93 World Trade Center
The 1993 World Trade Center Bombing
Vernon T. Branson Jr.
HSM 433 Counter Terrorism & Intelligence Analysis
Instructor: Shawn VanDiver
January 9, 2012
When most people think of the world trade center they immediately think of the attack that occurred September 11th 2001. Most forget that was not the first time that the world trade center’s had come under attack before. “The February 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City marked the beginning of an ugly new phase of terrorism involving the indiscriminate killing of civilians. ’ Like the saran gas attack on the Tokyo subway in March 1995 and the bombing of the Alfred E. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April 4995, the World Trade Center bombing was motivated by the desire to kill as many people as possible.”(Parachini, J.) At the time the attack on the world trade center in 1993 was the largest full scale terrorist attack to occur on U.S. soil. The attack occurred on a snowy afternoon on 26 February 1993. The temperature was hovering in the mid to low 20’s. At approximately 1218 a blast occurred and immediately the city felt the effects of what just occurred. There was a fire station located directly across the street from the blast and they began response measures on a verbal command as they also felt the blast rock their building. This station consisted of Engine Co. 10 and Ladder Co. 10. Upon arrival they were met with what appeared to be a typical transformer explosion. These type of explosions were very typical throughout New York city at the time, but upon further investigation they were shocked at what they would find. The group that conducted the attack chooses to use non traditional methods to carry out its attack. Their weapon of choice was a nitro urea bomb, in excess of 1,000 pounds, with hydrogen cylinders to add impact, was detonated in the now-infamous yellow Ryder Econoline van on the B-2 level of the parking garage, causing massive destruction
Vernon T. Branson Jr.
HSM 433 Counter Terrorism & Intelligence Analysis
Instructor: Shawn VanDiver
January 9, 2012
When most people think of the world trade center they immediately think of the attack that occurred September 11th 2001. Most forget that was not the first time that the world trade center’s had come under attack before. “The February 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City marked the beginning of an ugly new phase of terrorism involving the indiscriminate killing of civilians. ’ Like the saran gas attack on the Tokyo subway in March 1995 and the bombing of the Alfred E. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April 4995, the World Trade Center bombing was motivated by the desire to kill as many people as possible.”(Parachini, J.) At the time the attack on the world trade center in 1993 was the largest full scale terrorist attack to occur on U.S. soil. The attack occurred on a snowy afternoon on 26 February 1993. The temperature was hovering in the mid to low 20’s. At approximately 1218 a blast occurred and immediately the city felt the effects of what just occurred. There was a fire station located directly across the street from the blast and they began response measures on a verbal command as they also felt the blast rock their building. This station consisted of Engine Co. 10 and Ladder Co. 10. Upon arrival they were met with what appeared to be a typical transformer explosion. These type of explosions were very typical throughout New York city at the time, but upon further investigation they were shocked at what they would find. The group that conducted the attack chooses to use non traditional methods to carry out its attack. Their weapon of choice was a nitro urea bomb, in excess of 1,000 pounds, with hydrogen cylinders to add impact, was detonated in the now-infamous yellow Ryder Econoline van on the B-2 level of the parking garage, causing massive destruction