TERRORISM TIMELINE

BY NICHOLAS HAMES

US Embassy Truck Bombing-1983

• A vehicle packed with many explosives was driven up to a US Embassy in Beirut. This event kills 63 people. The ones held responsible were a group called the Islamic Jihad.

1972 Munich Olympics-1972

During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, 8 Palestinian terrorists shot and killed two Israeli athletes and kept 9 people hostage. Eventually, another gunfight broke out killing 5/9 terrorists and all 9 of the hostages. Their mission was to try

and take hostage these people in order to release over 200 prisoners in Israeli jails

TWA Flight 847-Lebanon 1985• A flight was hijacked by a group of terrorists.

They were also trying to release prisoners in Israeli prisons. The plane did end up landing.

Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing-Scotland 1988• A terrorist who flew previously on this plane

left a bomb packed in a small radio case on the plane. The bomb exploded mid-flight during the next flight. This was to take revenge on an America; an American warship had shot down a Palestinian passenger plane mistaking it as a war plane.

WTC First Bombing-NYC 1993

• Muslim terrorists led out this attack. They drove a large truck filled with explosives into the underground parking garage of the WTC. Their plan was to take down the entire structure, but failed. This event resulted in 6 dead and more than 1,000 people injured.

Oklahoma Car Bombing-1995• A car was pulled up to federal office building

in Oklahoma. The car was then detonated. This massive explosion killed 168 people.

Khobar Towers Bombing-Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 1996

• Another event similar to the WTC bombing; an Islamic Movement was responsible for driving a truck up to a U.S. military compound. They then detonated the truck killing 19 U.S. soldiers and injuring more than 500 people.

WTC Plane Attack 9/11-NY 2001• A group of al Qaeda terrorists’ hi-jacked 4 commercial planes leaving for

long cross-country journeys. The terrorists crashed two planes into each one of the WTC buildings in Manhattan, New York; eventually causing them to collapse. Later on, another plane flew into the U.S. Pentagon building, and another in a rural Pennsylvania area. This is considered the biggest terrorist attack in history with over 3,000 deaths and thousands of injuries.

Madrid Train Bombing-2004• In Madrid, Spain on an early morning

(7:37am), 10 bombs went off on four different trains in the city’s center. This event caused 191 deaths, and over 1,800 injuries.

• London Bus Bombing-2005• During an early morning rush hour, four terrorists detonated

four bombs; 3 in underground trains and one in a double-decker bus in London. 52 people were killed, including the four bombers, and over 700 were injured. This was the U.K.’s first suicide attacks.

Underwear Bomber-2010• A Nigerian man had put plastic explosives

inside his underwear; attempting to blow up the plan he was boarding, departing for Detroit, MI. He was caught and admitted

Boston Marathon Bombing-2013• At the Boston Marathon in 2013, two pressure cooker bombs

went off at the finish line, and another a couple hundred yards down Boylston Street. This event caused 3 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and a huge heartbreak at a famous worldwide event.

RESOURCES• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1279086/Madrid-train-bombings-of-2004• http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/ • http://life.time.com/history/munich-massacre-1972-olympics-photos/• www.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/7/newsid.../4942238.stm • • http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/april-18-1983-us-embassy-bombed-beirut-9808367 • • http://americanhistory.about.com/library/fastfacts/blffterrorism6.htm • • http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/twa-flight-847/• • http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/uss-cole• • http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/press-past/2013/02/26/the-1993-world-trade-center-bom

bing-a-new-threat-emerges• • http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/09/underwear-bomber-working-for-cia•

REFLECTION• I have learned that a lot of terrorism takes place in other places besides

the U.S.• We are not al Qaeda’s only target.• Airplanes were hi-jacked way before 9/11.

• I am surprised that the U.S. embassies were unguarded enough for the bombers to succeed their mission.

• Its very good to know that the underwear bomber was caught. That could have a been a treacherous outcome.

• Why do people feel the need to continue terrorism?