Alone At Windows On the World: No 9/11

Alone At Windows On the World: No 9/11

December 1996
Chechnya, Russian-Azerbaijani border


The Russian border guard frowned as he examined the Arab?...Muslim-looking? man's passport.

"I'm sorry sir, but you're going to have to come with me. All of you."

He gestured to the man's companions, who then started to protest. But no sooner then when they had opened their mouths, an explosion hit the border post.

===

A few minutes later
Outside Jalalabad, Afghanistan

The driver was drunk, a dangerous thing to do while driving in normal circumstances, more so in this mountainous area with poor roads, and even more so with the fundamentalist Taliban regime in power in Afghanistan. But he didn't care. He didn't care that his wife had been killed by Taliban soldiers for running out to the street without first putting on her cover to (unsuccessfully) save their son. He didn't care about lots of other things, either, because he was drunk so he could at least temporarily forget about all of them.

He didn't know where the bottle of wine came from. It was also like it came from God, he barely managed to think. This would be his last thought, as his truck carrying a full tank of propane crashed into a distracted group of foreign warriors or terrorists, depending on your point of view and exploded. Come to think of it, it was also a miracle that the driver had managed to drive this far without being noticed, stopped, or crashing...

===

Meanwhile, the burnt body of the "Arab-looking" man, his companions, and the Russian border guard were lying in a fire several hundred miles away, also in a propane truck accident...
 

wormyguy

Banned
I presume that no 9/11 means the oil crisis won't hit until 2011 or so, but will be permanent. Iraq might still happen, as apparently the Bushies were dead-set on it before 9/11, but without the tremendous growth in Islamic radicalism or the political capital for a long-term occupation, the US might have an easier time of it.
 
I presume that no 9/11 means the oil crisis won't hit until 2011 or so, but will be permanent. Iraq might still happen, as apparently the Bushies were dead-set on it before 9/11, but without the tremendous growth in Islamic radicalism or the political capital for a long-term occupation, the US might have an easier time of it.
I don't see Iraq happening without 9/11.

On the other hand, Iran may not turn that conservative if 9/11 never happens.
Plus the Israelis may face a lot of more international pressure.
 
Christmas Day Morning, 1996
The White House, Washington D.C


"Sir, Al-Qaeda and associated organizations may be in the midst of infighting after the death of bin Laden and al-Zawahiri. We'll see what we can do to increase the factionalism, Mr. President."

"Of course. Now, about the situation in China..."
 
Hmm..I presume the men at the border were the terrorists that caused 9/11?

Actually, they were al-Zawahiri and his top associates. The crash in Afghanistan killed bin Laden and his top associates. Basically, the leadership of al-Qaeda has been killed (remember, this is 1996).
 
December 26, 1996
Bagram Air Base (Outside Kabul)


The Taliban commander smiled. Since the death of bin Laden and his top commanders in that accident, Al Qaeda had been plunged into factionalism. But the members definitely could not counter the influence of the Taliban, and more and more of them were joining the Taliban. Soon, he thought, all truly Islamic groups in Aghanistan shall be a part of our glorious movement. It was already working out for him very well- he had more troops now and could (and had already) move up the date to take Bagram.[1] Then Kabul would be secure and they could focus on destroying the Northern Alliance...

===

Late Morning
Boulder, Colorado, United States
Ramsey home


"So, did you sleep well tonight there, my little girl?"

"Of course, Mom! I was tired staying up all night on Christmas Eve, so duh!"

JonBenét Ramsey then proceeded to make a face at her mother...[2]

===

Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada


"So what's this surprise you have for me? Have you somehow gotten me a cushy job at the CBC? Or have you gotten superpowers and used hem to destroy the Taliban and free Afghanistan?"

Nelofer Pazira looked around at the generic commons area for some university building she had never visited while in college. It wasn't her birthday, so it wasn't a surprise party...and who ever heard of a surprise party being held this place?

She tried examining her former journalism professor, Jon Sallinger[3]. The 55 year-old mostly bald bookish white man with old-fashioned square glasses would have been the model of a 50s journalist-gentleman if he weren't wearing a Hawaiian shirt and teasing her about his surprise for her. He seemed to have too big a smile for this to be merely a joke or something small...or medium.

OOC: "She" and "her" refers both to Nelofer and another person in the next few sentences, to clear up any confusion. Nelofer is currently a Canadian citizen.

IC:

Maybe she had managed to escape the Taliban and leave Afghanistan.

Maybe Canada had given her asylum, like she had gotten. Maybe...

Wait, Nelofer, she told herself. You're getting way too excited for the slim chance of it actually happening...

Is that her?

Yes, it's her!

Nelofer Pazira ran to her long-lost friend Dyana and immediately gave her a bear hug, making Dyana quite overwhelmed (well, more then before). Before Dyana could respond, however, Nelofer dropped on her knees and raised her hands in thankfulness.

"AL HAMDU LILAH WA SHUKRU LILLAH!"[4] she yelled, startling everyone in the building.

[1]Since the Taliban have more troops now, they took Bagram a day earlier and will be more successful against the Northern Alliance from now on.

[2]Her mother claimed in OTL that she found a ransom note for JonBenét on this day.

[3]Jon Sallinger is made up. Nelofer Pazira and her friend Dyana is real, although Dyana committed suicide rather then live under the Taliban in OTL. in this TL, she manages to sneak away (with her supportive parents knowing) and escape into Pakistan to request asylum in Canada to join Nelofer.

[4]An Arabic expression which translates as 'Praise belongs to Allah and all thanks to Allah'.
 
Bump.

And if you are wondering, yes, Persian is the main language of Afghanistan, but I believe that Pazira has written that she knows Arabic and Muslims are likely to use Arabic expressions a lot even through it may not be their native language, thanks to it being the language of the Qur'an.
 
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