Could a 9/11-type incident happen again?
Discussion
Does anyone think the global security changes will stop it (or something similar) happening again?
Personally I think that it would be very difficult for terrorists to repeat. Passengers would realise very quickly that their only chance of survivial would be to overpower the hijackers as per United 93. Better to die, deny the hijackers a victory and have (an albeit tiny) chance of surviving than die for sure when they reach their target.
What are the alternatives to hijacking an aircraft and flying it into a large symbolic target?
Personally I think that it would be very difficult for terrorists to repeat. Passengers would realise very quickly that their only chance of survivial would be to overpower the hijackers as per United 93. Better to die, deny the hijackers a victory and have (an albeit tiny) chance of surviving than die for sure when they reach their target.
What are the alternatives to hijacking an aircraft and flying it into a large symbolic target?
rocksteadyeddie said:
Boats, trains, oil tankers, oil platforms etc etc etc. All things that took me less than 30 seconds to think of.
Difficult to kill 3,000 people in one hit and destroy a symbol of Western imperialism like the twon towers by hijacking a train or boat though... Crippling the oil supply would be a good statement for them I suppose but taking one or two tankers or a couple of platforms isn't going to do it.
Destroying a major oil or gas export line from the North Sea into the the UK might do it but repairs are relatively quick, cheap and easy to do although the environmental impact would be huge.
rocksteadyeddie said:
We don't need to solve the last problem, but work out what the next one will be. These people might be deranged but they're not daft.
Thoroughly agree with that though. 
I do wonder how hard it would be to get a light aircraft license, buy a cheap single engine plane (On credit if needs be... Not like you'll have to pay the loan back) and just fill it with boxes of flammable/explosive s
t and fly it into london. Pick a target, job done.
Luckily, terrorists are pretty incompetent.
And underfunded, since if the people actually flying these planes into buildings had money they might actually have a reason to live.
t and fly it into london. Pick a target, job done. Luckily, terrorists are pretty incompetent.
And underfunded, since if the people actually flying these planes into buildings had money they might actually have a reason to live.
Edited by Frankeh on Monday 14th September 11:50
Lefty Guns said:
Difficult to kill 3,000 people in one hit and destroy a symbol of Western imperialism like the twon towers by hijacking a train or boat though...
were they really this great symbol of anything though? weren't they just some very tall buildings? (that were probably easiest to hit)(interestingly though, that 'windows on the world' restaurant at the top was the highest grossing restaurant in the US in it's last full year)
Yes it probably could, a massive strike on a soft but political/nationally significant target will probably happen again in the next 5-10 years.
Its never possible to completely 100% secure all possible situations, infact alot of security that is in place is highly visible, and is there to reasure the public that something is being done, for instance metal detectors, it would be very easy to get a knife on a plane, or infact some kind of fire arm or explosive, metal detectors are pretty much useless in real terms.
The perps need to be caught in the planning stage (as often is the case) if you are catching them as they are boarding the plane its too late. And thats just airports and planes.
The security services are very reactive and this is down to being perceived to be doing something, its all a show. The real security comes from the guys behind the scenes.
I can think of probably 10+ soft targets that have no security (high profile security anyway, I can think of one place near me that would make a good target, has no obvious signs of security but has a large force of government funded undercover security officers working in it, its clearly an easy target for a dirty bomb) around where i live, and until a similar target is hit the government wont probably react with the obvious security.
The security services are trying to do what they can but you can never protect anything 100%, 100% of the time.
Its never possible to completely 100% secure all possible situations, infact alot of security that is in place is highly visible, and is there to reasure the public that something is being done, for instance metal detectors, it would be very easy to get a knife on a plane, or infact some kind of fire arm or explosive, metal detectors are pretty much useless in real terms.
The perps need to be caught in the planning stage (as often is the case) if you are catching them as they are boarding the plane its too late. And thats just airports and planes.
The security services are very reactive and this is down to being perceived to be doing something, its all a show. The real security comes from the guys behind the scenes.
I can think of probably 10+ soft targets that have no security (high profile security anyway, I can think of one place near me that would make a good target, has no obvious signs of security but has a large force of government funded undercover security officers working in it, its clearly an easy target for a dirty bomb) around where i live, and until a similar target is hit the government wont probably react with the obvious security.
The security services are trying to do what they can but you can never protect anything 100%, 100% of the time.
Lefty Guns said:
Difficult to kill 3,000 people in one hit and destroy a symbol of Western imperialism like the twon towers by hijacking a train or boat though...
Sailing a fully loaded (a few missiles should do) boat up the Thames and set it off just as it passes closest by Canary Wharf?Frankeh said:
I do wonder how hard it would be to get a light aircraft license, buy a cheap single engine plane (On credit if needs be... Not like you'll have to pay the loan back) and just fill it with boxes of flammable/explosive st and fly it into london. Pick a target, job done.
Luckily, terrorists are pretty incompetent.
And underfunded, since if the people actually flying these planes into buildings had money they might actually have a reason to live.
I don't think the funding is too much of a problem.t and fly it into london. Pick a target, job done. Luckily, terrorists are pretty incompetent.
And underfunded, since if the people actually flying these planes into buildings had money they might actually have a reason to live.
Edited by Frankeh on Monday 14th September 11:50
They have more cash than you can imagine.
It wouldn't be hard to train someone to be a pilot hire an aircraft, or buy one. Either way not much money to them. Fill full of explosives, again not much money to them. Then take out anything you want.
As for the last comment it is flawed when talking about some religions where someone is willing to die for the cause. Rich or poor, doesn't matter.
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