World Trade Center

1993 World Trade Center Bombing

February 26, 1993 12:18 pm: A van containing a 1,200 pound bomb explodes beneath the World Trade Center killing six Americans and injuring more than one thousand, according to CNN News (“ 1993 World Trade Center Bombing Fast Facts”). This tragic event, known as the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, left Americans in disbelief and anger. Just days after the bombing the FBI confirmed this event was indeed a terrorist attack. The burning question everyone had was simply why? There was an organization of men who were behind this bombing and they believed America deserved more tragedy than what was done.

After further research it has been founded that the attack could have easily been much worse than the damage done. Scott Stewart, a FBI agent called to the attack, shares “The blast wave was so powerful that it penetrated five stories of the reinforced concrete building. In addition to causing structural damage, the explosion destroyed or heavily damaged hundreds of vehicles in the garage. That such a powerful explosion killed only six people is nothing short of a miracle, for the attackers had a goal much more grandiose.” Stewart and the team called to this tragic event collected evidence that proved if this van would have been placed on the road it could have kill thousands of more Americans. It was also up to Stewart and his team to find out why this attack took place. (“ A Look Back at the 1993 World Trade center Bombing”).

The FBI quickly found evidence that lead them to believe there was an organization who committed this attack. “In March 1994, Mohammed Salameh, Ahmad Ajaj, Nidal Ayyad, and Mahmoud Abouhalima were convicted by a federal jury for their role in the bombing, and each was sentenced to life in prison. Salameh, a Palestinian, was arrested when he went to retrieve the $400 deposit he had left for the Ryder rental van used in the attack. Ajaj and Ayyad, who both played a role in the construction of the bomb, were arrested soon after. Abouhalima, who helped buy and mix the explosives, fled to Saudi Arabia but was caught in Egypt two weeks later.” (“ 1993 World Trade Center Bombers: Where are They Now?”). These men were all proven guilty of the World Trade Center Bombing shortly after being taken in. The FBI still had belief that there was another man still freely walking after committing this terrible crime. This man was known as Ramzi Ahmed Yousef and the FBI were convinced he was the master mind behind this terrorist attack.

The Investigative Project on Terrorism shares “In February of 1995, close to two years after the bombing of the World Trade Center. Ramzi Yousef was captured in Pakistan. Yousef received a life sentence for the Bojinka plot and 240 years for the 1993 WTC bombing.” Yousef was raised in a terrorist organization which lead him to the creation of the attack to the World Trade Center. This attack ended up being unsuccessful because the intentions were to kill at least 250,000 Americans. Yousef was caught and taken in while planning for his next terrorist attack to the United States. This attack was much greater than the one for the World Trade Center because Yousef planned to take out airplanes along with building by the click of a trigger. (“Investigative Project On Terrorism”).

In 1993 America was faced with a tragedy that could have been much worse if completed how these terrorists planned for it to be. The seven men who committed the attack to the World Trade Center have all been proven guilty for their crime. Joshua Norman from CBS news shares “Five of the seven main bombers are serving life sentences in the federal Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.” (“ World Trade Center Bombed”). Knowing that five of the seven bombers are serving life sentences should put ease to Americans minds. The two bombers who are not serving life sentences were those who went to retrieve the money from the rental van. If Scott and his team were unable to find these men in this terrorist organization in the time they were able to America could have received other terrorist attacks shortly after that were much larger than the one on the World Trade Center. America was faced with a tragic event that changed us on February 26 of 1993 but with the work from our FBI we are able to move forward with ease from the World Trade Center attack.

Works Cited

"1993 World Trade Center Bombing Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 18 Oct.

2016. <http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/05/us/1993-world-trade-center-bombing-fast-facts/>

"A Look Back at the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing." Stratfor. N.p., n.d. Web. 18

Oct. 2016. <https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/look-back-1993-world-trade-center-bombing>.

"The 1993 World Trade Center Bombers: Where Are They Now?" CBSNews. CBS Interactive,

n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-1993-world-trade-center-bombers-where-are-they-now/>.

"Ramzi Yousef : " The Investigative Project on Terrorism. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

<http://www.investigativeproject.org/profile/105/ramzi-yousef>.

"World Trade Center Bombed." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 18 Oct.

2016. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-trade-center-bombed>.