capital, a symbol of american political might, so these are symbolic targets, and it was a symbolic targets, and it was a symbolic victory. symbolic victory. you teach a course now symbolic victory. you teach a course now about symbolic victory. you teach a course now about this. - symbolic victory. you teach a course now about this. what | symbolic victory. you teach a i course now about this. what do you focus on and concentrate on, and how much of your own personal memories do you bring into it because male ? i did into it because male ? i did try chipping into it because male ? i did try chipping my into it because male ? i did try chipping my personal - try chipping my personal memories into it, notjust out of ego, but to make an emotional connection with my students. for example. for example,. i students. for example. for example- example,. i can t stand it, find er at. example,. i can t stand it, find er at. i m example,. i can t stand it, find er at. i m sor
wonder what you thought about the images that define generations, and the crashing down of edifices and buildings. how important was that in the psychology do you think also of what they were trying to deal? well, that s a good question. i think what was going on was 0sama bin laden who is heading up 0sama bin laden who is heading up al-qaeda, he realised it was not possible to defeat america by military means in an open war. but it was possible to insult america, and it was very deliberate in terms of symbolic targets if, as i said, the twin towers for the symbol of american economic might, well, obviously, the pentagon was a symbol of american military might, and by the same token, if flight 93 had ever hit its target, we strongly believe that that would offend the us
itself. the fact that you build the building so very, very tall, 110 stories, it s almost like a challenge, see what you can do, come and get us, it was a symbol of pride, of the american spirit, of american economic might. economic might. there were other huge economic might. there were other huge buildings, - economic might. there were other huge buildings, of- other huge buildings, of course, that they could ve chosen, but you think it was the fact that there were two that dominated the skyline at that dominated the skyline at that particular time. that dominated the skyline at that particular time. yes, they were the tallest that particular time. yes, they were the tallest buildings - that particular time. yes, they were the tallest buildings in i were the tallest buildings in new york city, but they were also located in lower manhattan, the locale for the american banking system, the american banking system, the american stock exchange, everything was concentrated in lower m
we can now speak to angus gillespie, a professor of american studies at rutgers university new brunswick and author of twin towers: the life of new york city s world trade center, he also teaches a course honouring the nearly 3,000 americans killed in the attack. 3,000 americans if 3,000 americans i make, could wejust are for if i make, could wejust are for those viewers perhaps who were not born who don t relive those moments like you and idea. i covered the attacks as well as other journalists, idea. i covered the attacks as well as otherjournalists, but just for them, perhaps, why the twin towers, why was the twin towers targeted? twin towers, why was the twin towers targeted? that s a good cuestion. towers targeted? that s a good question- it s towers targeted? that s a good question. it s something - towers targeted? that s a good question. it s something i ve i question. it s something i ve given a lot of thought to. i think in a way, the terrorists and i were on the same wa