In 2001, the terrorist organization al-Qaeda attacked a series of targets inside the United States. The Pentagon was the symbol of America's military strength, and the second planned DC target (presumed to be either the White House or Congress) represented the seat of the U.S. government. But what I've never understood was, what was Al Qaeda's motivation for selecting the Twin Towers as a target, not once but twice?
It seems like there is no shortage of prominent and impressive skyscrapers in the United States, or even just New York. If their motivation was to terrorize, destroy an iconic landmark, or just kill thousands, it could have been accomplished just as easily with the Empire State Building, the Chyrsler Building, Sears Tower, George Washington Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, etc. In fact, al-Qaeda could have hit two two targets with the planes they used to destroy the Twin Towers.
Has anyone ever shed any light on the decision-making at the highest levels of al-Qaeda when selecting the World Trade Center as a target on either occassion?
