Interesting. Thanks for the brain tickler.

It's roots are in Sanskrit and it is derived from a Hindi word for "a deceiver, robber". [link|http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=thug|Neat]:

thug \\Thug\\, n. [Hind. thag a deceiver, robber.] One of an association of robbers and murderers in India who practiced murder by stealthy approaches, and from religious motives. They have been nearly exterminated by the British government.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, \ufffd 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.


Dictionary.com is a wonderful resource.


Back on topic, I think your writeup is right on the money. A minor nit though, the latest death (and missing) toll (excluding the anthrax stuff) as of 10/18/01 is:

[link|http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--attacks-majordeve1018oct18.story|Source]:

WTC in NYC:....4569 missing, 458 dead
Pentagon:.......189 dead
PA crash:........44 dead

Total:.........5260 souls. A horrific number.

There's little doubt that the toll could have been far worse. Their apparent original plan in the WTC bombing in NYC was to make one tower fall over onto the other tower and other buildings to quickly kill tens of thousands. Presumably that was a goal in this attack as well.

:-(

Scott.