# WTC: Okay, now tell me "Why?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 11, 2001, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945 "2001-09-11T22:26:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/1 "2001-09-11T22:26:01Z")
What is it the terrorists hoped to gain? What was the point, as it were, to the attacks? What does it do for them as either individuals or as an organization? Why does Bin Laden- if it was him- hate the US? Do they just need _somebody_, anybody, to be an enemy for either financial or religious purposes? ---
**Author:** ![jonfromdenver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@jonfromdenver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonfromdenver)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/2 "2001-09-11T22:31:32Z")
why? they got the attention of the entire world. that would be enough for most terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![catmandu42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@catmandu42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catmandu42)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/3 "2001-09-11T22:33:38Z")
Well, just look at the symbolism of the targets… The Pentagon is a worldwide symbol of U.S. military power. The WTC is a symbol of U.S. Financial power. Whoever it was wanted to send a distinct message that they can attack the hearts of our various organizations. I only wonder where the 4th plane (the one that crashed in Penn.) was heading. ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/4 "2001-09-11T22:47:02Z")
Yes, agreed they got the attention they desired… but to what end? I mean, sure, they got attention, but much of that attention comes from the pointy end of a Tomahawk or laser-guided munition. I guess the original question was, what does that attention gain them, whoever ‘they’ are? I mean, they can’t parlay the national exposure into a book & movie deal, and I would assume that such attention may dry up many outside sources of both money and supplies. So we’re back to the question, why did they do it? Assume it’s Bin-Laden, what would he gain? Surely not more notoriety, and he’s already a billionaire, so it probably isn’t financial… Is the US currently repressing the Taliban government? Did we kill Bin-Laden’s brother? ---
**Author:** ![seawitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seawitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seawitch)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/5 "2001-09-11T23:00:27Z")
Rational motivations come from rational people. I think we all agree that this morning’s actions were anything **but** rational; how could anyone offer a “why” that would ever make sense to the rest of the world? ---
**Author:** ![maralinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@maralinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maralinn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/6 "2001-09-11T23:00:37Z")
Read _The New Jackals_ by Simon Reeve if you want to get a better understanding of terrorist thought processes. You might also want to try [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/synopsis.html](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/synopsis.html) and other sources you can find using web searchers. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/7 "2001-09-11T23:13:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by catmandu42 \* > \*\*Well, just look at the symbolism of the targets… > The Pentagon is a worldwide symbol of U.S. military power. > The WTC is a symbol of U.S. Financial power. > Whoever it was wanted to send a distinct message that they can attack the hearts of our various organizations. I only wonder where the 4th plane (the one that crashed in Penn.) was heading. \*\* Some news sources say Camp David. Which would be VERY symbolic, and serve practically no other purpose as a target. The point to terrorist attacks is attention and establishing fear. As long as people are afraid of them, they’ve won. To see things this way, you have to have reached a mental state where you are capable of seeing any amount of loss of human life as a lesser consideration than your cause. Including your own life. It is common to refer to terrorists as “cowardly”. I think that is wide of the mark. I suspect many of them are simply too disconnected from a rational world view for “cowardice” versus “bravery” to have any meaning. If you’ve reached the point of thinking that you have orders from an unassailable higher power or principal to kill people, many normal considerations of motivation and logic simply no longer apply. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/8 "2001-09-11T23:34:58Z")
**Moderator’s note:** Valid question but I think it’s better suited to IMHO, i.e. more discussion/opinion than factual answer. I’m moving it over there. TVeblen ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/9 "2001-09-11T23:47:25Z")
If you want an insight into **Osama Bin Ladin’s** thinking, this interview offers a good starting point: [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/dailynews/terror\_980609.html](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/dailynews/terror_980609.html) Sample extracts: “When it comes to Muslims, there is testimony from Westerners and Christians who testified to the death of hundreds of thousands of our children in Iraq. And there is Qana, Sabra and Shattila, Dir Yasin and Bosnia. The crusaders continued their slaughter of our mothers, sisters and children. America every time makes a decision to support them and prevent weapons from reaching the Muslims, and allow Serbian butchers to slaughter Muslims. You do not have a religion that prevents you from carrying out these actions and therefore you do not have the right to object to like treatment. Every action solicits a reaction. It is a punishment that fits the crime. At the same time, our primary target are military and those in its employment.” “Your situation with Muslims in Palestine is shameful, if there is any shame left in America. In the Sabra and Shatilla massacre, a cooperation between Zionist and Christian forces, houses were demolished over the heads of children. Also, by testimony of relief workers in Iraq, the American led sanctions resulted in the death of over 1 million Iraqi children. All of this was done in the name of American interests. We believe that the biggest thieves in the world and the terrorists are the Americans. The only way for us to fend off these assaults is to use similar means.” “If we look at sensitive departments in the present government like the defense department or the state department, or sensitive security departments like the CIA and others, we find that Jews have the first word in the American government, which is how they use America to carry out their plans in the world and especially the Muslim world. The presence of Americans in the Holy Land supports the Jews and gives them a safe back. The American government, in a time where there are millions of Americans living on the street and those living below the standard of living and below the poverty line, we find the American government turning toward helping Israel in occupying our land and building settlements in the Holy Land.” “ **The continuation of the tyranny will bring the fighting to America, like Ramzi Yousef and others.** This is my message to the American people to look for a serious government that looks out for their interest and does not attack others, their lands or their honor.” Make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-okay-now-tell-me-why/80945/10 "2001-09-12T00:15:04Z")
The attack certainly has affected the economy of the US. The NYSE will be closed tomorrow also. The dollar lost hold to the Eura and Yen, or maybe it was just this early afternoon. Maybe that was one of the reasons?