The 50 Worst Terrorist Attacks

by Edward Mickolus

  Anthrax was found in a bin of mail deliver ed to the Federal Reserve Board’s Washington headquarters on December 6, 2001, and in a diplomatic pouch at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria, on December 13, 2001. A powder-filled envelope that was opened on December 17, 2001, in the office of Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was a hoax; it had been sent from a Texas prison on October 29, 2001.

  In mid-December 2001, the government offered anthrax vaccine to 3,000 people. The CDC and local medical services gave conflicting advice regarding whether to take the vaccine or another 40 days of antibiotics; the science was catching up to the new experiences with anthrax. Few postal workers took the vaccine; numerous congressional staffers did.

  Genetic fingerprinting suggested that the Capitol Hill anthrax originated from a sample at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, which had sent Ames strain samples to four other labs in the United States and United Kingdom. Investigators attempted to determine whether an individual who had been fired from a lab and made threats was responsible. Authorities also examined whether the attacker wanted to make money from cleanup and medical responses.

  Tests conducted and analyzed December 23–28, 2001, found residual anthrax spores on a mail-sorting machine at the Morgan Processing and Distribution Center in New York. It had tested positive, then negative, in October 2001.

  A third attempt began on December 28, 2001, to clean out the Hart building. The second effort was suspended on December 17, 2001. This time the plan was to fill the ventilation system with chlorine dioxide gas.

  On January 22, 2002, the Hart Senate Office Building finally reopened after several tests found no remaining traces of anthrax spores. The building cleanup cost $20 million.

  On January 31, 2002, traces of anthrax were found at the Federal Communications Commission mail-processing center at 9300 East Hampton Drive in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

  On February 20, 2002, Ernesto Blanco, 74, was back at work in the mailroom of AMI in Boca Raton, Florida, after surviving a case of inhalation anthrax that had killed his coworker.

  A Vanderbilt University and New York University Medical School mathematical model released on May 13, 2002, indicated that anthrax contaminated at least 5,000 letters in the eastern United States.

  On September 15, 2002, FBI investigators suggested that the anthrax at AMI was spread by more than two dozen photocopy machines in the three-story, 68,000 square foot building. Spores went from the first-floor mailroom, on to reams of copy paper stored there, and into the air by fans inside the machines loaded with the copy paper. Anthrax was found on the keyboard in photo editor Stevens’s office; he died in October 2001 of anthrax, the first of five fatalities nationwide.

  On May 10, 2003, the FBI announced that it had discovered in Maryland’s Frederick Municipal Forest’s ice-covered ponds what may have been the method the individual used to put the anthrax into envelopes without becoming infected. Divers found a submerged airtight chamber. The Washington Post reported that investigators found a clear box with holes that could accommodate gloves and vials wrapped in plastic. The FBI began draining one of the spring-fed ponds on June 9, 2003, to find further evidence. On July 31, 2003, the FBI announced that no anthrax had been found.

  On September 24, 2003, Maureen Stevens, widow of Robert Stevens, the Sun tabloid editor who died of anthrax, sued the government for $50 million, saying that lax security at the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, was responsible. The U.S. government settled on the case on November 28, 2011, for $2.5 million in a filing in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Florida. It did not admit liability or negligence.

  On August 5, 2004, federal agents searched the home of Dr. Kenneth M. Berry, 48, in Wellsville, New York, a small town on the Pennsylvania border south of Buffalo. Agents also searched a home in Lavellette on the New Jersey beaches. Berry had worked for five years as an emergency room physician in Wellsville before he resigned in October 2001. He claimed to be the former president of an organization of emergency physicians. In 1997, he founded the nonprofit PREEMPT Medical Counter Terrorism group. PREEMPT teaches medical and defense professionals how to respond to a biological terrorist attack. It may be that a patent application for a chemical and biological surveillance system made Berry a person of interest. He applied for the patent on September 28, 2001, the same day the first anthrax letters were postmarked in Trenton, New Jersey. On August 18, 2004, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center announced that his employment would end on November 8, 2004, and he would be on leave until then. On November 6, 2004, he pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife and daughter and was sentenced to a 2-year probation and a $1,000 fine.

  On November 24, 2004, Chief Judge Claude M. Hilton in Alexandria, Virginia, dismissed Steven J. Hatfill’s lawsuit against the New York Times Company and columnist Nicholas D. Kristof. Hatfill had been identified by Attorney General John D. Ashcroft as a “person of interest” in the anthrax investigation. Hatfill, 50, was a former scientist at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, who had studied biological warfare agents. In January 2007, Judge Hilton threw out Hatfill’s defamation lawsuit, which had been reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in 2005. On June 27, 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice settled Hatfill’s lawsuit against the government for $5.85 million. The government did not admit wrongdoing. On July 18, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed Hatfill’s libel lawsuit against the New York Times .

  On February 22, 2007, the Boca Raton offices that were closed in the anthrax attack reopened. The building had been sold in 2003 by AMI for $40,000 to developer David Rustine.

  On July 29, 2008, biodefense scientist Bruce E. Ivins, who had worked at the Army lab at Fort Detrick, committed suicide after learning that he was going to be indicted by federal prosecutors in the case. They had intended to offer a plea bargain of life in prison. He had two patents that were used by Vax Gen, Inc., to create anthrax vaccines after the 2001 attacks. Colleagues also suggested that he had mental problems. A final determination of his motivation(s) could not be made.

  February 27, 2002

  India Sabarmati Express Train Firebombing

  Overview: A large Muslim mob firebombed a coach on the Sabarmati Express, a bullet train that makes a two-day trip from Ahmedabad to Darbhanga, India, as it passed through Godhra. Fifty-nine Hindu pilgrims were killed. Different investigations have concluded that the incident was an accident and a preplanned conspiracy. What is certain is that rioting spread through the state and nationwide deaths reached 1,000.

  Incident: On February 27, 2002, a Muslim mob threw firebombs and acid at the Sabarmati Express train as it was pulling away from a rail station in the Muslim neighborhood of Godhra in western India, killing 59 people and injuring another 43. Those killed included 25 women and 15 children. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) activists on the train were shouting provocative slogans while the train was in the rail station. They were returning from Ayodhya, where they wanted to construct a temple where the 16th-century Babri Mosque was destroyed in 1992 by a Hindu mob. Many Hindus believe the site was the birthplace of Lord Ram, a Hindu god.

  India sent troops to Gujarat after two days of rioting that killed nearly 300 people. Some 1,200 people were arrested statewide. Police killed 17 rioters after receiving a shoot-on-sight order. At least 27 Muslims were burned alive in their homes in Ahmadabad.

  The attacks continued into March 2, 2002, when a mob of 500 Hindus torched a Muslim residence in Sardarpura, killing another 29 Muslims and seriously burning 20 others. The nationwide death toll passed 350.

  By mid-March 2002, the nationwide death toll passed 700. The toll ultimately reached 1,000.

  On March 17, 2002, Gujarat police announced the arrest of a Muslim man who was the prime suspect in the attack.

  On February 19, 2003, Indian authorities charged 131 suspects in the arson attack; 6
5 of them were in custody, including a man accused of organizing the attack, Maulvi Husain Haji Ibrahim Umarji, a Muslim cleric from Godhra. The suspects were charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act; no Hindus have been charged under the act.

  On February 22, 2011, a Gujarat court convicted 31 Muslims on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy, but acquitted 63 defendants, including Umarji, 70, who was believed to be a key conspirator. On March 1, 2011, the court sentenced 11 to death and 20 to life in prison.

  March 2, 2004

  Baghdad and Karbala Mosques Attack

  Overview: The U.S./Coalition ousting of Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein was met by a host of terrorist factions that arose from the remnants of the Ba’ath Party, the defeated Iraqi military, various Sunni and Shia groups, and foreign terrorists who rushed to the scene, eager to attack the West on Arab soil. Thousands of attacks were conducted against Coalition forces, civilians, and clerics of the wrong faith. Car bombings killing dozens were not uncommon. The Baghdad and Karbala attacks were somewhat more deadly, but otherwise typical of the seemingly unending violence against civilian targets during the occupation.

  Incident: On Mar ch 2, 2004, terrorists conducted six attacks against Shi’ite worshippers in Baghdad and Karbala, Iraq, a Shi’ite holy city, killing at least 143 people and injuring more than 400 others. The attacks involved planted explosives and possibly mortars. No one claimed credit, although Sunnis were blamed. At least three suicide bombers were involved in the attacks against the gold-domed Imam Kadhim Mausoleum shrine and other areas. The president of the Iraqi Governing Council the next day said the death toll was 271; the U.S.-led Coalition said it was 181 dead and 573 injured.

  The commander of the U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid, U.S. Army, blamed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian with ties to al Qaeda, who led al Qaeda in Iraq, which had used various cover names.

  Fourteen Iraqis were taken into custody late in the day near Baqubah, 30 miles northeast of Baghdad. One suspect led a cell of Wahhabi Muslims. Forces south of Baghdad detained a man wearing a police uniform and carrying fake police identification. He said he was part of the terror network that launched the attacks. He had planned to blow up two police stations. The detainee said the terrorists were mercenaries who were paid $2,000–$4,000 per job, depending upon the number of deaths. The next day, military officials said 15 people, including 5 Persian speakers, had been detained in Karbala.

  Zarqawi was killed in a coalition airstrike on June 7, 2006. The U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program had offered $25 million for his apprehension.

  October 7, 2004

  Sinai Hilton Taba Hotel Suicide Bombings

  Overview: A coordinated attack on the Taba Hilton Hotel and two nearby resort campsites often used by vacationing Israelis signaled the possible entrance of al Qaeda to the Sinai Peninsula. Adding incongruity to the devastating attacks was that the hotel is often used for Middle East peace negotiations.

  Incident: On October 7, 2004, at 9:45 P.M., a Peugeot SUV loaded with 440 pounds of explosives crashed into Egypt’s five-star Taba Hilton, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 100, and ripping the front off the 11-story hotel, which had housed vacationers from Israel, Russia, and Egypt. Among the dead were 3 receptionists, a secretary, a tourist policeman, the hotel security officer, the rental car man, 6 or 7 Egyptians, 2 Italians, 16 Israelis, and a Russian. The body of a woman was found in a bathtub that had fallen from the eighth floor to the ground. Israel’s Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim said the powerful bombing appeared to be the work of al Qaeda, observing “It’s not the kind of attack that we know comes from Palestinian terror organizations.” Two American employees of the U.S. Embassy in Israel were among the scores of wounded. All the vacationers fled, many to Israel, only 300 yards away. Although 150 people were unaccounted for, Israeli officials believed that many had crossed the border into Israel.

  Meanwhile, a 440-pound car bomb exploded at 10:00 P.M. at the resort of Ras Shytan (variant Ras al-Sultan), 30 miles south of Taba, killing 5 people and injuring another 38. A suicide bomber drove a taxi near the dining room of the Moon Island Resort, killing two Egyptians— the hotel’s assistant chef and a buffet manager. A third Egyptian and two Israelis later died of their wounds. Some witnesses claimed a missile had been fired at the hotel. Later reports said that it was a timerdetonated jeep. Among the injured was Mohammed Ramadan, 24, a chef on duty, who suffered deep wounds to his head and arms. He said he heard a second car bomb go off outside the gates of Mobarak, the camp next door. A security guard had stopped the driver, who ran off and abandoned the car. No one was harmed in the blast, which went off via a timer.

  Another 440-pound car bomb went off at the resort of Nuweiba, 40 miles south of Taba.

  The next day, the United States issued a travel advisory for the next three months for the northeastern Sinai Peninsula. The State Department said Americans did not appear to have been targeted.

  On October 10, 2004, Egyptian police reported that a Bedouin tribesman confessed to selling the explosives that might have been used in the bombings. The Bedouin said he was told by the purchasers that the explosives would be used in the Palestinian territories. Police were also investigating the possible involvement of Palestinian terrorists.

  On October 25, 2004, Egyptian police announced the arrests of five people involved in planning the bombings. They said Ayad Said Salah, the Palestinian leader of the attacks, died accidentally in the blasts. He had lived in el-Arish, in the northern Sinai near the Gaza border. Also dead was Egyptian terrorist Suleiman Ahmed Saleh Flayfil at the hotel. Two other Egyptians still at large were identified as Mohamed Ahmed Saleh Flayfil (Suleiman’s brother) and Hammad Gaman Gomah. Officials said that the three cars used in the bombings had been stolen. The explosives were pulled from artillery shells and other battlefield materials found across the Sinai from battles in World War II, 1967, and 1973. The timers came from washing machine parts.

  Three Egyptian citizens identified as Younes Mohammed Mahmoud, Osama al-Nakhlawi, and Mohammed Jaez Sabbah were sentenced to death in November 2006 for the bombing.

  July 11, 2006

  India Mumbai Train Bombings

  Overview: Train bombings by various Kashmiri separatists, Maoists, Islamic insurgents, and others became fairly common methods of attacks in the 1990s and 2000s in India. India and Pakistan often traded charges of assisting terrorists operating across their borders. The Mumbai train bombings continued a tradition begun by Italian right-wing terrorists and Spain-based al Qaeda terrorists. This particular incident was especially bloody, leaving more than 1,000 dead or wounded at the scene.

  Incident: On July 11, 2006, during a monsoon rain, terrorists set off eight bombs between 6:00 and 6:30 P.M. in first class rail cars at the Mahim railway station in Mumbai, India, killing 207 people and wounding more than 800. Police detained 350 people for questioning. A man claiming membership in al Qaeda told a Kashmiri news service that the group had set up a branch in Kashmir and praised the attacks.

  India’s prime minister said that the terrorists had assistance from inside Pakistan. Authorities believed the terrorists were members of the Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba Islamic insurgents or perhaps smaller homegrown groups, including the Students Islamic Movement of India. Lashkar spokesman Abdullah Ghaznavi denied involvement.

  On July 13, 2006, the Anti-Terrorism Squad released photos of suspects Sayyad Zabiuddin and Zulfeqar Fayyaz. Police said that they had been on the run since May 2006, when police in western India arrested three Muslim insurgents and confiscated arms, ammunition, and plastic explosives. A man known as Rahil was a third person being sought.

  On July 14, 2006, police in Nepal arrested two Pakistanis in connection with the 2001 seizure of plastic explosives in Katmandu. Police were looking into the detainees’ connection to the Mumbai bombings.

  Police said on July 17, 2006, that the military explosive RDX, ammonium nitrate, and fuel oil were used in the bombs.
>
  On July 20, 2006, police arrested a trio in connection with the bombing, saying the suspects had links with terrorists in Nepal and Bangladesh, and unspecified links to Pakistan. Khaleel Aziz Sheikh and Kamal Ahmed Ansari were picked up in Bihar State, while Mumtaz Ahmed Chowduhury was detained in Mumbai. None were charged. A fourth suspect, Tanvir Ahmed Ansari, 32, a practitioner of traditional Muslim medicine, was picked up on July 24, 2006. He allegedly contacted Muslim militants during a 2001 visit to Bahrain and learned to make bombs during a 2004 visit to Pakistan. Another two Indian Muslims, one a chemical engineer, were arrested on July 26, 2006; police believe they provided logistical support and trained in Pakistan. The same day, the Indian Army in Kashmir said it was questioning two soldiers for links to Lashkar.

  Senior Indian police officials claimed that six of the eight suspects had trained in Pakistan in arms and explosives, and that one detainee said he had been trained by a member of Lashkar. Among the detainees were Faisal Shaikh, 30, a Lashkar leader in Mumbai; his younger brother, Muzamil, 23, a software engineer who had recently tried to get a job with Oracle, the U.S. software firm; Zameer Shaikh, 31, a key maker in Mumbai; Sohail Shaikh, 30, from Pune; and Tanvir Ansari. On July 31, 2006, police arrested two more people, including a journalist.

  On September 30, 2006, Mumbai police commissioner A. N. Roy said his investigation had determined that Pakistan’s Director for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was behind the bombing, a charge Pakistan rejected. He claimed ISI planned the attacks in March 2006 and trained the bombers in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, citing evidence provided by the bombers under truth serum. Roy said, “The terror plot was ISI-sponsored and executed by Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives with help from the Students Islamic Movement of India.” As of the interview, 15 people, including 11 Pakistanis, had been arrested in the case. Three Indians remained at large; a Pakistani was killed in the bombings. Roy said the bombs were packed into pressure cookers. Some of the Pakistanis went across the India–Pakistan border; others went through Nepal and Bangladesh. They were housed by cooperative Indians in Mumbai apartments. Police found the terrorists when they tracked a caller from Mumbai to the Nepalese border. They arrested a suspect who led them to others.