Chronicles the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and discusses the motives and background of the terrorists responsible for them.
"I heard the roar of a Jet and looked out the window... it was coming right at us... There was an explosion....The building shook. Within seconds, you could see debris coming towards the window.
We ran toward the emergency exit.
The stairways were crowded and smoky. Some of the people had been injured. Some were bleeding. Others were burnt, all desperately trying to flee, to get out.
The lower 10 to 15 floors were flooded, so we were walking through water as firemen were walking up.
Once we got outside, we saw dozens of people jumping out of the building. From the top floor. 1000 feet up. Some of them were on fire.
There were screams, cries. I ran into the street, and watched in horror as six people either fell or jumped, dropping like dolls from the upper floors.
Everyone was running -cops, firefighters, civilians.
Suddenly the top of the tower just shattered into thousands of pieces. The walls peeled away. The entire structure, once standing over 100 floors tall, folded into itself like a house of cards. Then the smoke came billowing down the streets like a solid wall of darkness coming right at you... it scared the shit out of me.
The cops started yelling, "Get back! Run! Get away!" I ran inside a hotel. Everything went black outside, because of the dust.
People were screaming and diving for cover. Others wandered around like ghosts, weeping and covered in dirt."
-A Survivor
*****
THE MIND OF THE TERRORIST
The terrorist is a predator, probing for weakness, spawning fear and horror in order to sap and destroy the will of a people. The object of terror is to instill terror and force capitulation. Through fear and terror one can demand obedience and blind submission.
Terror is a form of propaganda. It is a political weapon.
Nightmarish fear, the uncertainty of death, becomes an unceasing pounding pounding pounding that begins with the heart and ends with the soul.
Terrorism is a form of violence committed against the soul... Terror shocks the system, wearing one down, forcing one to recoil in horror and to submit.
Through death and terror (and the promise of more deaths to come), the terrorist hopes to conquer all opposition. Terror is a political weapon and its purpose is to force capitulation.
Through fear, brutality and physical terror, the terrorist hopes to gain mastery over the soul and the mind of the people. And when terror is followed by yet more terror, the psychological effect can be calculated with an almost mathematical precision.
Terror at the place of employment, in the factory, in the streets, on the playground, if followed by yet more terror, will almost always achieve its aims, which is withdrawal and submission--unless opposed by equal terror.
If terror is followed by yet more mindless terror, if the people are faced with the uncertainty of death, victory can be achieved as the defeated adversary in most cases, despairs of the success of any further resistance. The terrorist and his cohorts see each death and each act of unspeakable violence as a victory for their cause.
Cruelty is impressive. Cruelty and brutal strength appears unstoppable. It shocks the system and makes a lasting impression, leading almost always to surrender. In the mind of the terrorist, the opposition, the public, his enemies, need the thrill of terror to make them shudderingly submissive.
Terror is the most effective form of politics.
The terrorist believes that terror is always the most effective form of war and the most effective argument against further resistance. Those who are terrorized are easily swayed and are willing to do your bidding.
The opposition must feel fear and terror. Uncertainty is essential. They must never know if they or their loved ones will be maimed or murdered. They must always feel they are at risk of suffering a horrible death. They must always feel as if the iron fist of terror may strike at any moment, for any reason, or for no reason at all. They or their neighbors may be killed or maimed at any time, at any place--at home, in bed, while making love, while kissing their children good night.
The important thing in spreading terror is an overwhelming and contagious fear of suffering horrific injuries and a nightmarish death.
Through the uncertainty of terror, the people become compliant, fearful and overwhelmed by incomprehensible anxiety, and are thus easily led and swayed.
When terror is followed by more terror, the people become afraid to continue their everyday routines, they become paralyzed and are no longer able to resist the terrorist's agenda.
Through calculated, institutionalized terror, the opposition and the enemy, will surrender because capitulation offers the only possibility of salvation.
Violence begets violence. Through brutality, physical terror and violence we are able to gain mastery over the soul and the mind of our enemies. We win by making them afraid.
