1993 World Trade Center Bombing

Warfare

History Hit

History

4.5 • 943 Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2023

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

9/11 remains the most infamous act of terrorism perpetrated against the United States - but it did not mark the first time terrorists had targeted New York’s World Trade Center. Thirty years ago on February 26 1993, a huge 600kg bomb exploded in the parking garage beneath the twin towers, causing a 100ft crater that was several stories deep. Six people died instantly, with thousands hurt in panicked attempts to evacuate. And yet, due to what would happen at the World Trade Center eight years later, this attack is rarely remembered.

In this episode, James is joined by leading terrorism expert and University of Birmingham historian Dr Steve Hewitt to learn more about the day Middle Eastern terrorism arrived on American soil, foreshadowing the tragic events of 2001.

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

Mixed & edited by Aidan Lonergan

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Transcript

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0:00.0	It's February 26th, 1993, and in the heart of downtown New York City, a yellow van
0:08.1	pulls into a public parking garage beneath the World Trade Center. It's around noon and thousands of people
0:15.2	are at their desks working in the iconic twin towers overhead. None of them are
0:20.5	aware of the huge 600 kilogram bomb that just arrived beneath their feet.
0:30.8	What followed was a thunderous explosion that rocked lower Manhattan, one that carved a 100-foot crater several stories high and several stories deep.
0:41.0	So who was responsible for this attack and why did a terrorist attack on the
0:45.4	World Trade Center in 93 not lead to measures that would stop 9-11 and the subsequent
0:51.0	war on terror? Well I'm your host James Rogers,
0:54.0	and to help answer these questions,
0:56.0	I've invited leading terrorism expert
0:58.0	and historian Dr. Steve Hewitt
1:00.0	onto the Warfare Podcast.
1:02.0	Enjoy.
1:07.0	Hi Steve, welcome to Warfare. How you doing?
1:09.0	I'm doing well.
1:10.0	Thank you so much for having me.
1:12.0	It's great to have you on the podcast, especially as we reach an important anniversary in the history
1:17.2	of terrorism and counter-terrorism, the 30th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center in downtown New York City.
1:25.6	Now our listeners might be thinking, hang on, it's not been 30 years since 9-11 quite yet,
1:30.0	and of course you would be right, but that's because we're talking about the attacks that occurred on February the 26th
1:37.4	1993 aren't we Steve? We are and one of the reasons why I think people don't remember it is because of what happened on 9-11,
1:45.7	which rather overshadowed what had occurred eight years earlier.
	...

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