# "We were not in Iraq on \[9/11\], but the terrorists hit us anyway" --Cheney **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 29, 2006, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-not-in-iraq-on-9-11-but-the-terrorists-hit-us-anyway-cheney/370655 "2006-08-29T12:57:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-not-in-iraq-on-9-11-but-the-terrorists-hit-us-anyway-cheney/370655/121 "2006-08-31T20:26:22Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > Seriously, if the anthrax attacks weren’t terrorism, what were they? What possible definition of “terrorism” can exclude that? Ooh! Ooh! I know! The definition that includes the words “Arab” and “Muslim.” Because white folks are never terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-not-in-iraq-on-9-11-but-the-terrorists-hit-us-anyway-cheney/370655/122 "2006-08-31T20:37:46Z")
In fact, I don’t think the anthrax attacks were terrorism, because as far as I can see they weren’t accompanied by any kind of political demands. In fact, the only explanation for them that makes any sense is that they were carried out by a single person, with access to US-government-hel anthrax, who wanted to expose what he (probaly it was a he) saw as weaknesses in the US defenses against terrorist attacks. So they were designed to look like a terrorist attack, and provoked the same kind of reaction as a terrorist attack, but they failed in an important part of the definition of terrorism. (And while it’s annoying that the government has wasted millions in resources to respond to the anthrax attack, it’s even more annoying that they haven’t been able to identify and prosecute the person responsible, given that the person must have been one of a limited group with access to anthrax of that type.) ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-not-in-iraq-on-9-11-but-the-terrorists-hit-us-anyway-cheney/370655/123 "2006-08-31T20:48:17Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] In fact, I don’t think the anthrax attacks were terrorism, because as far as I can see they weren’t accompanied by any kind of political demands. In fact, the only explanation for them that makes any sense is that they were carried out by a single person, with access to US-government-hel anthrax, who wanted to expose what he (probaly it was a he) saw as weaknesses in the US defenses against terrorist attacks. So they were designed to look like a terrorist attack, and provoked the same kind of reaction as a terrorist attack, but they failed in an important part of the definition of terrorism. [/QUOTE] If this scenario were true, wouldn’t the intent (killing civilians with anthrax in order to scare the U.S. into improving its defenses) still qualify the attacks as terrorism? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-not-in-iraq-on-9-11-but-the-terrorists-hit-us-anyway-cheney/370655/124 "2006-08-31T20:51:32Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] If this scenario were true, wouldn’t the intent (killing civilians with anthrax in order to scare the U.S. into improving its defenses) still qualify the attacks as terrorism? [/QUOTE] well, perhaps you can stretch the definition that far, but it’s still a very unconventional sort of terrorism. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-not-in-iraq-on-9-11-but-the-terrorists-hit-us-anyway-cheney/370655/125 "2006-08-31T21:12:09Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] well, perhaps you can stretch the definition that far, but it’s still a very unconventional sort of terrorism. [/QUOTE] If your theory is right, yeah, it’s an unconvential kind of terrorism. But it still involves using the threat of violence to bring about political change, so the shoe fits as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-not-in-iraq-on-9-11-but-the-terrorists-hit-us-anyway-cheney/370655/126 "2006-09-02T00:22:38Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Every time \*\*Shodan \*\* is reduced to sputtering, “You’re Stupid” or the equivalent, everybody has to take a drink. How long can we last? [/QUOTE] I’ve been playing that game for two years. I’m on a wait list for a new liver… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-were-not-in-iraq-on-9-11-but-the-terrorists-hit-us-anyway-cheney/370655.md?page=6)