[diamondjoe]

My main quibble with the thought that this was terrorism is this: when was the last time there was a MAJOR terrorist attack that was never claimed by any terrorist group? There are only a few that could have pulled this off, and Al Qaeda is at the top of that list, yet they have never so much as mentioned TWA 800. After I adjust my tin foil hat I am more inclined to say that this is an accidental misfire from a US military source that was covered up to protect the President, and to protect the country from the billions of dollars it would lose in court to the outraged families.

[ml/nj]

main quibble with the thought that this was terrorism

See: TWA 800 "It wasn't terrorists. It couldn't have been."

ML/NJ

[ETCM]

"I am more inclined to say that this is an accidental misfire from a US military source"

Lot's of conspiracy theorists sit back and claim that TWA 800 was shot down by a US ship by accident. You people never fail to dissapoint me in your low opinion of your armed forces. I've been in the Navy for 20 years now, and stood many a watch in CIC. That you think that we have not the honor or courage to own up to our mistakes is pretty crappy.

During any missile shot, CIC is crowded with people, both participants on watch and those who just want to see the shot. Typically, there are 25 to 35 people in CIC during a missile shot. If YOU were there and saw the accident, would YOU blow the whistle? My guess is YES. Are you somehow better, braver, more honest than all of those sailors? I think NOT.

A cover-up by a very small group of people is possible. A cover-up by the entire crew of a US Navy ship, I don't believe. I hope most here don't believe it either.

[dinodino]

I seem to remember reports that a group did in fact claim responsibility.

[KamperKen]

"My main quibble with the thought that this was terrorism is this: when was the last time there was a MAJOR terrorist attack that was never claimed by any terrorist group? "

July 18, the day of the TWA flight 800 crash, is the day that the Baath Party was founded in Iraq. So, a somewhat subtle calling card was left, possibly by Iraq, or possibly by someone who wanted to 'finger' Iraq.

[Parley Baer]

A few questions come to mind. What information was there initially that brought the FBI into an airline accident investigation? Normally this is the expertise of the NTSB. In how many airline accidents has the FBI been the lead agency? If after a few weeks it was determined to be a mechanical failure of some nature and not a missle etc, then how come the FBI did not drop out and let the NTSB take the lead? If I remember correctly the FBI stayed to the end. To many unusual events going on. Sounds like a cover up to me. Parley

[Alberta's Child]

There have been quite a few discussions about this topic here on FR over the years, and after hearing just about every conceivable theory I've reached one basic conclusion:

IF TWA Flight 800 was brought down by a missile, it was an accidental shoot-down related to naval exercises that were being conducted off the south shore of Long Island that night. It was not caused by any kind of terrorist activity.

I base this primarily on the fact that anyone interested in deliberately shooting down a passenger aircraft flying out of JFK International Airport in New York would not have selected that location to do it -- it was simply too far east, at a point where eastbound flights out of JFK are normally at or beyond the range of most surface-to-air missiles.

[cheesebus]

Al Qaeda has never claimed responsibility for any of their attacks.

[narby]

My main quibble with the thought that this was terrorism is this: when was the last time there was a MAJOR terrorist attack that was never claimed by any terrorist group? There are only a few that could have pulled this off, and Al Qaeda is at the top of that list, yet they have never so much as mentioned TWA 800.

I'll bet that it was Al Qaeda, because it's not their style to claim credit. They never officially claimed credit for the WTC, except through the insinuaitons of Bin Laden on video after the whole world accused them of 9/11.

At the same time, it's quite obvious now that Al Queda has the means and cold bloodedness to murder mass numbers of people.

[eno_]

My main quibble with the thought that this was terrorism is this: when was the last time there was a MAJOR terrorist attack that was never claimed by any terrorist group?

AQ never "claimed" the WTC '93 bombing. Nor the Cole. Nor Arrow Air, if you find that crash suspicious (or the prominent role of the 101st in Afgansitan), nor AA587, if that was a successful show bomber or a baggage bomb. Throughout history, terror/sabotage attacks were not "claimed" and were also covered up to keep them from damaging morale.