I recall the World Trade Center garage bombing, February 1993. This is, what I believe to be, the first foreign attack on America in my lifetime.
If you broaden your thinking more terrorist attacks against the US come to mind:
The 1983 barracks bombing killed 241 Marines. This attack, by Hizbollah was the first car bomb. It was so successful car bombs have been used since.
In 1988 Pan Am Flt 103 was knocked down by Libyan Muslim terrorists.
In 1986 Libyan Muslim terrorists attacked the Berlin disco frequented by US soldiers killing 2, wounding 200.
In 1976, Libyan Muslim terrorists began attacks in Germany, UK and Italy killing at least 200 including Americans.
The USS Cole was attacked by Muslim terrorists in 2000.
Libyan Muslim terrorists paid Black September to attack the Olympic Village in 72 and OPEC HQ in 75.
In 95 a Muslim terrorist gang based in Chicago was arrested and received lengthy prison terms for planning 40 attacks against the US.
The folks who gassed the Tokyo subway system in 95 had ties to SE Asia and Russin Muslim terrorists. They also had an operation office in NYC that was discovered later and shut down.
In 1999, Iranian Muslim terrorists killed numerous dissidents abroad. The exact locations were not released but many are widely believed to have been in the US and likely were US citizens.
15 Muslim terrorists were arrested in NYC in 1993 for plotting to blow up the UN Building.
In 1998 the Nairobi bombing of the US embassy was done by AQ. US Embassies are American soil.
Ditto for the Tanzania US Embassy.
Muslim terrorists attacked the US Embassy in Beirut in 1983.
In 1993 Iraqi Muslim terrorists attempted to assassinate the former POTUS in Kuwait.
Muslim terrorists murdered the Pres of American U in Beirut in 1984.
Muslim terrorists hijacked TWA 847 in 1985.
After 9/11, Hamas Muslim terrorists were found to have an operational office in Springfield, VA just outside Wash DC.
The same Islamic terrorist group attacked the Luxor Temple in 1997, the WTC in 1993 and attempted to assassinate Hosni Mubarek in 1995
In 1993 AQ organized the Somalia attack against US troops.
If I worked at it, I could list and name at least as many more attacks.
When evaluating current OPS, One very important point that is almost never made by the media is that under GWB's leadership since 9/11 over 1,000 Muslim extremist terrorists have been captured in the US. (That never happened under Clinton.) The exact figure has not been released and nobody thinks we got all of them. Nevertheless, the confinement of over 1,000 has certainly prevented dozens of attacks here at home.
Since 9/11, our attacks against terrorists themselves as well as their institutions has taken many thousands more out of circulation and forced others into a defensive mode. The frequency of attacks has certainly slowed down on a world-wide level. With a few exceptions (Spain, Russia), they are mostly confined to Iraq and Afghan where we have forces fully equipped and prepared to fight them.
We are doing quite well in the war on terror...but we have a long way to go.
Kerry is now promising to kill terrorists too. I hope he plans on carrying an M-16 to do it with because I do not believe the US Armed Forces will rally behind Kerry.
One more point. GWB has promised no draft. GW just may be able to pull that off.
Kerry will absolutely positively need a draft. Who will send their kid to fight Kerry's war? Who will send their kid to fight under the Kerry UN flag? Where will Kerry find another 40,000 soldiers? How will a Commander-in Chief who is not trusted and is hated by 80% of the troops keep them in the service?
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