The warnings have been coming from terrorist groups that unprecedented attacks would be launched on the mainland U.S.A.
The news began trickling in on the drive to work: the World Trade Centre was on fire after a jet crashed into the north tower about 20 stories from the top. Given that the towers rise 110 stories into the sky, at first blush it could have been an accident
However, as the reports flooded in, it was learned that two commercial airline jets — all hijacked — crashed kamikaze-style into both towers, which house 50,000 workers. It was also reported that the State Department Building in Washington was attacked by a car bomb, and the three West Wings of the Pentagon were on fire after another jet crashed into the five-sided building. Another hijacked jet crashed southeast of Pittsburgh, while yet another hijacked jet crashed near the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland
For North Americans who have grown accustomed to the frequent suicide bombings in the Middle East or Ireland or in any of the other hot spots on the planet, it is surreal to think that such carnage could happen here. In the past it was inconceivable to think that the most powerful nation on the planet could suffer attacks on New York City and Washington. This is the stuff of Hollywood.
But, as this is being written, radio reports confirm that several passenger jets were hijacked and forced to crash-land.
Though as of press time no terrorist group has claimed to be behind the attacks, all signs point to acts of terrorism. Despite having the most sophisticated surveillance technology in the history of mankind, despite having the most feared arsenal of nuclear weapons, despite its combined military might, Tuesday, Sept. 11 marks the day North American history changed.
We are no longer on the outside looking in, but have become part of that large puzzle called world politics, with all of its age-old hatreds and struggles and senseless carnage.
We have lost our relative innocence to acts of evil, resulting in the deaths of countless people. (With 50,000 people working in the World Trade Centre and several hundred more gone down in the several passenger jets, the casualties on this terrible Tuesday may eclipse the total casualties incurred by American troops in the Vietnam War.)
When the dust clears and the dead are counted, let this be a wake-up call for all nations to work together to rid the world of such senseless acts, of such cowardly evil.
