Nostradamus predicted WTC outrage

Ever since the tragic events of 9 November, aficionados of 16th century clairvoyant priest Nostradamus have been trying to come to terms with the fact that their master apparently failed to predict The Greatest Single Event In The History Of Humanity™.

Since Nostradamus' "Quatrains", or four-line verses, have in the past accurately foretold the Death of Kennedy, the Challenger disaster and the triumph of Brazil in the 2002 World Cup, experts have been shocked by the lack of any reference to events at the World Trade Center. Until now.

Exhaustive investigation and reinterpretation have revealed that Nostradamus did indeed foretell The Day That Changed The World Forever™ in terrifying, spine-chilling detail.

"It's quite incredible," said white witch Morgana, speaking exclusively to The Rockall Times from her comfortable semi-detached home in Luton. "If we look at Century 10, Quatrain 72, it's obvious that the truth was staring us in the face all along. If only we'd realised the implications sooner, thousands might have been saved."

Morgana is referring to the following enigmatic verse:

L'an mil neuf cens nonante neuf sept mois,
Du ciel viendra un gran Roy d'effrayeur.
Resusciter le grand Roy d'Angolmois.
Avant apres Mars regner par bon heur

She gives the translation thus:

On 9 November 2002
Two planes packed with rag-heads will fall from the sky
To knock down the Great King of Mammon [World Trade Centre]
And provoke all-out war with Iraq

Morgana was quick to dismiss the apparent discrepancies. "Oh no, it's all a matter of interpretation," she stressed. "These quatrains are not meant to be taken at face value. You must seek the true meaning behind the linguistic mask."

Morgana's arguments are persuasive. And if, as she claims, Nostradamus had already warned America about the attack, why was this warning ignored? Morgana has one last insight to share: "Ah, well, one of the greatest mysteries of all is how to correctly interpret the quatrains before the events foretold take place, rather than after. If we could pull that off, we'd be laughing, wouldn't we?"