Cyprus-Forum.com

[GorillaGal]

SNAD brought up the anniversary of 9-11 appoaching in another topic thread (Are You Happy), and i was wondering how other Cypriots feel about that. I was suprised to see it mentioned at all. anyone want to share thier stories about 9-11? how did it impact you?

I live just north of NY City, and have been up the top of the WTC on many occasions. i remember being up there once with a boyfriend, watching the sun set one evening. it was stunning.
in fact, the weekend before 9-11, i had out of town gueests visiting, and we were in the city doing the toursit thing. we ended up at the base of the Empire State Bldg., which we had done on one of her prior visits. we were looking down town at the Towers, and i asked her if she wouldn't rather go up them, being only a short subway ride...to which she replied "no, we'll do it next year." the Towers only stood anotehr two days. we both learned a lesson that day: not to put anything off.

I was lucky in that my community only lost 6 people in the disaster. in the days that followed, i remember having to drive past the house where the top dog of cantor fitzgerald lived. both he and his brother were missing. i couldn't stop the tears.

the day the towers fell, i was working in an office that was only 18 miles from midtown manhattan. it was high enough up, and a clear day. we noticed the radio station we had on had stopped playing music and was all talk. when we listened and found out what happened, we spent the rest of our day looking towardds the towers at the smoke billowing up. i don't know how i kept standing. i wanted to collapse and never get up again.

i lost my job that day. not related, but the heartless fool canned me for questiong the recent raise i recieved. what a jerk. he was in lower manhatten that morning, and was forced to evacutate. he drove home to our office, with thoughts of canning me, instead of what was happening inside his country.

it was horrible to be have to search for a job then. every artical in the paper somehow related to the events of 9-11. the obituaries went from a few columns to a few pages. and the want ads were practiaclly non exisitant. i was scared and depressed. who would hire a person like that?

it was a tuesday i would like to forget, but never will.

[Piratis]

I've been on the top of one of the towers not long before the air attacks. The event was sad. Some 1000s people died.

But let me ask you something GorillaGal. Do the lives of Americans worth more than the lives of other people? A lot more people have died and continue to die every year with the use of American weapons and the support of the American government. Lebanon is a recent example, and the 6000 victims of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus are our own example here.

Unfortunately the deaths of others is just a number on the news for one day. The next day they are forgotten.

So yes, 9/11 was a sad event. But not the saddest. Much worst things happened, unfortunately with the support of your government (but they don't talk about those things at your media). As you understand, if you support and excuse the crimes of your government against others, then those others could naturally be happy when you fall victims of crimes as well.

[Hazza]

I was on holiday when it happened in Cyprus. I was up in Troodos mountains doing the touristy things, even though I had done that several times before. I was at a gift shop up there, ready to buy a display dagger. It was absolutely beautiful, one that would look nice on the wall. Something inside me told me not to buy it. Less than 5 minutes later, I got a call from my sister (who moved to Cyprus 6 years previously) and told me what had happened. I honestly thought that she was joking, until I heard the tremble in her voice. I rushed back to Larnaca to my hotel and just sat there, watching BBC World, not believing my eyes, not believing this had happened, not believing that anyone would be so heartless.

It hit me then what a horrible and disgusting world we are living in.

[GorillaGal]

I've been on the top of one of the towers not long before the air attacks. The event was sad. Some 1000s people died.

But let me ask you something GorillaGal. Do the lives of Americans worth more than the lives of other people? A lot more people have died and continue to die every year with the use of American weapons and the support of the American government. Lebanon is a recent example, and the 6000 victims of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus are our own example here.

Unfortunately the deaths of others is just a number on the news for one day. The next day they are forgotten.

So yes, 9/11 was a sad event. But not the saddest. Much worst things happened, unfortunately with the support of your government (but they don't talk about those things at your media). As you understand, if you support and excuse the crimes of your government against others, then those others could naturally be happy when you fall victims of crimes as well.

Piratis,

this is the worst thing that has happened in the history of the USA. but to answer your question, no lives are worth more than others. sometimes i wonder if the events of 9-11 were our karma coming back to us after the attacks on japan in WW2 witht he atomic bombs...
as for what is going on today, i did not vote for George W Bush, never did, and everyone in my family is very anti-bush. in fact, most of NY state is anti-bush. he is an embarrasment to our country, and to the world. both elections were so close, i believe both to be fixed in some way. in fact, i consider him to be self appointed rather than elected.
no country is perfect.

[Piratis]

It hit me then what a horrible and disgusting world we are living in.

It hit you then? So what you say that the killings of others by the Americans and their allies, the occupation of Cyprus by Turkey, the occupation of Palestine by Israel, Vietnam war, WWII, the nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki etc didn't make you realize long time before in what unfair and disgusting world we are living in?

A sad event, yes. But there is no need to over rate this event compared to the other disgusting events that happen every year in all parts of the world.

[Piratis]

this is the worst thing that has happened in the history of the USA.

I understand this. I didn't say that the Americans should forget about it or not to feel bad for this terrible crime against them.

However they should also understand that such tragedies happened and continue to happen in many parts of the world, and that when they vote for a president they shouldn't only think about who promises the biggest tax cuts, but also about the foreign policy of the USA, which unfortunately has become very arrogant and aggressive recently, something that can attract even more such attacks in the future.

[doglover]

Strangely enough, I watched the movie ‘United Airlines 93’, last night.

Has anyone seen it?

For those of you that don't know... United Airlines 93 was the plane that was hijacked on September 11, 2001 and crashed after passengers began to fight back against the hijackers. I watched United Airlines 93 last night, knowing that there would be no happy ending. It brought back so many feelings of sadness and anger that I experienced on 9/11. We all know where we were and what we were doing that day. The whole world watched in disgust as the planes hit the twin towers. This movie is about what the passengers of United 93 were doing. They were trying to save their lives. They made last minute phone calls to their families and told them how much they loved them. The filmmakers of this movie tried their best to make this movie as realistic as possible, by using no-name actors, and sticking close to the facts, based on phone calls made by the passengers and crew on board that plane that day. I highly recommend that you watch it, as it is the closest you'll ever be to the reality of it.

There were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters that fell victim to those terrorists that day. They all left behind loved ones. Ordinary people, like you and I, going about their normal daily lives.

The American government and Bush weren't at fault, as they weren't the ones being targeted. Some people to this day still say "The Americans deserved it" but the truth of the matter is... it wasn't an attack against Bush and his administration, nor America... it was an attack against the entire Western way of life, and their values.

I couldn't understand how three terrorists could successfully take control of a plane, when they were outnumbered. Couldn't the men on board that plane stop them? How did they manage to get knives on the plane? This film answered all of my questions.

We should NEVER forget about those innocent people that died that day. Regardless of one's politics, we as human beings do not deserve to fall victim to those who want to destroy our ways of life.

These terrorists targeted innocent people. It was such an evil and barbaric act against humanity.

Imagine how all of those people felt, knowing that they were going to die as the plane was spiralling downwards, with an inevitable outcome. Imagine the fear that ran through their bodies as they witnessed the terrorists stab passengers in the throat, and kill the pilots before they took control of the the cockpit.

Imagine if your brother or sister had been on that plane.

P.S. Piratis... No disrespect towards you, and the issues you brought up in your post. But this thread is about 9/11. Noone is saying that the lives lost on 9/11 were more valuable than the innocent lives that were taken during the Vietnamese war.

And it's not very nice to say that these kind of attacks are justified, because of Bush and his administration.

[souroul]

i say develop an alternative fuel and its all good.

[cypezokyli]

i was celebrating my 14month in the army. that means (for cypriots this is very typical) that i just hat one year. "every day that passes will never come again" . ( 9/11 of the next year i finished the army )

anyway, that day i was at home, and already feeling like a "palios".
i opened the tv, and i saw a building on fire, which i didnot really knew what it was. by the time i realised what was going on, i saw the second plane hitting the second tower - live!!!!

after a while, a friend called me , and told me in a celebrating tone : THEY HIT THE PENTAGON!!
we didnot really know who the "they" were (as they have so many enemies), but it didnot really mattered.
today, i am ashamed to admit that, but i was really happy about the attack on the pentagon.
for the towers, my feelings were twofold.
on the one side i was feeling sorry for the people who died , on the other, i couldnt but think : they deserved it. finally they will also feel how it is to be attacked.

today, i realise that , my way of thinking was immature. (i dont know but i suppose thats how the average cypriot felt / if not feels till today)
the attacks were wrong, irrespective of the pain the americans caused to the world.

i ve been to NY last april, and found it the most beautiful city i ever visited.
i realised my stupidity, when i visited ground zero.
i also realised, that anyone who believes that this hat harmed NY, is out of his mind. it is the most alive city in the world and will remain like that. if the attacks were aiming the spirit of NY - well they failed.
and if two tall buildings came down, the new yorkers will just build taller ones. thats what they do for the last 100 years!

........
PS1. the reaction of the americans after 9/11 is unfortunately preparing the ground (hate) for more attacks like the 9/11 ones (as it happened). surprisingly they fail to realise that.

PS2. eleftherotypia today refers to a number of american conspiracy theories, that are becoming popular in the US. by principle i dont believe in conspiracy theories, but as a member of the congres sais about them : i dont want to comment on them as many appear to be phantasy, but some do raise some interesting questions that need to be answered :

http://www.enet.gr/online/online_text/c ... 4,96052628

[Piratis]

Unfortunately innocents are the ones who always die and suffer. The same happened in Iraq. The Americans were after Saddam, but instead of him 10000s of others died (and continue to die until today).

Wars are bad and innocent people get killed. Each country should respect the sovereignty of the other countries and no such crimes should be repeated.

This was the idea for the UN creation after WWII, but unfortunately it failed.

If something doesn't happen to correct the situation soon I am afraid we will see more Lebanons, Irags, 9/11s etc.