People I know who were murdered: Barry Smotroff and Ben Blutstein

I believe I've only known two people who were murdered, in sharp contrast to Aisha Roberts, the 19 year old quoted in the previous post, who knows 13 people who were murdered just this year.

The first person I knew was Barry Smotroff, a science fiction fan who lived in New York City, who was killed on July 29, 1976, apparently in a robbery. See a link to a photo of him. Here's a link to a story about Barry. I'm not sure exactly how I met him - either during a visit to New York to meet fans, or possibly at a science fiction convention or two.

The second person I knew was Ben Blutstein, who was murdered on July 31, 2002, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem by a terrorist who left a bomb in the Frank Sinatra cafeteria. Eight other people were killed in the same attack. I did not know any of them, but friends of mine in Jerusalem knew them. This was during the height of the second intifada.

Nine people - four Israelis and five foreign nationals - were killed and 85 injured, 14 of them seriously, when a bomb exploded in the crowded Frank Sinatra cafeteria on the Hebrew University Mt. Scopus campus shortly after 13:30. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. 

The bomber left the bomb in an innocent looking bag packed with shrapnel in the cafeteria. The device was professionally prepared, possibly in one of the factories in the Nablus casbah, which the IDF has refrained from entering since Operation Defensive Shield after Passover. 

Though classes were not in session, students were taking exams at the time of the blast, and the cafeteria was crowded with diners. There were also numerous students in the building registering for classes for the coming school year. 

The cafeteria is also near the Rothberg International School, where about 80 pupils from the US and other Western countries had arrived to prepare for the fall semester.
Most of the injured were between the ages of 18 and 30. The explosion gutted the cafeteria.

The murderers in this case were caught about two weeks later. They were also responsible for the Cafe Momento attack in Jerusalem on March 9, 2002, when 11 people were killed. The man who placed the bomb in the cafeteria was Muhammad Ouda, 29, who worked as a construction worker at the university.

The release of Gilad Shalit and the 405 bus attack in July, 1989

I was visiting Israel in the summer of 2006 when Gilad Shalit was kidnapped, and I remember the two-week mini-war that his kidnapping caused (and which has since been forgotten, since that was also the summer of the Second Lebanon War). I wrote a blog post then, but haven't written anything else about Shalit since then.

In my subsequent visits, I was puzzled by the emotion that my Israeli friends felt about Shalit, and about the many signs posted everywhere calling for his return home. As Ethan Bronner in the New York Times has noted, most Israelis see Shalit as being almost a member of their families - a son or brother who is missing in an unknown location, held by ruthless killers. I still don't quite get the emotion, since I'm not Israeli and don't have the same visceral connection to him. The only thing I can really compare it to in the United States is the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979-1980 - I remember watching "Nightline" with Ted Koppel, with the banner on the screen, "America Held Hostage." Even then, it was nowhere near as personal.

I do, on the other hand, feel more personally about some of the terrorists who are being released in return for Shalit, one in particular - Abd al-Hadi Rafa Ghanim, who attacked the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv bus 405 on July 6, 1989.

I was living in Jerusalem at the time. The bus was on its way to Jerusalem, and had just passed Abu Ghosh. The terrorist grabbed the steering wheel and drove the bus into the abyss. The road is very steep at that point in the climb up to Jerusalem, and there is a deep fall into the valley at that point. The bus tumbled into the ravine and sixteen people were killed, some of them being burned alive.

The attack was a horrible shock to everyone. Anyone living in Jerusalem had taken the 405 to and from Tel Aviv. It was so easy to imagine being on that bus as the terrorist wrestled the steering wheel out of the driver's grip. I remember taking the bus after that and peering out, trying to discover where the attack had occurred.

The Jerusalem Post article published the next day on the attack (retrieved via LexisNexis) is available after the jump:

A bearded Palestinian man shouting "Allahu Akbar" seized the steering wheel of a No. 405 Jerusalem-bound Egged Newsbus from Tel Aviv yesterday and sent it crashing over a steep precipice, killing 14 passengers and injuring at least 27, seven of them seriously.

Among the dead were several who were trapped inside the bus and burned alive when it exploded in flames at the bottom of the ravine. Forensic experts at Abu Kabir were last night still trying to identify some of the dead who had been burned beyond recognition. Names of the dead were not released by press time.

Senior police officers said the attack had been planned, and that this would make it the most deadly terrorist incident in Israel since the Coastal Road massacre in 1978, when 37 people were killed and 76 were wounded.

Police Inspector-General David Kraus said last night that the police had been placed on high alert, especially in the Jerusalem area, to prevent reprisal attacks against Arabs. The alert was announced after the Kach movement distributed leaflets calling for attacks on Arabs.

Kraus's assessment that the attack had been planned was apparently based on the preliminary interrogation of the suspect's father, who was reportedly among the passengers on the bus and was arrested yesterday afternoon. Police and General Security Service officers were interrogating the suspect, under guard at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem, where he is being treated for "moderate injuries." Police reported that the suspect had begun speaking to his interrogators after hours of not cooperating. They said his identity was known. Kraus said that the suspect's father, who had also been on the bus, was also under arrest.

The terror suspect, 28, was a worker in Tel Aviv's Carmel market, and had not been in Gaza in weeks. Arab sources say that the man was a member of the Islamic Jihad. Israel Radio reported at midnight that the suspect told interrogators that he acted out of revenge, saying his family members were beaten by the IDF.

Investigators moved from bed to bed in the two Jerusalem Hadassah hospitals and Shaare Zedek, as well as Sheba Hospital, Tel Hashomer, taking statements from the injured as they recovered sufficiently to speak. Many of them had been asleep at the time of the attack, or had not seen what occurred at the front of the bus.

Medical staff at Hadassah Ein Kerem, where 14 of the wounded were taken, worked feverishly in the emergency ward for hours after the crash. The most serious cases were rushed into surgery shortly after their arrival, while others, bandaged but still covered with drying blood, were tended to in the emergency ward. Among the three most seriously wounded, two men were apparently unconscious. A hospital spokesman said that two of the seriously wounded were being operated on last night - one for multiple fractures, the other for head injuries.

A U.S. Consulate spokesman in Jerusalem said seven American nationals were among the wounded.

The incident occurred when the bus began picking up speed on the long straight stretch after the Abu Ghosh junction.

Driver Moshe Elul, who sustained minor head injuries, seemed dazed as he recounted from his bed at Shaare Zedek the events that led to the tragedy. "A young man approached me suddenly. I thought he wanted to ask a question. (But) he grabbed the wheel, shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the greatest, in Arabic) and pulled the wheel with all of his strength rightward. "I struggled with him and tried to pull the wheel back to the left. But he planted his legs on the dashboard of the bus to gain more strength, and that's how he made us topple over the precipice."

Elul was apparently later flung out of a window. He said he could not recall clearly what happened after his initial struggle with the passenger.

Most of the passengers were thrown from the bus, which disintegrated as it tumbled dozens of metres down a 45-degree slope.

First to provide assistance to the wounded were drivers who stopped by the roadside and yeshiva students from nearby Telshe-Stone. When Air Force helicopters arrived, they found it difficult to land in the wadi and turned the highway into a makeshift landing strip. Scores of volunteers joined Magen David Adom and IDF rescuers in the difficult evacuation operation.... Victims were lifted out of the wadi by rope. Ambulances took 22 of the wounded to hospitals in Jerusalem, while five were evacuated by helicopter to Sheba Hospital.

Dr. Ya'acov Adler, director of Shaare Zedek's emergency ward, where four of the wounded were taken, happened to be driving by the scene when the crash occurred. He rushed to administer emergency treatment.

Police were searching last night for two missing passengers, believed to have made their way home after being slightly injured.

Teams from the Hevra Kadisha burial society worked until nightfall to help evacuate the dead, gather scattered limbs, and search for signs of any other bodies. The burial team consisted of 25-30 ultra-Orthodox men, some of whom crawled under the bus to evacuate casualties. Rabbi Elazar Gelbstein, head of the burial society, said: "After six hours of work, I broke down and cried. I hope that God stops the suffering inflicted on the Jewish people."

Most of the wounded were in shock; those who could talk, did so in a whisper.

A team of doctors and nurses treated the suspect in hospital, while a group of Shin Bet interrogators stood by, waiting for a chance to talk to him. One armed soldier stood guard by the bedside, while other security men with walkie-talkies milled around the crowded ward.

Among the wounded at Hadassah Ein Kerem was Eliezra Ben-Yehuda Cassuto, 53, granddaughter of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the father of modern Hebrew. Cassuto, who lives in New York, was on her way to see her daughter Sigal represent the U.S. in the Maccabiah gymnastics event yesterday afternoon in Jerusalem. Cassuto, with a cast on her leg and speaking through an oxygen mask, said that just before the bus swerved she heard passengers sitting in front of her say that "something is not right. Then we were on our side, it happened so quickly. I woke up outside when there was an explosion and the fire started. I was lying on dry grass and there was fire all around. I wanted to get away but I couldn't move. I heard a woman scream that she couldn't find her son and that he was trapped inside the bus. But people told her not to go near, it was too dangerous."

Another of the wounded was Victor Assal, a 23-year-old American-born soldier from Jerusalem, who had been given a few days' leave and was on his way to see his mother who is here on a visit. Assal, who had been sitting on the left side of the bus near the back, has a broken leg and cuts and bruises on his back and head. Doctors removed large chunks of glass from his back. "I hadn't slept last night and I conked out on the ride up," Assal said from his bed in the emergency ward. "I woke up when the bus veered sharply to the right. I saw people thrown to the side and heard people screaming up front. I grabbed for my gun and then blacked out. I woke up in a sitting position above the bus. I don't know how I got out of the bus, whether I was thrown or whether someone pulled me out. My whole body hurt. I tried climbing up the slope and someone came and helped me."

Netanel Zuberri, 29, of Tel Aviv was lying on his back yesterday evening in the orthopedic ward of Sheba Hospital, counting his blessings. He was lightly wounded. His parents Naomi and Shalom were at his bedside, his mother trying to feed him vegetable soup while his father, pale and tearful, sat slumped in a nearby chair.

"At about 11.45 I was half asleep. I sat near the back door. I opened my eyes and thought I was dreaming. The bus was going straight through the safety barrier into the ravine. It happened so fast, that as soon as I understood what was happening there was an enormous crash as the bus smashed into a boulder on the floor of the wadi and overturned. The funny thing was that on the way down I flew in the air with my eyes open and I saw other people flying. It all happened in a fraction of a second. After the bus overturned I must have blacked out. I woke up and saw I was on my back and smoke was all around me. I crawled through a broken window, and got to three metres away from the bus. The whole time I could hear people screaming and crying. I gathered my strength and crawled 50 metres away where I lay down and saw how the bus was burning. You look and you can't believe it's happening."

"I lay there about 30 minutes, and only then did I realize I was injured. I felt pain in my back and I had a deep and long wound on my knee through which I could see the bone. I was very thirsty and I tried to clean the hole in my knee of all kinds of thorns and dirt. The first people to come to me were a soldier and another fellow who gave me a drink of water from a jerrycan. I tried to talk but I didn't succeed. Afterwards they pulled me up the side of the ravine with ropes and put me on the helicopter. Throughout the flight I prayed: 'God, just make it so I won't be paralyzed,' and I patted my legs the whole time to make sure I could feel them."

An American woman, Pella Fingersh, was dozing next to her 25-year-old son when she was wakened by a scream. "It sounded like some catastrophe had happened. The bus began somersaulting through the air. I felt like a ball in a bingo basket going round and round, being thrown against the ceiling and everywhere. We went around three or four times before I was thrown clear." She could not remember if she was thrown through an open window. "I found myself lying on a rock. The bus was still rolling down the hill. It hit bottom and began to burn. There was a young soldier lying next to me. He didn't move. I hope he wasn't dead. There was also a young girl covered with blood. She said 'Help me. I can't feel anything.'"

Finding herself able to move, Fingersh got up and looked around her. "It was a scene from hell. People lying about, people wandering around, covered in blood. I wanted to look for my son. I began walking. I had lost my shoes. The ground was covered with thorns." She did not find her son and was finally persuaded to leave the scene in an ambulance. She was taken to Hadassah Hospital, Mount Scopus, where she was treated for bruises. Hospital officials informed her that her son had been taken to Hadassah Hospital, Ein Kerem. "They say he has only light injuries, but I haven't spoken to him yet."

A Hadassah spokesperson last night released the following details on the wounded: Haviv Amar and Pella Fingersh, both lightly wounded, were released from hospital. Haya Cohen, aged 12, and Rami Ben-Ami remained at Hadassah Mt. Scopus.

At Hadassah Ein Karem, Rita Levin, Arye Yardeni and Shimon Fahima were all reported in serious condition. Suffering from medium wounds were Iris Peretz, Spanish tourist Sylvia Martinez, Eliezra Cassuto, and Shlomo Dgani. Dov Itkin, Naomi Yardeni, Victor Assal, Eitan Zilberman, Amit Limor and Paul Fingersh were said to have been lightly wounded.

The Egged management asked all their bus drivers and the rest of the drivers on the nation's roads to drive with car lights on today to honour the victims of the attack.

The Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway was reopened to traffic at approximatley 10 p.m. after having been closed since the accident.

Ruth Connell Robertson adds:

Maestro Zubin Mehta and the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra matched the national mood of mourning at their concert in Jerusalem last night by asking the audience to stand in silence for two minutes, and then to refrain from applause during the performance.

Wikipedia supplies the names of the dead:

Shimon Dahan, 27, of Herzeliya
Kinneret Cohen, 14, of Jerusalem
Rita Susan Levin, 39, of Philadelphia
Cpl Tova Maimon, 19, of Or Yehuda
Cpl Shaul Chai Tzur, 21, of Netanya
Nahum Mizrahi, 63, of Tel Aviv
Shlomo Atzmon, 60, of Lod
Miriam Tzerafi, 41, of Jerusalem
Isaac Na'im, 47, of Holon
Esther Na'im, 45, of Holon
Mordechai Rosenberg, 50, of Sha'arei Tikva
Matityahu Gershon Resnik, 25, of Givat Haim (Ihud)
Ya'akov Shapira, 73, of Jerusalem
Emil Gorbman, 54, of Jerusalem
Dr. Shelley Volokov Halpenny, 32, of Vancouver
Fern Rykiss, 17, of Winnipeg, Canada

It is of Abd al-Hadi Rafa Ghanim that I think when I hear of Gilad Shalit's release, and of the sixteen people he killed and the many others he injured and traumatized, one attack of so many during the wars between Israel and its neighbors.

For a disturbing and uncanny perspective on Ghanim and his attack, see an article written by John Hockenberry (NPR reporter in Israel during the first intifada) in Tikkun. Hockenberry had met Ghanim before the attack. When Hockenberry was visiting a young Palestinian friend of his named Radwan in Mokassed Hospital in Jerusalem, Ghanim was also visiting him.

Terrorism, retaliation, and what next for Israel?

What's happening in Israel right now is very scary - not just the terrorist attack that occurred on Thursday, but also the extensive rocket fire and shelling of the southern part of the country. A man has been killed in Beersheba, at least 18 have been injured, and there has been extensive property damage.

One person was killed last night when a Grad rocket struck a home in the southern city of Be’er Sheva. A woman was in critical condition and three others was in serious condition from the rocket strike. Dozens more were treated for shock.

Also last night, three people − a man, a young girl and a female infant − sustained minor injuries after four Grad rockets landed in Ofakim.

Three people were injured, one seriously and two moderately, when several Grad rockets fired from the Gaza Strip Saturday morning hit the southern city of Ashdod.
On Friday morning two Grad rockets fired in close succession hit Ashdod. One landed in a synagogue, causing damage but no injuries. The second, however, exploded inside a Gur Hasidic yeshiva. One person was seriously injured in the explosion, one sustained moderate injuries and four were treated for mild injuries.

Grad missile strike

“There were around 180 pupils who were praying shahrit,” said Avraham Mordechai Zand, who was in the yeshiva when the rocket hit, referring to the morning prayer service. “When we heard the first siren we took cover and then we heard an explosion. When we went outside I heard another explosion, and the rocket exploded about five meters from where I was standing. There was white fog, I couldn’t see anything and then two people who were bleeding came in. We started treating them until the rescue services came. The administration told the children to go home, and we asked them to pray gomel,” referring to the blessing recited when one is saved from injury or death.

Report from Ynet:

Dozens injured over weekend

According to police officials, Saturday was the worst day in terms of the number of rockets fired into Israel since Operation Cast Lead two and a half years ago – almost 60 rockets and mortar shells in 24 hours.

Massive police forces have been deployed in the southern cities and are working to maintain the citizens' safety.

Dozens of people injured from the rocket fire were evacuated to hospitals over the weekend, including three illegal Palestinian residents, who were hurt while hiding in an orchard near Ashdod. Ten people injured from a Grad rocket fired at Ashdod on Friday morning were evacuated to the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot. Eight of the injured have already been released, while the other two are still hospitalized in serious and moderate condition.

Three people were evacuated to the same hospital on Saturday, and another woman was rushed to the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva. The Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba is still treating six Israelis who were injured in the terror attack on the Egyptian border. Three people, two of them children, were evacuated to the hospital on Saturday following a rocket attack on Ofakim. The hospital is also treating a woman in critical condition, three people who were seriously wounded and a person lightly hurt in Saturday evening's rocket attack on Beersheba.

More photos of Grad strike

From the reports in Haaretz and Ynet, it appears that Israel will now engage in graduated attacks on Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza, which I imagine will result in the deaths of civilians as well as terrorists. If we believe reports from Gaza, it already has - see the New York Times report from today:

An Islamic Jihad member was killed late Friday in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. A boy, 5, and another civilian were killed in that attack, according to Gaza medical officials. Islamic Jihad’s military wing said that it would force Israel “to pay a high price.”

At least 14 Palestinians, four of them civilians, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since Thursday. The Israeli military says it has been striking at Hamas training facilities, weapons manufacturing sites, smugglers’ tunnels, and rocket and mortar teams preparing to attack.

Terrorist Attacks in southern Israel - 7 Israelis killed

Seven killed in series of terrorist attacks in southern Israel

From Ha'aretz:

Seven people were killed and at least 26 people were wounded Thursday in a series of terrorist attacks on Israeli targets approximately 20 kilometers north of the southern city of Eilat, close to the border with Egypt.

The first attack, at around 12 P.M., was a drive-by shooting targeting Egged bus 392 traveling from Be'er Sheva to Eilat, near the Netafim junction.

Shortly afterward, IDF forces rushed to the scene and were faced with several explosive devices that were detonated alongside an IDF vehicle.

At approximately 12:35, a mortar was fired from Egypt to Israel. No casualties were reported.

At 1:10 P.M., a terrorist cell fired an anti-tank missile at a private vehicle, wounding seven.

Minutes later, another cell fired an anti-tank missile at a private vehicle, killing six.

The IDF Spokesman reported that two to four terrorists were killed during the clashes.

According to reports, the terrorists in the car opened fire at the Egged bus, which carried a significant number of soldiers leaving their bases for the weekend.

In the aftermath of the first attack, Israeli security forces launched a search for the vehicle thought to have transported the gunmen, setting up barricades in the area. A firefight erupted once the IDF troops caught up with the vehicle, in which several of the armed men were killed.

Two IDF helicopters were called to the scene in order to evacuate those wounded to Yoseftal hospital in Eilat and to Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva.

Anders Breivik: Insane or Guilty?

Norm has a good post today on whether Anders Breivik (the Norwegian terrorist who killed 76 people a week ago) is insane. "It's puzzling this tendency to assume that someone who does something very bad - of a degree that we're even inclined to say of it that it's evil - must be crazy."

Plenty of people who were not mad shot and killed thousands of civilians on the eastern front during WWII. The Einsatzgruppen committed their murders of Jews, Communists, and others largely by shooting people. Altogether, they killed about 1.5 million people, including most of the Jewish populations of the Baltic countries - numbering among them my grandfather's uncle Mordechai Falkon and his wife Dvora Falkon, who were murdered in July and December of 1941, respectively. The Soviets who tried and executed some of the Einsatzgruppen members after the war did not consider them not guilty by reason of insanity - they held them responsible for their gruesome acts of destruction.

Does anyone consider the hijackers of September 11, 2001 to be insane? In all of the millions of words I've read on the subject since then, I've never heard anyone suggest that Osama bin Laden and his minions were crazy.

Why shouldn't we hold Breivik to the same standard? I've read some of his 1500 page manifesto, where he lays out the ideology behind his acts. His thinking is racist, distasteful, and obsessive but his methodical description of the process involved in creating the fertilizer bomb did not strike me as at all insane.

Calling Breivik or others who commit terrorist acts (violent attacks against civilians for political purposes, in order to sow terror) insane is in most cases a way to diminish their responsibility for their actions. I can understand why Breivik's lawyer is calling him insane. I don't understand why other people are, unless they wish somehow to diminish the gravity of his acts and his responsibility for them.

Terrorist attack in Mumbai today

Report from the New York Times:

Three bomb blasts shook the city of Mumbai at the height of the evening rush hour on Wednesday, in what appeared to be coordinated attacks on India’s economic capital. The Interior Ministry described the explosions as a terror attack, India’s NDTV reported.

Indian news outlets reported that at least 10 people were killed, and that dozens may have been injured. The explosions struck central locations in the city, including the crowded Dadar neighborhood; the Zaveri Bazaar, a jewelry market; and near the Opera House, according to news reports citing the Interior Ministry.

For the latest reports, go to Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23Mumbai. May this not be the beginning of more terrorism in India!

So now he's dead

So now he's dead. I've been thinking about it all day, but I haven't talked to very many people about it, except in two of my classes this morning.

It brings back all the emotions I felt on that day - that great blue-sky day - September 11, 2001. The feelings of shock, and fear, and grief, and then anger. The realization that we had been attacked. And then the days and weeks and months and years afterward. The having to listen to fools who blamed the United States. Anger burning in me. The feeling of "and you go your way, and I go my way." (That's what Dumbledore said when Fudge wouldn't believe him that Voldemort had come back - I know it's ridiculous to mention the Harry Potter books in this connection, but it captured how I felt). I supported going into Afghanistan, and screamed at a friend of mine who thought that this was a law-enforcement problem, and that Muslim nations should take care of bin Laden.

Supporting the war in Iraq, when hardly any of my friends did. I even thought of voting for George Bush in 2004, until the Abu Ghraib revelations early in that year.

It just brings back all of the rotten, twisted up, angry, grief-ridden feelings of that "low, dishonest decade," the 2000s. W. H. Auden's poem, September 1, 1939:

I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth,
Obsessing our private lives;
The unmentionable odour of death
Offends the September night.

I don't know if bin Laden's death will change anything materially - how could we know yet? It feels to me as if his death might be part of a spiritual cleansing. He was an evil man, who did evil, knowingly, and he deserved to die.

Thoughts before Yom Ha-Shoah

Tonight I decided to look through the pile of old newspapers and clippings that I took out of the cupboard yesterday (I had needed more room to put the Passover dishes away). I was thinking of cutting some of them up and taping them to pieces of paper to put in a scrapbook that I’ve been keeping. I think it must be awfully old-fashioned to keep newspaper clippings and put them into scrapbooks, but I started doing it as a child – I think when I was 12, in 1968 – and I have articles that I’ve carried around from place to place since then.

Among the papers were a whole big pile of the New York Times from September 2001, starting with September 12, 2001 – devoted to the terrorist attacks the day before. Included in the pile about the terrorist attacks were editions of the Ithaca Journal from September 12 and 13 and of the Ithaca College student newspaper, the Ithacan. I started teaching at Ithaca College in late August, 2001, and I always associate the beginning of my teaching career there with that sunny blue-sky day in September when the World Trade Center was destroyed and the country was changed forever. (I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that – reading the articles from September 12, 2001 reveal how much the country has changed since the first shocked reactions to the attacks).

Other events also showed up in the saved clippings – a big collection about Abu Ghraib and the revelation of the mistreatment and torture of inmates there by American soldiers, from spring of 2004. I was talking about this the other day with the students in one of my classes, and getting frustrated that they didn’t seem to know very much about it. I realize now that the Abu Ghraib revelations came seven years ago, when the oldest of them would have been 14 years old. I should have more patience with them, especially considering how badly American high schools teach about current events, especially events that are politically controversial.

A few of the articles really called out to me, and I’m going to go through them in chronological order of publication.

The first one is a reprint – published on May 14, 2006, but originally from the August 31, 1958 New York Times magazine. It was written by A. M. Rosenthal, the executive editor of the New York Times who died the week before the reprinted article was published. It is about his visit to Auschwitz. He writes,

The most terrible thing of all, somehow, was that at Brzezinka the sun was bright and warm, the rows of graceful poplars were lovely to look upon and on the grass near the gates children played.

It all seemed frighteningly wrong, as in a nightmare, that at Brzezinka the sun should ever shine or that there should be light and greenness and the sound of young laughter. It would be fitting if at Brzezinka the sun never shone and the grass withered, because this is a place of unutterable terror….

By now, 14 years after the last batch of prisoners was herded naked into the gas chambers by dogs and guards, the story of Auschwitz has been told a great many times. Some of the inmates have written of those memories of which sane men cannot conceive….

And so, there is no news to report about Auschwitz. There is merely the compulsion to write something about it, a compulsion that grows out of a restless feeling that to have visited Auschwitz and then turned away without having said or written anything would somehow be a most grievous act of discourtesy to those who died here….

For every visitor, there is one particular bit of horror that he knows he will never forget. For some it is seeing the rebuilt gas chamber at Oswiecim and being told that this is the “small one.” For others it is the fact that at Brzezinka, in the ruins of the gas chambers and the crematoria the Germans blew up when they retreated, there are daisies growing….

There is nothing new to report about Auschwitz. It was a sunny day and the trees were green and at the gates the children played.

It seems appropriate to cite from Rosenthal’s article today, since Yom ha-Shoah is tomorrow.

I found two articles from early September, 2001, both about the second intifada in Israel. The first one is from September 3, 2001, and is titled “Back to School on Two Sides of Mideast’s Dividing Line.” It’s about the first day of school in Israel/Palestine (which usually occurs on September 1). It begins –

One of the more familiar routines in any country, the first day of school, became another reason this weekend for Israelis and Palestinians to worry about the fate that each might endure at the hands of the other.

Barbara Ben-Ami could not shake her disquiet today as she dropped off her 6-year-old son, Boaz, at the Adam School on Emek Refaim, a lively – one could almost say trendy – street in Jerusalem. Boaz was starting the first grade, a milestone if ever there was one.

Naturally, mother and son were excited. But it was the start of the first school year since violence broke out 11 months ago, and that made it harder to keep dread from creeping in at the edges, Ms. Ben-Ami said….

Young as he is, Boaz sensed that things were out of kilter, his mother said. “Whenever something like that is on TV, you try to shut it off,” she said. “He does feel the tension.”

Not only that, the Ben-Amis live close enough to the action to hear the tank shell bursts and the machine-gun fire that have reverberated across the Jerusalem development of Gilo and the next-door West Bank town of Beit Jala. The boy is well aware that this is not how life is supposed to be, Ms. Ben Ami said.

The daughter of a good friend of mine goes to the Adam School, so I can picture the entrance of the school where she goes every school day. Now the level of tension has dropped a great deal, and it’s much safer to walk the streets of Jerusalem. Nonetheless, there’s still the fear that something could happen, as with the terrorist attack last month near the Central Bus Station. I feel very uneasy about the new reconciliation between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Hamas has called for the PA to repudiate the agreements with the Israeli government and says that the new interim unity government that will be formed will engage in no negotiations with Israel. The PA has been working towards a declaration of Palestinian statehood in September, and if that occurs, and the General Assembly ratifies it, what will happen? There have been a number of alarming articles in Haaretz this week predicting the start of a new intifada in the fall as a result of the declaration of statehood. I certainly hope not!

The next article is from September 10, 2001 – just before the Al Qaeda attacks the next day (not that anyone knew they were going to occur, except for the attackers). It’s titled, “Israeli Arab’s Suicide Bomb Points to Enemy Within,” and it’s about a day of attacks on September 9. The article begins,

Israel suffered a jackhammer series of terrorist blows today that the police and senior government officials said included the first suicide bombing ever committed by an Arab who was one of its own citizens.

Violence flared on the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and in this surfside northern town [Nahariya], and even its toll of eight dead, including three implicated in the attacks, and scores wounded understated the psychological impact on a nation that had already begun waking up each morning wondering where the next bomb would go off, and who would deliver it.

The attack in Nahariya was at the train station – three people plus the bomber were killed, and 71 were injured.

The day’s killing started at about 8 a.m. in the West Bank, when shots were fired at a van carrying Israeli kindergarten teachers to work. One teacher and the driver were slain. Then, at about 10:30 a.m., the bomb exploded here, less than 10 miles from the border with Lebanon.

That bomb was followed a few hours later by an explosion in a car south of here, near Netanya. That explosion, apparently by a bomb made of mortar shells, killed the Palestinian driver, injuring three people and burning several vehicles.

I visited Israel in the summer of 2001 for a few weeks, staying in Jerusalem at the intersection of Emek Refaim Street and Pierre Koenig, in the southern part of the city. I remember hearing the gunfire from the vicinity of Gilo – Beit Jala: the loud booms of tank shells and the smaller sounds of shooting. It was frightening, and I was glad to go home to the United States where it was safe. Or so I thought.

Terrorist attack in Jerusalem

There has been a terrorist attack in Jerusalem today - at 3 p.m. Israel time a bomb exploded at a bus station across the street from the Central Bus Station. One person was killed and many were wounded.

From the Jerusalem Post:

A 60-year-old woman died and 39 were injured after a bomb exploded at a bus station in central Jerusalem Wednesday afternoon. Police said the explosion took place outside Egged bus number 74 at a station opposite the Jerusalem Conference Center (Binyanei Ha'uma) in the center of town.

According to the Magen David Adom spokesperson, 39 people were injured in the attack. Three were injured seriously from the explosion itself, five moderately from shrapnel packed into the explosive device and the remainder were in light condition.

The injured were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Bikur Holim and Shaare Tzedek hospitals. All hospitals in the area were opened to receive casualties. One woman, 60, died from injuries sustained in the blast.

Police said that this was the first terrorist attack in four years that involved an explosion. Police were looking for one specific person who left the bag that contained the bomb.

There were reports that witnesses were able to identify the man who left the bag and police were searching for him. Police suspected that an explosive device inside a bag was left at the bus stop, which then exploded. Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said that the explosive device was between one and two kilograms and was packed with shrapnel.

Names of family killed in Itamar released

The names of the Israeli family murdered at Itamar were released today. These are their faces (from Ynet):
 

Yoav Fogel, 11

Ruth Fogel, the mother

Udi Fogel, the father

Hadas, three months old.

Elad Fogel, 4

The names of the five family members who were killed in the West Bank settlement of Itamar were released Saturday.The victims are Udi Fogel, 37, Ruth Fogel, 36, Yoav Fogel, 10, four-year-old Elad Fogel, and three-months old Hadas Fogel.

The Fogel family was killed Friday night when a suspected terrorist broke into their home in the West Bank settlement of Itamar and stabbed them all to death.

According to police, the suspect broke into the house armed with a knife and stabbed parents Udi and Ruth, along with three of their children, Yoav, Elad, and Hadas Fogel. Magen David Adom rescue services arrived at the scene and found them all dead.

The family's 12-year-old daughter, who was at a youth group activity, returned to her home at approximately midnight and her calls for the door to be opened for her went unanswered. With the help of a neighbor, they managed to open the door and came upon the horrible murder scene.

While many mourn, some depraved people rejoice. From Getty Images today, in Rafah, Gaza:

A Palestinian man distributes sweets in the streets of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah on March 12, 2011 to celebrate an attack which killed five Israeli settlers at the Itamar settlement near the West Bank city of Nablus.

Fears and Hopes

I woke up this morning (actually, noon....) and turned on the computer and saw that there had been an explosion at one of the Japanese nuclear power plants that has been badly damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. Very scary. I hope all the officials who are trying to calm the Japanese people that there won't be a nuclear meltdown are telling the truth.

When I turned on CNN to get their typical minute-by-minute coverage, one of their more witless anchors was on, telling me no more than the online NYT coverage. So much for cable news.

In Middle East news, the Arab League to officially request UN impose no-fly zone on Libya. One wonders - will the UN do anything? And if the UN Security Council does approve it - who will enforce it? The Obama administration doesn't appear very keen on getting involved in yet another war with a Muslim country. And as Secretary of Defense Gates has said, enforcing a no-fly zone does require acts of war - like destroying the Libyan air defense system.

Egyptian state television said the Arab League had decided to open channels of communication with a Libyan rebel council based in Benghazi. The League said the council represented the Libyan people, the channel reported.

The Arab League decided on Saturday that the "serious crimes and great violations" the Libyan government had committed against its people had stripped it of legitimacy, Secretary General Amr Moussa said. Earlier Saturday, Moussa called for a no-fly zone over Libya in an interview with a German magazine, ahead of the group meeting in Cairo on Saturday to discuss the proposal. "I am speaking of a humanitarian action," he said in comments to Der Spiegel released on Saturday. "It is about assisting the Libyan people with a no-fly zone in their struggle for freedom against an increasingly inhuman regime." "The Arab League can also play a role," said Moussa, who is stepping down as secretary-general after a decade, intending to contest the Egyptian presidency later this year.

European states hope the Arab League will lead the way in shaping policy, particularly over a no-fly zone, towards the revolt against Muammar Gaddafi.

In his opening remarks to an Arab League meeting Saturday, the foreign minister of Oman said, "What is needed now is Arab intervention using mechanisms of the Arab League and at the same time in accordance with international law." "Based on this we must look at various options that [the] circumstances in Libya need," he said.

Oman Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah also said that the Libyan crisis poses a threat to the stability of Arab states, and that Arab inaction on the Libyan crisis could lead to "unwanted foreign intervention" and fighting among Libyans.

And then there's the terrible terrorist attack against a family in the Israeli settlement of Itamar on the norther West Bank: Horror in Samaria: Terrorist murders family of 5

A terrorist infiltrated the West Bank settlement of Itamar, southeast of Nablus, early Saturday and stabbed five family members to death. The shocking attack occurred around 1 am as the terrorist entered the family home and murdered three children aged 11, 3, and a baby girl along with their parents. The victims were apparently sleeping as the killer came in.

Three other children at the home, a 12-year-old girl and her two brothers, aged 6 and 2, were able to escape to a nearby house and inform their neighbors of the attack.

A later article says that apparently two terrorists carried out the attack, and "Authorities also estimate that the attack was carried out by a local cell not directly affiliated with Hamas or any other organization, and that the murder was motivated by growing friction with settlers, growing incitement against the settlements on the Palestinian street, and a desire to avenge 'price tag' acts."

One of the Haaretz articles on the attack also says the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade took responsibility for the attack. The English article didn't have any details, but below is my translation of the relevant Hebrew article.

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, by the name of Imad Mughniyah, from the military arm of the Fatah movement, took responsibility for the terrorist attack. An announcement by the organization said that "The attack was a heroic action and a natural response to the murderous actions of the Israeli occupation against our people in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip." Despite this, the reliability of the announcement was not yet clear, because in the past the organization has rushed to take responsibility for actions that they had no connection to. Hamas expressed support for the terrorist attack, but denied that its men were involved in carrying it out.

Representative Peter King, Hypocrite

Rep. Peter King of New York, who is hosting the bogus series of hearings this week on radicalization of American Muslims, has an awkward past - he was a passionate supporter of the IRA.

Long before he became an outspoken voice in Congress about the threat from terrorism, he was a fervent supporter of a terrorist group, the Irish Republican Army.

“We must pledge ourselves to support those brave men and women who this very moment are carrying forth the struggle against British imperialism in the streets of Belfast and Derry,” Mr. King told a pro-I.R.A. rally on Long Island, where he was serving as Nassau County comptroller, in 1982. Three years later he declared, “If civilians are killed in an attack on a military installation, it is certainly regrettable, but I will not morally blame the I.R.A. for it.”...

A judge in Belfast threw him out of an I.R.A. murder trial, calling him an “obvious collaborator,” said Ed Moloney, an Irish journalist and author of “A Secret History of the I.R.A.” In 1984, Mr. King complained that the Secret Service had investigated him as a “security risk,” Mr. Moloney said.

In later years, by all accounts, Mr. King became an important go-between in talks that led to peace in Northern Ireland, drawing on his personal contacts with leaders of I.R.A.’s political wing, Sinn Fein, and winning plaudits from both Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, the former president and the British prime minister.

But as Mr. King, 66, prepares to preside Thursday as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee at the first of a series of hearings on Muslim radicalization, his pro-I.R.A. past gives his many critics an obvious opening. The congressman’s assertions that 85 percent of leaders of American mosques hold extremist views and that Muslims do not cooperate with law enforcement have alarmed Muslim groups, some counterterrorism experts and even a few former allies in Irish-American causes.

Mr. King, son of a New York City police officer and grand-nephew of an I.R.A. member, offers no apologies for his past, which he has celebrated in novels that feature a Irish-American congressman with I.R.A. ties who bears a striking resemblance to the author.

Of comparisons between the terrorism of the I.R.A. and that of Al Qaeda and its affiliates, Mr. King said: “I understand why people who are misinformed might see a parallel. The fact is, the I.R.A. never attacked the United States. And my loyalty is to the United States.”

But the IRA did attack one of our closest allies, Britain. And in fact, his loyalty was not to the United States, but to the terrorist IRA.

He said he does not regret his past pro-I.R.A. statements. The Irish group, he said, was “a legitimate force” battling British repression — analogous to the African National Congress in South Africa or the Zionist Irgun paramilitary in British-ruled Palestine. “It was a dirty war on both sides,” he said of I.R.A. resistance to British rule....

The I.R.A. was responsible for 1,826 of 3,528 deaths during the Northern Irish conflict between 1969 and 2001, including those of several hundred civilians, said the historian Malcolm Sutton

I grew up in Cambridge, Mass., and went to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Boston a number of times when I was a teenager, in the 1970s. One year I saw a contingent from Noraid - Northern Irish Aid, which raised money for arms for the IRA. I didn't go back to the parade again.

Fascists Still Want to Kill Jews - Al Qaeda bomb plot

As Shiraz Socialist says, Fascists still want to kill Jews. The Al Qaeda plot to bomb two synagogues in Chicago is unnerving - although fortunately only that, since the bombs were found on cargo planes a long way away from Chicago.

One of the targeted synagogues is a GLBT synagogue, Congregation Or Chadash. It's certainly not the biggest or most prominent synagogue in Chicago, so I wonder how or why it was picked. Did someone in Al Qaeda in Yemen used to live in Chicago? (Anwar al-Awlaki, who is one of the leaders of Al Qaeda in Yemen, is an American and used to live in the Washington area; his side-kick is Samir Khan who is also an American).

Some bizarre articles have come out about this in the Jewish press online already. Lee Smith published an odd one in Tablet whose point I really cannot figure out (it seems to be blaming President Obama for doing something bad - but since all the president has done is to work as hard as possible against this threat, I don't understand what he's done wrong). And the Yeshiva World website headlined their story "Bomb was addressed to Chicago 'Toeiva Synagogue.'" This is an ultra-Orthodox website that apparently cannot bring itself to utter the word "gay." (The word "toeiva" means "abomination"). Disgusting.

Radicalized in London?

It turns out that the terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attacked the Delta airliner on Christmas Day, was the president of the Islamic Society at University College London when he was there, according to this New York Times article: Quesions Arise on Why Terror Suspect Was Not Stopped.

There's a suggestion that he became radicalized in London:

A cousin of Mr. Abdulmutallab, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to offend the family, said in an interview on Sunday that there was no sign of radicalism in Mr. Abdulmutallab while he was growing up in Nigeria, though he was devout.
“We understand that he met some people who influenced him while in London,” where Mr. Abdulmutallab studied engineering, the cousin said. “He left London and went to Yemen where, we suspect, he mixed up with the people that put him up to this whole business.”
He added: “I think his father is embarrassed by the whole thing, because that was not the way he brought the boy up. All of us are shocked by it.”

An ordinary hero

Yesterday's attempted terrorist attack on a plane about to land in Detroit was again foiled by an ordinary person who jumped on the terrorist:

There were popping sounds, smoke and a commotion as passengers cried out in alarm and tried to see what was happening. One woman shouted, “What are you doing?” and another called out, “Fire!”

And then history repeated itself. Just as occurred before Christmas in 2001, when Richard C. Reid tried to ignite plastic explosives hidden in his shoe on a trans-Atlantic flight, fellow passengers jumped on Mr. Abdulmutallab, restraining the 23-year-old Nigerian. Jasper Schuringa, a Dutch film director seated in the same row as Mr. Abdulmutallab but on the other side of the aircraft, saw what looked like an object on fire in the suspect’s lap and “freaked,” he told CNN.

“Without any hesitation, I just jumped over all the seats,” Mr. Schuringa said, in an account that other passengers confirmed. “I was thinking, Oh, he’s trying to blow up the plane. I was trying to search his body for any explosive. I took some kind of object that was already melting and smoking, and I tried to put out the fire and when I did that I was also restraining the suspect.”

Mr. Schuringa said he had burned his hands slightly as he grappled with Mr. Abdulmutallab, aided by other passengers, and began to shout for water. “But then the fire was getting worse, so I grabbed the suspect out of the seat,” Mr. Schuringa said. Flight attendants ran up with fire extinguishers, doused the flames and helped Mr. Schuringa walk Mr. Abdulmutallab to first class, where he was stripped, searched and locked in handcuffs.

“The whole plane was screaming — but the suspect, he didn’t say a word,” Mr. Schuringa said. He shrugged off praise for his swift action, which he said was reflexive. “When you hear a pop on the plane, you’re awake, trust me,” he said. “I just jumped. I didn’t think. I went over there and tried to save the plane.”

The accused terrorist did not act because he was from a deprived family. On the contrary, he is from an elite family in Nigeria.

Mr. Abdulmutallab grew up in a rarefied slice of Nigeria, the son of an affluent banker. He attended one of West Africa’s best schools, the British School of Lomé in Togo. After high school, he went to Britain and enrolled at the University College London to study engineering.

University College London, in a statement, said that a student named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had enrolled in mechanical engineering courses between September 2005 and June 2008. But it cautioned that it could not confirm that this was the same individual apprehended in Detroit. In London, Scotland Yard was conducting searches of apartments around the college.

His father, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, until recently had served as chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria, and his mother’s family is originally from Yemen, according to news accounts in Nigerian newspapers. Investigators are now examining how Mr. Abdulmutallab, at age 23, apparently rebelled against this privileged upbringing to pursue an extremist goal. It was while still in high school that Mr. Abdulmutallab began preaching to fellow students about Islam, according to a report in ThisDay, a Nigerian newspaper.

ThisDay reported that more recently, Mr. Abdulmutallab had moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and told his family that he no longer wanted to associate with them.

One wonders who his contacts were at University College. As Harry's Place has often reported, a number of extremist Islamist organizations are active on British university campuses. Perhaps his radicalization began in Nigeria, but it may very well have continued during his schooling in London as well.

Pager messages on 9/11

Wikileaks has put up a long list of pager messages from 9/11/01 (not saying, of course, where they got them from). I just read through quite a few and collected the ones that seem directly linked to the terrorist attacks. It's very eerie reading them. Some are from private individuals, others from the NYPD, or from what seems to be air traffic control in the New York area. I've pasted in messages below from shortly after the first plane hit at 8:46 until after the second plane hit at 9:02. I've blotted out phone numbers and full names of private individuals.

2001-09-11 08:47:46 Someone just told me there was an explosion at
2001-09-11 08:50:25 A plane crashed thru the twin towers. Real bad..BR
2001-09-11 08:50:31 An Aloha call is starting . This is for a fire at 2WT. Please call into TeleMeeting conference center at -877-913-7943 . If Morgan Stanley has not initiated the call you will hear music until they initiate the call. Dallas Data
2001-09-11 08:50:54 BOMB DETINATED IN WORLD TRADE CTR. PLS GET BACK TO MIKE Bxxxx W/A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF YOUR AREAS AND CONTACT US IF ANYTHING IS NEEDED AT 212-xxx-xxxx.
2001-09-11 08:51:24  Frm: Santini, Olivia (NBC, MSNBC) Sub: Txt: plane crash at World Trade Center in NYC-no word on details- efforting more info now
2001-09-11 08:51:37 THE WORLD TRADE CENTER HAS JUST BLOWN UP, WE SEEN THE EXPLOSION OUTSIDE OUR WINDOWS. TERESA...
2001-09-11 08:51:37 Trade Center in NYC-no word on details- efforting more info now
2001-09-11 08:51:42 THERE WAS SOME KIND OF EXPLOSION AT WORLD TRADE CTR. MAY HAVE SOME TROUBLE GETTING TO METRO TECH. - DAVID. 212-xxx-xxxx.Austin Airport Police
2001-09-11 08:51:50 Sub: Fire!!! Frm: Rick Cxxxxx Txt: World Trade Center is on FIRE!!!! No Joke. rickc
2001-09-11 08:52:27 GO TO TWIN TOWERS PLANE CRASH IMMEDIATELY WITH KEVIN. WALTER.
2001-09-11 08:52:46 Netdesk@nbc.com||Reports of a plane crash near World Trade Center - no more details at this point. WNBC's LIVE pix - Network working on coverage.
2001-09-11 08:52:57 :swingler@xxxx S:CNN (page): T:swingler@xxxx:- World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has crashed into tower. Details to come.
2001-09-11 08:52:58 BreakingNews@CNN.COM CNN Breaking News BREAKING NEWS from CNN.com -- World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has crashed into tower. Details to come. For complete coverage of this story visit: http://www.CNN.com or AOL K
2001-09-11 08:52:59 EXPLOSION AT WORLD TRADE CENTER CNN SAYS. CAN YOU MAKE CALLS FROM HOME UNTIL I GET INTO OFFICE. PAT
2001-09-11 08:53:01 World Trade Center- report of explosion and/or fire. Will update as further info is recv'd. MTAPD Comm Ctr (1/1)
2001-09-11 08:53:16 CFP NATIONAL (1) MANHATTAN, NY *BREAKING NEWS* PLANE HAS CRASHED INTO WORLD TRADE CENTER. MORE TO FOLLOW [700p]
2001-09-11 08:53:44 World Trade Center- report of explosion and/or fire. Will update as further info is recv'd.  MTAPD Comm Ctr (1/1)
2001-09-11 08:53:44 "NYPD Ops Div" <|1 PCT WORLD TRADE CENTER|--- 1 PCT - WORLD TRADE CENTER - POSSIBLE EXPLOSION WORLD TRADE CENTER BUILDING. LEVEL 3 MOBILIZATION TO CHURCH AND VESSY.
2001-09-11 08:53:44  martint: A plane has just crashed into the side of Tower One of The World Trade Center... details to follow.
2001-09-11 08:53:44 a plane has crashed into tower. Details to come. For complete co
2001-09-11 08:53:52  "NYPD Ops Div" <|1 PCT WORLD TRADE CEN
2001-09-11 08:53:52  FYI----UPPER LEVEL OF WORLD TRADE CENTER  IS ON FIRE...HEAVY  EMGENCY UNITS O/S...  AVOID ALL AREAS  .OP#12
2001-09-11 08:53:54 1 PCT - WORLD TRADE CENTER - POSSIBLE EXPLOSION WORLD TRADE CENTER BUILDING. LEVEL 3 MOBILIZATION TO CHURCH AND VESSY.
2001-09-11 08:53:55 CRASH AT WORLD TRADE CENTER. THIS IS NOT A DRIL REMCS 9
2001-09-11 08:53:55 Netdesk@nbc.com||Reports of a plane crash near World Trade Center - no more deta
2001-09-11 08:53:57 World Trade Center- report of explosion and/or fire. Will update as further info is recv'd.  MTAPD Comm Ctr (1/1)
2001-09-11 08:53:57 martint: A plane has just crashed into the side of Tower One of The World Trade Center... details to follow.
2001-09-11 08:54:05 Netdesk@nbc.com||Reports of a plane crash near World Trade Center - no more deta
2001-09-11 08:54:07 Robert Sargent|TURN ON CNN Sat channel 202 ASAP |TURN ON CNN Sat channel 202 ASAP|81 
2001-09-11 08:54:07 amaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has crashed into tower. Details to come. For complete coverage of this story visit: http://www.C
2001-09-11 08:54:10 World Trade Center- report of explosion and/or fire. Will update as further info
2001-09-11 08:54:12 Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 8:53:27 AM > To: ABCTV DL BREAKING NEWS > Subject: WTC > Auto forwarded by a Rule > Plane into the World Trade Center. Video on RS 024 in
2001-09-11 08:54:27 LARRY, CALL BRIAN 516-xxx-xxxx. WANT TO KNOW IF OUR MEN ARE OKAY, SAW A PLANE HIT BLDG.
2001-09-11 08:54:29 PLANE CRASHES INTO WORLD TRADE CTR. -ROSE
2001-09-11 08:54:29 ED-PEOPLE VISITING AIRPORT MIGHT WANT TO USE ALTERNATE ROUTES
2001-09-11 08:54:33 WE NEED TO HAVE YOU HEAD TO WORLD TRADE CTR. PLEASE CALL LAURA EXT 6121.
2001-09-11 08:54:33 CNN World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane hascrashed into tower. Details to co
2001-09-11 08:54:35 SCONFIRMED PLANE CRASH INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER MULTI UNITS RESPONDING
01-09-11 08:54:46 NYPD and emergency units at World Trade center, RE; airplane crash. Small Jet.
2001-09-11 08:54:48 A/E: DISPATCHERS THAT ARE AVAIL PLZ ADVISE ON A/E. [700p]
2001-09-11 08:55:31 MAJOR FIRE AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. JEFF Dxxxxxx AT 609-xxx-xxxx
2001-09-11 08:55:33 EXPLOSION AT WORLD TRADE CENTER. STAY AWAY. CALL JOE Q AT 908-xxx-xxxx
2001-09-11 08:55:33 CALL HOME CONCERNING WTC EXPLOSION.
2001-09-11 08:55:35 if you don't have radio on, small plane has hit world trade center. -- andy
2001-09-11 08:55:35 EMERGENCY. CALL HOME NOW.
2001-09-11 08:55:37 AN AIRCRAFT OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN HAS HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NY...CNN HAS LIVE PICTURES...JOE T/OCC
2001-09-11 08:55:42 A SMALL PLANE CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CTR IN N.Y. JUST NOW. CALL ME, LOVE YOUR WIFE.
2001-09-11 08:55:46 THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AT THE WORLD TRADE CTR. CALL HOME FOR DETAILS
2001-09-11 08:55:46 (1/1) FIRE AT TRADE CENTER TOWER #2 POSSIBLE AIRCRAFT CRASH AS THE CAUSE. INFO TO FOLLOW AS OBTAINED. - JERRY EWR Ops x6025
2001-09-11 08:55:55 THEY SAY THAT A PLANE JUST HIT THE TWIN TOWERS IN NY. IT'S ON 11 NOW
2001-09-11 08:55:55 PLANE HIT NORTH TOWER. KEV.
2001-09-11 08:56:12 ALAN REISS IS AT THE POLICE DESK. THE TOP OF THE WORLD TRADE BLDG HAS BEEN DESTROYED. (MESSAGE NOT VERIFIED. CALL DISCONNECTED).
2001-09-11 08:56:22 Frm: janderson@xxxxx Txt: per WTOP, an airplane just crashed into the World Trade Center in NYC... -Jack
2001-09-11 08:56:24 PAGE UPDATE NEWS BULLETIN: NEW YORK: A COMMERCIAL PLANE CRASHES INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWER.
2001-09-11 08:56:33 Dave, just an update. A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. We have no further info. Ben Strong-National US&R Program (82
2001-09-11 08:56:35 it was a plane – lou
2001-09-11 08:56:37 From: Gxxxx, Kate (Exchange)- holy shit! a plane just hit the top of the world trade center!
2001-09-11 08:56:46 Trade Center has had a plane fly into the top floors. Live film footage on TV. FYI only
2001-09-11 08:56:54 FSOEWR@emc.fedex.com|Plane crash|Just a FYI...A plane crashed into the World Trade Center right Now... No details but it is on the NEWS...Thanks/Joyce
2001-09-11 08:56:59 "Aida Davidson" |tragedy|A plane has crashed into the world trade center in NY City. Huge mess and
2001-09-11 08:57:25 Frm: 2013295709@xxxxxx Txt: There are reports of a plane crash or some type of explosion at the World Trade Center , fire and smoke on many floors. Not sure how this will affect paging. Maria Ritz..
2001-09-11 08:57:33 World Trade Center...some type of explosion just moments ago. I am listening to CNN, could have been an aircraft. Keep you posted. me
2001-09-11 08:57:35 CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW YOU ARE SAFE. xxx-xxxx
2001-09-11 08:57:39 All - Plane crashed into WTC, our staff at 5 WTC is presently recorded safe details to follow. ?s call 1000
2001-09-11 08:58:05 PAGE FROM auyeuj: Ben, An American Airline plane crashed into one of the World Trade Tower. It is now stuck in the building and also over 100 people are estimated to have perished. There is smoked around one of the tower.
2001-09-11 08:58:05 Arch World Trade Center- report of explosion and/or fire. Will update as further info is recv'd. MTAPD Comm Ctr (1/1)
2001-09-11 08:58:13 showing 10 stories from top of bldg...news helo says plane may have gone all the way through –Jack
2001-09-11 08:58:16 World Trade Center- report of explosion and/or fire. Will update as further info is recv'd. MTAPD Comm Ctr (1/1)
2001-09-11 08:58:31 flashnet@intelcenter.com|FlashNet Event|NYC, US: Plane crashes into World Trade Center Tower
2001-09-11 08:58:33 1968237@skytel.c|Mike Doug here. r u watching breaking news about plane crashing into wtc ny?
2001-09-11 08:58:33 PLS GIVE ME A CALL AS SOON AS YOU COME OUT OF THE TRAIN. -PRITI AT xxx-xxxx. URGENT.
2001-09-11 08:58:33 HUSBAND-THEY BELIEVE A PLANE HIT THE TOP OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK. IT'S REALLY BAD. LOV
2001-09-11 08:58:33 Initial reports indictate that AAL11, B767, after initial hijacking on flight from BOS-LAX, has crashed into the side of the World Trade Center in NY. ATCSCC/bl
2001-09-11 08:58:38 AGTTEAST@emc.fedex.com||A 737 AIRCRAFT JUST HIT A TOWER OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER...GARY 212-xxx-xxxx
2001-09-11 08:58:42 A PLANE JUST HIT 1 WORLD TRADE CTR. OSCAR
2001-09-11 08:58:42 Hi Jim there was a plane that crashed into the world trade center this morning!
2001-09-11 08:58:42 A PLANE CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CTR. GET TO A TV SO YOU CAN SEE THIS OR CALL ME. JULIE.
2001-09-11 08:58:44 MIKE, A PLANE IN JUST CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
2001-09-11 08:58:48 Skytel call Mark as soon as possible this is an emergency DO NOT GET ON THE PATH TRAIN...THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IS ON FIRE
2001-09-11 08:58:53 HEADS UP. PLANE CRASHED INTO WORLD TRADE CENTER. -ALLISON.
2001-09-11 08:59:03 bschork@xxxxx ||FYI: A plane crashed into the World Trade Center and the building is on fire.
2001-09-11 08:59:37  (1 of 2) BROADCAST: A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. Be prepared
2001-09-11 08:59:38 BREAKING NEWS, PLANE CRASHED INTO WORLD TRADE CENTER, CALL ME LATER. LOVE NANCY.
2001-09-11 08:59:40 A plane just crashed into the side of the World Trade Center on the 80th floor & it's still inside! I just saw live photos o
2001-09-11 08:59:42 a plane crashed into the WTC avoid the area if possible...stay safe...most important...I will take care of anything for you...just don't take chances. mw
2001-09-11 08:59:50 9/11/01 7:58:21 AM A plane has crashed into the WTC.. Looks like 2WTC not sure at this time.. We're monitoring TCAM, etc... Riep Dallas Data Center Operations
2001-09-11 08:59:59 OVER SOD POSSIBLE PLANE CRASH IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER LEVEL 3 MOBILIZATION IN MANHATTAN. NFI 8:57:14 AM
2001-09-11 08:59:59 (1/1) CONFIRMED PLANE CRASH AT 2 WORLD TRADE CENTER. EMRP, 38ST, HAZMAT RESPONDING. // CC 595-6777
2001-09-11 09:00:05 9/11/2001 9:00:08 AM 0849 HRS. PLANE CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TRAINS ARE BY PASSING THE STATION 'N' 'R'
2001-09-11 09:00:05 (1/1) CONFIRMED PLANE CRASH AT 2 WORLD TRADE CENTER. EMRP, 38ST, HAZMAT RESPONDING. // CC 595-6777
2001-09-11 09:00:10 22-TURN ON THE NEW YORK RADIO STATION. A PLANE CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CTR. CALL SANDY AT WORK LATER.
2001-09-11 09:00:25 From: Ayanlar, Orhan (Exchange)- 737 crashes into world trade center.
2001-09-11 09:00:39 fyi..top of world trade center hit by plane...major damage and fire on upper floors.
2001-09-11 09:00:39 HI IT'S NANCY CALL ME 646 xxx-xxxx I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU'RE OK BECAUSE OF THE PLANE THAT HIT THE TWIN TOWERS. CALL ME PLEASE.
2001-09-11 09:00:46 tefarber@att.com|MAJOR OUTAGE|World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has crashed into tower. MARSH AND NYMEX IMPACTED
2001-09-11 09:00:54 CALL THE OFFICE OR COME DOWN TO THE OFFICE ASAP. WORLD TRADE CENTER ON FIRE. MESSAGE AS PER JEFF Sxxxx. SCOTT Kxxxxxx
2001-09-11 09:00:55 Airplane just crashed into the side of the World Trade Center -
2001-09-11 09:00:59 800-214-4071 Airplane Crashed into WTC1 pleasde call MRO
2001-09-11 09:01:01 Frm: Netdesk Sub: Txt: Black smoke pours from the top flours of NYC's World Trade Center tower. Initial reports that a plane crashed into the tower.
2001-09-11 09:01:31 HEY GIRL BEFORE YOU LEAVE TURN ON YOUR TV OR RADI0 FOR UPDATE REGUARDING A PLANE CRASHING INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK CYA WHEN YOU GET HERE MARKUS
2001-09-11 09:01:44 MR Rosenblut just called. He said there was and airplane crash at World Trade Center. It might affect us. He called
2001-09-11 09:01:44 800-214-4071 Airplane Crashed into WTC1 pleasde call MRO (16
2001-09-11 09:01:53 Plane crash into World Trade Center. All MTA PD midnight units being held over. MTAPD Comm Ctr (1/1)
2001-09-11 09:01:53 FYI: Avoid downtown - a plane just ran into one of the World Trade towers!!! It
2001-09-11 09:02:03 [NFC] [09/11/01-09:01:29] FYI - World Trade Center is in on fire, It appears
2001-09-11 09:02:31  Netdesk@nbc.com||NYC FIRE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS A SMALL PLANE CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THIS MORNING. BLACK SMOKE CONTINUES TO POUR FROM THE BUILDING. This is the north tower(with the antenna).
2001-09-11 09:02:31 BREAKING NEWS: PER OPB, IT APPEARS AA 757 HIJACKED AND RUN INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. THIS IS NOT A JOKE AND JUST BREAKING NEWS> RICK-Rick
2001-09-11 09:02:40 small plane crashed into the world trade center towers no request has been made for NJ EMS response DO NOT CALL REMCS unless emergency. From: REMCS Supv.
2001-09-11 09:03:03 From: HICKLEE - Info - An airplane just crashed into the top of the World Trade Center. Wonder what their DR plan is ?
2001-09-11 09:03:12 Frm: Mazzocchi Robert - GPB Sub: A 737 just hit the Txt: World Trade Center
2001-09-11 09:03:31 A commuter airplane has crashed into 85th floor of World Trade Center..Alicia
2001-09-11 09:03:46 PLEASE GIVE ARIEL A CALL 212-xxx-xxxx RE: CASUALTIES AT THE WORLD TRADR CTR AIRPLANE CRASH.
2001-09-11 09:04:01 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL HAS NOT GIVEN US ANY CONCRETE INFO.....INDICATED PSBL HI-JACK COM ACFT. JOE TURNER OCC DUTY DIRECTOR / 5-0000
2001-09-11 09:04:03 Netdesk@nbc.com||HUGE explosion just rocked the World Trade Center....the second tower is now on fire.
2001-09-11 09:04:20 another explosion in wtc!!!
2001-09-11 09:04:20 PLS CALL THE DESK ASAP. NEED YOU TO GO DOWN TO THE TRADE CENTER. CALL LAURA BEFORE YOU MOVE, 4114
2001-09-11 09:04:25 GPMS page from (bouvery): (Plane Crash) Finance Desk are contacting brokers (we deal with) at WTC for further confirmation of impact - support are on standy for increased calls - Danny
2001-09-11 09:04:25 :NASDGW1 is down, all internet users affected. Case Number:19501874
2001-09-11 09:04:25 martint: The fuselage of the plane at 1WTC has just caused a second explosion.
2001-09-11 09:04:37  Jennifer.Cxx@xxxxx||Small plane has crashed into top floors of one of WTC towers. A second plane has just hit the other tower.
2001-09-11 09:04:37 patty.txxxx@xxxx|Did you hear about the world trade center?|
2001-09-11 09:04:37 acaesar@xxxxxx||Hi. 2 planes have crashed into the World Trade Center NYC. (
2001-09-11 09:04:39 YOUR SISTER JOE SAW THE NEWS AND WANT TO KNOW IF YOU ARE OKAY. PLEASE CALL ME AT WORK AND LEAVE A MESSAGE IF I AM NOT AT MY DESK. 1 800 xxx xxxx EXTENSION 6184
2001-09-11 09:04:55 There may be two planes that crashed into them (sabatoge!!)JAN

What happened to the suicide bombers of Jerusalem?

Christopher Hitchens writes on the question: What happened to the suicide bombers of Jerusalem?

Since I am currently in Jerusalem, this is obviously a matter of some personal concern to me. Hitchens makes the important point that while the supply of people who are willing to become suicide bombers may be affected by despair (political, personal, economic, religious), what is really important is whether the "Nasty, vicious, fanatical old men, not human emotions, were making the decisions and deciding the days and the hours of death." Since Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade leaders stopped sending people, for whatever reason, the suicide bombings have stopped (at least for now).

He does, of course, cite a number of other factors, like Israeli targeted assassinations at leaders of the terrorist groups, and the building of the גדר הפרדה (variously translated as separation fence or wall), which made it harder for bombers to get into Israel proper.

Yesterday I went to the Old City to do some research for the course on Jerusalem that I'm teaching in the fall, and at the end of the day I went to the Cinematheque (on Hebron Rd., across the Gei Ben Hinnom valley from the Old City). I discovered that from there I had a very good view of a portion of the separation wall. (And here in Jerusalem at least it's certainly accurate to call it a wall, since it's made of huge slabs of concrete.

Here is a photo of one part of it which can be seen from above the Cinematheque.