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Originally posted by infinityoreilly
But would it really kill millions right away, or would people first get sick and then die horribly over the next 10 years?
Originally posted by franzbeckenbauer
I'd suggest one of the main reasons why LIHOP falls over is because of the existence of the nuclear power station at 3 Mile Island.
Originally posted by Essan
Unless the intention wasn't to cause maximum no of casualties but to strike iconic US buildings - such as the NY Skyline and the Pentagon?
In which case LIHOP stands as a valid theory.
Originally posted by Essan
Terrorism isn't necessarily about killing the maximum no of people - as the IRA demonstrated time and time again.
The example of the IRA is not relevant here. Al Qaeda were not attacking targets in their homeland and therefore would have had no qualms about killing as many people as possible. The IRA WERE operating in their own country and so had to walk a fine line between achieving their ends and keeping public opinion on their side.
Originally posted by franzbeckenbauer
Originally posted by Essan
Terrorism isn't necessarily about killing the maximum no of people - as the IRA demonstrated time and time again.
Mate, are you seriously expecting me to believe that, if offered the choice between potentially killing millions of Americans and making large parts of America uninhabitable, and striking at symbols, terrorists who "hate us for our freedoms" would choose the latter? Could you perhaps explain the terrorist psychology behind that? Are they just playing a game which they hope will go on indefinitely? Or are they fighting the war we are told they are fighting?
Originally posted by apex
No I think he is meaning the IRA's attacks in the UK, in which case that isn't their own country.
Originally posted by apex
Just how much damage do you think flying a plane into a nuclear reactor would do? If it didn't work exactly the right way for their objective, it might shut it down straight away. It would cause fear, but to do that, how exactly is attacking a nations' main defence building not going to cause fear?
Originally posted by mikellmikell
Crashing a jet into TMI would have not damaged the plant to the point of a nuclear release. They are built to withstand that right from the gitgo. We have 2 nuke plants locally and I have visited them both the concrete is thicker than even the Pentagon the most damage would be stopping the output for a month or two but nothing nuclear.
mikell
Originally posted by franzbeckenbauer
But for some reason the chance to fly as close as possible to the Pentagon before being shot out of the sky was somehow preferable to the monkeys flying these planes than the slender (but still far higher!) chance of causing a major radiation leak or worse? It makes no sense at all!
Originally posted by apex
And how exactly would hitting it with a plane necessarily cause a meltdown?
Originally posted by apex
And how would they know they were going to fly over TML anyway? More to the point, how would they know exactly where to hit the structure?
The amount of credit you're giving them, I think they'd be able to set the autopilot to take them to an airport in DC, and get a bearing from that.
Originally posted by franzbeckenbauer
Originally posted by apex
And how would they know they were going to fly over TML anyway? More to the point, how would they know exactly where to hit the structure?
Do people even THINK before posting replies on this site? It seems not... Let me think for you then. They (supposedly) flew all the way from Ohio to Arlington, VA to aim at the Pentagon. They had no navigational assistance.
Or do you think they made their whole plan up on the fly?!
As to where to hit on the structure. Come on! They supposedly knew where to hit on the Pentagon - the HQ of the US Forces. With a little research you don't think they could have worked out exactly how and where to hit TMI, the details of which I'm quite sure are a hell of a lot easier to get hold of that details and plans of the Pentagon!!