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.

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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?