Authors Note: This timeline was inspired on a what if video on if united 93 hit its target that...
A Wounded Eagle: A Worse 9/11
- Thread starter Cybandeath
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Prelude
Cybandeath
Lord Darkness, and Representative of Mad Science
- Location
- The United States of America
Authors Note: This timeline was inspired on a what if video on if united 93 hit its target that was made today
, which got me thinking, what if 9/11, was ALOT worse which in turn gave me a WHOLE lot of ideas which grew as I did research and I just couldent not do something with them so here this is.
This timeline is done with the following three changes to OTL in mind.
keep in mind for now its just time and what happend but this will explore into full on story next this is just a prelude/prologue
7:59 AM EST: American Airlines Flight 11 leaves its Boston, Logan Internation Jetport.
8:00 AM EST: United Airlines Flight 93 leaves on schedule from Newark Internation Airport.
8:14 AM EST: United Airlines Flight 175 leaves Boston, Logan Internation Airport. Meanwhile Flight 11 goes silent.
8:20 AM EST: American Airlines flight 77 leaves Dulles Internation Airport just outside Washington DC.
8:25 AM EST: United American Airlines Flight 66 leaves Dulles Internation Airport outside DC.
8:33 AM EST: United American Airlines Flight 52 leaves Dulles Internation Airport outside DC.
8:37 AM EST: Terrorist Cells across the country are fully activated and cleared to attack their targets through encrypted messages
8:42 AM EST: American Airlines flight 7 leaves Boston, Logan Internation Airport.
8:45 AM EST: Flight 93 goes silent after being hijacked successfully and without incident.
8:46 AM EST: Flight 11 impacts into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
8:47 AM EST: Police and Fire departments begin to dispatch units to the WTC.
8:50 AM EST: The President is informed at the White House of the impact at the WTC
8:58 AM EST: The first of many ground attacks are made with the destruction of the Port Arthur oil refinery through planted explosives in several areas.
9:02 AM EST: The Port Authority officials broadcast to evacuate both the twin towers via the public address system
9:03 AM EST: Flight 175 Impacts the south tower of the WTC.
9:08 AM EST: The FAA bans all takeoffs of flights going to NYC or through the airspace around the city.
9:14 AM EST: The Baytown Refinery is attacked and crippled and heavily damaged by multiple rocket attacks, the attackers manage to get away from police pursuit.
9:21 AM EST: The Port Authority closes down all tunnels and bridges in the NYC area.
9:30 AM EST: Flight 93 impacts the White House, killing The President, Vice President, and almost the entire cabinet and white house staff.....
Second Authors Note: Looks like a good time as any to take a break from things and my research im doing as I write this little....prelude to things anyone? or any tags you think I should add?
This timeline is done with the following three changes to OTL in mind.
-1. Flight United 93 is not delayed and leaves the airport on time at 8 AM
-2. There is not four planes but SEVEN ( I don't have the flight schedules o im just making up fake names for the extra 2 planes if anyone has suitable replacements based on OTL information please notify me)
-3. President Bush was not in Florida but at the White House itself
-4. There is multiple non-plane attacks on the ground.
-5. They are better organized, trained, prepared, supplied, coordinated, and even more numerous and widespread, and they don't make the variety of mistakes they did.
-2. There is not four planes but SEVEN ( I don't have the flight schedules o im just making up fake names for the extra 2 planes if anyone has suitable replacements based on OTL information please notify me)
-3. President Bush was not in Florida but at the White House itself
-4. There is multiple non-plane attacks on the ground.
-5. They are better organized, trained, prepared, supplied, coordinated, and even more numerous and widespread, and they don't make the variety of mistakes they did.
7:59 AM EST: American Airlines Flight 11 leaves its Boston, Logan Internation Jetport.
8:00 AM EST: United Airlines Flight 93 leaves on schedule from Newark Internation Airport.
8:14 AM EST: United Airlines Flight 175 leaves Boston, Logan Internation Airport. Meanwhile Flight 11 goes silent.
8:20 AM EST: American Airlines flight 77 leaves Dulles Internation Airport just outside Washington DC.
8:25 AM EST: United American Airlines Flight 66 leaves Dulles Internation Airport outside DC.
8:33 AM EST: United American Airlines Flight 52 leaves Dulles Internation Airport outside DC.
8:37 AM EST: Terrorist Cells across the country are fully activated and cleared to attack their targets through encrypted messages
8:42 AM EST: American Airlines flight 7 leaves Boston, Logan Internation Airport.
8:45 AM EST: Flight 93 goes silent after being hijacked successfully and without incident.
8:46 AM EST: Flight 11 impacts into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
8:47 AM EST: Police and Fire departments begin to dispatch units to the WTC.
8:50 AM EST: The President is informed at the White House of the impact at the WTC
8:58 AM EST: The first of many ground attacks are made with the destruction of the Port Arthur oil refinery through planted explosives in several areas.
9:02 AM EST: The Port Authority officials broadcast to evacuate both the twin towers via the public address system
9:03 AM EST: Flight 175 Impacts the south tower of the WTC.
9:08 AM EST: The FAA bans all takeoffs of flights going to NYC or through the airspace around the city.
9:14 AM EST: The Baytown Refinery is attacked and crippled and heavily damaged by multiple rocket attacks, the attackers manage to get away from police pursuit.
9:21 AM EST: The Port Authority closes down all tunnels and bridges in the NYC area.
9:30 AM EST: Flight 93 impacts the White House, killing The President, Vice President, and almost the entire cabinet and white house staff.....
Second Authors Note: Looks like a good time as any to take a break from things and my research im doing as I write this little....prelude to things anyone? or any tags you think I should add?
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in all honesty an attack like this? and one that took out the majority of the government? it would not surprise me in the least if rather than sending troops to Afghanistan the Americans just flat out Nuked it back to the stone age once they got their act together again
Ah, yes. But what happens after?
that I have no idea about other than to say that once the Nuclear genie is outta the bottle you are gonna have the devils own time try to put it back IN the bottle
avatar11792
Et Sic Incipit
- Location
- Planet Earth, North America
...I'll give this a shot.
- Since its the Presidency that was directly attacked, whoever is next in the chain of command of the survivors would most likely be sworn in within 24hrs, maybe earlier. The impact of 911 now also has a JFK assassination kind of vibe, with LBJ having been sworn in on Air Force One soon after.
- A much higher emphasis is made on evacuation of DC and its major facilities/infrastructure, bc of the increased scale of the threat. This may or may not work, and the massive traffic jams and clogs that such a mass evacuation would generate might create new targets for the terrorists to attack, if say a plane diverts and just plasters itself down an ultra-packed highway going for sheer body count.
- Speculation only, bc we don't have a list of targets for the new planes the OP mentioned, but if they targeted say the Hoover Dam or other high-profile dams, or maybe power generation plants, they could cause massive multi-state wide blackouts or trigger huge floods that overwhelm aging infrastructure. These could indirectly act to kill a LOT more people than OTL 911 did, and expand the scope of what the terrorists are aiming for.
- No mention of cyberattacks, but if terrorists could pull that off they could fuck a lot of things up, even in 2001 with a reduced digital/Internet presence. Think some of the content of the 4th Die Hard movie for examples of how that might go, though I don't know anything definitive in those fields.
- The overreaction to Islam post-911 is even worse, as so much more damage was generated/people killed. Islamic folk around the US are terrorized much harder and more consistently by a higher percentage of the country. Could even trigger a long-term suppression of Islamic rights in the US or even some form of internment camps (similar to the Japanese-American camps in WW2, themselves an extreme over-the-top response to a severe incident that left a huge blow to the US psyche).
- Actual ground assaults by terrorists on US soil will trigger a wave of US ground defense installations, mass firearms acquisitions, and a much more overall paranoid and extreme gun-nut culture. Ironically this might even reduce the intensity of the gun rights argument, bc now more people are on the pro-guns everywhere side. Oh yeah, and military R&D is even worse now than in OTL.
- Oh yeah, and lots more government funding is sunk into ground defense installations and hardware, so a high deficit/overall US debt. This might trigger a faster US descent into economic depression, debt crisis, default, or all of the above worst-case. Certainly many non-military funding options, like SS, Medicare, funding for the arts, space stuff/NASA, is gutted faster than in OTL with worse consequences.
- Idealistically this might result in Afghanistan being flattened and a longer and harsher US presence to purge Al-Quada, but this MIGHT, maybe, not have the Iraq War happen. With GW Bush dead, he, Cheney, et al can't push for an invasion of Iraq. Maybe somebody else might, but Afghanistan is definitely going to get clobbered. There MIGHT be a low-level use of tactical nuclear weapons, say in clearing out hardened bunkers and the like, but they'll be relatively low-yield, nothing like Tsar Bombas or megaton anything (IMO US reservations against nuclear anything are too strong for even a worse 9/11 to crack fully, but it might loosen said reservations).
A problem here is that there's more airplane assaults via OP, and grounds assaults on US soil too, but the OP hasn't posted more info, thus speculation can only be taken so far. A list of targets these new planes might go for might be a good idea to post, bc it will trigger increased speculation. Just a thought.
Possible options:
- Wall Street itself (no specific building is needed, I imagine just crashing a 747 on the Wall Street itself will cause severe damage to all building nearby to the point of collapse or extreme structural problems). Cue Wall Street crash, possibly literally.
- As mentioned: dams, power plants, etc.
- Popular infrastructure icons like the Brooklyn Bridge, Verazanno, really any of Manhattan's bridges.
- White House, Capital, Library of Congress, Washington Monument, etc.
Can't think of anymore, probably a good thing too. Grim stuff, this OP.
- Since its the Presidency that was directly attacked, whoever is next in the chain of command of the survivors would most likely be sworn in within 24hrs, maybe earlier. The impact of 911 now also has a JFK assassination kind of vibe, with LBJ having been sworn in on Air Force One soon after.
- A much higher emphasis is made on evacuation of DC and its major facilities/infrastructure, bc of the increased scale of the threat. This may or may not work, and the massive traffic jams and clogs that such a mass evacuation would generate might create new targets for the terrorists to attack, if say a plane diverts and just plasters itself down an ultra-packed highway going for sheer body count.
- Speculation only, bc we don't have a list of targets for the new planes the OP mentioned, but if they targeted say the Hoover Dam or other high-profile dams, or maybe power generation plants, they could cause massive multi-state wide blackouts or trigger huge floods that overwhelm aging infrastructure. These could indirectly act to kill a LOT more people than OTL 911 did, and expand the scope of what the terrorists are aiming for.
- No mention of cyberattacks, but if terrorists could pull that off they could fuck a lot of things up, even in 2001 with a reduced digital/Internet presence. Think some of the content of the 4th Die Hard movie for examples of how that might go, though I don't know anything definitive in those fields.
- The overreaction to Islam post-911 is even worse, as so much more damage was generated/people killed. Islamic folk around the US are terrorized much harder and more consistently by a higher percentage of the country. Could even trigger a long-term suppression of Islamic rights in the US or even some form of internment camps (similar to the Japanese-American camps in WW2, themselves an extreme over-the-top response to a severe incident that left a huge blow to the US psyche).
- Actual ground assaults by terrorists on US soil will trigger a wave of US ground defense installations, mass firearms acquisitions, and a much more overall paranoid and extreme gun-nut culture. Ironically this might even reduce the intensity of the gun rights argument, bc now more people are on the pro-guns everywhere side. Oh yeah, and military R&D is even worse now than in OTL.
- Oh yeah, and lots more government funding is sunk into ground defense installations and hardware, so a high deficit/overall US debt. This might trigger a faster US descent into economic depression, debt crisis, default, or all of the above worst-case. Certainly many non-military funding options, like SS, Medicare, funding for the arts, space stuff/NASA, is gutted faster than in OTL with worse consequences.
- Idealistically this might result in Afghanistan being flattened and a longer and harsher US presence to purge Al-Quada, but this MIGHT, maybe, not have the Iraq War happen. With GW Bush dead, he, Cheney, et al can't push for an invasion of Iraq. Maybe somebody else might, but Afghanistan is definitely going to get clobbered. There MIGHT be a low-level use of tactical nuclear weapons, say in clearing out hardened bunkers and the like, but they'll be relatively low-yield, nothing like Tsar Bombas or megaton anything (IMO US reservations against nuclear anything are too strong for even a worse 9/11 to crack fully, but it might loosen said reservations).
A problem here is that there's more airplane assaults via OP, and grounds assaults on US soil too, but the OP hasn't posted more info, thus speculation can only be taken so far. A list of targets these new planes might go for might be a good idea to post, bc it will trigger increased speculation. Just a thought.
Possible options:
- Wall Street itself (no specific building is needed, I imagine just crashing a 747 on the Wall Street itself will cause severe damage to all building nearby to the point of collapse or extreme structural problems). Cue Wall Street crash, possibly literally.
- As mentioned: dams, power plants, etc.
- Popular infrastructure icons like the Brooklyn Bridge, Verazanno, really any of Manhattan's bridges.
- White House, Capital, Library of Congress, Washington Monument, etc.
Can't think of anymore, probably a good thing too. Grim stuff, this OP.
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- Location
- Rex, NC, USA
Uhhhhhhh...
George Bush wasn't even IN the White House during the 9/11 attacks. He was in Florida.
Cybandeath
Lord Darkness, and Representative of Mad Science
- Location
- The United States of America
in the spoiler thats one of the changes I made in putting him in the white house instead of Florida.
Thanks for your input, potential airplane targets I will narrow down to DC and New York, 1 non otl plane for New York (Lady Liberty), and two non otl for DC for people as their influence is mostly east coast with some scattered cells targeting things like major oil refinery's land wise.
I don't know much on how an IRL cyber attack would work, especially back then but id be up for including such but I would probably keep it to one or a few targets since this is not an actual nation but a terrorist organization acting here, there is only so much more they can do within realistic limits.
That aside mass military budget influx will be a thing but the HUGE amount of corruption in military spending that the US has will be cracked down on HARD, also funding into research will be with government-owned patents for the research they paid for amongst other changes like intervention into the economy with a variety of government-owned companies. Short term things like arts and space will be cut worse than otl but long term im thinking of a better off US maybe with an economic boom instead of the housing bubble or around the 2012ish area haveing an economic boom after recovering from the bubble better than otl.
Feel free to throw some ideas around but I'm heading towards a more big brother authoritarian America, but more efficient, and cutting down on a lot of the issues the country faces including its variety of trade problems that were beginning to become a serious issue.
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- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Their retaliation is gonna be harder than how they did in real life. Possibly to the point where the United Nation of Countries is split over whether or not to support America, because on one hand, the guys ended up killing the President, but on the other hand, the group has nothing to do with Afghanistan outside of living in it, unlike Pearl Harbor where it was an act of war to the US from Japan whereas this was just a terrorist attack (albeit the largest kind).
As such, I can see America and some other countries band together to curbstomp Afghanistan to snuff out the terrorists, but there'd be another group of countries who would try to stop them from outright destroying Afghanistan. There'd be debates over stuff like "America's gone too far!" and "America's not gone far enough!", Islam would probably get eradicated off of America and it would be subject to several civil wars during the War on Terror. Canada would probably start to harbor the refugees and America, in the middle of their lust for revenge, accuses Canada of working with Al-Qaeda and declares war on them, starting with an invasion over their border. By that point, people realize "oh shit, America's off their rocker" and drop their support in the war to instead protect Canada. This in turn results in the war turning in Afghanistan's favor and America is kicked out of the country.
The war can end in many different ways, though for simplicity, I'll think of four:
Golden Ending: Al-Qaeda is stopped by Russia, France, or the UK at some point before the wars got too hot and with proof of their destruction, America cools down and tries to make amends with Afghanistan and Canada. Of course, it'll take decades if not a century to clean the bad name they made for themselves during the war, but they will do so.
Good End: America is stopped and is heavily demilitarized as a result of a treaty made by Canada, France, the UK, Afghanistan and other countries. They're also forbidden from ever having armies set foot in Afghanistan and owe them tons of money in damages, punting them into a depression. However, history has a nasty habit of repeating itself.
Bad Ending: America is wounded and eventually becomes a third-world country thanks to its economy. It is subject to frequent revolts and the states soon begin to fracture. No one is able to catch the people who started it and America's scars will be permanent as Canada ends up being the new America.
Worst Ending: America takes over Canada and annexes it. Everyone else declares war on the USA and WWIII has truly begun as everyone destroys each other, Al-Qaeda just laughing and slinking away into the background. With the war commencing, nukes might end up getting used and MAD ensues. Humanity becomes endangered as a result, if not extinct.
I do apologize if some details are a little too fantastical, such as America jumping the gun on Canada, but the overall context I'm bringing behind this AU!War is that America wants revenge becomes warped by it.
As such, I can see America and some other countries band together to curbstomp Afghanistan to snuff out the terrorists, but there'd be another group of countries who would try to stop them from outright destroying Afghanistan. There'd be debates over stuff like "America's gone too far!" and "America's not gone far enough!", Islam would probably get eradicated off of America and it would be subject to several civil wars during the War on Terror. Canada would probably start to harbor the refugees and America, in the middle of their lust for revenge, accuses Canada of working with Al-Qaeda and declares war on them, starting with an invasion over their border. By that point, people realize "oh shit, America's off their rocker" and drop their support in the war to instead protect Canada. This in turn results in the war turning in Afghanistan's favor and America is kicked out of the country.
The war can end in many different ways, though for simplicity, I'll think of four:
Golden Ending: Al-Qaeda is stopped by Russia, France, or the UK at some point before the wars got too hot and with proof of their destruction, America cools down and tries to make amends with Afghanistan and Canada. Of course, it'll take decades if not a century to clean the bad name they made for themselves during the war, but they will do so.
Good End: America is stopped and is heavily demilitarized as a result of a treaty made by Canada, France, the UK, Afghanistan and other countries. They're also forbidden from ever having armies set foot in Afghanistan and owe them tons of money in damages, punting them into a depression. However, history has a nasty habit of repeating itself.
Bad Ending: America is wounded and eventually becomes a third-world country thanks to its economy. It is subject to frequent revolts and the states soon begin to fracture. No one is able to catch the people who started it and America's scars will be permanent as Canada ends up being the new America.
Worst Ending: America takes over Canada and annexes it. Everyone else declares war on the USA and WWIII has truly begun as everyone destroys each other, Al-Qaeda just laughing and slinking away into the background. With the war commencing, nukes might end up getting used and MAD ensues. Humanity becomes endangered as a result, if not extinct.
I do apologize if some details are a little too fantastical, such as America jumping the gun on Canada, but the overall context I'm bringing behind this AU!War is that America wants revenge becomes warped by it.
Cybandeath
Lord Darkness, and Representative of Mad Science
- Location
- The United States of America
OTL America had ALOT of support after 911 and America was still very much liked in Europe but as America went into Iraq, and the reasoning for such was proven false that good will went away as well as a lot of the reputation and goodwill America had from before 911.
In this with bush and all sorts of people dead I don't plan on the whole WMD lie so America will actually improve in the light of the world instead of go downwards, of course there will also be those upset, appalled, or fearful as America becomes more authoritarian and interventive like back during the cold war.
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I took the WMD story out of the equation since I didn't feel like anyone else would try to hit up Iraq since Bush had a connection to Saddam.
But other than that, yeah, America would probably become the modern day Knights Templar.
serra2
Himouto! Sylvanas-chan
Cyberattacks in 2001 would be pretty much pinpricks to what is currently going on. There is very little real infrastructure in place for the internet and most people still use dial-up. Hell, the entire military/civilian communication system crashed during 9/11 due to the sheer overwhelming numbers of people making calls during it.
I really doubt there will be that much horror in Afghanistan, they pretty much fell apart once actually invaded. But I do think the war will spread in the region. The US will have a very strong reason to rip Al Qaeda up by the roots, and will be very uninterested in humoring 'allies' who are willing to do the bare minimum. Should Osama escape to Pakistan like he did IRL, they would be best served in handing his ass over ASAP.
Cybandeath
Lord Darkness, and Representative of Mad Science
- Location
- The United States of America
would it be possible to have change the signs at the wall street stock market?
serra2
Himouto! Sylvanas-chan
If they had the capability to do that, they have the capability to just siphon off all of the trades instead. Banking and financial markets are some of the more secure communications at the time, and Wall street got shut down super fast on 9/11.
- Location
- uk
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I like it.
I agree with arts though I am not so sure on space. The civilian side of NASA might be cut, but they were created from a branch of the US Navy and they created many military applications even there being the Orion Project in the 50's, etc., I think the funding would be increased, they'd just be pressured to work more on the military applications then civilian ones with the civilian side cut
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Cybandeath
Lord Darkness, and Representative of Mad Science
- Location
- The United States of America
That might occur more long term, I believe the initial focus will be on earthbound military though.
Okay people saying the US would drop nukes on Afghanistan are way out of line.
That would immediately get the US kicked out of the UN and its leadership charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, on top of getting it slapped with sanctions and an economic embargo.
Its also utterly unnecessary.
Paul Henry O'Neill will likely be the new president, and was on non-speaking terms with the rest of the Administration which was already discussing invading Iraq.
If he is the next president:
The FBI and CIA Directors will lose their jobs for failing to share information (Both had critical information which if shared could have prevented the attacks), Deputy General Counsel Marion "Spike" Bowman is also fired for not granting a request to search Zacarias Moussaoui's computer which would have exposed the plot 4 months in advance, low level agents would be given authority to get search warrants, both NORAD and USAF Chiefs would have been sacked for violating Intercept Policies in place under Clinton which would also be immediately restored and updated, and the NSA apparatus overhauled and streamlined to prevent the turf-warring that prevented information sharing.
Externally, the Taliban's offer to turn over Osama bin Laden which Clinton and Bush had declined, is accepted. In addition the Taliban don't object to the US targeting Al-Qaeda camps who they also didn't like (up until the US attacked them and illegally under international law, not that anyone gives a damn about international law anyway). If ONeil is smart, he will let Afghans kill Al-Qaeda with some cruise missiles to help out. At this time the bulk of Al-Qaeda is serving as mercenary shock troopers in the Afghan Civil War, giving arms to the Northern Alliance, assassinating the Al-Qaeda leadership, and playing both the Taliban and Northern Alliance off of each other is the best and most efficient way to defeat Al-Qaeda and gives the US the moral high ground.
Otherwise, O'Neil can just greenlight Iran to invade Afghanistan as they wanted to 98, and just stand back and watch Iran, the Taliban, ISI, and Al-Qaeda bash each other while America sits back without having to spend a dime.
Of course that requires O'Neil to be able to rein in the US' bloodlust without getting impeached and replaced by someone willing to go to war which is counter-productive to the problem.
That would immediately get the US kicked out of the UN and its leadership charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, on top of getting it slapped with sanctions and an economic embargo.
Its also utterly unnecessary.
Paul Henry O'Neill will likely be the new president, and was on non-speaking terms with the rest of the Administration which was already discussing invading Iraq.
If he is the next president:
The FBI and CIA Directors will lose their jobs for failing to share information (Both had critical information which if shared could have prevented the attacks), Deputy General Counsel Marion "Spike" Bowman is also fired for not granting a request to search Zacarias Moussaoui's computer which would have exposed the plot 4 months in advance, low level agents would be given authority to get search warrants, both NORAD and USAF Chiefs would have been sacked for violating Intercept Policies in place under Clinton which would also be immediately restored and updated, and the NSA apparatus overhauled and streamlined to prevent the turf-warring that prevented information sharing.
Externally, the Taliban's offer to turn over Osama bin Laden which Clinton and Bush had declined, is accepted. In addition the Taliban don't object to the US targeting Al-Qaeda camps who they also didn't like (up until the US attacked them and illegally under international law, not that anyone gives a damn about international law anyway). If ONeil is smart, he will let Afghans kill Al-Qaeda with some cruise missiles to help out. At this time the bulk of Al-Qaeda is serving as mercenary shock troopers in the Afghan Civil War, giving arms to the Northern Alliance, assassinating the Al-Qaeda leadership, and playing both the Taliban and Northern Alliance off of each other is the best and most efficient way to defeat Al-Qaeda and gives the US the moral high ground.
Otherwise, O'Neil can just greenlight Iran to invade Afghanistan as they wanted to 98, and just stand back and watch Iran, the Taliban, ISI, and Al-Qaeda bash each other while America sits back without having to spend a dime.
Of course that requires O'Neil to be able to rein in the US' bloodlust without getting impeached and replaced by someone willing to go to war which is counter-productive to the problem.
- Location
- Rex, NC, USA
Are you forgetting about the Security Council? The US can simply veto any attempts to punish them.
Not if the others kick the US out, vacate New York to elsewhere and lock the US out of the loop.
Throwing WMDs around as a first resort is not acceptable in the International Order and anyone doing so is immediately a Pariah.
A series of Airplane Attacks and gunmen using firearms and explosives from a non-Nation State Group is not enough to justify a nuclear strike.
Now if the Taliban had given Al-Qaeda chemical weapons (which they didn't and had they known what OBL was planning, they would have immediately assassinated him and broken up his network in Afghanistan), then nuclear retaliation proportionate to the actual harm inflicted would have been justified.
Sol Zagato
senseless brute
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are in a spot of trouble.
Saudi Arabia: The Bushes are now mostly out of power, AND the strike was bigger, so the Sauds simultaneously have fewer friends in the US government and a much greater need for them. I expect something greater than the OTL Saudi post 9/11 <purges> completely coincidental plane crashes. The US probably won't be throwing a strategic ally like Saudi Arabia in the toilet, but there may be some internal unrest and massacres in response to the US leaning on them.
Pakistan: With the US, co-parent of the Taliban. The remaining mentor of the Taliban. This could spiral completely out of control for them, given that the left hand is trying to stab the right hand inside the Pakistani government OTL, and the tribal areas aren't actually under Pakistani sovereignty. Best case scenario at this point are waves of forced retirements and the abandonment of the policy of strategic depth (ie. forsaking trying to influence Afghanistan). Median case is the US leaning on them really hard leading to vicious internal purges, rebellions that are put down, maybe a US occupation of Waziristan. Worst case... well. If control of Pakistani nuclear weapons becomes questionable, I think the world at large would sanction and then collectively forget almost any atrocity committed.
Edit:
Iraq: Sitting pretty. The US names some names and scowls a little. Saadam coughs them up, story over. The WMD cat and mouse continues to be a farce.
Saudi Arabia: The Bushes are now mostly out of power, AND the strike was bigger, so the Sauds simultaneously have fewer friends in the US government and a much greater need for them. I expect something greater than the OTL Saudi post 9/11 <purges> completely coincidental plane crashes. The US probably won't be throwing a strategic ally like Saudi Arabia in the toilet, but there may be some internal unrest and massacres in response to the US leaning on them.
Pakistan: With the US, co-parent of the Taliban. The remaining mentor of the Taliban. This could spiral completely out of control for them, given that the left hand is trying to stab the right hand inside the Pakistani government OTL, and the tribal areas aren't actually under Pakistani sovereignty. Best case scenario at this point are waves of forced retirements and the abandonment of the policy of strategic depth (ie. forsaking trying to influence Afghanistan). Median case is the US leaning on them really hard leading to vicious internal purges, rebellions that are put down, maybe a US occupation of Waziristan. Worst case... well. If control of Pakistani nuclear weapons becomes questionable, I think the world at large would sanction and then collectively forget almost any atrocity committed.
Edit:
Iraq: Sitting pretty. The US names some names and scowls a little. Saadam coughs them up, story over. The WMD cat and mouse continues to be a farce.
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