Why Hasn't "9/11" Happened Again?

[Chazumi]

So I am from the USA, I remember exactly where I was and what happened when the twin towers were hit, the pentagon compromised...and I am thinking to myself now, why hasn't this happened again?

IIRC, a few months ago they did a study on the SAME COMPANY THAT TRAINED THE CULPRITS OF 9/11, and they STILL DID NOT ASK FOR ID AND WHAT NOT. Basically they hadn't changed at all from the point that the terrorists said "I just want to learn how to fly the plane, not how to take off and land it".

So I am wondering, why hasn't this happened again? I mean, IF I were a terrorist I would have struck a thousand times more than this one time incident. But it hasn't happend yet, what do we attribute this to? Luck? Terrorists are being stopped by security forces? Terrorists are afraid of the retribution? What is it?

What are your thoughts? Are US Security measures up to par, meaning we haven't had any more?

Discuss.

 

[cubsfan6506]

I'm confused 9/11 has already happened six times again.

 

[Chazumi]

Obviously the SIGACs against America fool...not the date...

 

[Godwynn]

Why didn't they strike within six years after 1993?

 

[The Yankee]

A multitude of reasons. Our forces foil some plots, some plots just never get off the ground, some may be in some stage in a long process (like those 9/11 attacks), attention on other hotspots has meant that the US homeland doesn't have full attention (whether that's a consequence of the large US force in Iraq is really up to you, but there have been plenty of attacks on other countries in the nearly seven years since), we've found and frozen some of their funds, and a number of other scenarios I haven't even touched.

This might not mean that our own security is up to snuff yet, but we'll certainly take time without attacks upon the US proper than with.

 

[Tycoon101]

What benefits would the government glean from attacking itself once again?

 

[Chazumi]

This might not mean that our own security is up to snuff yet, but we'll certainly take time without attacks upon the US proper than with.

But I mean, how hard is it to make a bomb and detonate it in downtown New York? Wouldn't that make more sense than detonating yourself in downtown Baghdad? Maybe I misunderstand their philosophy but at least American infidels, in my opinion, would earn me more points than ignorant Middle Easterners... Does anyone know if somehow Iraqis or Afghanis are worth more points than Americans in the "kill everyone but your sect" game?

What benefits would the government glean from attacking itself once again?

Touche! Especially with Oil prices these days...

 

[warpus]

All the terrorists are in Iraq, engaging American forces there.

That was the plan all along. It is working perfectly.

 

[LightFang]

Because we haven't had the time to plan another huge conspiracy again.

 

[Chazumi]

Because we haven't had the time to plan another huge conspiracy again.

Well, maybe their leaders are stupid but, if I was a terrorist trying to incite chaos in a foreign country, it wouldn't be on my home turf. It would be in the heart of their biggest cities, even after huge security efforts were emplaced. I mean, how scary would it be to think "There are cops everywhere" in manhatten, yet daily 3 people detonate themselves and hundreds are killed. Freaky right? Are they just not that smart? I can build a bomb out of numerous available materials...

 

[The Yankee]

But I mean, how hard is it to make a bomb and detonate it in downtown New York? Wouldn't that make more sense than detonating yourself in downtown Baghdad? Maybe I misunderstand their philosophy but at least American infidels, in my opinion, would earn me more points than ignorant Middle Easterners... Does anyone know if somehow Iraqis or Afghanis are worth more points than Americans in the "kill everyone but your sect" game?

Hasn't really been their style since 1993 on this territory (setting Timothy McVeigh aside because he was a homegrown crazy). That and downtown NY has been expecting a truck bomb. Just like the next attempt probably won't happen with an airplane (at least in the guided missile sense).

Finally, we seem to do a good enough job scaring ourselves over it that they don't need to take the effort to do something on these shores every year. All bin Laden has to do is get a camera and go "BOO!!!" and we went for it.

In the past anyway...we're probably finally letting go of our everlasting "orange" alert status.

Think about it. They got to grind down the Soviet Union by dragging them down in Afghanistan. They didn't need to go to Moscow.

 

[Godwynn]

Well, maybe their leaders are stupid but, if I was a terrorist trying to incite chaos in a foreign country, it wouldn't be on my home turf. It would be in the heart of their biggest cities, even after huge security efforts were emplaced. I mean, how scary would it be to think "There are cops everywhere" in manhatten, yet daily 3 people detonate themselves and hundreds are killed. Freaky right? Are they just not that smart? I can build a bomb out of numerous available materials...

Perhaps their main objective right now isn't to detonate in the United States?

 

[Chazumi]

Hasn't really been their style since 1993 on this territory (setting Timothy McVeigh aside because he was a homegrown crazy). That and downtown NY has been expecting a truck bomb. Just like the next attempt probably won't happen with an airplane (at least in the guided missile sense).

Finally, we seem to do a good enough job scaring ourselves over it that they don't need to take the effort to do something on these shores every year. All bin Laden has to do is get a camera and go "BOO!!!" and we went for it.

In the past anyway...we're probably finally letting go of our everlasting "orange" alert status.

Think about it. They got to grind down the Soviet Union by dragging them down in Afghanistan. They didn't need to go to Moscow.

Are you really scared about news from Iraq? I mean, when 9/11 happened I was in 10th grade. It freaked me out. I thought the world was going to end. Yet, I joined the Army in an act of patriotism, have been in many firefights, have participated in the killings of those "responsible" for terrorist acts, and yet somehow the thought of 9/11 still scares me more than worrying about getting shot in Iraq... I think the mental aspect still has greater gain for their cause than something that happens 7k miles away... Do they just not believe this or is it just impossible for them at this point?

 

[BasketCase]

Here's an idea nobody's posted yet: maybe nobody is attempting another 9/11 because they're afraid the Muslim world will suffer even more destruction than it already has??

Generally, in any argument about terrorism, I hold firmly to the opinion that terrorists are crazy and their methods are not justified under any circumstances. But that doesn't mean they're stupid. We generally peg terrorists as fighting to liberate this or that piece of land, or spread their religion, or whatever. But their motives may be more pragmatic. More political. Hell, some terrorists (such as diamond smugglers in the Far East) are into terrorism simply for money.

Terrorists blew up two skyscrapers, and the American response was to wipe two entire nations off the map. If terrorists are concerned about defending Islam and liberating Muslim lands, then their idea to blow up the Twin Towers backfired disastrously. You can't beat the United States that way--blow up a dozen more skyscrapers and you will be rendered extinct. It's a war of attrition terrorists simply cannot win. They may have realized that large-scale terrorist attacks are going to backfire if used again. So, for now, maybe they simply switched to other targets.

 

[WICKLC1]

I know it sounds crazy, but maybe the president has done a good job of national security since 9/11/01.

 

[CaptainF]

Why didn't they strike within six years after 1993?

They did...1998 embassy bombings?

 

[JohnRM]

Probably because the 9/11 attacks have rendered it impossible to ever hijack another airplane ever again -- because the people on the plane will have your arse if you even think about it. They're not waiting around for you to crash it into a building.

 

[Godwynn]

They did...1998 embassy bombings?

That was in Africa.

 

[Alpine Trooper]

Bush is waiting till the month before his term ends for something unexpectedly massive to happen, I just know he won't let me down.

 

[WICKLC1]

Something will happen once the next president takes office. All 3 of the remaining candidates will be soft on terrorism. Even McCain.