WI: 9/11 Massive Car Bomb Attack Instead

How would an Al-Qaeda attack against America be treated if it was not on the same scale as four hijacked airliners crashing into major landmarks, but instead a series of car bombs and explosives going off around one city like Washington D.C.? It's a busy work day in the capital when massive car bombs go off outside the Capital building, CIA, Pentagon, State Department, White House, and more while all US leadership is present in the city?
 

GarethC

Donor
They're much more likely to get caught. 9/11 only required its perpetrators to buy a boring piece of stationery equipment and a plane ticket, not industrial quantities of fertilizer. The FBI is actively looking for whackos of any description putting a ton of ANFO in the back of an Econoline and parking it outside the subway entrance to Grand Central.
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
How would an Al-Qaeda attack against America be treated if it was not on the same scale as four hijacked airliners crashing into major landmarks, but instead a series of car bombs and explosives going off around one city like Washington D.C.? It's a busy work day in the capital when massive car bombs go off outside the Capital building, CIA, Pentagon, State Department, White House, and more while all US leadership is present in the city?

Like the 1993 attacks?

Well, you'd need to give Al-Qaeda a reason to go for car bombs again. The 1993 attack was a failure after all, and after that security at the site was tightened. An Oklahoma City style attack would be the best bet, although that much explosives will raise suspicion. Aircraft really where the best way to tear the towers down at this point.
 

jahenders

Banned
More risk of things going wrong or them getting caught ahead of time, buying supplies.

That being said, 6-8 large truck bombs around DC could cause gridlock and panic REAL fast -- hit several key bridges, key highway interchanges, the airport, one right next to the white house, one near Congress, etc. You'd have chaos quick.

How would an Al-Qaeda attack against America be treated if it was not on the same scale as four hijacked airliners crashing into major landmarks, but instead a series of car bombs and explosives going off around one city like Washington D.C.? It's a busy work day in the capital when massive car bombs go off outside the Capital building, CIA, Pentagon, State Department, White House, and more while all US leadership is present in the city?
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
If these attacks basically go Oklahoma City x10, the FBI is gonna face a purge. I do not say that lightly- the public and investigation with vivisect the agency for failing to do it's Job. Major car-bombs (on a little side note, how accessible to vehicles would the targets be?) have just detonated near every major Government office on the Eastern Seaboard and in Civilian populations, causing untold damage and death. If the Twin Towers go down, it won't be the pancake collapse like IoTL, it's gonna go down like a tree. On September 11th, a BBQ was going to be held on the White House lawn. Best case: Major shake up in management and how they approach things. Worst case: The FBI is found to have done nothing to stop the attacks by not investigating the large purchase of fertilizer.
 
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