Major Terrorist Attacks in US

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Major Terrorist attacks in U.S.A.

The Oklahoma City bombing was a bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal
Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive
act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The
Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6, and
injured more than 680 people. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within
a sixteen-block radius, destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in
258 nearby buildings. The bomb was estimated to have caused at least $652 million
worth of damage. Extensive rescue efforts were undertaken by local, state, federal,
and worldwide agencies in the wake of the bombing, and substantial donations
were received from across the country. The Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) activated eleven of its Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces,
consisting of 665 rescue workers who assisted in rescue and recovery operations.

Theodore John "Ted" Kaczynski (pronounced /kəˈzɪnski/; born May 22, 1942),
also known as the Unabomber (University and Airline Bomber), is an American
mathematician, social critic, anarchist and Neo-Luddite who engaged in a mail
bombing spree that spanned nearly 20 years, killing three people and injuring 23
others.

The Unabomber was the target of one of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI)
most costly investigations. Before Kaczynski's identity was known, the FBI used the
handle "UNABOM" ("UNiversity and Airline BOMber") to refer to his case, which
resulted in the media calling him the Unabomber. Despite the FBI's efforts, he was
not caught as a result of this investigation. Instead, his brother's wife and his
brother recognized Kaczynski's style of writing and beliefs from the manifesto, and
tipped off the FBI. Kaczynski's lawyers were court appointed, but he eventually
dismissed them because they wanted to plead insanity in order to avoid the death
penalty, and Kaczynski did not believe he was insane. Once it was sure that he
would be defending himself on national television the court entered a plea
agreement, under which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with
no possibility of parole. Theodore Kaczynski has been designated a "domestic
terrorist" by the FBI. Some anarchist authors, such as John Zerzan and John Moore,
have come to his defense, while holding some reservations about his actions and
ideas.
The September 11 attacks (often referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/11) were a
series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001.
On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda perpetrators hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The
hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade
Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings.
Both towers collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The
hijackers crashed a third airliner into The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside
Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania
after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the
hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C., to target either the Capitol Building or the
White House. There were no survivors from any of the flights.

Nearly 3,000 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attacks. According to the New York State
Health Department, 836 responders, including firefighters and police personnel, have died as of
June 2009. Among the 2,752 victims who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center were
343 firefighters and 60 police officers from New York City and the Port Authority. Another 184
people were killed in the attack on the Pentagon. The overwhelming majority of casualties were
civilians, including nationals of over 70 countries.

Feb. 26, New York City: bomb exploded in basement garage of World Trade Center, killing 6
and injuring at least 1,040 others. In 1995, militant Islamist Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman and 9
others were convicted of conspiracy charges, and in 1998, Ramzi Yousef, believed to have been
the mastermind, was convicted of the bombing. Al-Qaeda involvement is suspected.

Terrorist Attacks in the U.S. or Against


Americans
The following timeline lists terrorist attacks against the United States and Americans living
either in the U.S. or abroad.

1975
Jan. 24, New York City: bomb set off in historic Fraunces Tavern killed 4 and injured
more than 50 people. Puerto Rican nationalist group (FALN) claimed responsibility, and
police tied 13 other bombings to the group.
1979
Nov. 4, Tehran, Iran: Iranian radical students seized the U.S. embassy, taking 66
hostages. 14 were later released. The remaining 52 were freed after 444 days on the day
of President Reagan's inauguration.
1982–1991
Lebanon: Thirty US and other Western hostages kidnapped in Lebanon by Hezbollah.
Some were killed, some died in captivity, and some were eventually released. Terry
Anderson was held for 2,454 days.
1983
April 18, Beirut, Lebanon: U.S. embassy destroyed in suicide car-bomb attack; 63 dead,
including 17 Americans. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
Oct. 23, Beirut, Lebanon: Shiite suicide bombers exploded truck near U.S. military
barracks at Beirut airport, killing 241 marines. Minutes later a second bomb killed 58
French paratroopers in their barracks in West Beirut.
Dec. 12, Kuwait City, Kuwait: Shiite truck bombers attacked the U.S. embassy and
other targets, killing 5 and injuring 80.
1984
Sept. 20, east Beirut, Lebanon: truck bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy annex,
killing 24, including 2 U.S. military.
Dec. 3, Beirut, Lebanon: Kuwait Airways Flight 221, from Kuwait to Pakistan, hijacked
and diverted to Tehran. 2 Americans killed.
1985
April 12, Madrid, Spain: Bombing at restaurant frequented by U.S. soldiers, killed 18
Spaniards and injured 82.
June 14, Beirut, Lebanon: TWA Flight 847 en route from Athens to Rome hijacked to
Beirut by Hezbollah terrorists and held for 17 days. A U.S. Navy diver executed.
Oct. 7, Mediterranean Sea: gunmen attack Italian cruise ship, Achille Lauro. One U.S.
tourist killed. Hijacking linked to Libya.
Dec. 18, Rome, Italy, and Vienna, Austria: airports in Rome and Vienna were bombed,
killing 20 people, 5 of whom were Americans. Bombing linked to Libya.
1986
April 2, Athens, Greece:A bomb exploded aboard TWA flight 840 en route from Rome
to Athens, killing 4 Americans and injuring 9.
April 5, West Berlin, Germany: Libyans bombed a disco frequented by U.S.
servicemen, killing 2 and injuring hundreds.
1988
Dec. 21, Lockerbie, Scotland: N.Y.-bound Pan-Am Boeing 747 exploded in flight from
a terrorist bomb and crashed into Scottish village, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on the
ground. Passengers included 35 Syracuse University students and many U.S. military
personnel. Libya formally admitted responsibility 15 years later (Aug. 2003) and offered
$2.7 billion compensation to victims' families.
1993
Feb. 26, New York City: bomb exploded in basement garage of World Trade Center,
killing 6 and injuring at least 1,040 others. In 1995, militant Islamist Sheik Omar Abdel
Rahman and 9 others were convicted of conspiracy charges, and in 1998, Ramzi Yousef,
believed to have been the mastermind, was convicted of the bombing. Al-Qaeda
involvement is suspected.
1995
April 19, Oklahoma City: car bomb exploded outside federal office building, collapsing
wall and floors. 168 people were killed, including 19 children and 1 person who died in
rescue effort. Over 220 buildings sustained damage. Timothy McVeigh and Terry
Nichols later convicted in the antigovernment plot to avenge the Branch Davidian
standoff in Waco, Tex., exactly 2 years earlier. (See Miscellaneous Disasters.)
Nov. 13, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: car bomb exploded at U.S. military headquarters,
killing 5 U.S. military servicemen.
1996
June 25, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: truck bomb exploded outside Khobar Towers military
complex, killing 19 American servicemen and injuring hundreds of others. 13 Saudis and
a Lebanese, all alleged members of Islamic militant group Hezbollah, were indicted on
charges relating to the attack in June 2001.
1998
Aug. 7, Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: truck bombs exploded almost
simultaneously near 2 U.S. embassies, killing 224 (213 in Kenya and 11 in Tanzania) and
injuring about 4,500. 4 men connected with al-Qaeda 2 of whom had received training at
al-Qaeda camps inside Afghanistan, were convicted of the killings in May 2001 and later
sentenced to life in prison. A federal grand jury had indicted 22 men in connection with
the attacks, including Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, who remained at large.
2000
Oct. 12, Aden, Yemen: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole heavily damaged when a small
boat loaded with explosives blew up alongside it. 17 sailors killed. Linked to Osama bin
Laden, or members of al-Qaeda terrorist network.
2001
Sept. 11, New York City, Arlington, Va., and Shanksville, Pa.: hijackers crashed 2
commercial jets into twin towers of World Trade Center; 2 more hijacked jets were
crashed into the Pentagon and a field in rural Pa. Total dead and missing numbered
2,9921: 2,749 in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon, 40 in Pa., and 19 hijackers. Islamic
al-Qaeda terrorist group blamed. (See September 11, 2001: Timeline of Terrorism.)
2002
June 14, Karachi, Pakistan: bomb explodes outside American consulate in Karachi,
Pakistan, killing 12. Linked to al-Qaeda.
2003 1
May 12, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: suicide bombers kill 34, including 8 Americans, at
housing compounds for Westerners. Al-Qaeda suspected.
2004
May 29–31, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: terrorists attack the offices of a Saudi oil company
in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, take foreign oil workers hostage in a nearby residential
compound, leaving 22 people dead including one American.
June 11–19, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: terrorists kidnap and execute Paul Johnson Jr., an
American, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 2 other Americans and BBC cameraman killed by
gun attacks.
Dec. 6, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: terrorists storm the U.S. consulate, killing 5 consulate
employees. 4 terrorists were killed by Saudi security.
2005
Nov. 9, Amman, Jordan: suicide bombers hit 3 American hotels, Radisson, Grand
Hyatt, and Days Inn, in Amman, Jordan, killing 57. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility.
2006
Sept. 13, Damascus, Syria: an attack by four gunman on the American embassy is
foiled.
2007
Jan. 12, Athens, Greece: the U.S. embassy is fired on by an anti-tank missile causing
damage but no injuries.
Dec. 11, Algeria: more than 60 people are killed, including 11 United Nations staff
members, when Al Qaeda terrorists detonate two car bombs near Algeria's Constitutional
Council and the United Nations offices.
2008
May 26, Iraq: a suicide bomber on a motorcycle kills six U.S. soldiers and wounds 18
others in Tarmiya.
June 24, Iraq: a suicide bomber kills at least 20 people, including three U.S. Marines, at
a meeting between sheiks and Americans in Karmah, a town west of Baghdad.
June 12, Afghanistan: four American servicemen are killed when a roadside bomb
explodes near a U.S. military vehicle in Farah Province.
July 13, Afghanistan: nine U.S.soldiers and at least 15 NATO troops die when Taliban
militants boldly attack an American base in Kunar Province, which borders Pakistan. It's
the most deadly against U.S. troops in three years.
Aug. 18 and 19, Afghanistan: as many as 15 suicide bombers backed by about 30
militants attack a U.S. military base, Camp Salerno, in Bamiyan. Fighting between U.S.
troops and members of the Taliban rages overnight. No U.S. troops are killed.
Sept. 16, Yemen: a car bomb and a rocket strike the U.S. embassy in Yemen as staff
arrived to work, killing 16 people, including 4 civilians. At least 25 suspected al-Qaeda
militants are arrested for the attack.
Nov. 26, India: in a series of attacks on several of Mumbai's landmarks and commercial
hubs that are popular with Americans and other foreign tourists, including at least two
five-star hotels, a hospital, a train station, and a cinema. About 300 people are wounded
and nearly 190 people die, including at least 5 Americans.
2009
Feb. 9, Iraq: a suicide bomber kills four American soldiers and their Iraqi translator near
a police checkpoint.
April 10, Iraq: a suicide attack kills five American soldiers and two Iraqi policemen.
June 1, Little Rock, Arkansas: Abdulhakim Muhammed, a Muslim convert from
Memphis, Tennessee, is charged with shooting two soldiers outside a military recruiting
center. One is killed and the other is wounded. In a January 2010 letter to the judge
hearing his case, Muhammed asked to change his plea from not guilty to guilty, claimed
ties to al-Qaeda, and called the shooting a jihadi attack "to fight those who wage war on
Islam and Muslims."
Dec. 25: A Nigerian man on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit attempted to ignite an
explosive device hidden in his underwear. The explosive device that failed to detonate
was a mixture of powder and liquid that did not alert security personnel in the airport.
The alleged bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, told officials later that he was directed
by the terrorist group Al Qaeda. The suspect was already on the government's watch list
when he attempted the bombing; his father, a respected Nigerian banker, had told the
U.S. government that he was worried about his son's increased extremism.
Dec. 30, Iraq: a suicide bomber kills eight Americans civilians, seven of them CIA
agents, at a base in Afghanistan. It's the deadliest attack on the agency since 9/11. The
attacker is reportedly a double agent from Jordan who was acting on behalf of al-Qaeda.
2010
May 1, New York City: a car bomb is discovered in Times Square, New York City after
smoke is seen coming from a vehicle. The bomb was ignited, but failed to detonate and
was disarmed before it could cause any harm. Times Square was evacuated as a safety
precaution. Faisal Shahzad pleads guilty to placing the bomb as well as 10 terrorism and
weapons charges.
May 10, Jacksonville, Florida: a pipe bomb explodes while approximately 60 Muslims
are praying in the mosque. The attack causes no injuries.
Oct. 29: two packages are found on separate cargo planes. Each package contains a bomb
consisting of 300 to 400 grams (11-14 oz) of plastic explosives and a detonating
mechanism. The bombs are discovered as a result of intelligence received from Saudi
Arabia's security chief. The packages, bound from Yemen to the United States, are
discovered at en route stop-overs, one in England and one in Dubai in the United Arab
Emirates.
2011
Jan. 17, Spokane, Washington: a pipe bomb is discovered along the route of the Martin
Luther King, Jr. memorial march. The bomb, a "viable device" set up to spray marchers
with shrapnel and to cause multiple casualties, is defused without any injuries.

With every single day the threat of terrorist attacks grows bigger as a result of the spreading of
terrorist cells across the world; from the United States of America to Spain, Italy, Lebanon,
Thailand and all the way back to South America, terrorists threaten to cause damage and kill any
person that they think is a threat to their cause. These being said the importance of creating an
International Tribunal to judge terrorists is crucial.

United States has a history of dealing with the terrorists that attacked us or are planning to, and
we sometimes offer our assistance to other countries in need, but the time has come when we
start to get overwhelmed by these threats and we wish to form a strong, reliable and just
partnership with other states that want and wish to end the terrorist threat once and for all.

We think that one major step in this eradication is to constitute an International Tribunal for
punishing acts of terrorism. U.S. representatives have scheduled a meeting with U.N.’s Security
Council to discuss about the ways of forming this new tribunal, and about the choosing of judges
and the type of jurisdiction the new court will have.

The United States of America is expressing once again its grave concern at the reports indicating
that genocide and other systematic, widespread and flagrant violations of international
humanitarian law have been committed on American soil and all over the world.
The U.S. is determining that this situation continues to constitute a threat to international peace
and security, and we are determined to put an end to such crimes and to take effective measures
to bring to justice the persons who are responsible for them,

U.S. believes that the establishment of an international tribunal for the prosecution of persons
responsible for genocide and the other above-mentioned violations of international humanitarian
law will contribute to ensuring that such violations are halted and effectively redressed,
Stressing also the need for international cooperation to strengthen the courts and judicial systems
in the Middle East, the place where the majority of terrorist threats against America and its allies
are born, having regard in particular to the necessity for those courts to deal with large numbers
of suspects. We also bring to the attention of U.N.’s Security Council, the precedent in Rwanda.
Resolution number 955 (1994), adopted by the Security Council at its 3453rd meeting, on 8
November 1994, regarding the founding of an international tribunal for the prosecution of
persons responsible for genocide and other violations of international humanitarian law in
Rwanda.
United States of America and its allies are appealing to you today, to help us create an
International Court to help judge and punish terrorist activities all over the world.

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