Terrorist acts did not begin on September 11, 2001, nor did they begin just with the current President Bush administration. In fact, ten years ago, in 1996, during the former President Clinton administration, real or suspected terrorist acts, on a smaller scale, was already occurring.
The Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, bombing, which happened on June 28, 1996 (CNN,Saudi Probe), was the biggest bombing since the 1983 bombing of the Beirut barracks in Lebanon. A gas truck was parked at the barrier between the base and the city. The terrorists used a gas truck to break through the wall and store the bomb, which would kill the people. Guards failed to stop the truck, and the attackers escaped.The explosion ended up killing a whopping 26 United States military service men and women
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had to get permission from the Saudi government to do an investigation in that country. When they were finally allowed to do their investigation, they found an identification number to the truck used in the attack. Unfortunately, they received little further cooperation from the Saudi government.
Despite the lack of cooperation from the Saudi government, the FBI determined that the attack was planned, and carried out by Muslim extremists. Saudi authorities beheaded four suspected terrorists. The FBI was not allowed to question any of the suspected terrorists. A second incident of suspected terrorism against United States citizens occurred on July 17, 2006. On that day, Trans World Airlines (TWA) flight 800 was destroyed over the Atlantic coast near Long Island, New York (Flight 800, investigation). No passengers survived in the explosion. By eyewitness accounts, there was a streak of light heading toward the plane, right before the explosion.
The U.S. Navy, and the FBI, did separate investigations in the flight 800 crash, and came to different views. The FBI believes a missile likely caused the crash. The Navy, however, is not sure what the cause might have been, but strongly denies it could have been caused by the accidental firing of Navy missile. There is even speculation, that there may have been someone on that plane, that the U. S. government wanted to get rid of.
Both the bombing in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and the unexplained destruction of TWA flight 800 show that real, or suspected terrorism, did not start with September 11,2001. But, like 9/11, other acts of suspected terror, are difficult to resolve, and historical. We probably have not seen the last of terror.
CNN, Saudi Probe, June 27-28, 1996.
Flight 800, Investigation, A Compilation of Findings.