plane hit (looking for the "exit hole" of the first plane but that's a whole other story) so all of this has truly effected the way I think. The first time I had to be on a plane for business after Sept 11th was Jan of 2002. The first thing I did when I got on ther plane was to look around at the other passangers. I didn't do this to try to guess who was a terrorist but to see who was going to help me if there was a problem. I don't think we can afford to sit back and do nothing. Everyone must participate in securing our way of life. There are signs all over the NY city subways that say "If you see something, say something." We all need to be on the same page. I like having 400 channels on TV and going to a Yankees games Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 And people wonder why I use the words EXTERMINATE and EXECUTE when talking about terrorists in general, and the fact that regardless WHO is at the helm of our ccountry, We must NOT lay down like CLINTON did and let this issue get swepped under the rug... I heard on the news that American view on the war in Iraq has changed... I hate the fact that our public has the attention span of a three year old on caffiene and sugar. It sickens me to think that when all is said and done, that ultimately those who planned and ordered the attacks will eventually NOT PAY with their own blood. Until Bin Ladden and the rest of those who have raised war against America are brought to justice and dealt with, my view of the world we live in, and our federal government, and the UN AND The EU will forever be changed. Those passengers did something most Americans wouldn't do... They got involved... I can see that statement pissing off people, But I base it on the fact that I see very few americans "Getting" involved now... I only see them sitting back like Sheeople and letting the extreme left and extreme right feed them the fodder pre-programed to sway public opinion. And Don't get me start on Michael Moore and his abomination of a movie... MIke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zfan Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 I must say I totally agree with Mike on all counts! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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