Patterns

Recently, in a discussion with some researchers, an interesting question was raised about the timeline of terrorism . The researcher had asked, "were there 'dry-runs' before 911?" Initially, no one could see any pattern between the 1993 attempt to blow up the World Trade Center and the successful attack on September 11, 2001.

The First Timeline:

• 1993 World Trade Center attack by Ramzi Youseff and Sheikh Abdul Rahmon of Egypt , truck bomb, killed 5 people. 
• Aug 1998: Almost simultaneously, truck bombs blow up the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, killing more than 220 people. 
• October 12, 2000, suicide boat with 400-600 pounds of explosive formed into a shaped charge, rammed into the side of the U.S.S. Cole in the Port of Aden, Yemen, and killed 17 people. 
• September 11, 2001, suicide terrorist hijack four airplanes and crash them into the WTC, Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field (thought to have been destined for the White House or Capital). Minimally 2985 died. 

Then we began to consider other possibilities, conspiracies, etc. As a result, the second timeline went like this:

• 1993 World Trade Center attack by Ramzi Youseff and Sheikh Abdul Rahmon of Egypt , truck bomb, killed 5 people. 
• April 19, 1995 OKC, attack by at least one individual Timothy McVeigh, although eye witnesses place another man or additional men with him. Truck bomb killed 168 people. 
• Aug 1998: Almost simultaneously, truck bombs blow up the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, killing more than 220. 
• October 12, 2000, suicide boat with 400-600 pounds of explosive formed into a shaped charge, rammed into the side of the U.S.S. Cole in the Port of Aden, Yemen, and killed 17 people. 
• September 11, 2001, suicide terrorist hijack four airplanes and crash them into the WTC, Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field (thought to have been destined for the White House or Capital). Minimally 2985 died. 

A rough pattern 1-3 years began to emerge....circumstantial? Coincidental?  Additional research may show the pattern a mere accident of the clustering of any data. Interesting though, whatever the reasoning, and adds to the ongoing aura of mystery and conspiracy such events always attract.