The First Bombing of the World Trade Center
Narrative Podcast Script: Documentary
[musical intro (approx. 5 seconds)]
NARRATOR: On February 26th, 1993, at 12:17:37 PM,an act of terrorism occurred in New York City. The North Tower of the World Trade Center was bombed and the city of New York was in a state of shock. This would certainly not be the last time that terrorists would attack New York City, but at the time this was one of the worst terroristic attacks to occur in America. Listen as a CNN news anchor breaks the news of the attack.
[39 second sound clip]
CNN NEWS ANCHOR: An explosion underground in the garage section of the World Trade Center in New York City has killed now three people, according to the New York Port Authority and has injured at least 150 people. Hundreds of people as we speak are still being evacuated from the twin story towers of the structure and a hotel at the complex as well at the Southern tip of the Manhattan Island. There were reports earlier of some people being trapped under the rubble. We do understand that’s where at least two of the fatalities were found. There are still people trapped in the two towers as we say but EMS and, uh, firefighting personnel are… uh… at least to the eighty-fifth floor of the twin towers evacuating these people. They’re also being taken off the roof by helicopters.
[3 seconds of outro music]
NARRATOR: As with many events, when the news of this attack first broke, the facts and details were not all accurate. The attack in fact injured 1,042 people and killed six people who were memorialized beautifully with a fountain at the site of the event with granite engraved:
On February 26, 1993, a bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all.
[5 second sad music]
The attack was performed by Ramzi Yousef and Eyad Ismoil who carried the 1,310 pound bomb in a Ryder van that Yousef had rented. At approximately 12 PM, the pair drove this van into the parking garage under the World Trade Center. While in the garage, the men lit the fuse of the home-made bomb and left the area. After several minutes, the explosion occurred below the North Tower, also known as Tower One.
[explosion sound (about 5 seconds)]
NARRATOR: The explosion created a hole in the building almost 100 feet wide. The explosion disabled the electricity in the World Trade Center, causing confusion and chaos. Smoke and soot covered everything and made vision in the buildings difficult, making evacuation efforts all the more chaotic. Many evacuees incurred lung injuries from smoke inhalation.
[2 second pause]
NARRATOR: One remarkable story is of a group of kindergarten students.
[2 second children sound effect]
While hundreds of other people were also trapped in the elevators during this terrible event, one group of people is particularly touching. A group of seventeen kindergarteners from PS 95 were trapped in the elevator while on a field trip to the World Trade Center. They were coming down from the observation deck in Tower Two and were trapped in complete darkness due to the power outage. The teacher and a parent-chaperone led the children in songs and prayers the entire time that they were trapped. The adults had no contact with anybody and had no clue what had happened, how long they would be trapped for, or if they would ever get out. Finally, after five long hours, the group was rescued and bussed back to their school where the children were reunited with their families.
[Brave music fading into sad music (about 5 seconds)]
NARRATOR: Sadly, as with many events in history, there were many conspiracy theories relating to this terrible event. These theories ranged from rumors that the FBI knew of the attack before it happened to theories that the United States government planned the attack on its own people. Listen to this clip from CBS correspondent Jacqueline Adams about the most popular and believable theory.
[61 second news clip]
CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: FBI agents might have been able to prevent last February’s deadly explosion at New York’s World Trade Center. They discussed secretly substituting harmless powder for the explosives, but they didn’t, according to the FBI’s own informant, Emad Salem. Unbeknownst to the FBI at the time, Salem recorded many of his conversations with his handlers. William Consler represents Sheikh Omar, Abdul Rahman, and several others charged with conspiring to blow up a series of New York City landmarks four months after the World Trade Center bombing. That case has not yet gone to trial. Consler confirmed newspaper reports of the Salem transcripts. In one, Salem complains to an FBI agent, “Since the bomb went off, I feel terrible. I feel bad. I feel here is people who don’t listen.” The agent replies, “Hey, I mean, it wasn’t like you didn’t try and I didn’t try. You can’t force people to do the right thing.”
NARRATOR: Whether or not the FBI was involved with this event in any way has never been outright proven, and still remains a question to some people.
[3 second musical interlude]
NARRATOR: All in all, this event was a terrible tragedy that devastated all who were involved both directly and indirectly. The lives that were lost can never be replaced, and the disheartening fear that New York City and America as a whole experienced could never be forgotten. As with all terrible events, however, this truly brought many people together and showed people just what they could endure.
[3 seconds patriotic music]
I’m Taylor Hall-Masiello. Thanks for listening.
[5 seconds exit music]
Works Consulted
"1993 World Trade Center Bombing." Federal Bureau of Investigation Homepage. FBI, 26 Feb. 2008. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.fbi.gov/page2/feb08/tradebom_022608.html>.
1993 WTC Bombing. YouTube. 17 May 2009. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfXPe-JCHKQ&feature=related>.
Mitchell, Alison. "EXPLOSION AT THE TWIN TOWERS: The Children; For 17 Kindergartners, 5 Hours in an Elevator." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Feb. 1993. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/27/nyregion/explosion-twin-towers-children-for-17-kindergartners-5-hours-elevator.html>.
Wilkens, William. "World Trade Center Bombing." NY Cop. 2000. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.nycop.com/Stories/Dec_00/World_Trade_Center_Bombing/body_world_trade_center_bombing.html>.
World Trade Center Bombing - 1993. YouTube. 23 July 2007. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnmBIjVMDcc>.
"World Trade Center Bombing Detailed Report 10 28 1993 CBS." YouTube. CBS., 23 Aug. 2009. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUnykZ4pun8>.
[musical intro (approx. 5 seconds)]
NARRATOR: On February 26th, 1993, at 12:17:37 PM,an act of terrorism occurred in New York City. The North Tower of the World Trade Center was bombed and the city of New York was in a state of shock. This would certainly not be the last time that terrorists would attack New York City, but at the time this was one of the worst terroristic attacks to occur in America. Listen as a CNN news anchor breaks the news of the attack.
[39 second sound clip]
CNN NEWS ANCHOR: An explosion underground in the garage section of the World Trade Center in New York City has killed now three people, according to the New York Port Authority and has injured at least 150 people. Hundreds of people as we speak are still being evacuated from the twin story towers of the structure and a hotel at the complex as well at the Southern tip of the Manhattan Island. There were reports earlier of some people being trapped under the rubble. We do understand that’s where at least two of the fatalities were found. There are still people trapped in the two towers as we say but EMS and, uh, firefighting personnel are… uh… at least to the eighty-fifth floor of the twin towers evacuating these people. They’re also being taken off the roof by helicopters.
[3 seconds of outro music]
NARRATOR: As with many events, when the news of this attack first broke, the facts and details were not all accurate. The attack in fact injured 1,042 people and killed six people who were memorialized beautifully with a fountain at the site of the event with granite engraved:
On February 26, 1993, a bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all.
[5 second sad music]
The attack was performed by Ramzi Yousef and Eyad Ismoil who carried the 1,310 pound bomb in a Ryder van that Yousef had rented. At approximately 12 PM, the pair drove this van into the parking garage under the World Trade Center. While in the garage, the men lit the fuse of the home-made bomb and left the area. After several minutes, the explosion occurred below the North Tower, also known as Tower One.
[explosion sound (about 5 seconds)]
NARRATOR: The explosion created a hole in the building almost 100 feet wide. The explosion disabled the electricity in the World Trade Center, causing confusion and chaos. Smoke and soot covered everything and made vision in the buildings difficult, making evacuation efforts all the more chaotic. Many evacuees incurred lung injuries from smoke inhalation.
[2 second pause]
NARRATOR: One remarkable story is of a group of kindergarten students.
[2 second children sound effect]
While hundreds of other people were also trapped in the elevators during this terrible event, one group of people is particularly touching. A group of seventeen kindergarteners from PS 95 were trapped in the elevator while on a field trip to the World Trade Center. They were coming down from the observation deck in Tower Two and were trapped in complete darkness due to the power outage. The teacher and a parent-chaperone led the children in songs and prayers the entire time that they were trapped. The adults had no contact with anybody and had no clue what had happened, how long they would be trapped for, or if they would ever get out. Finally, after five long hours, the group was rescued and bussed back to their school where the children were reunited with their families.
[Brave music fading into sad music (about 5 seconds)]
NARRATOR: Sadly, as with many events in history, there were many conspiracy theories relating to this terrible event. These theories ranged from rumors that the FBI knew of the attack before it happened to theories that the United States government planned the attack on its own people. Listen to this clip from CBS correspondent Jacqueline Adams about the most popular and believable theory.
[61 second news clip]
CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: FBI agents might have been able to prevent last February’s deadly explosion at New York’s World Trade Center. They discussed secretly substituting harmless powder for the explosives, but they didn’t, according to the FBI’s own informant, Emad Salem. Unbeknownst to the FBI at the time, Salem recorded many of his conversations with his handlers. William Consler represents Sheikh Omar, Abdul Rahman, and several others charged with conspiring to blow up a series of New York City landmarks four months after the World Trade Center bombing. That case has not yet gone to trial. Consler confirmed newspaper reports of the Salem transcripts. In one, Salem complains to an FBI agent, “Since the bomb went off, I feel terrible. I feel bad. I feel here is people who don’t listen.” The agent replies, “Hey, I mean, it wasn’t like you didn’t try and I didn’t try. You can’t force people to do the right thing.”
NARRATOR: Whether or not the FBI was involved with this event in any way has never been outright proven, and still remains a question to some people.
[3 second musical interlude]
NARRATOR: All in all, this event was a terrible tragedy that devastated all who were involved both directly and indirectly. The lives that were lost can never be replaced, and the disheartening fear that New York City and America as a whole experienced could never be forgotten. As with all terrible events, however, this truly brought many people together and showed people just what they could endure.
[3 seconds patriotic music]
I’m Taylor Hall-Masiello. Thanks for listening.
[5 seconds exit music]
Works Consulted
"1993 World Trade Center Bombing." Federal Bureau of Investigation Homepage. FBI, 26 Feb. 2008. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.fbi.gov/page2/feb08/tradebom_022608.html>.
1993 WTC Bombing. YouTube. 17 May 2009. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfXPe-JCHKQ&feature=related>.
Mitchell, Alison. "EXPLOSION AT THE TWIN TOWERS: The Children; For 17 Kindergartners, 5 Hours in an Elevator." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Feb. 1993. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/27/nyregion/explosion-twin-towers-children-for-17-kindergartners-5-hours-elevator.html>.
Wilkens, William. "World Trade Center Bombing." NY Cop. 2000. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.nycop.com/Stories/Dec_00/World_Trade_Center_Bombing/body_world_trade_center_bombing.html>.
World Trade Center Bombing - 1993. YouTube. 23 July 2007. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnmBIjVMDcc>.
"World Trade Center Bombing Detailed Report 10 28 1993 CBS." YouTube. CBS., 23 Aug. 2009. Web. 06 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUnykZ4pun8>.
