Terrorists want credit?

Submitted by Don Meggs (United States), Jul 10, 2002 at 19:40

I remember reading a report soon after 9/11 that the hijackers/terrorists on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania coerced some passengers to call relatives (via cell phones) and declare the plane was being hijacked by terrorists. Why would the terrorists do this? Perhaps because they are not getting the attention they want for their acts of terrorism? Why would the various governments of the world avoid labeling these actions terrorism? I'm not sure and the motives probably differ. Perhaps the motive here in the U.S. is to prevent fear and therefore frustrate the terrorists. Isn't that the ultimate goal of the terrorist? To strike fear in the heart of the enemy and hope the fear will lead to dispare and concessions (or mistakes)?

By the way you did not mention flight 800 out of JFK (pretty strong evidence that a missile brought that plane down), and what about the passenger jet that exploded over one of the former Soviet republics last fall (I believe that flight originated in Israel). Perhaps a successful shoe bomber?

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