Th AN Os

CHAPTER I
Target: The Pentagon
Since World War II the Pentagon has stood as a symbol of American
power and influence to the nation and the world. By 11 September 2001 it had
been the command center of the nations military establishment for more than
a half century. In retrospect it seems obvious that in some regions of the world,
particularly in the Middle East, a U.S. military presence and perceived ascen~
dancy should have made the Pentagon an object of fear and hatred and a likely
target of attack by terrorist enemies.
The Building
Knowledge of the purpose, design, and construction of the Pentagon
is requisite to understanding the deadly effect of the 11 September attack. The
original conception of the huge structure in the summer of 1941 derived from
the urgent need for space to house the rvapidly expanding War Department head~
quarters in Washington. The shadow ofthe war in Europe and a growing threat
in the Pacific fromJapan had caused the United States to mount a?

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