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{{Short description|2001 Islamist terror attacks in the United States}}
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{{About|the attacks in 2001|other attacks on the same date|September 11 attacks (disambiguation)}}
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{{dablink|"9/11" redirects here. For the date, see ] or ].}}{{dablink|For all other uses, see ].}} {{Redirect2|Nine eleven|9/11|the calendar dates|September 11|and|November 9|the reverse|11/9 (disambiguation)|other uses|911 (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|9-11|the collection of interviews with Noam Chomsky|9-11 (book){{!}}''9-11'' (book)}}
{{Infobox terrorist attack
{{pp-semi-indef}}
|title=September 11, 2001 Attacks
{{Good article}}
|image_size = 300px
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
|image=National_Park_Service_9-11_Statue_of_Liberty_and_WTC_fire.jpg
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
|caption=Twin towers of the ] burning.
{{Infobox civilian attack
|location=]; ]; and near ].
|date= Tuesday, September 11, 2001 |title = September 11 attacks
|image_size = 250px
|time-begin={{start-date|Tuesday, September 11, 2001 8:46 am|8:46&nbsp;am}}
|image = September 11 Photo Montage.jpg <!--Do NOT change a photo without discussion first on the talk page.-->
|time-end={{end-date|Tuesday, September 11, 2001 10:28 am|10:28&nbsp;am}}
|alt = A montage of eight images depicting, from top to bottom, the World Trade Center towers burning, the collapsed section of the Pentagon, the impact explosion in the South Tower, a rescue worker standing in front of rubble of the collapsed towers, an excavator unearthing a smashed jet engine, three frames of video depicting American Airlines Flight 77 hitting the Pentagon
|timezone=]-4
|caption = {{unbulleted list|style=white-space:nowrap; |{{longitem|''Top row:'' The Twin Towers of the<br />] burning}}|{{longitem|''2nd row, left to right:'' Collapsed section of<br />]; ] crashes into 2 WTC}}|{{longitem|''3rd row, left to right:'' A firefighter requests<br />assistance at ];<br />An engine from ] is recovered}} |{{longitem|''Bottom row:'' ]'s collision with the<br />Pentagon as captured by three<br />consecutive ] frames}}}}
|type= ], ], ]
----
|fatalities=3,017 (including 24 presumed dead and 19 hijackers)
| location =
|injuries=6,291+
* ], New York
|perps=] led by ], see also ] and ].
* ], Virginia
* ], Pennsylvania{{efn|Other, secondary attack locations include the airspaces of ], ], ], ] and ].}}
| date = {{start date and age|2001|09|11}}
| time-begin = {{circa|08:13&nbsp;a.m.{{efn|The hijackers began their first attack at around 08:13{{nbsp}}am, when a group of five took control of ], injuring two people and murdering one before forcing their way into the cockpit.}}|lk=no}}
| time-end = 10:03&nbsp;a.m.{{efn|The ] of the attacks crashed in a Pennsylvania field at 10:03&nbsp;a.m., which concluded the attacks since all the attackers were now dead and all of the hijacked planes were destroyed. However, the attackers' damage continued as the North Tower kept burning for an additional 25 minutes until it ultimately collapsed by 10:28&nbsp;a.m.}}
| timezone = ]
| type = ], ], ], ]
| target =
* ] (] and ])
* ] (])
* ] or the ] (]; unsuccessful due to ])
| fatalities = ]{{efn|Thousands more are thought to have died of illnesses related to the attack;<ref>{{Cite news |title=First responder deaths from post-9/11 illnesses nearly equals number of firefighters who died that day |url=https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/09/11/us/new-york-firefighters-911-illness-death |work=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=20 Years Later: The Lingering Health Effects of 9/11 |url=https://www.asbestos.com/featured-stories/9-11-lingering-health-effects/#:~:text=The%20toxic%20cloud%20of%20dangerous,1%2C366%20died%20from%20related%20cancers.}}</ref> however, the exact number is unknown as it is difficult to determine whether or not the illnesses were related or unrelated to the attack.}}<br />(] and ])
| injuries = 6,000–25,000+{{efn| Sources vary regarding the number of injuries―some say 6,000<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2022 |title=A Day of Remembrance |url=https://ge.usembassy.gov/a-day-of-remembrance/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024074052/https://ge.usembassy.gov/a-day-of-remembrance/ |archive-date=October 24, 2023 |access-date=October 27, 2022 |publisher=U.S. Embassy in Georgia}}</ref> while others go as high as 25,000.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stempel |first=Jonathan |date=July 29, 2019 |title=Accused 9/11 mastermind open to role in victims' lawsuit if not executed |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-sept-11-saudi-ksmohammed/accused-9-11-mastermind-open-to-role-in-victims-lawsuit-if-not-executed-idUSKCN1UO27M |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405122413/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-sept-11-saudi-ksmohammed/accused-9-11-mastermind-open-to-role-in-victims-lawsuit-if-not-executed-idUSKCN1UO27M |archive-date=April 5, 2020 |access-date=October 27, 2022 |work=]}}</ref>}}
| perps = ] led by ] (see also: ])
| partof = ] <!-- Please discuss at talk page before releasing these words back into the article: "and the ]" -->
| numparts = ]
| motive = Several; see ] and ]
| convicted = {{unbulleted list|]|]|] (see also: ])}}
| website =
| notes =
}} }}
{{September 11th attacks}}
The '''September 11 attacks''' (often referred to as '''September 11th''', pronounced ''September eleventh'', or '''9/11''', pronounced ''nine-eleven'') were a series of coordinated ]s by ] upon the ] on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda ] ] four commercial passenger ]s.<ref name="SecCounc">{{cite web|title=Security Council Condemns, 'In Strongest Terms', Terrorist Attacks on the United States|publisher=United Nations|date=September 12, 2001|url=http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/SC7143.doc.htm|accessdate=2006-09-11|quote=The Security Council today, following what it called yesterday’s "horrifying terrorist attacks" in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, unequivocally condemned those acts, and expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families and to the people and Government of the United States.}}</ref><ref name="cbc-2004">{{cite news | title = Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11 | publisher = CBC News | date= 2004-10-29 | url = http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2004/10/29/binladen_message041029.html | accessdate = 2009-01-11 |quote=Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden appeared in a new message aired on an Arabic TV station Friday night, for the first time claiming direct responsibility for the 2001 attacks against the United States.}}</ref> The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the ] in ], killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the ] in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near ] in rural Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C. There were no survivors from any of the flights.
{{Campaignbox al-Qaeda attacks}}
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The '''September 11 attacks''',{{efn|Al-Qaeda's name for the events is the '''Manhattan Raid''', though this name is rarely used by non-jihadist sources.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Riedel |first=Bruce |date=2011-07-15 |title=Al Qaeda’s 9/11 Obsession |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/al-qaedas-911-obsession/ |website=brookings.edu}}</ref>}} commonly known as '''9/11''',{{efn|The expression ''9/11'' is typically pronounced "nine eleven" in English,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Allan |first=Keith |author-link=Keith Allan (linguist) |url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=b2rCLYHjDMgC}} |title=Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language |last2=Burridge |first2=Kate |author-link2=Kate Burridge |publisher=] |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-139-45760-6 |page=233}}</ref> even in places that use the opposite date format. The slash is not pronounced.}} were four coordinated ] suicide attacks carried out by ] against the United States in 2001. ] hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into the Twin Towers of the ] in New York City and the third into ] (headquarters of the ]) in ]. The ] crashed in rural ] during a passenger revolt. The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in history. In response to the attacks, the United States waged the multi-decade global ] to eliminate hostile groups deemed terrorist organizations, as well as the foreign governments purported to support them.
In total 2,993 people, including the hijackers died in the attacks.<ref>{{cite news |title=War Casualties Pass 9/11 Death Toll |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/22/terror/main2035427.shtml |work= |publisher=] |date=September 22, 2006 |accessdate=2008-09-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nymag.com/news/articles/wtc/1year/numbers.htm |title=Death, destruction, charity, salvation, war, money, real estate, spouses, babies, and other September 11 statistics |accessdate=2008-09-24 |publisher='']''}}</ref> The overwhelming majority of casualties were ]s, including nationals of over 90 different countries. In addition, the death of at least one person from ] was ruled by a medical examiner to be a result of exposure to dust from the World Trade Center's collapse.<ref name="DustDeath">{{cite web | title= New York: 9/11 toxins caused death | publisher= CNN.com| date=2007-05-24 | work= | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/24/wtc.dust/index.html | accessdate=2007-07-10}}</ref>

Ringleader ] flew ] into the ] of the World Trade Center complex in ] at 8:46&nbsp;a.m.{{efn|name=Time4|The exact time is disputed. The '']'' states that Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 08:46:40&nbsp;a.m.,<ref>{{Cite web |year=2004 |title=Collapse of WTC1 |url=https://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912055527/https://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=9/11 Final Report of the National Commission |page=24}}</ref> NIST reports 08:46:30&nbsp;a.m.,<ref>{{Cite journal |year=2005 |title=Final report on the collapse of the World Trade Center |url=https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1.pdf |url-status=live |journal=NIST |page=69 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707002217/https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1.pdf |archive-date=July 7, 2021 |access-date=December 7, 2023}}</ref> and some other sources claim 08:46:26&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="102mins">{{Cite news |date=May 26, 2002 |title=102 Minutes: Last Words at the Trade Center; Fighting to Live as the Towers Die |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/nyregion/102-minutes-last-words-at-the-trade-center-fighting-to-live-as-the-towers-die.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912025748/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/nyregion/102-minutes-last-words-at-the-trade-center-fighting-to-live-as-the-towers-die.html |archive-date=September 12, 2009 |access-date=June 23, 2023 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>}} Seventeen minutes later,{{efn|name=Time|The exact time is disputed. The ''9/11 Commission Report'' states that Flight 175 struck the South Tower at 09:03:11&nbsp;a.m.,<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |title=Final Report of the 9/11 Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |date=July 22, 2004 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |pages=7–8 |access-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816164111/https://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |archive-date=August 16, 2021 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|9/11 Commission|2004a}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.archives.gov/research/9-11/staff-report-sept2005.pdf |title=Staff Report of the 9/11 Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States |date=September 2005 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |page=24 |access-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712075041/http://www.archives.gov/research/9-11/staff-report-sept2005.pdf |archive-date=July 12, 2014 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|9/11 Commission|2004b}} |orig-date=August 26, 2004}}</ref> NIST reports 09:02:59&nbsp;a.m.,<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |title=Visual Evidence, Damage Estimates, and Timeline Analysis |date=September 2005 |publisher=Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States Department of Commerce |page=27 |access-date=August 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911011051/https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|NISTb|2005}}}}</ref> and some other sources claim 09:03:02&nbsp;a.m.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 17, 2004 |title=Timeline for United Airlines Flight 175 |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1962517 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824221736/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1962517 |archive-date=August 24, 2021 |access-date=August 24, 2021 |work=NPR}}</ref> In any case, the 16-minute gap between each impact is rounded to 17.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|p=302}}}} ] hit the ]. ] within an hour and forty-one minutes,{{efn|name=Time1|While NIST and the 9/11 Commission give differing accounts of the exact second of the North Tower's collapse initiation, with NIST placing it at 10:28:22&nbsp;a.m.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2023 |title=9/11/01 timeline: How the September 11, 2001 attacks unfolded |url=https://6abc.com/what-happened-on-911-september-11-remembrance-timeline-facts-about-911/6411796/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231105012442/https://6abc.com/what-happened-on-911-september-11-remembrance-timeline-facts-about-911/6411796/ |archive-date=November 5, 2023 |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |year=2005 |title=Final report on the collapse of the World Trade Center |url=https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1.pdf |url-status=live |journal=NIST |page=229 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707002217/https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1.pdf |archive-date=July 7, 2021 |access-date=December 7, 2023}}</ref> and the commission at 10:28:25&nbsp;a.m.,<ref>{{Cite web |year=2004 |title=Collapse of WTC1 |url=https://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912055527/https://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=9/11 Final Report of the National Commission |page=329}}</ref> it is generally accepted that Flight 11 did not strike the North Tower any sooner than 8:46:26&nbsp;a.m.,<ref name="102mins" /> so the time it took for the North Tower to collapse was just shy of 102 minutes either way.}} bringing about the destruction of the remaining five structures in the complex and damaging or destroying nearby buildings. ] flew towards Washington, D.C. and crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37&nbsp;a.m., causing a partial collapse. The fourth and final flight, ], also changed course towards Washington, believed by investigators to target either the ] or the ]. Alerted to the previous attacks, the passengers revolted against the hijackers who crashed the aircraft into a field near ], at 10:03&nbsp;a.m. The ] ordered an indefinite ] for all air traffic in U.S. airspace, preventing any further aircraft departures until September 13 and requiring all airborne aircraft to return to their point of origin or divert to Canada. The actions undertaken in Canada to support incoming aircraft and their occupants were collectively titled ].

That evening, the ] informed President ] that its ] had identified the attacks as having been the work of Al-Qaeda under ]. ] by launching the war on terror and ] to depose the ], which rejected U.S. terms to expel Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and extradite its leaders. The U.S.'s invocation of ]—its only usage to date—called upon allies to fight al-Qaeda. As U.S. and ] invasion forces swept through Afghanistan, bin Laden ]. He denied any involvement ], when excerpts of a taped statement in which he accepted ] were released. ] included ], the presence of ] and ]. The nearly decade-long ] concluded on May 2, 2011, when ] on ] in ]. The ] continued for another eight years until the agreement was made in February 2020 for American and NATO troops to ].

Excluding the hijackers, the attacks ] and gave rise to ] while also causing at least $10{{spaces}}billion in infrastructure and property damage. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in history as well as the ] and ] personnel in American history, killing 343 and 72 members, respectively. The loss of life stemming from the impact of Flight 11 made it ] followed by the death toll incurred by Flight 175. The destruction of the World Trade Center and its environs seriously harmed the U.S. economy and ]. Many other countries strengthened ] and expanded their powers of ] and ]. The total number of deaths caused by the attacks, combined with the death tolls from the conflicts they directly incited, has been estimated by the ] to be over 4.5&nbsp;million.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=May 15, 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |access-date=May 26, 2024 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref> Cleanup of the ] (colloquially "Ground Zero") took eight months and was completed in May 2002, while the Pentagon was repaired within a year. After delays in the design of a replacement complex, ] were planned to replace the lost towers, along with a museum and memorial dedicated to those who were killed or injured in the attacks. The tallest building, ], began construction in November 2006; it opened in November 2014. ] include the ] in New York City, the ] in Arlington County, Virginia, and the ] at the Pennsylvania crash site.

== Background ==
{{anchor|Al-Qaeda}}{{Further|Fatwas of Osama bin Laden|Political views of Osama bin Laden|1993 World Trade Center bombing}}

In 1996, ] of the Islamist militant organization ] issued his first ], which declared war against the United States and demanded the expulsion of all American soldiers from the ].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bin Laden's fatwā (1996) |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011031024057/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html |archive-date=October 31, 2001 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |work=NewsHour |publisher=PBS}}</ref> In a second 1998 {{tlit|ar|fatwā}}, bin Laden outlined his objections to ] with respect to ], as well as the continued presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia after the ].<ref name="PBS 2013-11-28">{{Cite news |title=Al Qaeda's Second Fatwa |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/military-jan-june98-fatwa_1998/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128194258/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/military/jan-june98/fatwa_1998.html |archive-date=November 28, 2013 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |work=NewsHour |publisher=]}}</ref> Bin Laden maintained that Muslims are obliged to attack American targets until the aggressive policies of the U.S. against Muslims were reversed.<ref name="PBS 2013-11-28" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Logevall |first=Fredrik |title=Terrorism and 9/11: A Reader |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |year=2002 |isbn=0-618-25535-4 |location=New York}}</ref>

The ] in Germany included Islamists who eventually came to be key operatives in the 9/11 attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 19, 2005 |title=The Hamburg connection |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2349195.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530031910/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2349195.stm |archive-date=May 30, 2013 |access-date=June 26, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref> ]; ]; ]; Ramzi bin al-Shibh; and ] were all members of al-Qaeda's Hamburg cell.<ref>"". ]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816215318/http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch5.htm|date=August 16, 2009}}.</ref> Bin Laden asserted that all Muslims must wage a defensive war against the United States and combat American aggression. He further argued that military strikes against American assets would send a message to the ], attempting to force the U.S. to re-evaluate its ], and other aggressive policies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=John |title="Greetings, America. My name is Osama Bin Laden..." |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/miller.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124171126/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/miller.html#:~:text=%22The%20American%20imposes%20himself%20on,the%20future%20of%20these%20children. |archive-date=November 24, 2023 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |work=Frontline |publisher=PBS}}</ref> In a 1998 interview with American journalist ], bin Laden stated:

{{Blockquote|text=We do not differentiate between those dressed in military uniforms and civilians; they are all targets in this fatwa. American history does not distinguish between civilians and military, not even women and children. They are the ones who used bombs against Nagasaki. Can these bombs distinguish between infants and military? America does not have a religion that will prevent it from destroying all people. So we tell the Americans as people and we tell the mothers of soldiers and American mothers in general that if they value their lives and the lives of their children, to find a nationalistic government that will look after their interests and not the ]. The continuation of tyranny will bring the fight to America, as ]] ]] yourself and others did. This is my message to the American people: to look for a serious government that looks out for their interests and does not attack others, their lands, or their honor. My word to American journalists is not to ask why we did that but to ask what their government has done that forced us to defend ourselves.|source=<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=John |title="Greetings, America. My name is Osama Bin Laden..." |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/miller.html#:~:text=%22The%20American%20imposes%20himself%20on,the%20future%20of%20these%20children |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010211145335/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/miller.html |archive-date=February 11, 2001 |work=PBS}}</ref>|character=]|title=his interview with ], May 1998|multiline=}}

=== Osama bin Laden ===
{{Main|Osama bin Laden}}
{{further|Militant career of Osama bin Laden}}
] in 1997 or 1998]]

Bin Laden orchestrated the September 11 attacks. He initially denied involvement, but later recanted his denial.<ref name="CBC 2004-10-29">{{Cite news |date=October 29, 2004 |title=Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bin-laden-claims-responsibility-for-9-11-1.513654 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218142044/http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2004/10/29/binladen_message041029.html |archive-date=February 18, 2010 |access-date=September 1, 2011 |work=CBC News |quote=Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden appeared in a new message aired on an Arabic TV station Friday night, for the first time claiming direct responsibility for the 2001 attacks against the United States.}}</ref><ref name="BBC6Jul2011">{{Cite news |date=July 6, 2011 |title=Pakistan inquiry orders Bin Laden family to remain |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14041604 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130003148/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14041604 |archive-date=November 30, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref name="ajNov2004">{{Cite news |date=November 2, 2004 |title=Full transcript of bin Laden's speech |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=7403 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613014620/http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=7403 |archive-date=June 13, 2007 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref> ] broadcast a statement by him on September 16, 2001: "I stress that I have not carried out this act, which appears to have been carried out by individuals with their own motivation".<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 16, 2001 |title=Pakistan to Demand Taliban Give Up Bin Laden as Iran Seals Afghan Border |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/pakistan-to-demand-taliban-give-up-bin-laden-as-iran-seals-afghan-border |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523082548/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html |archive-date=May 23, 2010 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=Fox News}}</ref> In November 2001, U.S. forces recovered a videotape in which bin Laden, talking to ], ] of the attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 14, 2001 |title=Bin Laden on tape: Attacks 'benefited Islam greatly' |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/12/13/ret.bin.laden.videotape/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227125232/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/12/13/ret.bin.laden.videotape/ |archive-date=December 27, 2007 |access-date=November 24, 2013 |work=] |quote=Reveling in the details of the fatal attacks, bin Laden brags in Arabic that he knew about them beforehand and said the destruction went beyond his hopes. He says the attacks "benefited Islam greatly".}}</ref> On December 27, 2001, a second video of bin Laden was released in which he, stopping short of admitting responsibility for the attacks, said:<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 27, 2001 |title=Transcript: Bin Laden video excerpts |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1729882.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727043659/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1729882.stm |archive-date=July 27, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref>{{blockquote|It has become clear that the West in general and America in particular have an unspeakable hatred for Islam.{{spaces}}... It is the hatred of ]. Terrorism against America deserves to be praised because it was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing America to stop its support for Israel, which kills our people.{{spaces}}... We say that the end of the United States is imminent, whether Bin Laden or his followers are alive or dead, for the awakening of the Muslim ] has occurred.{{spaces}}... It is important to hit the economy (of the United States), which is the base of its military power...If the economy is hit they will become reoccupied.|author=Osama bin Laden}}

Shortly before the ], bin Laden used a ] to publicly acknowledge al-Qaeda's involvement in the attacks.<ref name="CBC 2004-10-29" /> He admitted his direct link to the attacks and said they were carried out because:

{{blockquote| The events that affected my soul in a direct way started in 1982 when America permitted the Israelis to invade Lebanon and the American Sixth Fleet helped them in that. This bombardment began and many were killed and injured and others were terrorised and displaced.

I couldn't forget those moving scenes, blood and severed limbs, women and children sprawled everywhere. Houses were destroyed along with their occupants, high rises demolished over their residents, rockets raining down on our home without mercy...As I looked at those demolished towers in Lebanon, it entered my mind that we should punish the oppressor in kind and that we should destroy towers in America so that they taste some of what we tasted and so that they be deterred from killing our women and children.

And that day, it was confirmed to me that oppression and the intentional killing of innocent women and children is a deliberate American policy. Destruction is freedom and democracy, while resistance is terrorism and intolerance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=bin Laden |first=Osama |date=November 1, 2004 |title=Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/11/1/full-transcript-of-bin-ladins-speech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101175357/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/11/1/full-transcript-of-bin-ladins-speech |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |access-date=June 3, 2023 |agency=Al Jazeera}}</ref>}} Bin Laden personally directed his followers to attack the ] and the Pentagon.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 2, 2011 |title=Bin Laden Dead – Where Are Other 9/11 Planners? |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-dead-911-perpetrators-now/story?id=13511484 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504215745/https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-dead-911-perpetrators-now/story?id=13511484 |archive-date=May 4, 2011 |access-date=February 2, 2019 |work=] |quote=While initially denying responsibility for the 9/11 attacks, Bin Laden took responsibility for them in a 2004 taped statement, saying that he had personally directed the hijackers.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 29, 2004 |title=Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bin-laden-claims-responsibility-for-9-11-1.513654 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218142044/http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2004/10/29/binladen_message041029.html |archive-date=February 18, 2010 |access-date=February 2, 2019 |work=]}}</ref> Another video obtained by Al Jazeera in September 2006 showed bin Laden with one of the attacks' chief planners, ], as well as hijackers, ] and ], amidst making preparations for the attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 7, 2006 |title=Bin Laden 9/11 planning video aired |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bin-laden-9-11-planning-video-aired-1.618703 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013183902/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bin-laden-9-11-planning-video-aired-1.618703 |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=]}}</ref>

=== Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other al-Qaeda members ===
{{Main|Khalid Sheikh Mohammed|}}] after his 2003 capture in ], Pakistan]]
Journalist ] of the Arabic television channel ] reported that in April 2002, al-Qaeda member ] admitted his involvement in the attacks, along with Ramzi bin al-Shibh.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 4, 2003 |title=We left out nuclear targets, for now |url=https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080123195032/http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0%2C3604%2C906911%2C00.html |archive-date=January 23, 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=] |location=London |quote=Yosri Fouda of the Arabic television channel al-Jazeera is the only journalist to have interviewed Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the al-Qaeda military commander arrested at the weekend.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Leonard |first=Tom |last2=Spillius |first2=Alex |date=October 10, 2008 |title=Alleged 9/11 mastermind wants to confess to plot |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=] |location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="aljazeera2007">{{Cite news |date=March 15, 2007 |title=September 11 suspect 'confesses' |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2007/03/200852512026300115.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927221043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2007/03/200852512026300115.html |archive-date=September 27, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref> The 2004 '']'' determined that the animosity which Mohammed, the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, felt towards the United States had stemmed from his "violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel".<ref name="9/11 Commission Report 2004 p147">9/11 Commission Report (2004), p. 147.</ref> Mohammed was also an adviser and financier of the ] and the uncle of ], the lead bomber in that attack.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 26, 2009 |title=White House power grabs |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/white-house-power-grabs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205144643/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/white-house-power-grabs/ |archive-date=December 5, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Van Voris |first=Bob |last2=Hurtado |first2=Patricia |date=April 4, 2011 |title=Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Terror Indictment Unsealed, Dismissed |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-04-04/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-terror-indictment-unsealed-dismissed.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417023034/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-04-04/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-terror-indictment-unsealed-dismissed.html |archive-date=April 17, 2011 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=]}}</ref> In late 1994, Mohammed and Yousef moved on to plan a new terrorist attack called the ] planned for January 1995. Despite a failure and ] by U.S. forces the following month, the Bojinka plot would influence the later 9/11 attacks.{{sfn|Wright|2006|p={{page needed|date=September 2023}}}}

In "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" from the trial of ], five people are identified as having been completely aware of the operation's details. They are bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, ], ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web |year=2006 |title=Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed |url=http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/notablecases/moussaoui/exhibits/defense/941.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026151908/http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/notablecases/moussaoui/exhibits/defense/941.pdf |archive-date=October 26, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=] |page=24}}</ref>

=== Motives ===
{{Main|Motives for the September 11 attacks}}
{{Further|Fatwas of Osama bin Laden}}
Osama bin Laden's declaration of a ] against the United States, and a ] and others that called for the killing of Americans,<ref name="PBS 2013-11-28" /><ref name="1996 text">{{Cite web |title= Bin Laden's Fatwa |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/military-july-dec96-fatwa_1996/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419014901/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/military-july-dec96-fatwa_1996/ |archive-date=April 19, 2014 |access-date=June 14, 2014 |website=NewsHour |publisher=PBS |ref=August 23, 1996}}</ref> are seen by investigators as evidence of his motivation.<ref>Gunarathna, pp. 61–62.</ref> In November 2001, bin Laden defended the attacks as retaliatory strikes against American atrocities against Muslims across the world. He also maintained that the attacks were not directed against women and children, asserting that the targets of the strikes were symbols of America's "economic and military power".<ref>{{Cite book |last=bin Laden |first=Osama |title=Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden |publisher=Verso |year=2005 |isbn=1-84467-045-7 |editor-last=Lawrence |editor-first=Bruce |location=London |pages=139–141 |chapter=Declaration of Jihad |quote=The targets of September 11 were not women and children. The main targets were the symbol of the United States: their economic and military power.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 10, 2001 |title=Muslims have the right to attack America |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/nov/11/terrorism.afghanistan1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825215127/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/nov/11/terrorism.afghanistan1 |archive-date=August 25, 2013 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

In bin Laden's November 2002 '']'', he identified al-Qaeda's motives for the attacks:
* ]<ref name="bin Laden" /><ref name="Israel sources">See:
* Mearsheimer (2007), p. 67.
* Kushner (2003), p. 389.
* Murdico (2003), p. 64.
* Kelley (2006), p. 207.
* Ibrahim (2007), p. 276.
* {{harvp|Berner|2007|p=80}}</ref>
* Bin Laden's strategy to support and globally expand the ]<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 24, 2002 |title=Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008120001/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |archive-date=October 8, 2014 |access-date=January 7, 2019 |work=The Guardian |quote=The blood pouring out of Palestine must be equally revenged. You must know that the Palestinians do not cry alone; their women are not widowed alone; their sons are not orphaned alone... American people have chosen, consented to, and affirmed their support for the Israeli oppression of the Palestinians, the occupation and usurpation of their land, and its continuous killing, torture, punishment and expulsion of the Palestinians. The American people have the ability and choice to refuse the policies of their government and even to change them if they want. (b) The American people are the ones who pay the taxes that fund the planes that bomb us in Afghanistan, the tanks that strike and destroy our homes in Palestine, the armies that occupy our lands in the Arabian Gulf, and the fleets that ensure the blockade of Iraq.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Riedel |first=Bruce |title=The Search for Al Qaeda |publisher=Brookings Institution Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-8157-0451-5 |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=5–6 |chapter=The Manhattan Raid |quote=The Palestinian intifada, the fierce uprising in the fall of 2000 on the West Bank and Gaza, was a particularly powerful motivating event for.. bin Laden... The intifada's power over bin Laden's thinking about the 9/11 raid is underscored by his repeated attempts to push KSM to advance the timing of the crashes. In September of 2000, he urged KSM to tell Atta to attack immediately to respond to the Sharon visit to the holy sites in Jerusalem; Atta told bin Laden he was not ready yet. When bin Laden learned that Sharon, who had become Israel's prime minister in March 2001, was going to visit the White House early that summer, he again pressed Atta to attack immediately. And again Atta demurred, arguing he needed more time to get the plan and the team ready to go.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Holbrook |first=Donald |title=The Al-Qaeda Doctrine |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-62356-314-1 |location=New York |page=145}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Greenberg |first=Karen J. |title=Al Qaeda Now |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-521-85911-0 |location=New York |pages=192–206 |chapter=October 21, 2001 – Interview with Tayseer Alouni |quote=Last year's blessed intifada helped us to push more for the Palestinian issue. This push helps the other cause. Attacking America helps the cause of Palestine and vice versa. No conflict between the two; on the contrary, one serves the other.}}</ref>
* Attacks against Muslims by ] in Somalia
* U.S. support of the government of ] against Muslims in the ]
* U.S. support for the ]
* U.S. support of Russian atrocities against Muslims in ]
* Pro-American governments in the Middle East (who "act as your agents") being against Muslim interests
* U.S. support of Indian oppression against Muslims in Kashmir
* The ]<ref>See:
*{{cite news | last=Plotz | first=David | title=What Does Osama Bin Laden Want? | work=Slate | year=2001 | url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2001/09/what-does-osama-bin-laden-want.html}}
*{{harvp|Bergen|2001|p=3}}
*{{cite news |last=Yusufzai |first=Rahimullah |title=Face to face with Osama |url=https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,3604,558075,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119011449/http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0%2C3604%2C558075%2C00.html |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=September 26, 2001 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |archive-date=January 19, 2008}}
*{{cite news |title=US pulls out of Saudi Arabia |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2984547.stm |work=BBC News |date=April 29, 2003 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172742/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2984547.stm |url-status=live}}
*{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1025558570331929960 |title=Saga of Dr. Zawahri Sheds Light on the Roots of al Qaeda Terror |work=] |date=July 2, 2002 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=December 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230220026/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1025558570331929960 |url-status=live}}
*{{Cite web |date=April 13, 2004 |title=Tenth Public Hearing, Testimony of Louis Freeh |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing10/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-04-13.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172014/https://9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing10/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-04-13.htm%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=9/11 Commission}}
*{{cite web |title=Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders: World Islamic Front Statement |date=February 23, 1998 |url=https://fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm |publisher=] |access-date=September 3, 2011 |archive-date=April 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421110549/http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>
* The ]<ref name="bin Laden">*{{Cite news |title=Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101093303/http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html |archive-date=January 1, 2016 |access-date=April 10, 2012 |work=Al Jazeera}}
*{{cite news |first=Osama |last=bin Laden |title=Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America' |date=November 24, 2002 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |work=] |access-date=September 3, 2011 |location=London |archive-date=July 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728133223/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |url-status=live}}</ref>
*]<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 24, 2002 |title=Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418164357/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |archive-date=April 18, 2010 |access-date=April 26, 2010 |work=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Osama bin Laden's aide Ayman al-Zawahiri rants on global warming – Mirror.co.uk<!-- Bot generated title --> |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/04/23/osama-bin-laden-s-aide-ayman-al-zawahiri-rants-on-global-warming-89520-20391770/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511161707/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/04/23/osama-bin-laden-s-aide-ayman-al-zawahiri-rants-on-global-warming-89520-20391770/ |archive-date=May 11, 2008 |access-date=May 14, 2023 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kates |first=Brian |date=January 30, 2010 |title=Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden blasts U.S. in audiotape spewing hate for... global warming |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/01/29/2010-01-29_al_qaeda_leader_osama_bin_laden_blasts_us_in_tape_for_global_warming.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201222703/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/01/29/2010-01-29_al_qaeda_leader_osama_bin_laden_blasts_us_in_tape_for_global_warming.html |archive-date=February 1, 2010 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |work=New York Daily News}}</ref>

After the attacks, bin Laden and ] released additional ], some of which repeated the above reasons. Two relevant publications were bin Laden's 2002 ''Letter to the American People''<ref name="BLLTA">{{Cite news |date=November 24, 2002 |title=Full transcript of bin Laden's 'Letter to America' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426123409/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |archive-date=April 26, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref> and a 2004 videotape by bin Laden.<ref name="Full Ladin">{{Cite news |last=bin Laden |first=Osama |title=Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101093303/http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html |archive-date=January 1, 2016 |access-date=April 10, 2012 |work=Al Jazeera |quote=So I shall talk to you about the story behind those events and shall tell you truthfully about the moments in which the decision was taken, for you to consider}}</ref>
{{quote box| those young men, for whom God has cleared the way, didn't set out to kill children, but rather attacked the biggest centre of military power in the world, ], which contains more than 64,000 workers, a military base which has a big concentration of army and intelligence ...
As for the ], the ones who were attacked and who died in it were part of a financial power. It wasn't a children's school! Neither was it a residence. The consensus is that most of the people who were in the towers were men who backed the biggest financial force in the world, which spreads mischief throughout the world.
| source = —&hairsp;Osama Bin Laden's interview with ], October 21, 2001<ref>{{Cite book |title=Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden |publisher=Verso |year=2005 |isbn=1-84467-045-7 |editor-last=Lawrence |editor-first=Bruce |location=London |page=119}}</ref>
| align = right
| width = 25em
}}
As an adherent of ], bin Laden believed that ] are forbidden from having a permanent presence in the ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bergen |first=Peter L. |author-link=Peter L. Bergen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sRhZDrJb0zgC&pg=PP1 |title=Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama Bin Laden |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7432-3467-2 |location=New York |access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref> In 1996, ] a {{tlit|ar|fatwā}} calling for American troops to leave Saudi Arabia. One analysis of suicide terrorism suggested that without U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, Al-Qaeda likely would not have been able to get people to commit to suicide missions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pape |first=Robert A. |author-link=Robert Pape |url=https://archive.org/details/dyingtowinstrate00pape |title=Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism |publisher=Random House |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-8129-7338-9 |location=New York |access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref> In the 1998 {{tlit|ar|fatwa}}, al-Qaeda identified the Iraq sanctions as a reason to kill Americans, condemning the "protracted blockade" among other actions that constitute a declaration of war against "Allah, his messenger, and Muslims".<ref name="1998 Al Qaeda fatwa">{{Cite web |date=February 23, 1998 |title=1998 Al Qaeda fatwā |url=https://fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421110549/http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm |archive-date=April 21, 2010 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=] (FAS)}}</ref>

In 2004, bin Laden claimed that the idea of destroying the towers had first occurred to him in 1982 when he witnessed Israel's bombardment of high-rise apartment buildings during the ].<ref>Summers and Swan (2011), , .</ref><ref>Lawrence (2005), p. 239.</ref> Some analysts, including political scientists ] and ], also claimed that U.S. support of Israel was a motive for the attacks.<ref name="Israel sources" /><ref name="guardian-20010926">{{Cite news |last=Yusufzai |first=Rahimullah |date=September 26, 2001 |title=Face to face with Osama |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/26/afghanistan.terrorism3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119011449/http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,558075,00.html |archive-date=January 19, 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref> In 2004 and 2010, bin Laden again connected the September 11 attacks with U.S. support of Israel, although most of the letters expressed bin Laden's disdain for President Bush and bin Laden's hope to "destroy and bankrupt" the U.S.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 4, 2004 |title=Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html%20online%20here |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114080708/http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html%20online%20here |archive-date=November 14, 2016 |access-date=August 24, 2016 |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref><ref>In his taped broadcast from January 2010, bin Laden said "Our attacks against you will continue as long as U.S. support for Israel continues.{{spaces}}... The message sent to you with the attempt by the hero Nigerian ] is a confirmation of our previous message conveyed by the heroes of September{{spaces}}11". Quoted from {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216081625/http://www.haaretz.com/news/bin-laden-attacks-on-u-s-to-go-on-as-long-as-it-supports-israel-1.265770 |date=December 16, 2016 }}, in Haaretz.com</ref>

Other motives have been suggested in addition to those stated by bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Some authors suggested the "humiliation" that resulted from the Islamic world falling behind the Western world—this discrepancy was rendered especially visible by globalization<ref>Bernard Lewis, 2004. In ]'s 2004 book '']'', he argues that animosity toward the West is best understood with the decline of the once powerful ], compounded by the import of western ideas{{snd}}], ] and ]</ref><ref>In "The spirit of terrorism", ] described 9/11 as the first global event that "questions the very process of globalization". {{Cite web |last=Baudrillard |title=The spirit of terrorism |url=http://homes.chass.utoronto.ca/~ikalmar/illustex/baudriterror.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528231925/http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~ikalmar/illustex/baudriterror.htm |archive-date=May 28, 2010 |access-date=June 26, 2011}}</ref> and a desire to provoke the U.S. into a broader war against the Islamic world in the hope of motivating more allies to support al-Qaeda. Similarly, others have argued the 9/11 attacks were a strategic move to provoke America into a war that would incite a ] revolution.<ref>In an essay entitled "Somebody Else's Civil War", ] argues the attacks are best understood as part of a religious conflict within the Muslim world and that bin Laden's followers "consider themselves an island of true believers surrounded by a sea of iniquity". Hoping that U.S. retaliation would unite the faithful against the West, bin Laden sought to spark revolutions in Arab nations and elsewhere. Doran argues the ] attempt to provoke a visceral reaction in the Middle East and ensure that Muslim citizens would react as violently as possible to an increase in U.S. involvement in their region. ({{cite magazine |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2002-01-01/somebody-elses-civil-war |title=Somebody Else's Civil War |first=Michael Scott |last=Doran |issue=January/February 2002 |magazine=] |access-date=December 5, 2009 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423172939/http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/57618/michael-scott-doran/somebody-elses-civil-war |url-status=live}} Reprinted in {{Cite book |last=Hoge |first=James F. |title=Understanding the War on Terror |last2=Rose |first2=Gideon |publisher=Norton |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-87609-347-4 |location=New York |pages=72–75}})</ref><ref>In ''The Osama bin Laden I Know'', ] argues the attacks were part of a plan to cause the United States to ''increase'' its military and cultural presence in the Middle East, thereby forcing Muslims to confront the idea of a non-Muslim government and to eventually establish conservative Islamic governments in the region.({{harvp|Bergen|2006|p=229}})</ref>

=== Planning ===
{{Main|Planning of the September 11 attacks}}
]]]
]
Documents seized during the ] included notes handwritten by bin Laden in September 2002 with the heading "The Birth of the Idea of September 11". He describes how he was inspired by the crash of ] on October 31, 1999, which was deliberately crashed by co-pilot ], killing over 200 passengers. "This is how the idea of 9/11 was conceived and developed in my head, and that is when we began the planning" bin Laden continued, adding that no one but ] and Abu al-Khair knew about it at the time. The '']'' identified Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as the architect of 9/11, but he is not mentioned in bin Laden's notes.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lahoud |first=Nelly |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eoppEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA16 |title=The Bin Laden Papers: How the Abbottabad Raid Revealed the Truth about al-Qaeda, Its Leader and His Family |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2022 |isbn=978-0-300-26063-2 |location=New Haven, CT |pages=16–19, 307}}<br />{{Cite web |date=September 2002 |title=The Birth of the Idea of September 11 |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/abbottabad-compound/8F/8F496071D25B831EFBFD5299FBC0DF62_msoB4938.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415162318/https://www.cia.gov/library/abbottabad-compound/8F/8F496071D25B831EFBFD5299FBC0DF62_msoB4938.jpg |archive-date=April 15, 2022 |access-date=April 15, 2022 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=ar}}</ref>

The attacks were conceived by ], who first presented it to ] in 1996.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 22, 2003 |title=Suspect 'reveals 9/11 planning' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3128802.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172402/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3128802.stm%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref> At that time, bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were in a period of transition, having just relocated back to Afghanistan from ].<ref name="911-ch5">''9/11 Commission Report'' (2004), Chapter 5, pp. ??{{page needed|date=September 2020}}</ref> The ] and bin Laden's February 1998 ''fatwā'' marked a turning point of al-Qaeda's terrorist operation,<ref>''9/11 Commission Report'' (2004), p. 67.</ref> as bin Laden became intent on attacking the United States.

In late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden approved Mohammed to go forward with organizing the plot.<ref>''9/11 Commission Report'' (2004), p. 149.</ref> Atef provided operational support, including target selections and helping arrange travel for the hijackers.<ref name="911-ch5" /> Bin Laden overruled Mohammed, rejecting potential targets such as the ] in Los Angeles for lack of time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lichtblau |first=Eric |date=March 20, 2003 |title=Bin Laden Chose 9/11 Targets, Al Qaeda Leader Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/20/us/threats-and-responses-the-plot-bin-laden-chose-9-11-targets-al-qaeda-leader-says.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830215929/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/20/us/threats-and-responses-the-plot-bin-laden-chose-9-11-targets-al-qaeda-leader-says.html |archive-date=August 30, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>{{sfnp|Wright|2006|p=308}}

Bin Laden provided leadership and financial support and was involved in selecting participants.{{sfnp|Bergen|2006|p=283}} He initially selected ] and ], both experienced jihadists who had fought in ]. Hazmi and Mihdhar arrived in the United States in mid-January 2000. In early 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar took flying lessons in San Diego, California. Both spoke little English, performed poorly in flying lessons, and eventually served as secondary "muscle" hijackers.{{sfnp|Wright|2006|pp=309–315}}<ref>McDermott (2005), pp. 191–192.</ref>

In late 1999, a group of men from ], Germany, arrived in Afghanistan. The group included ], ], ], and Ramzi bin al-Shibh.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Richard |date=September 10, 2002 |title=On Path to the U.S. Skies, Plot Leader Met bin Laden |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/10/national/10PLOT.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512010444/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/10/national/10PLOT.html |archive-date=May 12, 2011 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Bin Laden selected these men because they were educated, could speak English, and had experience living in the West.{{sfnp|Wright|2006|pp=304–307}} New recruits were routinely screened for special skills and al-Qaeda leaders consequently discovered that ] already had a commercial pilot's license.{{sfnp|Wright|2006|p=302}}

Hanjour arrived in San Diego on December 8, 2000, joining Hazmi.<ref name="9/11 commission staff statement No. 16">{{Cite news |date=June 16, 2004 |title=9/11 commission staff statement No. 16 |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/staff_statement_16.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320032738/https://9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/staff_statement_16.pdf |archive-date=March 20, 2020 |access-date=September 11, 2012 |publisher=9/11 Commission}}</ref>{{Rp|6–7}} They soon left for Arizona, where Hanjour took refresher training.<ref name="9/11 commission staff statement No. 16" />{{rp|7}} Marwan al-Shehhi arrived at the end of May 2000, while Atta arrived on June 3, 2000, and Jarrah arrived on June 27, 2000.<ref name="9/11 commission staff statement No. 16" />{{rp|6}} Bin al-Shibh applied several times for a visa to the United States, but as a Yemeni, he was rejected out of concerns he would overstay his visa.<ref name="9/11 commission staff statement No. 16" />{{rp|4, 14}} Bin al-Shibh stayed in Hamburg, providing coordination between Atta and Mohammed.<ref name="9/11 commission staff statement No. 16" />{{rp|16}} The three ] members all took pilot training in South Florida at ].<ref name="9/11 commission staff statement No. 16" />{{rp|6}}

In the spring of 2001, the secondary hijackers began arriving in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2004 |title=Staff Monograph on 9/11 and Terrorist Travel |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/911_TerrTrav_Monograph.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172706/https://9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/911_TerrTrav_Monograph.pdf%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=9/11 Commission}}</ref> In July 2001, Atta met with bin al-Shibh in ], Catalonia, Spain, where they coordinated details of the plot, including final target selection. Bin al-Shibh passed along bin Laden's wish for the attacks to be carried out as soon as possible.<ref name="irujo">{{Cite news |last=Irujo |first=Jose María |date=March 21, 2004 |title=Atta recibió en Tarragona joyas para que los miembros del 'comando' del 11-S se hiciesen pasar por ricos saudíes |trans-title=Atta received jewellery in Tarragona so that members of the 9/11 'commando' could pass themselves off as wealthy Saudis. |url=http://elpais.com/diario/2004/03/21/espana/1079823611_850215.html |access-date=April 10, 2012 |work=El País |language=es}}</ref> Some of the hijackers received passports from corrupt Saudi officials who were family members or used fraudulent passports to gain entry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Entry of the 9/11 Hijackers into the United States Staff Statement No. 1 |url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/staff_statements/staff_statement_1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414204904/https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/staff_statements/staff_statement_1.pdf |archive-date=April 14, 2020 |access-date=February 7, 2017 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon The United States |page=2}}</ref>

There have been a few theories that 9/11 was selected by the hijackers as the date of the attack because it resembled ], the ] in the United States. However, ] wrote that the hijackers chose the date when ], the ] and ], began the ] that turned back the ]'s Muslim armies that were attempting to capture ] in 1683. Vienna was the seat of the ] and ], both major powers in Europe at the time. For Osama bin Laden, this was a date when the West gained some dominance over Islam, and by attacking on this date, he hoped to make a step in Islam "winning" the war for worldwide power and influence.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hudson |first=John |date=May 3, 2013 |title=How jihadists schedule terrorist attacks |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/03/how-jihadists-schedule-terrorist-attacks/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404042748/https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/03/how-jihadists-schedule-terrorist-attacks/ |archive-date=April 4, 2020 |access-date=February 9, 2020 |magazine=]}}</ref>

=== Prior intelligence ===
{{Main|September 11 intelligence before the attacks}}
In late 1999, al-Qaeda associate ] ("Khallad") contacted Mihdhar and told him to meet in ], Malaysia; Hazmi and ] would also be in attendance. The ] intercepted a telephone call mentioning the meeting, Mihdhar, and the name "Nawaf" (Hazmi); while the agency feared "Something nefarious might be afoot", it took no further action.

The CIA had already been alerted by Saudi intelligence about Mihdhar and Hazmi being Al-Qaeda members. A CIA team broke into Mihdhar's ] hotel room and discovered that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. While ] alerted intelligence agencies worldwide, it did not share this information with the FBI. The ] observed the January 5, 2000, meeting of the two al-Qaeda members and informed the CIA that Mihdhar, Hazmi, and Khallad were flying to ], but the CIA never notified other agencies of this, nor did it ask the ] to put Mihdhar on its watchlist. An FBI liaison asked permission to inform the FBI of the meeting but was told: "This is not a matter for the FBI".{{sfnp|Wright|2006|pp=310–312}}

By late June, senior counter-terrorism official ] and CIA director ] were "convinced that a major series of attacks was about to come", although the CIA believed the attacks would likely occur in Saudi Arabia or Israel.{{sfnp|Clarke|2004|pp=235–236}} In early July, Clarke put domestic agencies on "full alert", telling them, "Something spectacular is going to happen here, and it's going to happen soon". He asked the FBI and the State Department to alert the embassies and police departments, and the ] to go to "Threat Condition Delta".{{sfnp|Wright|2006|p=344}}{{sfnp|Clarke|2004|pp=236–237}} Clarke later wrote: <blockquote>Somewhere in CIA there was information that two known al Qaeda terrorists had come into the United States. Somewhere in the FBI, there was information that strange things had been going on at flight schools in the United States.{{spaces}} They had specific information about individual terrorists from which one could have deduced what was about to happen. None of that information got to me or the White House.{{sfnp|Clarke|2004|pp=242–243}}</blockquote>

{{quote box| by July , with word spreading of a coming attack, a schism emerged among the senior leadership of al Qaeda. Several senior members reportedly agreed with ]. Those who reportedly sided with ] included ], ], and ]. But those said to have opposed him were weighty figures in the organization-including ], ], and ]. One senior al Qaeda operative claims to recall Bin Ladin arguing that attacks against the United States needed to be carried out immediately to support ] and protest the presence of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia.
| source = —&hairsp;'']'', p.&nbsp;251<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kean |first=Thomas |title=9/11 Commission Report |last2=Hamilton |first2=Lee |publisher=United States Government Publishing Office |year=2004 |isbn=0-16-072304-3 |edition=Official Government |location=Washington, D.C. |page=251}}</ref>
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On July 13, Tom Wilshire, a CIA agent assigned to the FBI's international terrorism division, emailed his superiors at the CIA's ] (CTC) requesting permission to inform the FBI that Hazmi was in the country and that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. The CIA never responded.{{sfnp|Wright|2006|p=340}}
The United States responded to the attacks by launching a "]"; invading ] to depose the ], who had harbored al-Qaeda terrorists; and invading ] to dispose of ] and Iraq's supposed stock of ]. However, with the exception of chemical weapon traces left over from the ], no such weapons have been found. The US also enacted the ], while many other countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. Some American ]s stayed closed for the rest of the week following the attack, and posted enormous losses upon reopening, especially in the airline and insurance industries. The destruction of billions of dollars worth of office space caused serious damage to the economy of ].


The same day, Margarette Gillespie, an FBI analyst working in the CTC, was told to review material about the Malaysia meeting. She was not told of the participant's presence in the U.S. The CIA gave Gillespie surveillance photos of Mihdhar and Hazmi from the meeting to show to FBI counterterrorism but did not tell her their significance. The Intelink database informed her not to share intelligence material with criminal investigators. When shown the photos, the FBI refused more details on their significance, and they were not given Mihdhar's date of birth or passport number.{{sfnp|Wright|2006|pp=340–343}} In late August 2001, Gillespie told the ], the State Department, the ], and the FBI to put Hazmi and Mihdhar on their watchlists, but the FBI was prohibited from using criminal agents in searching for the duo, hindering their efforts.{{sfnp|Wright|2006|pp=352–353}}
The damage to the Pentagon was cleared and repaired within a year, and the ] was built on the site. The rebuilding process has started on the ]. In 2006 a new office tower was completed on the site of ]. The ] is currently under construction at the site and at 1,776&nbsp;ft (541&nbsp;m) upon completion in 2011, will become one of the tallest buildings in North America. Three more towers were originally expected to be built between 2007 and 2012 on the site.


Also in July, a ]-based FBI agent sent a message to FBI headquarters, Alec Station, and FBI agents in New York alerting them to "the possibility of a coordinated effort by Osama bin Laden to send students to the United States to attend civil aviation universities and colleges". The agent, Kenneth Williams, suggested the need to interview flight school managers and identify all Arab students seeking flight training.{{sfnp|Wright|2006|p=350}} In July, Jordan alerted the U.S. that al-Qaeda was planning an attack on the U.S.; "months later", Jordan notified the U.S. that the attack's codename was "The Big Wedding" and that it involved airplanes.{{sfnp|Yitzhak|2016|p=218}}
==Attacks==
] hitting ].]]
{{main|Timeline for the day of the September 11 attacks}}
Early in the morning on September 11, 2001, ] took control of four commercial airliners en route to ] and ] from ], ], and ] (]).<ref name="SecCounc" /> At 8:46 a.m., ] was crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower, followed by ] which hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ntsb.gov/info/Flight_%20Path_%20Study_AA11.pdf |title=Flight Path Study - American Airlines Flight 11 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |date=2002-02-19 |format=pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ntsb.gov/info/Flight_%20Path%20_Study_UA175.pdf |title=Flight Path Study - United Airlines Flight 175 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |date=2002-02-19 |format=pdf}}</ref> Another group of hijackers flew ] into ] at 9:37 a.m.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ntsb.gov/info/Flight_%20Path_%20Study_AA77.pdf |title=Flight Path Study - American Airlines Flight 77 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |date=2002-02-19 |format=pdf}}</ref> A fourth flight, ], whose ultimate target was thought to be either the ] or ], crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m, after the passengers on board engaged in a fight with the hijackers.<ref name="Chap7">{{cite book |chapter=The Attack Looms |url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch7.htm |year=2004 |title=9/11 Commission Report |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |accessdate=2008-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ntsb.gov/info/Flight%20_Path_%20Study_UA93.pdf |title=Flight Path Study - United Airlines Flight 93 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |date=2002-02-19 |format=pdf}}</ref>


On August 6, 2001, the CIA's Presidential Daily Brief, designated "For the President Only", was entitled '']''. The memo noted that FBI information "indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Osama bin Laden File: National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 343 |url=http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB343/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713182539/http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB343/ |archive-date=July 13, 2017 |access-date=March 14, 2016 |publisher=The National Security Archive}}</ref>
During the hijacking of the airplanes, the hijackers used weapons to stab and/or kill ], ]s and passengers. Reports from phone callers from the planes indicated that knives were used by the hijackers to stab attendants and in at least one case, a passenger, during two of the hijackings.<ref name=911-ch1>{{cite book|url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch1.pdf|title=9/11 Commission Report|chapter=Chapter 1.1: 'We Have Some Planes': Inside the Four Flights|year=2004|publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States|accessdate=2009-04-22|format=PDF|pages=4-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0201/06/lklw.00.html |title=Encore Presentation: Barbara Olson Remembered |work=Larry King Live |publisher=CNN |date=2002-01-06 |accessdate=2008-11-12}}</ref>
<!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->
Some passengers were able to make phone calls using the cabin ] service and mobile phones,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/headlines/20010916phonecallnat3p3.asp |title=The phone line from Flight 93 was still open when a GTE operator heard Todd Beamer say: 'Are you guys ready? Let's roll' |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date-2001-09-16 |author=McKinnon, Jim |accessdate=2008-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/12/family.reacts/index.html |title=Relatives wait for news as rescuers dig |publisher=CNN |date=2001-09-13 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> and provide details, including that several ] were aboard each plane, that ] or other form of noxious chemical spray, such as ] or ] was used, and that some people aboard had been stabbed.<ref name="wilgoren">{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E5DB1038F930A2575AC0A9679C8B63 |title=On Doomed Flight, Passengers Vowed To Perish Fighting |author=Wilgoren, Jodi and Edward Wong |date=2001-09-13 |publisher=The New York Times |accessdate=2008-11-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2006/apr/11/nation/na-moussa11 |title=Moussaoui Jury Hears the Panic From 9/11 |author=Serrano, Richard A. |publisher=Los Angeles Times |date=2006-04-11 |accessdate=2008-10-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/01/28/MNGQ04JEEH1.DTL |title=Hijackers used Mace, knives to take over airplanes |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2004-01-28 |author=Goo, Sara Kehaulani, Dan Eggen |accessdate=2008-11-12}}</ref><ref name="CNN1">{{cite web | last = Ahlers| first = Mike M. | title = 9/11 panel: Hijackers may have had utility knives | publisher= CBS News |date= January 27, 2004| url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/27/911.commis.knife/ | accessdate = 2006-09-07 }}</ref> The ] established that two of the hijackers had recently purchased ] multi-function hand tools.<ref name=commission>{{cite web| title=National Commission Upon Terrorist Attacks in the United States| url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing7/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-01-27.htm| publisher=National Commission Upon Terrorist Attacks in the United States| accessdate=2008-01-24| date=2004-01-27}}</ref> A flight attendant on Flight 11, a passenger on Flight 175, and passengers on Flight 93 mentioned that the hijackers had bombs, but one of the passengers also mentioned he thought the bombs were fake. No traces of explosives were found at the crash sites, and the 9/11 Commission believed the bombs were probably fake.<ref name=911-ch1/>


In mid-August, one ] flight school alerted the FBI about ], who had asked "suspicious questions". The FBI found that Moussaoui was a radical who had traveled to Pakistan, and the INS arrested him for overstaying his French visa. Their request to search his laptop was denied by FBI headquarters due to the lack of ].{{sfnp|Wright|2006|pp=350–351}}
On United Airlines Flight 93, ] recordings revealed that crew and passengers attempted to seize control of the plane from the hijackers after learning through phone calls that similarly hijacked planes had been crashed into buildings that morning.<ref name="WP93">{{cite news |first=David |last=Snyder |title=Families Hear Flight 93's Final Moments |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A12262-2002Apr18 |publisher=The Washington Post |date=2002-04-19 |accessdate=2008-04-23}}</ref> According to the transcript of Flight 93's recorder, one of the hijackers gave the order to ] the plane once it became evident that they would lose control of the plane to the passengers.<ref name="Fox93Xscript">{{cite web |title=Text of Flight 93 Recording |publisher=Fox News |date=2006-04-12 |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191520,00.html |accessdate=2008-04-22}}</ref> Soon afterward, the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville in ], Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at 10:03:11&nbsp;a.m. ] (14:03:11&nbsp;UTC). ], organiser of the attacks, mentioned in a 2002 interview with ], an ] journalist, that Flight 93's target was the ], which was given the code name "the Faculty of Law".<ref>{{cite book |author=Fouda, Yosri and Nick Fielding |title=Masterminds of Terror |publisher=Arcade Publishing |year=2004 |pages=158–159}}</ref>


The failures in intelligence-sharing were attributed to 1995 ] policies limiting intelligence-sharing, combined with CIA and NSA reluctance to reveal "sensitive sources and methods" such as tapped phones.{{sfnp|Wright|2006|pp=342–343}} Testifying before the ] in April 2004, then—] ] recalled that the "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents".{{sfnp|Javorsek|Rose|Marshall|Leitner|2015|p=742}} Clarke also wrote: "here were... failures to get information to the right place at the right time".{{sfnp|Clarke|2004|p=238}}
Three buildings in the World Trade Center Complex collapsed due to ] on the day of the attack.<ref name="WPCollapse">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Miller |title=Report Assesses Trade Center's Collapse |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A11614-2002Apr30?language=printer |publisher=The Washington Post |date=2002-05-01 |accessdate=2008-04-23}}</ref> The south tower (2&nbsp;WTC) fell at approximately 9:59&nbsp;a.m., after burning for 56 minutes in a fire caused by the impact of United Airlines Flight 175.<ref name="WPCollapse" /> The north tower (1&nbsp;WTC) collapsed at 10:28&nbsp;a.m., after burning for approximately 102 minutes.<ref name="WPCollapse" /> When the north tower collapsed, debris heavily damaged the nearby ] (7&nbsp;WTC) building. Its structural integrity was further compromised by fires, and the building collapsed later in the day at 5:20&nbsp;p.m.<ref name="NIST-june2004">{{cite web |year = 2004 |url = http://wtc.nist.gov/progress_report_june04/appendixl.pdf | format = pdf | title = Interim Report on WTC 7 | work = Appendix L | publisher = National Institute of Standards and Technology |accessdate = 2007-08-20}}</ref>


== Attacks ==
The attacks created widespread confusion among news organizations and ]s across the United States. All international civilian air traffic was banned from landing on US soil for three days.<ref>{{cite web |title=Profiles of 9/11 - About 9/11 |url=http://www.biography.com/profiles-of-9-11/about911.jsp |work=] |publisher=] |accessdate=2007-12-12}}</ref> Aircraft already in flight were either turned back or redirected to airports in ] or ]. News sources aired unconfirmed and often contradictory reports throughout the day. One of the most prevalent of these reported that a ] had been detonated at the ] headquarters in Washington, D.C.<ref name=errors2>{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Mark |title=Broadcasting and Cable |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA240241.html |date=2002-08-26 |work=] |publisher=] |accessdate=2008-02-15}}</ref> Soon after reporting for the first time on the Pentagon crash, ] and other media also briefly reported that a fire had broken out on the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0109/11/bn.03.html |title=CNN.com&nbsp;— Transcripts |accessdate=2008-05-02 |date=2001-09-11 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> Another report went out on the ] wire, claiming that a ] airliner—]—had been hijacked. This report, too, turned out to be in error; the plane was briefly thought to represent a hijack risk, but it responded to controllers and landed safely in ].<ref name="wkyc">{{cite web | last = O'Mara| first = Michael | title = 9/11: 'Fifth Plane' terror alert at Cleveland Hopkins Airport | publisher= WKYC News |date=2006-09-11| url=http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=56706 | accessdate = 2007-02-13}}</ref>
{{For timeline|Timeline for the day of the September 11 attacks}}


Early on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, ] took control of four commercial airliners (two ]s and two ]s).<ref name="911-ch1" /> Large planes with long flights were selected for hijacking because they would have more fuel.<ref name="Chap7" /><!-- Weren't early morning flights also chosen because they would have fewer passengers to overcome? --><!-- wasn't it late taking off, which allowed the passengers to hear of the others? -->
===Casualties===
{| class="wikitable"
{{main|Casualties of the September 11 attacks}}
|+Key info about the four flights
{| class="bordered infobox" width="280px" cellpadding="3" style="font-size:90%;"
! rowspan="2"|Operator
! rowspan="2"|Flight number
! rowspan="2"|Aircraft type
! rowspan="2"|Time of departure*
! rowspan="2"|Time of crash*
! rowspan="2"|Departed from
! rowspan="2"|En route to
! rowspan="2"|Crash site
! colspan="5"|Fatalities<br />{{Nobold|(There were no survivors from the flights)}}
|- |-
!Crew
!colspan="3"| Deaths (excluding hijackers)
!Passengers<sup>†</sup>
!Ground<sup>§</sup>
!Hijackers
!Total<sup>‡</sup>
|- |-
|]
!rowspan="3"| New York City
|]
| ]
|]
| 2,604 died and another 24 remain listed as missing<ref name="hirschkorn"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nysun.com/new-york/missing-doctor-added-to-list-of-9-11-victims/81626/ |title=2008 9/11 Death Toll |date=July 2008|publisher=Associated Press |accessdate=2006-09-11}}</ref>
|style="text-align:right;"|7:59&nbsp;a.m.
|style="text-align:right;"|8:46&nbsp;a.m.
|]
|]
|] of the ], floors 93 to 99
|style="text-align:right;"|11
|style="text-align:right;"|76
|style="text-align:right;" rowspan="2" |2,606
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|style="text-align:right;" rowspan="2" |2,763
|- |-
| ] |]
|]
| 87<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-location/page93.html |title=American Airlines Flight 11 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2006-09-07}}</ref>
|]–222
|style="text-align:right;"|8:14&nbsp;a.m.
|style="text-align:right;"|9:03&nbsp;a.m.{{efn|name=Time}}
|Logan International Airport
|Los Angeles International Airport
|] of the World Trade Center, floors 77 to 85
|style="text-align:right;"|9
|style="text-align:right;"|51
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|- |-
| ] |American Airlines
|]
| 59<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-location/page100.html |title=United Airlines Flight 175 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2006-09-07}}</ref>
|]–223
|style="text-align:right;"|8:20&nbsp;a.m.
|style="text-align:right;"|9:37&nbsp;a.m.
|]
|Los Angeles International Airport
|West wall of ]
|style="text-align:right;"|6
|style="text-align:right;"|53
|style="text-align:right;"|125
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|style="text-align:right;"|189
|- |-
|United Airlines
!rowspan="2"| Arlington
|]
| ]
|]–222
| 125<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-location/page88.html |title=American Airlines Flight 77 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2006-09-07}}</ref>
|style="text-align:right;"|8:42&nbsp;a.m.
|style="text-align:right;"|10:03&nbsp;a.m.
|]
|]
|Field in ] near ]
|style="text-align:right;"|7
|style="text-align:right;"|33
|style="text-align:right;"|0
|style="text-align:right;"|4
|style="text-align:right;"|44
|- |-
! scope="row" style="text-align:right" colspan="8" |Totals
| ] || 59<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-location/page96.html |title=American Airlines Flight 77 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2006-09-07}}</ref>
|style="text-align:right;"|33
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|213
! Shanksville
|style="text-align:right;"|2,731
| ]
|style="text-align:right;"|19
| 40<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/headlines/20011028flt93mainstoryp7.asp |title=Flight 93: Forty lives, one destiny |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=October 2001|author=Roddy, Dennis B.|accessdate=2006-09-07}}</ref>
|style="text-align:right;"|2,996
|-
!colspan="2"| Total
| 2,974 died and another 24 remain listed as missing.
|} |}
'''*''' ] (UTC−04:00)<br />'''<sup>†</sup>''' Excluding hijackers<br />'''<sup>§</sup>''' Including emergency workers<br />'''<sup>‡</sup>''' Including hijackers
There were a total of 2,993 deaths, including the 19 hijackers: 246 on the four planes (from which there were no survivors), 2,603 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at ].<ref name="Chrono">{{cite web |url= http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/11/chronology.attack/index.html | title = September 11: Chronology of terror| publisher = CNN | accessdate = 2006-09-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/16/pentagon.video/index.html|title=First video of Pentagon 9/11 attack released|date=May 16, 2006|publisher=CNN|accessdate=2006-09-10}}</ref> An additional 24 people remain listed as missing.<ref name="hirschkorn">{{cite news |url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/STATISTIC.asp |title=24 Remain Missing|date=2006, August 12 |publisher=September 11 Victims |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071218170906/http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/STATISTIC.asp |archivedate=2007-12-18 |accessdate=2006-09-07}}</ref> All of the deaths in the attacks were civilians except for 55 military personnel killed at the Pentagon.<ref>{{cite news |author=Stone, Andrea |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-08-20-pentagon_x.htm |title=Military's aid and comfort ease 9/11 survivors' burden |publisher=USA Today |date=2002-08-20 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks on the World Trade Center.<ref>{{cite web| last=Walker| first=Carolee| title=Five-Year 9/11 Remembrance Honors Victims from 90 Countries| url=http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2006/September/20060911141954bcreklaw0.9791071.html| publisher=]| date=2006-09-11| accessdate=2008-05-18}}</ref> In 2007, the New York City medical examiner's office added Felicia Dunn-Jones to the official death toll from the September 11 attacks. Dunn-Jones died five months after 9/11 from a lung condition which was linked to exposure to dust during the collapse of the World Trade Center.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/nyregion/24dust.html |title=For the First Time, New York Links a Death to 9/11 Dust |author=DePalma, Anthony |publisher=The New York Times |date=2007-05-24}}</ref>


=== Crashes ===
] estimated that about 17,400 civilians were in the World Trade Center complex at the time of the attacks, while turnstile counts from the ] suggest that 14,154 people were typically in the Twin Towers by 8:45&nbsp;a.m.<ref>{{cite book |author=Averill, Jason D., et al. |url=http://wtc.nist.gov/NISTNCSTAR1-7.pdf |chapter=Occupant Behavior, Egress, and Emergency Communications |title=Final Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster |publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) |year=2005| accessdate=2008-05-20|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Dwyer, Jim and Kevin Flynn |title=102 Minutes |publisher=Times Books |year=2005 |page=266}}</ref> The vast majority of people below the impact zone safely evacuated the buildings, along with 18 people who were in the impact zone in the south tower.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E6DC153BF935A15756C0A9649C8B63 |title=Last Words at the Trade Center; Fighting to Live as the Towers Die |author=Dwyer, Jim, et al. |publisher='']'' |date=2002-05-26 |accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref> 1,366 people died who were at or above the floors of impact in the North Tower.<ref name="NYTFatal">{{cite news |last=Lipton |first=Eric |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/22/nyregion/22towers.html?ei=5090&en=ccd27da4663af33f&ex=1248235200&partner=rssuserland&pagewanted=print&position= |title=Study Maps the Location of Deaths in the Twin Towers |date=2004-07-22 |publisher=''The New York Times'' |accessdate=2008-04-22}}</ref> According to the Commission Report, hundreds were killed instantly by the impact, while the rest were trapped and died after the tower collapsed.<ref name="911-ch9">{{cite web| title=Heroism and Honor| work=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States| publisher=U.S. Congress| date=2004-08-21| url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch9.htm| accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> As many as 600 people were killed instantly or were trapped at or above the floors of impact in the South Tower.<ref name="NYTFatal" />
{{See also|Media documentation of the September 11 attacks}}
{{multiple image
| total_width = 290
| image1 = The North Tower burning on September 11, 2001.jpg
| image2 = WTC 2 plane crash (Myers clip6).webm
| image3 = Pentagon Security Camera 1.ogv
| image4 = Crash site of United Airlines flight 93.jpg
| caption1 = The North Tower shortly after ] crashed. The first attack.
| caption2 = ] crashes into ]. The second attack.
| direction = vertical
| caption3 = Security camera footage of ] crashing into ];<ref name="jw">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L75Gga92WO8 |title=Flight 77, Video 2 |publisher=Judicial Watch |access-date=April 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/L75Gga92WO8 |archive-date=December 14, 2021 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> the plane collides with the Pentagon approximately 86 seconds after the start of the recording. The third attack.
| width1 =
| align = right
| alt4 = A grassfield
| caption4 = The crash site of ], near ]
}}


At 7:59&nbsp;a.m., ] took off from ] in ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Glen |date=November 23, 2001 |title=Probe reconstructs horror, calculated attacks on planes |url=http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/planes_reconstruction.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202072139/http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/planes_reconstruction.htm |archive-date=December 2, 2012 |work=The Boston Globe}}</ref> Fifteen minutes into the flight, five hijackers armed with ]s took over the plane, injuring at least three people (and possibly killing one)<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 23, 2004 |title=Excerpt: A travel day like any other until some passengers left their seats |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001986488_planes23.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119033249/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001986488_planes23.html |archive-date=November 19, 2011 |access-date=May 23, 2008 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 28, 2004 |title=Inside the failed Air Force scramble to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5315883/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918164352/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5315883/ |archive-date=September 18, 2009 |access-date=May 23, 2008 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Woolley |first=Scott |date=April 23, 2007 |title=Video Prophet |url=https://www.forbes.com/home/technology/forbes/2007/0423/068.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216103647/http://www.forbes.com/home/technology/forbes/2007/0423/068.html |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |access-date=May 23, 2008 |work=Forbes}}</ref> before forcing their way into the cockpit. The terrorists also displayed an apparent explosive and sprayed ] into the cabin, to frighten the hostages into submission and further hinder resistance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sheehy |first=Gail |date=February 15, 2004 |title=Stewardess ID'd Hijackers Early, Transcripts Show burden |url=http://www.observer.com/node/48805 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207153421/http://www.observer.com/node/48805 |archive-date=December 7, 2007 |access-date=September 30, 2010 |work=New York Observer}}</ref> Back at Logan, ] took off at 8:14&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="We have some planes">{{Cite web |title=WE HAVE SOME PLANES |url=https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041205190225/https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch1.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2004 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States}}</ref> Hundreds of miles southwest at ], ] left the runway at 8:20&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="We have some planes" /> Flight 175's journey proceeded normally for 28 minutes until 8:42&nbsp;am, when a group of five hijacked the plane, murdering both pilots and stabbing several crew members before assuming control of the aircraft. These hijackers also used bomb threats to instil fear into the passengers and crew,{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7–8}} also spraying "tear gas, pepper spray or another irritant" in the cabin to force passengers and flight attendants to the rear of the cabin.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 5, 2011 |title=September 11: From take-off to tragic loss |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/september-11-remembered/2011-09-06/september-11-timeline/2862086 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129075152/https://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/september-11-remembered/2011-09-06/september-11-timeline/2862086 |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |access-date=November 29, 2022 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> Concurrently, ] departed from ] in ];<ref name="We have some planes" /> originally scheduled to pull away from the gate at 8:00&nbsp;a.m., the plane was running 42 minutes late.
At least 200 people jumped to their deaths from the burning towers (as depicted in the photograph "]"), landing on the streets and rooftops of adjacent buildings hundreds of feet below.<ref name="horrificdecision">{{cite news |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-09-02-jumper_x.htm |title=Desperation forced a horrific decision |publisher=USATODAY |date=September 2, 2002 |author=Cauchon, Dennis and Martha Moore|accessdate=2006-09-09}}</ref> Some of the occupants of each tower above its point of impact made their way upward toward the roof in hope of helicopter rescue, but the roof access doors were locked. No plan existed for helicopter rescues, and on September 11, the thick smoke and intense heat would have prevented helicopters from conducting rescues.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/18/terror/main618174.shtml |title=Poor Info Hindered 9/11 Rescue|publisher=CBS News |date=May 18, 2004|accessdate=2006-09-11}}</ref>


At 8:46&nbsp;a.m., Flight 11 was deliberately crashed into the north face of the World Trade Center's North Tower between the 93rd and 99th floors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 19, 2002 |title=Flight Path Study – American Airlines Flight 11 |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc01.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214030913/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc01.pdf |archive-date=February 14, 2007 |access-date=June 27, 2011 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}}</ref> The initial presumption by many was that it was an accident.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Preliminary Results from the World Trade Center Evacuation Study – New York City, 2003 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5335a3.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204032648/https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5335a3.htm |archive-date=December 4, 2018 |access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> At 8:51&nbsp;a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 was also taken over by five hijackers who forcibly entered the cockpit 31 minutes after take-off.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gregor |first=Joseph A. |date=December 21, 2001 |title=American Airlines Flight 77 |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/foia/9_11/ATC_Report_AA77.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029094317/https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/foia/9_11/ATC_Report_AA77.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2012 |access-date=September 25, 2011 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}}</ref> Although they were equipped with knives,<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 12, 2001 |title=On Flight 77: 'Our Plane Is Being Hijacked |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/09/12/on-flight-77-our-plane-is-being-hijacked/85b3c4b3-876b-4bb5-b1f7-00cc8c37b75e/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111151019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/09/12/on-flight-77-our-plane-is-being-hijacked/85b3c4b3-876b-4bb5-b1f7-00cc8c37b75e/ |archive-date=January 11, 2016 |access-date=November 27, 2022 |work=]}}</ref> there were no reports of anyone on board being stabbed, nor did the two people who made phone calls mention the use of mace or a bomb threat.
A total of 411 emergency workers who responded to the scene died as they attempted to rescue people and fight fires. The ] (FDNY) lost 341 ]s and 2 FDNY ]s.<ref>{{cite news |author=Denise Grady |coauthors=Andrew C. Revkin |title= Threats and responses: rescuer's health; Lung Ailments May Force 500 Firefighters Off Job |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E1DC1631F933A2575AC0A9649C8B63 |date=2002-09-10 |publisher=''The New York Times'' |accessdate=2008-05-23}}</ref> The ] lost 23 officers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Post-9/11 report recommends police, fire response changes |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-08-19-nypd-nyfd-report_x.htm |date=2002-08-19 |work=Associated Press |publisher=USA Today |accessdate=2008-05-23}}</ref> The ] lost 37 officers,<ref>{{cite web |title=Police back on day-to-day beat after 9/11 nightmare |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/07/20/wtc.police/index.html |date=2002-07-21 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2008-05-23}}</ref> and 8 additional ]s and paramedics from private ] units were killed.<ref>{{cite web |author=Joshi, Pradnya |url=http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-nyport084416400sep08,0,6938921.story |title=Port Authority workers to be honored |publisher=Newsday |date=2005-09-08 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref><ref name="National EMS Memorial">{{cite web | title="National EMS Memorial" | url=http://nemsms.org/notices01.htm | title=2001 Notices of Line of Duty Death | publisher = National EMS Memorial Service |accessdate=2007-09-11}}</ref>
] hitting the ]]]
Flight 175 was flown into the South Tower's southern facade (2{{spaces}}WTC) between the 77th and 85th floors<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 19, 2002 |title=Flight Path Study – United Airlines Flight 175 |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc03.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617050241/http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc03.pdf |archive-date=June 17, 2014 |access-date=June 27, 2011 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}}</ref> at 9:03&nbsp;a.m.,{{efn|name=Time}} demonstrating that the first crash was a deliberate act of terrorism.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 10, 2021 |title=9:03 a.m.: The 9/11 moment when many grasped a new reality |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/09/10/903-a-m-the-9-11-moment-when-many-grasped-a-new-reality/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130094708/https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/09/10/903-a-m-the-9-11-moment-when-many-grasped-a-new-reality/ |archive-date=November 30, 2022 |access-date=February 5, 2023 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 11, 2021 |title=By 9:05 a.m., it was clear America was under attack |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/11/it-was-the-loudest-explosion-ive-ever-heard-a-9/11-survivor-on-her-harrowing-escape-from-the-pentagon.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130094707/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/11/it-was-the-loudest-explosion-ive-ever-heard-a-9/11-survivor-on-her-harrowing-escape-from-the-pentagon.html |archive-date=November 30, 2022 |access-date=February 5, 2023 |work=]}}</ref>


Four men aboard Flight 93 struck suddenly, killing at least one passenger, after having waited 46 minutes—a holdup that proved disastrous for the terrorists when combined with the delayed takeoff.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Longman |first=Jere |date=April 26, 2006 |title='United 93' and the politics of heroism |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/26/arts/united-93-and-the-politics-of-heroism.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306235027/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/26/arts/united-93-and-the-politics-of-heroism.html |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> They stormed the cockpit and seized control of the plane at 9:28&nbsp;a.m., turning the plane eastbound towards Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stout |first=David |date=April 12, 2006 |title=Recording From Flight 93 Played at Trial |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/12/us/12cnd-moussaoui.html?hp&ex=1144900800&en=f6fc83f83a632d06&ei=5094&partner=homepage |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904030034/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/12/us/12cnd-moussaoui.html?hp&ex=1144900800&en=f6fc83f83a632d06&ei=5094&partner=homepage |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |access-date=August 24, 2008 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Much like their counterparts on the first two flights, the fourth team used bomb threats and filled the cabin with mace.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 12, 2006 |title=Transcript: Paula Zahn Now |url=http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/12/pzn.01.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021015137/http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/12/pzn.01.html |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |access-date=April 5, 2010 |work=CNN}}</ref>
], an investment bank on the 101st–105th floors of One World Trade Center, lost 658 employees, considerably more than any other employer.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5282060.stm?lsf |title=Cantor rebuilds after 9/11 losses |publisher=BBC |date=2006-09-04 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> ], located immediately below Cantor Fitzgerald on floors 93–101 (the location of ] impact), lost 295 employees, and 175 employees of ] were killed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070911/REG/70911011 |title=Industry honors fallen on 9/11 anniversary |publisher=InvestmentNews |author= Siegel, Aaron |date=2007-09-11 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> After New York, ] was the hardest hit state, with the city of ] sustaining the most deaths.<ref name="beveridge">{{cite web |url=http://www.gothamgazette.com/demographics/91102.shtml |title=9/11/01-02: A Demographic Portrait Of The Victims In 10048 |publisher=Gotham Gazette |author=Beveridge, Andrew |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref>


Nine minutes after Flight 93's hijacking, Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 19, 2002 |title=Flight Path Study – American Airlines Flight 77 |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824050511/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc02.pdf |archive-date=August 24, 2006 |access-date=June 27, 2011 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}}</ref> Because of the two delays,<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 9, 2021 |title=What was Flight 93's target on 9/11? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/09/flight-93-target-capitol/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110042815/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/09/flight-93-target-capitol/ |archive-date=January 10, 2023 |access-date=November 27, 2022 |work=]}}</ref> the passengers and crew of Flight 93 had time to learn of the previous attacks through phone calls to the ground, and as a result an uprising was hastily organized to take control of the aircraft at 9:57&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="WP93">{{Cite news |last=Snyder |first=David |date=April 19, 2002 |title=Families Hear Flight 93's Final Moments |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-351703.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602123513/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-351703.html |archive-date=June 2, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2013 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref> Within minutes, passengers had fought their way to the front of the cabin and began breaking down the cockpit door. Fearing their captives would gain the upper hand, the hijackers rolled the plane and pitched it into a nosedive,<ref name="Flight93Xscript">{{cite wikisource |title=Flight 93 Cockpit Transcript}}</ref><ref name="NPS Flight 93 Story">{{Cite web |title=The Flight 93 Story |url=http://www.nps.gov/flni/historyculture/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112214156/http://www.nps.gov/flni/historyculture/index.htm |archive-date=January 12, 2015 |access-date=September 21, 2011 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> crashing into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh, at 10:03&nbsp;a.m. The plane was about twenty minutes away from reaching D.C. at the time of the crash, and its target is believed to have been either the ] or the ].<ref name="Chap7">{{Cite book |title=9/11 Commission Report |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |year=2004 |chapter=The Attack Looms |access-date=September 1, 2011 |chapter-url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch7.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205050859/http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch7.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WP93" />
Weeks after the attack, the estimated death toll was over 6,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/09/29/gen.america.under.attack/index.html |title=Source: Hijacking suspects linked to Afghanistan |publisher=CNN |date=2001-09-30 |accessdate=2008-06-08}}</ref> The city was only able to identify remains for about 1,600 of the victims at the World Trade Center. The medical examiner's office also collected "about 10,000 unidentified bone and tissue fragments that cannot be matched to the list of the dead".<ref name="CBS2">{{cite web| title=Ground Zero Forensic Work Ends| publisher=CBS News| date=2005-02-23| url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/23/national/main675839.shtml| accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> Bone fragments were still being found in 2006 as workers were preparing to demolish the damaged ].


Some passengers and crew who called from the aircraft using the cabin air phone service and mobile phones provided details: several hijackers were aboard each plane; they used ], tear gas, or pepper spray to overcome attendants; and some people aboard had been stabbed.<ref name="93phone">See:
===Damage===
*{{Cite news |last=McKinnon |first=Jim |date=September 16, 2001 |title=The phone line from Flight 93 was still open when a GTE operator heard Todd Beamer say: 'Are you guys ready? Let's roll' |url=http://old.post-gazette.com/headlines/20010916phonecallnat3p3.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001003507/http://old.post-gazette.com/headlines/20010916phonecallnat3p3.asp |archive-date=October 1, 2019 |access-date=April 10, 2011 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}
In addition to the 110-floor Twin Towers of the World Trade Center itself, numerous other buildings at the World Trade Center site were destroyed or badly damaged, including ], ], ], ], the ], and the ] complex and ].<ref name="wtcstudy">{{cite web |url=http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/wtcstudy.shtm |title=World Trade Center Building Performance Study |month=May | year=2002 |publisher=FEMA |accessdate=2007-07-12}}</ref>
* {{Cite news |title=Relatives wait for news as rescuers dig |url=http://europe.cnn.com/2001/US/09/12/family.reacts/index.html |work=CNN |date=September 13, 2001 |access-date=November 11, 2013 |archive-date=November 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111213433/http://europe.cnn.com/2001/US/09/12/family.reacts/index.html |url-status=live}}
* Summers and Swan (2011), pp. 58, 463n, 476n.
* {{Cite news |last1=Wilgoren |first1=Jodi |author-link1=Jodi Rudoren |last2=Wong |first2=Edward |author-link2=Edward Wong |title=On Doomed Flight, Passengers Vowed To Perish Fighting |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/13/us/after-attacks-united-flight-93-doomed-flight-passengers-vowed-perish-fighting.html |url-status=live |work=The New York Times |date=September 13, 2001 |access-date=September 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820221831/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/13/us/after-attacks-united-flight-93-doomed-flight-passengers-vowed-perish-fighting.html |archive-date=August 20, 2009}}
* {{Cite news |last=Serrano |first=Richard A. |title=Moussaoui Jury Hears the Panic From 9/11 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-11-na-moussa11-story.html |work=] |date=April 11, 2006 |access-date=September 1, 2011 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172359/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/apr/11/nation/na-moussa11 |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite news |last=Goo |first=Sara Kehaulani |last2=Eggen |first2=Dan |title=Hijackers used Mace, knives to take over airplanes |url=http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Hijackers-used-Mace-knives-to-take-over-2805009.php |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 28, 2004 |access-date=November 12, 2013 |archive-date=November 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112202350/http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Hijackers-used-Mace-knives-to-take-over-2805009.php |url-status=live}}
*{{cite news |last=Ahlers |first=Mike M. |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/27/911.commis.knife/ |title=9/11 panel: Hijackers may have had utility knives |date=January 27, 2004 |access-date=September 1, 2011 |work=CBS News |archive-date=June 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604231807/http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/27/911.commis.knife/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Reports indicated hijackers stabbed and killed pilots, flight attendants, and one or more passengers.<ref name="911-ch1">''The 9/11 Commission Report'', pp. 4–14.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 6, 2002 |title=Encore Presentation: Barbara Olson Remembered |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0201/06/lklw.00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172447/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0201/06/lklw.00.html%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 1, 2011 |work=CNN}}</ref> According to the 9/11 Commission's final report, the hijackers had recently purchased multi-function hand tools and assorted ]-type utility knives with locking blades (which were not forbidden to passengers at the time), but these were not found among the possessions left behind by the hijackers.<ref name="commission">{{Cite web |date=January 27, 2004 |title=National Commission Upon Terrorist Attacks in the United States |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing7/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-01-27.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905073043/http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing7/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-01-27.htm |archive-date=September 5, 2011 |access-date=January 24, 2008 |publisher=National Commission Upon Terrorist Attacks in the United States}}</ref><ref>Summers and Swan (2011), p. 343.</ref> A flight attendant on Flight 11, a passenger on Flight 175, and passengers on Flight 93 said the hijackers had bombs, but one of the passengers said he thought the bombs were fake. The FBI found no traces of explosives at the crash sites, and the 9/11 Commission concluded that the bombs were probably fake.<ref name="911-ch1" /> On at least two of the hijacked flights—American 11 and United 93—the terrorists claimed over the PA system that they were taking hostages and were returning to the airport to have a ransom demand met, a clear attempt to prevent passengers from fighting back. Both attempts failed, however, as both hijacker pilots in these instances (Mohamed Atta<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flight Path Study – American Airlines Flight 11 |url=http://www.ntsb.gov/about/Documents/Flight_Path_Study_AA11.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105103018/http://www.ntsb.gov/about/Documents/Flight_Path_Study_AA11.pdf |archive-date=November 5, 2015 |access-date=November 29, 2022 |publisher=]}}</ref> and Ziad Jarrah,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hirschkorn |first=Phil |date=April 12, 2006 |title=On tape, passengers heard trying to retake cockpit |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/12/moussaoui.trial/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501233708/http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/12/moussaoui.trial/ |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |access-date=November 29, 2022 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> respectively) mistakenly transmitted their messages to ATC instead of the people on the plane as intended, tipping off the flight controllers that the planes had been hijacked.


] due to fire-induced structural failure. Although the South Tower was struck 17 minutes after the North Tower, the plane's impact zone was far lower, at a much faster speed, and into a corner, with the unevenly-balanced additional structural weight causing it to collapse first at 9:59&nbsp;a.m.,<ref>{{Cite journal |year=2005 |title=Final Reports from the NIST World Trade Center Disaster Investigation |url=https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |url-status=live |journal=NIST |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911011051/https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |access-date=December 7, 2023}}</ref>{{rp|80}}<ref name="finalreport">{{Cite web |year=2004 |title=Collapse of WTC2 |url=https://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912055527/https://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=9/11 Final Report of the National Commission}}</ref>{{rp|322}} having burned for 56 minutes{{efn|NIST and the 9/11 Commission both state that the collapse began at 9:58:59&nbsp;a.m., which is rounded to 9:59<ref>{{Cite journal |year=2005 |title=Final Reports from the NIST World Trade Center Disaster Investigation |url=https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |url-status=live |journal=NIST |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911011051/https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |access-date=December 7, 2023}}</ref>{{rp|84}}<ref name="finalreport" />{{rp|322}} for simplicity. If the commission's claim that the South Tower was struck at 9:03:11 is to be believed, then the collapse began 55 minutes and 48 seconds after the crash, not 56 minutes.}} in the fire caused by the crash of United Airlines Flight 175 and the explosion of its fuel. The North Tower lasted another 29 minutes before collapsing at 10:28&nbsp;a.m.,{{efn|The exact time of the North Tower's collapse initiation is disputed, with NIST dubbing the moment it began to collapse as being 10:28:22&nbsp;a.m.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-C13-4d4c17460292ee57ef313f6491fa8d1e/pdf/GOVPUB-C13-4d4c17460292ee57ef313f6491fa8d1e.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309172011/https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-C13-4d4c17460292ee57ef313f6491fa8d1e/pdf/GOVPUB-C13-4d4c17460292ee57ef313f6491fa8d1e.pdf |archive-date=March 9, 2023 |access-date=March 17, 2023 |publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology}}</ref> and the 9/11 Commission recording the time as 10:28:25.<ref name="DOD Cronk Biden Announces" />{{rp|329}}}} one hour and forty-two minutes{{efn|name=Time1}} after being struck by American Airlines Flight 11. When the North Tower collapsed, debris fell on the nearby ] building (7{{spaces}}WTC), damaging the building and starting fires. These fires burned for nearly seven hours, compromising the building's structural integrity, and 7{{spaces}}WTC collapsed at 5:21{{spaces}}p.m.<ref>''World Trade Center Building Performance Study'', Ch. 5 WTC 7{{snd}}section 5.5.4</ref>{{sfnp|''Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7''|2008|p=xxxvii}} The west side of the Pentagon sustained significant damage.
] damaged by fire and partly collapsed.]]
The ] across ] from the World Trade Center complex was later condemned due to the uninhabitable, toxic conditions inside the office tower, and is undergoing deconstruction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fema403_ch6.pdf |title=World Trade Center Building Performance Study - Bankers Trust Building |month=May | year=2002 |publisher=FEMA |accessdate=2007-07-12|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=The Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street | publisher=Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center| url=http://www.renewnyc.com/plan_des_dev/130Liberty/default.asp | accessdate=2007-07-12}}</ref> The ]'s Fiterman Hall at 30 ] was also condemned due to extensive damage in the attacks, and is slated for ].<ref>{{cite web| title = Lower Manhattan - Fiterman Hall| publisher = LowerManhattan.info| date= 2007-7| url = http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/fiterman_hall_39764.aspx | accessdate = 2007-07-10 }}</ref> Other neighboring buildings including ] and the ] suffered major damage, but have since been restored.<ref name="nyconstruction">{{cite web |url=http://newyork.construction.com/projects/TopProjects04/Verizon.asp |title=Verizon Building Restoration |publisher=New York Construction (McGraw Hill) |accessdate=2007-06-28}}</ref> ] buildings, ], the ], and ] had moderate damage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fema403_ch7.pdf|title=World Trade Center Building Performance Study - Peripheral Buildings |month=May | year=2002 |publisher=FEMA |accessdate=2007-07-12|format=PDF}}</ref> Communications equipment atop the North Tower, including broadcast radio, television and ] antenna towers, was also destroyed, but media stations were quickly able to reroute signals and resume broadcasts.<ref name="wtcstudy"/><ref>{{cite web| last=Bloomfield| first=Larry| url=http://sysdesignshowcase.broadcastengineering.com/ar/broadcasting_new_york_broadcasters| title=New York broadcasters rebuild| publisher=Broadcast Engineering| date=2001-10-01| accessdate=2008-05-18}}</ref> In ], a portion of the Pentagon was severely damaged by fire and one section of the building collapsed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build03/PDF/b03017.pdf |title=The Pentagon Building Performance Report |publisher=American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) |month=January | year=2003| accessdate=2008-05-20|format=PDF}}</ref>


At 9:42&nbsp;a.m., the ] (FAA) grounded all civilian aircraft within the continental U.S., and civilian aircraft already in flight were told to land immediately.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 22, 2004 |title=We have some planes |url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916171709/http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch1.pdf |archive-date=September 16, 2019 |access-date=July 5, 2015 |work=The 9/11 Commission Report}}</ref> All international civilian aircraft were either turned back or redirected to airports in Canada or Mexico, and were banned from landing on ] for three days.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Profiles of 9/11 – About 9/11 |url=http://www.biography.com/profiles-of-9-11/about911.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722151526/http://www.biography.com/profiles-of-9-11/about911.jsp |archive-date=July 22, 2011 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref> The attacks created widespread confusion among news organizations and air traffic controllers. Among unconfirmed and often contradictory news reports aired throughout the day, one of the most prevalent claimed a car bomb had been detonated at the U.S. State Department's headquarters in Washington, D.C.<ref name="errors2">{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Mark |date=August 26, 2002 |title=Three hours that shook America: A chronology of chaos |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/three-hours-shook-america-chronology-chaos/93600 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140130020702/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/three-hours-shook-america-chronology-chaos/93600 |archive-date=January 30, 2014 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=]}}</ref> Another jet (]) was suspected of having been hijacked, but the aircraft responded to controllers and landed safely in Cleveland, Ohio.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Marilyn |last2=Levin |first2=Alan |last3=Morrison |first3=Blake |date=August 13, 2002 |title=Part II: No one was sure if hijackers were on board |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-08-12-hijacker-daytwo_x.htm |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=]}}</ref>
===Rescue and recovery===
{{main|Rescue and recovery effort after the September 11 attacks}}
]
The ] (FDNY) quickly deployed 200 units (half of the department) to the site, whose efforts were supplemented by numerous off-duty firefighters and ].<ref name="mckinsey-ems">{{cite web |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/pdf/mck_report/ems_response.pdf |title=McKinsey Report - Emergency Medical Service response |publisher=FDNY / McKinsey & Company |date=August 9, 2002 |accessdate=2007-07-12|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="mckinsey-exec">{{cite web |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/pdf/mck_report/executive_summary.pdf |title=FDNY McKinsey Report - Executive Summary |month=August | year=2002 |publisher=FDNY / McKinsey & Company |accessdate=2007-07-10|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/pdf/mck_report/x7_fire_apparatus_deployment.pdf |title=Fire Apparatus Deployment on September 11 |publisher=FDNY / McKinsey & Company |month=August | year=2002 |accessdate=2007-07-10|format=PDF}}</ref> The ] (NYPD) sent ]s (ESU) and other police personnel, along with deploying its aviation unit.<ref name="mckinsey-nypd">{{cite web |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/mck_report/toc.html |title=McKinsey Report - NYPD |date=August 19, 2002 |accessdate=2007-07-10}}</ref> Once on the scene, the FDNY, NYPD, and Port Authority police did not coordinate efforts,<ref name="mckinsey-ems"/> and ended up performing redundant searches for civilians.<ref name="alavosius">{{cite journal |title=Unity Of Purpose/]: Private-Sector Preparedness In Times Of Terror |journal=Disaster Prevention & Management |author=Alavosius, Mark P., et al. |year=2005 |volume=14(5) |pages=pp. 666–680 |doi=10.1108/09653560510634098}}</ref> As conditions deteriorated, the NYPD aviation unit relayed information to police commanders, who issued orders for its personnel to evacuate the towers; most NYPD officers were able to safely evacuate before the buildings collapsed.<ref name="mckinsey-nypd"/><ref name="alavosius"/> With separate command posts set up and incompatible radio communications between the agencies, warnings were not passed along to FDNY commanders. After the first tower collapsed, FDNY commanders did issue evacuation warnings, however, due to ] with malfunctioning ] systems, many firefighters never heard the evacuation orders. ] dispatchers also received information from callers that was not passed along to commanders on the scene.<ref name="mckinsey-exec"/> Within hours of the attack, a substantial ] operation was launched. After months of around-the-clock operations, the ] was cleared by the end of May 2002.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/05/30/rec.wtc.cleanup/ |title=Ceremony closes 'Ground Zero' cleanup |date=2002-05-30 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2008-09-11}}</ref>


In an April 2002 interview, ] and ], who are believed to have organized the attacks, said Flight 93's intended target was the United States Capitol, not the White House.{{sfnp|Fouda|Fielding|2004|pp=158–159}} During the planning stage of the attacks, ] (Flight 11's hijacker and pilot) thought the White House might be too tough a target and sought an assessment from ] (who hijacked and piloted Flight 77).<ref name="The Eleventh Day pp 323">Summers and Swan (2011), p. 323.</ref> Mohammed said Al-Qaeda initially planned to target nuclear installations rather than the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but decided against it, fearing things could "get out of control".<ref name="AlQaedaplotted2002">{{Cite news |date=September 8, 2002 |title=Al-Qaeda 'plotted nuclear attacks' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2244146.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103031125/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2244146.stm |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref> Final decisions on targets, according to Mohammed, were left in the hands of the pilots.<ref name="The Eleventh Day pp 323" /> If any pilot could not reach his intended target, he was to crash the plane.<ref name="Chap7" />
==Attackers and their motivation==
{{seealso|Responsibility for the September 11 attacks|Hijackers in the September 11 attacks|Trials related to the September 11 attacks|20th hijacker}}
{{Muslims and controversies}}


=== Casualties ===
Within hours of the attacks, the ] was able to determine the names and in many cases the personal details of the suspected pilots and hijackers.<ref>{{cite book |title=] |last=Clarke |first=Richard A. |year=2004 |publisher=] |location=New York |isbn=0-743-26823-7 |pages=13–14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = FBI Announces List of 19 Hijackers | publisher = Federal Bureau of Investigation|date=September 14, 2001| url=http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/091401hj.htm| accessdate = 2006-09-07}}</ref> ]'s luggage, which did not make the connection from his Portland flight onto Flight 11, contained papers that revealed the identity of all 19 hijackers (all men), and other important clues about their plans, motives, and backgrounds.<ref>{{cite news |author=Dorman, Michael |url=http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uslugg274705186apr17,0,6096142.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-print |title=Unraveling 9-11 was in the bags |publisher=] |date=2006-04-17 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> On the day of the attacks, the ] intercepted communications that pointed to ], as did ] agencies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Piece by Piece, The Jigsaw of Terror Revealed |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article218611.ece |publisher=] |date=2001-09-30 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Tagliabue |coauthors=Raymond Bonner |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE5DA173DF93AA1575AC0A9679C8B63 |title=A Nation challenged: German Intelligence; German Data Led U.S. to Search For More Suicide Hijacker Teams |publisher=The New York Times |date=2001-09-29 |accessdate=2008-05-21}}</ref> On September 27, 2001, the FBI released photos of the 19 hijackers, along with information about the possible nationalities and aliases of many.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/092701hjpic.htm |title=The FBI releases 19 photographs of individuals believed to be the hijackers of the four airliners that crashed on September 11, 01 |work=] |publisher=] |date=2001-09-27 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> Fifteen of the hijackers were from ], two from the ], one from ], and one from ].<ref>{{cite news| last=Johnston| first=David| title= Two years later: 9/11 Tactics; Official Says Qaeda Recruited Saudi Hijackers to Strain Ties| url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E4DD143BF93AA3575AC0A9659C8B63| date=2003-09-09| publisher=The New York Times| accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref> Mohamed Atta was the ringleader of the 19 hijackers.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Hamburg connection |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2349195.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2005-08-19 |accessdate=2008-10-03 }}</ref> The hijackers were well-educated, mature adults, whose belief systems were fully formed.<ref>{{cite web| last = Clayton| first = Mark| title = Reading into the mind of a terrorist| publisher = '']''| date= 2003-10-30 | url = http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1030/p11s01-legn.html| accessdate = 2007-07-06}}</ref>
{{Main|Casualties of the September 11 attacks|Lists of victims of the September 11 attacks}}
] |page=86 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911011051/https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> A similar photograph of a victim from the North Tower titled '']'' gained wide acclamation.]]
The attack on the World Trade Center's North Tower alone{{efn|The ]―often described as the second deadliest act of terrorism in history after 9/11―is said to have killed between 1,095 and 1,700 people.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 18, 2014 |script-title=ar:العراق.. 1095 جندياً مازالوا مفقودين منذ "مجزرة سبايكر" على أيدي "داعش" |trans-title=1095 soldiers still missing since the Speicher massacre by ISIS |url=http://arabic.cnn.com/middleeast/2014/09/18/iraq-isis-camp-speicher |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920011251/http://arabic.cnn.com/middleeast/2014/09/18/iraq-isis-camp-speicher |archive-date=September 20, 2014 |access-date=May 15, 2023 |work=CNN Arabic |language=ar}}</ref> The upper estimate would tie it with the attack on the World Trade Center's North Tower, but until the true death toll of the massacre becomes known, then the hijacking and crash of Flight 11 was the deadliest act of terrorism on record.}} made 9/11 the deadliest act of terrorism in history.<ref name="ourworldindata-terrorism-2996">{{Cite journal |last=Ritchie |first=Hannah |author-link=Hannah Ritchie |last2=Hasell |first2=Joe |last3=Mathieu |first3=Edouard |last4=Appel |first4=Cameron |last5=Roser |first5=Max |author-link10=Max Roser |date=July 28, 2013 |title=Terrorism |url=https://ourworldindata.org/terrorism |url-status=live |journal=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424230128/http://ourworldindata.org/terrorism/ |archive-date=April 24, 2016 |access-date=July 12, 2023 |quote=Airline hijackings: 2,996 people died as a result of the 9/11 attacks, making it the most fatal terrorist incident in recorded history.}}</ref> Taken together, the four crashes killed 2,996 people (including the hijackers) and injured thousands more.<ref name="CBC-Winnipegger">{{Cite news |date=September 9, 2011 |title=Winnipegger heads to NY for 9/11 memorial |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipegger-heads-to-ny-for-9-11-memorial-1.991431 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113021016/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipegger-heads-to-ny-for-9-11-memorial-1.991431 |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |access-date=November 13, 2013 |work=CBC News |quote=A total of 2,996 people died: 19 hijackers and 2,977 victims.}}</ref> The death toll included 265 on the four planes (from which there were no survivors); 2,606 in the World Trade Center and the surrounding area; and 125 at the Pentagon.<ref name="edition.cnn.com">{{Cite news |date=November 13, 2009 |title=Accused 9/11 plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed faces New York trial |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/13/khalid.sheikh.mohammed/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028165022/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/13/khalid.sheikh.mohammed/index.html |archive-date=October 28, 2014 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 16, 2006 |title=First video of Pentagon 9/11 attack released |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/16/pentagon.video/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923103317/http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/16/pentagon.video/index.html |archive-date=September 23, 2006 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=CNN}}</ref> Most who died were civilians, as well as 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, 55 military personnel, and the 19 terrorists.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stone |first=Andrea |date=August 20, 2002 |title=Military's aid and comfort ease 9/11 survivors' burden |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-08-20-pentagon_x.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627082049/http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-08-20-pentagon_x.htm |archive-date=June 27, 2012 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=September 11, 2001 Memorial |url=http://www.orgsites.com/va/asis151/Sep11Memorial.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326025722/http://www.orgsites.com/va/asis151/Sep11Memorial.pdf |archive-date=March 26, 2016 |website=New York State Intelligence Center}}</ref> More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks.<ref name="countries_deaths">{{Cite web |title=A list of the countries whose citizens died as a result of the attacks on September 11, 2001 |url=http://usinfo.state.gov/is/img/assets/4756/9_11onepager1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411152231/http://usinfo.state.gov/is/img/assets/4756/9_11onepager1.pdf |archive-date=April 11, 2008 |access-date=March 18, 2016 |publisher=]}}</ref>


In New York City, more than 90% of those who died in the towers had been at or above the points of impact. In the North Tower, between 1,344<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 10, 2003 |title=Two Years Later: The 91st Floor; The Line Between Life and Death, Still Indelible |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/10/us/two-years-later-the-91st-floor-the-line-between-life-and-death-still-indelible.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205201711/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/10/us/two-years-later-the-91st-floor-the-line-between-life-and-death-still-indelible.html |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |access-date=December 5, 2022 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> and 1,402 people were at, above or one floor below the point of impact and all died. Hundreds were killed instantly when the plane struck.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2004 |title=Heroism and Horror |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch9.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815141749/http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch9.htm |archive-date=August 15, 2007 |access-date=July 1, 2006 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States}}</ref> The estimated 800 people<ref name="102Mins">{{Cite news |last=Dwyer |first=Jim |last2=Lipton, Eric |date=May 26, 2002 |title=102 Minutes: Last Words at the Trade Center; Fighting to Live as the Towers Die |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/nyregion/102-minutes-last-words-at-the-trade-center-fighting-to-live-as-the-towers-die.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114063928/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/nyregion/102-minutes-last-words-at-the-trade-center-fighting-to-live-as-the-towers-die.html |archive-date=November 14, 2013 |access-date=December 5, 2022 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> who survived the impact were trapped and died in the fires or from smoke inhalation; fell or jumped from the tower to escape the smoke and flames; or were killed in the building's collapse. The destruction of all three staircases in the North Tower when Flight 11 hit made it impossible for anyone from the impact zone upward to escape. 107 people not trapped by the impact died.<ref name="NISTcasualties">{{harvp|Sunder|2005|p=48}}</ref> When Flight 11 struck between floors 93 and 99, the 92nd floor was rendered inescapable: the crash severed all elevator shafts while falling debris blocked the stairwells, ensuring the deaths of all 69 workers on the floor.
The FBI investigation into the attacks, code named operation ], was the largest and most complex investigation in the history of the FBI, involving over 7,000 ]s.<ref>{{cite web |author=Rolince, Michael E. |url=http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress03/rolince062403.htm |title=The Inspector General's Report and the September 11th Response |work=Federal Bureau of Investigation |publisher=United States Department of Justice |date=2003-06-24 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> Through interrogations of ] suspects in ], the FBI was able to link the hijackers to al-Qaeda.<ref>{{cite book |author=Wright, Lawrence |title=The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 |year=2006 |publisher=Alfred P. Knopf |pages=362–367 |quote=] conceded that he knew Shehhi and gave his Qaeda name, Abdullah al-Sharqi. He did the same with Mohammed Atta, Khaled al-Mihdhar, and four others}}</ref> The ] determined that al-Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden, bore responsibility for the attacks, with the FBI stating "evidence linking al-Qaeda and bin Laden to the attacks of September 11 is clear and irrefutable".<ref>{{cite web |author=Watson, Dale L. |url=http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress02/watson020602.htm |title=The Terrorist Threat Confronting the United States |work=Federal Bureau of Investigation |publisher=United States Department of Justice |date=2002-02-06 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> The ] reached the same conclusion regarding al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden's culpability for the September 11 attacks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page3682.asp |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040907150037/http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/page3682.asp |archivedate=2004-09-07 |title=Responsibility for the Terrorist Atrocities in the United States, 11 September 2001 |publisher=] |date=2001-11-14 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref>


In the South Tower, around 600 people were on or above the 77th floor when Flight 175 struck; few survived. As with the North Tower, hundreds were killed at the moment of impact. Unlike those in the North Tower, the estimated 300 survivors<ref name="102Mins" /> of the crash were not technically trapped, but most were either unaware that a means of escape still existed or were unable to use it. One stairway, ], narrowly avoided being destroyed, allowing 14 people located on the floors of impact (including ], a man who saw the plane coming at him) and four more from the floors above to escape. New York City ] operators who received calls from people inside the tower were not well informed of the situation as it rapidly unfolded and as a result, told callers not to descend the tower on their own.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/911commissionrep00nati/page/294 |title=The 9/11 Commission Report |date=July 22, 2004 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, W. W. Norton |isbn=978-0-393-32671-0 |edition=first |page= |access-date=January 24, 2014}}</ref> In total, 630 people died in the South Tower, fewer than half the number killed in the North Tower.<ref name="NISTcasualties" /> Of the 100–200 people witnessed jumping or falling to their deaths,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Desperation forced a horrific decision |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-09-02-jumper_x.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906201041/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-09-02-jumper_x.htm |archive-date=September 6, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2015 |work=USA Today}}</ref> only three recorded sightings were from the South Tower.<ref>{{Cite journal |year=2005 |title=Final Reports from the NIST World Trade Center Disaster Investigation |url=https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |url-status=live |journal=NIST |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911011051/https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/NCSTAR/ncstar1-5av1.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |access-date=December 7, 2023}}</ref>{{rp|86}} Casualties in the South Tower were significantly reduced because some occupants decided to leave the building immediately following the first crash, and because Eric Eisenberg, an executive at ], decided to evacuate the floors occupied by AON (92 and 98–105) following the impact of Flight 11. The 17-minute gap allowed over 900 of the 1,100 AON employees present to evacuate from above the 77th floor before the South Tower was struck; Eisenberg was among the nearly 200 who did not escape. Similar pre-impact evacuations were carried out by ], ], and Euro Brokers, all of whom had offices on floors above the point of impact. The failure to order a full evacuation of the South Tower after the first plane crash into the North Tower was described by '']'' as "one of the day's great tragedies".<ref name="Purpura 2007 p300">{{Cite book |last=Purpura |first=Philip |title=Security and Loss Prevention: An Introduction |publisher=Elsevier |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-08-055400-6 |edition=5th |page=300 |chapter=Life safety, fire protection, and emergencies |quote=Almost all the 600 people in the top floors of the south tower died after a second hijacked airliner crashed in the 80th floor shortly after 9{{spaces}}am The failure to evacuate the building was one of the day's great tragedies. |access-date=September 16, 2017 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ir4gbdZLlOEC&pg=PA300}}</ref>
===Al-Qaeda===
{{main|Al-Qaeda}}
The origins of al-Qaeda can be traced back to 1979 when the ] ] ]. Soon after the invasion, Osama bin Laden traveled to Afghanistan where, with American government assistance,<ref name="US aid to mujahadeen">{{cite web |title=Frankenstein the CIA created |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/yemen/Story/0,2763,209260,00.html|date=January 17, 1999 |publisher=Guardian}}</ref> he helped organize Arab ] and established the ] (MAK) organization to resist the Soviets. In 1989, as the Soviets withdrew, MAK was transformed into a "rapid reaction force" in ] against governments across the Muslim world. Under the guidance of ], Osama bin Laden became more radical.<ref name="gunaratna-p23">{{cite book |author=Gunaratna, Ronan |title=Inside Al Qaeda |year=2002 |publisher=Berkley Books |pages=23–33}}</ref> In 1996, bin Laden issued his first ], which called for American soldiers to leave Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html |title=Bin Laden's Fatwa (1996) |publisher=PBS |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref>


As exemplified in the photograph '']'', more than 200 people fell to their deaths from the burning towers, most of whom were forced to ] to escape the extreme heat, fire and smoke.<ref name="horrificdecision">{{Cite news |last=Cauchon |first=Dennis |last2=Moore |first2=Martha |date=September 2, 2002 |title=Desperation forced a horrific decision |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-09-02-jumper_x.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901152537/http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-09-02-jumper_x.htm |archive-date=September 1, 2012 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=USA Today}}</ref> Some occupants of each tower above the point of impact made their way toward the roof in the hope of helicopter rescue, but the roof access doors were locked.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Paltrow |first=Scot |date=October 23, 2001 |title=Could Helicopters Have Saved People From the Top of the Trade Center? |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1003784754436648720 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813051841/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1003784754436648720 |archive-date=August 13, 2021 |access-date=January 22, 2017 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> No plan existed for helicopter rescues, and the combination of roof equipment, thick smoke and intense heat prevented helicopters from approaching.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 18, 2004 |title=Poor Info Hindered 9/11 Rescue |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poor-info-hindered-9-11-rescue/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172234/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poor-info-hindered-9-11-rescue/ |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=CBS News}}</ref>
In a second fatwā issued in 1998, bin Laden outlined his objections to ] towards ], as well as the continued presence of American troops in ] after the ].<ref name="1998FatwaPBS">{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1998.html |title=Al Qaeda's 1998 Fatwa |work=] |publisher=] |accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref> Bin Laden used Islamic texts to exhort violent action against American military and citizenry until the stated grievances are reversed, noting "ulema have throughout Islamic history unanimously agreed that the jihad is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries."<ref name="1998FatwaPBS" />


At the World Trade Center complex, 414 emergency workers died as they tried to rescue people and fight fires, while another law enforcement officer was killed when United 93 crashed. The ] (FDNY) lost 343 firefighters, including a chaplain and two ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Unofficial Home Page of FDNY |url=https://nyfd.com/9_11_wtc.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408020920/https://nyfd.com/9_11_wtc.html |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |publisher=New York City Fire Department}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Deadliest incidents resulting in the deaths of 8 or more firefighters |url=https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Emergency-Responders/Firefighter-fatalities-in-the-United-States/Deadliest-incidents-resulting-in-the-deaths-of-8-or-more-firefighters |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328084413/https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Emergency-Responders/Firefighter-fatalities-in-the-United-States/Deadliest-incidents-resulting-in-the-deaths-of-8-or-more-firefighters |archive-date=March 28, 2019 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 11, 2002 |title=Congressional Record, Vol. 148, No. 76 |url=https://www.congress.gov/107/crec/2002/06/11/CREC-2002-06-11.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324004649/https://www.congress.gov/107/crec/2002/06/11/CREC-2002-06-11.pdf |archive-date=March 24, 2022 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |publisher=Government Printing Office |page=H3312 |quote=]: That fateful Tuesday we lost 72 police officers, the largest single loss of law enforcement personnel in a single day in the history of our country.}}</ref> The ] (NYPD) lost 23 officers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 19, 2002 |title=Post-9/11 report recommends police, fire response changes |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-08-19-nypd-nyfd-report_x.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820043759/http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-08-19-nypd-nyfd-report_x.htm |archive-date=August 20, 2011 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=USA Today |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> The ] (PAPD) lost 37 officers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 21, 2002 |title=Police back on day-to-day beat after 9/11 nightmare |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/US/07/20/wtc.police/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113015111/http://edition.cnn.com/2002/US/07/20/wtc.police/ |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2013 |work=CNN}}</ref> Eight emergency medical technicians and paramedics from private emergency medical services units were killed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EMT & Paramedics |url=http://www.world-memorial.org/Tribute/EMS/medics.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203041213/http://www.world-memorial.org/Tribute/EMS/medics.html |archive-date=February 3, 2017 |access-date=August 18, 2015}}</ref> Almost all of the emergency personnel who died at the scene were killed as a result of the towers collapsing, with the exception of one who was struck by a civilian falling from the South Tower.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 11, 2021 |title=September 11, 2001: 5 first-hand stories from people who survived |url=https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/the-passionate-eye/september-11-2001-5-firsthand-stories-from-people-who-survived-1.6130622 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306234907/https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/the-passionate-eye/september-11-2001-5-firsthand-stories-from-people-who-survived-1.6130622 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |access-date=November 1, 2022 |work=CBC News}}</ref>
===Planning of the attacks===
{{main|Planning of the September 11 attacks}}
The idea for the September 11 plot came from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who first presented the idea to Osama bin Laden in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3128802.stm |title=Suspect 'reveals 9/11 planning' |publisher=BBC News |date=2003-09-22 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> At that point, Bin Laden and al-Qaeda were in a period of transition, having just relocated back to ] from ].<ref name="911-ch5">{{cite book |author=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |title=9/11 Commission Report |chapter=Chapter 5 |publisher=Government Printing Office |year=2004 |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch5.htm |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> The ] and Bin Laden's 1998 fatwā marked a turning point, with bin Laden intent on attacking the United States.<ref name="911-ch5"/> In late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden gave approval for Mohammed to go forward with organizing the plot. A series of meetings occurred in spring of 1999, involving Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Osama bin Laden, and his deputy ].<ref name="911-ch5"/> Mohammed provided operational support for the plot, including target selections and helping arrange travel for the hijackers.<ref name="911-ch5"/> Bin Laden overruled Mohammed, rejecting some potential targets such as the ] in ]<ref>{{cite book |title=] |author=] |year=2006 |publisher=Knopf |page=308}}</ref> because "there was not enough time to prepare for such an operation".<ref>{{citenews|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9404E7DF1031F933A15750C0A9659C8B63|title=Bin Laden Chose 9/11 Targets, Al Qaeda Leader Says|publisher=]|author=Litchblau, Eric|date=2003-03-20|accessdate=2008-06-25}}</ref>


] L.P. (an investment bank on the North Tower's 101st–105th floors) lost 658 employees, considerably more than any other employer.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 4, 2006 |title=Cantor rebuilds after 9/11 losses |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5282060.stm?lsf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406160843/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5282060.stm?lsf |archive-date=April 6, 2008 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref> ], located immediately below Cantor Fitzgerald on floors 93–100, lost 358 employees,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marsh & McLennan Companies 9/11 Memorial |url=http://memorial.mmc.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818143251/http://memorial.mmc.com/ |archive-date=August 18, 2011 |access-date=September 7, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Milestones of Marsh & McLennan Companies |url=http://www.mmc.com/about/history.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426233407/http://www.mmc.com/about/history.php |archive-date=April 26, 2014 |access-date=September 7, 2011}}</ref> and 175 employees of ] were killed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Siegel |first=Aaron |date=September 11, 2007 |title=Industry honors fallen on 9/11 anniversary |url=http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20070911/REG/70911011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114124815/http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20070911/REG/70911011 |archive-date=November 14, 2012 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=InvestmentNews}}</ref> The ] (NIST) estimated that about 17,400 civilians were in the World Trade Center complex at the time of the attacks.{{sfnp|Averill|2005|loc="Occupant Behavior, Egress, and Emergency Communications"}}{{Reference page|location=xxxiii}} Turnstile counts from the Port Authority suggest 14,154 people were typically in the Twin Towers by 8:45{{spaces}}a.m.{{sfnp|Dwyer|Flynn|2005|p=266}} Most people below the impact zone safely evacuated.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dwyer |first=Jim |last2=Lipton |first2=Eric |last3=Flynn |first3=Kevin |last4=Glanz |first4=James |display-authors=etal |date=May 26, 2002 |title=Last Words at the Trade Center; Fighting to Live as the Towers Die |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/nyregion/102-minutes-last-words-at-the-trade-center-fighting-to-live-as-the-towers-die.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912025748/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/nyregion/102-minutes-last-words-at-the-trade-center-fighting-to-live-as-the-towers-die.html |archive-date=September 12, 2009 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
Bin Laden provided leadership for the plot, along with financial support, and was involved in selecting participants for the plot.<ref>{{cite book |author=Bergen, Peter |title=] |publisher=Free Press |year=2006 |page=283}}</ref> Bin Laden initially selected ] and ], both experienced jihadists who fought in ]. Hazmi and Mihdhar arrived in the United States in mid-January 2000, after traveling to ] to attend the ]. In spring 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar took flying lessons in ], ], but both spoke little English, did not do well with flying lessons, and eventually served as "muscle" hijackers.<ref>{{cite book |author=Wright, Lawrence |title=The Looming Tower |year=2006 |publisher=Alfred P. Knopf |pages=309–315}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=McDermott, Terry |title=Perfect Soldiers: The 9/11 Hijackers |year=2005 |publisher=HarperCollins |pages=191–192}}</ref> In late 1999, a group of men from ], ] arrived in Afghanistan, including Mohamed Atta, ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Bernstein |title=On Path to the U.S. Skies, Plot Leader Met bin Laden |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/10/national/10PLOT.html?ex=1221624000&en=30bc6f683535b59f&ei=5070 |publisher='']'' |date=September 10, 2002 |accessdate=2008-09-16 }}</ref> Bin Laden selected these men for the plot, as they were educated, could speak English, and had experience living in the west.<ref>{{cite book |author=Wright, Lawrence |title=The Looming Tower |year=2006 |publisher=Alfred P. Knopf |pages=304–307}}</ref> New recruits were routinely screened for special skills, which allowed Al Qaeda leaders to also identify ], who already had a commercial pilot's license, for the plot.<ref>{{cite book |author=Wright, Lawrence |title=The Looming Tower |year=2006 |publisher=Alfred P. Knopf |page=302}}</ref>


In ], 125 Pentagon workers died when Flight 77 crashed into the building's western side. 70 were civilians and 55 were military personnel, many of whom worked for the ] or the ]. The Army lost 47 civilian employees, six civilian contractors, and 22 soldiers, while the Navy lost six civilian employees, three civilian contractors, and 33 sailors. Seven ] (DIA) civilian employees and one ] contractor died.<ref name="national">{{Cite web |date=August 21, 2004 |title=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903025127/http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/index.htm |archive-date=September 3, 2011 |access-date=September 8, 2006 |publisher=U.S. Congress}}</ref>{{sfnp|Goldberg et al.|2007|pp=208–212}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=September 11, 2001 Pentagon Victims |url=http://www.patriotresource.com/wtc/victims/pentagon.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190625175936/http://www.patriotresource.com/wtc/victims/pentagon.html |archive-date=June 25, 2019 |access-date=March 18, 2016 |publisher=Patriot Resource}}</ref> ], a ] and Army Deputy Chief of Staff, was the highest-ranking military official killed at the Pentagon.<ref name="arlington">{{Cite web |date=September 22, 2001 |title=Remembering the Lost: Timothy J. Maude, Lieutenant General, United States Army |url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/tjmaude.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523142334/http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/tjmaude.htm |archive-date=May 23, 2011 |access-date=April 16, 2001 |publisher=Arlington National Cemetery}}</ref>
Hanjour arrived in San Diego on December 8, 2000, joining Hazmi. They soon left for ], where Hanjour took refresher training. Marwan al-Shehhi arrived at the end of May 2000, while Atta arrived on June 3, 2000, and Jarrah arrived on June 27, 2000. Binalshibh applied several times for a visa to the United States, but as a ]i, he was rejected out of concerns he would overstay his visa and remain as an ]. Binalshibh remained in Hamburg, providing coordination between Atta and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The three ] members all took pilot training in south ]. In spring 2001, the muscle hijackers began arriving in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/911_TerrTrav_Monograph.pdf |format=PDF|title=Staff Monograph on 9/11 and Terrorist Travel |publisher=9/11 Commission |year=2004}}</ref> In July 2001, Atta met with Binalshibh in ], where they coordinated details of the plot, including final target selection. Binalshibh also passed along Bin Laden's wish for the attacks to be carried out as soon as possible.<ref name="irujo">{{cite news |url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/Atta/recibio/Tarragona/joyas/miembros/comando/11-S/hiciesen/pasar/ricos/saudies/elpepiesp/20040321elpepinac_11/Tes/ |title=Atta recibió en Tarragona joyas para que los miembros del 'comando' del 11-S se hiciesen pasar por ricos saudíes |publisher=El Pais |date=2004-03-21 |author=Irujo, Jose Maria |accessdate=2008-09-15 |language=Spanish}}</ref>


Weeks after the attack, the death toll was estimated to be over 6,000, more than twice the number of deaths eventually confirmed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 30, 2001 |title=Source: Hijacking suspects linked to Afghanistan |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/09/29/gen.america.under.attack/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225171616/http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/09/29/gen.america.under.attack/index.html%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=CNN}}</ref> The city was only able to identify remains for about 1,600 of the World Trade Center victims. The medical examiner's office collected "about 10,000 unidentified bone and tissue fragments that cannot be matched to the list of the dead".<ref name="CBS2">{{Cite news |date=February 23, 2005 |title=Ground Zero Forensic Work Ends |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ground-zero-forensic-work-ends/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172509/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ground-zero-forensic-work-ends/ |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |work=CBS News}}</ref> Bone fragments were still being found in 2006 by workers who were preparing to demolish the damaged ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 14, 2006 |title=Bone fragments from 9/11 found on skyscraper roof |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/apr/15/september11.usa |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
===Osama bin Laden===
{{main|Videos of Osama bin Laden}}
{{Wikinewspar|Wikileaks obtains 10 years of messages, interviews from Osama bin Laden translated by CIA}}
Osama bin Laden's declaration of a ] against the United States, and a ] and others calling for the killing of American civilians in 1998, are seen by investigators as evidence of his motivation to commit such acts.<ref>{{cite book |author=Gunarathna, Rohan |title=Inside Al Qaeda, Global Network of Terror |year=2002 |publisher=Berkley Books |pages=61–62}}</ref>


In 2010, a team of anthropologists and archaeologists searched for human remains and personal items at the ], where 72 more human remains were recovered, bringing the total found to 1,845. DNA profiling continues in an attempt to identify additional victims.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Andrade |first=Mariano |date=August 25, 2011 |title=Scientists still struggle to identify 9/11 remains |url=http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/world-trade-center-remains-110826.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403064003/http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/world-trade-center-remains-110826.htm |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |access-date=September 5, 2011 |work=] |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lemre |first=Jonathan |date=August 24, 2011 |title=Remains of WTC worker Ernest James, 40, ID'd ten years after 9/11 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/remains-wtc-worker-ernest-james-40-id-ten-years-9-11-article-1.945620 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912163530/http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/remains-wtc-worker-ernest-james-40-id-ten-years-9-11-article-1.945620 |archive-date=September 12, 2012 |access-date=April 10, 2012 |work=New York Daily News}}</ref><ref name="DNAContinue">{{Cite news |last=Cuza |first=Bobby |date=June 11, 2011 |title=9/11 A Decade Later: DNA Matching Efforts To Continue At WTC Site |url=http://www.ny1.com/content/143516/9-11-a-decade-later--remains-from-wtc-tested-by-latest-dna-tech |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920211012/http://www.ny1.com/content/143516/9-11-a-decade-later--remains-from-wtc-tested-by-latest-dna-tech |archive-date=September 20, 2014 |access-date=September 21, 2011 |work=]}}</ref> In 2014, three coffin-size cases carrying 7,930 unidentified remains were transferred to a medical examiner's repository located at the same site as the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farrell |first=Stephen |date=May 10, 2014 |title=In 'Ceremonial Transfer,' Remains of 9/11 Victims Are Moved to Memorial |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/nyregion/remains-of-9-11-victims-are-transferred-to-trade-center-site.html |access-date=May 21, 2024 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Victims' families are permitted to visit a private "reflection room" which is closed to the public. The choice to place the remains in an underground area attached to a museum has been controversial; families of some victims have attempted to have the remains instead interred in a separate, above-ground monument.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Paolicelli |first=Alyssa |date=September 11, 2023 |title=Some families of unidentified 9/11 victims want remains moved above ground |url=https://ny1.com/nyc/manhattan/news/2023/09/08/some-families-of-unidentified-9-11-victims-want-remains-moved-above-ground |access-date=May 20, 2024 |work=NY1}}</ref>
Bin Laden initially denied, but later admitted, involvement in the incidents.<ref name="cbc-2004"/><ref name="ajNov2004">{{cite news |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070613014620/http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=7403 |archivedate=2007-04-10 |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=7403 |title=Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech |publisher=] |date=2004-11-02 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> On September 16, 2001, bin Laden denied any involvement with the attacks by reading a statement which was broadcast by ]'s ] satellite channel: "I stress that I have not carried out this act, which appears to have been carried out by individuals with their own motivation."<ref>{{cite web |title=Pakistan to Demand Taliban Give Up Bin Laden as Iran Seals Afghan Border |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html |publisher=] |date=2001-09-16 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> This denial was broadcast on U.S. news networks and worldwide.


In August 2017, the 1,641st victim was identified as a result of newly available DNA technology,<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 7, 2017 |title=9/11 victim identified 16 years on |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40855907 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129165713/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40855907 |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |work=BBC News}}</ref> and a 1,642nd during July 2018.<ref name="no1642">{{Cite news |date=July 26, 2018 |title="Finality": 9/11 victim's remains identified 17 years later |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/september-11-2001-attacks-remains-victim-scott-michael-johnson-identified/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324190315/https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/september-11-2001-attacks-remains-victim-scott-michael-johnson-identified/ |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |work=]}}</ref> Three more victims were identified in October 2019,<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 18, 2019 |title=New York 9/11 Victim Identified 18 Years After Attack |url=https://www.wnep.com/article/news/new-york-9-11-victim-identified-18-years-after-attack/523-5d8a00b6-4e72-4d47-a5c1-a9d8f89ec82c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808125056/https://www.wnep.com/article/news/new-york-9-11-victim-identified-18-years-after-attack/523-5d8a00b6-4e72-4d47-a5c1-a9d8f89ec82c |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=ABC WNEP-16}}</ref> two in September 2021<ref name="2021-Sep">{{Cite news |date=September 7, 2021 |title=2 new 9/11 victims identified through DNA testing, first new IDs since Oct. 2019 |url=https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/national/2-new-9-11-victims-identified-through-dna-testing-first-new-ids-since-oct-2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908004755/https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/national/2-new-9-11-victims-identified-through-dna-testing-first-new-ids-since-oct-2019 |archive-date=September 8, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2021}}</ref> and an additional two in September 2023.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Sottile |first=Zoe |last2=Sgueglia |first2=Kristina |date=September 8, 2023 |title=Two new 9/11 victims identified, the first identifications in two years |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/08/us/september-11-new-victim-identifications/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024141323/https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/08/us/september-11-new-victim-identifications/index.html |archive-date=October 24, 2023 |access-date=September 10, 2023 |work=CNN}}</ref> As of September 2023, 1,104 victims remain unidentified,<ref name=":0" /> amounting to 40% of the deaths in the World Trade Center attacks.<ref name="2021-Sep" /> On September 25, 2023, the FDNY reported that the department had now lost the same number of members to 9/11-related illnesses as it did on the day of the attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 25, 2023 |title=FDNY loses 343rd member to 9/11 related illness – as many as died on day of attacks |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/fdny-loses-343rd-member-to-911-related-illness-as-many-as-died-on-day-of-attacks/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230925140642/https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/fdny-loses-343rd-member-to-911-related-illness-as-many-as-died-on-day-of-attacks/ |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=September 25, 2023 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 25, 2023 |title=FDNY lives lost from 9/11-related illnesses now matches death toll from the day |url=https://abc7ny.com/fdny-death-toll-september-11-emt-911-related-illness/13824058/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230925140931/https://abc7ny.com/fdny-death-toll-september-11-emt-911-related-illness/13824058/ |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=September 25, 2023 |work=] |location=Albany, NY}}</ref>
In November 2001, U.S. forces recovered a videotape from a destroyed house in ], ], in which Osama bin Laden is talking to ]. In the tape, bin Laden admits foreknowledge of the attacks.<ref>{{cite news | title = Bin Laden on tape: Attacks 'benefited Islam greatly'| publisher = CNN| date= December 14, 2001| url = http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/12/13/ret.bin.laden.videotape/| accessdate = 2007-11-09 |quote=Reveling in the details of the fatal attacks, bin Laden brags in Arabic that he knew about them beforehand and says the destruction went beyond his hopes. He says the attacks "benefited Islam greatly".}}</ref> The tape was broadcasted on various news networks from December 13, 2001. His distorted appearance on the tape has been attributed to tape transfer artifact.<ref>{{cite website |author=Haas, Ed |title=Taking the fat out of the fat bin Laden confession video |date=March 7, 2007 |publisher=Muckraker Report |url=http://muckrakerreport.com/id372.html |accessdate=2008-05-01 }}</ref>


=== Damage ===
On December 27, 2001, a second bin Laden video was released. In the video, he states, "Terrorism against America deserves to be praised because it was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing America to stop its support for ], which kills our people", but he stopped short of admitting responsibility for the attacks.<ref>{{cite news | title = Transcript: Bin Laden video excerpts
{{further|Collapse of the World Trade Center|List of buildings damaged or destroyed in the September 11 attacks}}
| publisher = BBC News| date= December 27, 2001| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1729882.stm| accessdate = 2006-09-07}}</ref>
], called ], with an overlay showing the locations of the original buildings]]
The ], the ], 7{{spaces}}WTC, and ] were destroyed.<ref name="wtcstudy">{{Cite web |date=May 2002 |title=World Trade Center Building Performance Study |url=http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/wtcstudy.shtm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016101226/http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/wtcstudy.shtm |archive-date=October 16, 2010 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref> The U.S. Customs House (]), ], ], and both pedestrian bridges connecting buildings were severely damaged. All surrounding streets were in ruins.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Route 9A Reconstruction |url=https://www.stantec.com/en/projects/united-states-projects/r/route-9-reconstruction |access-date=June 28, 2024 |website=stantec.com}}</ref> The last fires at the World Trade Center site were extinguished on December 20.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 20, 2001 |title=Ground Zero stops burning, after 100 days |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/dec/20/september11.usa |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713032752/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/dec/20/september11.usa |archive-date=July 13, 2018 |access-date=May 5, 2018 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>


The ] was damaged and was later condemned as uninhabitable because of toxic conditions; it was deconstructed starting in 2007.<ref name="The Eleventh Day pp 75">Summers and Swan (2011), p. 75.</ref><ref name="130 Liberty Finally Gone from Ground Zero">{{Cite news |last=Chaban |first=Matt |date=February 9, 2011 |title=130 Liberty Finally Gone from Ground Zero |url=http://www.commercialobserver.com/2011/02/130-liberty-finally-gone-from-ground-zero/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511062921/http://commercialobserver.com/2011/02/130-liberty-finally-gone-from-ground-zero/ |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |access-date=April 10, 2012 |work=]}}</ref><ref>''World Trade Center Building Performance Study{{snd}}Bankers Trust Building'', pp. {{page needed|date=September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street |url=http://www.renewnyc.com/plan_des_dev/130Liberty/default.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820043655/http://www.renewnyc.com/plan_des_dev/130Liberty/default.asp |archive-date=August 20, 2011 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |publisher=Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center}}</ref> Buildings of the ] were damaged.<ref name="The Eleventh Day pp 75" /> The ]'s Fiterman Hall was condemned due to extensive damage, and then reopened in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shapiro |first=Julie |date=August 27, 2012 |title=Students Return to Rebuilt Fiterman Hall 11 Years After 9/11 |url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120827/financial-district/students-return-rebuilt-fiterman-hall-11-years-after-911 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027125835/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120827/financial-district/students-return-rebuilt-fiterman-hall-11-years-after-911 |archive-date=October 27, 2017 |access-date=October 27, 2017 |work=DNAinfo New York}}</ref>
Shortly before the ], in a ], bin Laden publicly acknowledged al-Qaeda's involvement in the attacks on the U.S. and admitted his direct link to the attacks. He said that the attacks were carried out because "we are free...and want to regain freedom for our nation. As you undermine our security we undermine yours."<ref>{{cite web |last=Michael |first=Maggie |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/terror/20041029-1423-binladentape.html |title=Bin Laden, in statement to U.S. people, says he ordered Sept. 11 attacks |work=The Associated Press |publisher=SignOnSanDiego.com |date=2004-10-29 |accessdate=2008-05-02}}</ref> Osama bin Laden says he had personally directed the 19 hijackers.<ref>{{cite news | title = Al-Jazeera: Bin Laden tape obtained in Pakistan| publisher = MSNBC |date=October 30, 2004 | url = http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6363306/| accessdate = 2006-09-07}}</ref> In the video, he says, "We had agreed with the Commander-General Muhammad Atta, Allah have mercy on him, that all the operations should be carried out within 20 minutes, before Bush and his administration notice."<ref name="ajNov2004" /> Another video obtained by Al Jazeera in September 2006 shows Osama bin Laden with ], as well as two hijackers, ] and ], as they make preparations for the attacks.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/09/07/al-qaeda-tape.html |title=Bin Laden 9/11 planning video aired |publisher=] |date=2006-09-07 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071013183902/http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/09/07/al-qaeda-tape.html |archivedate=2007-10-13 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref>


Other neighboring buildings (including ] and the ]) suffered major damage but have been restored.<ref name="nyconstruction">{{Cite web |title=Verizon Building Restoration |url=http://newyork.construction.com/projects/TopProjects04/Verizon.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511183933/http://newyork.construction.com/projects/TopProjects04/Verizon.asp |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |publisher=New York Construction, McGraw Hill}}</ref> ] buildings, ], the ], and 90 Church Street had moderate damage and have been restored.<ref>''World Trade Center Building Performance Study{{snd}}Peripheral Buildings'', pp. {{page needed|date=September 2020}}</ref> Communications equipment on top of the North Tower was also destroyed, with only ] maintaining a backup transmitter on the ], but media stations were quickly able to reroute the signals and resume their broadcasts.<ref name="wtcstudy" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bloomfield |first=Larry |date=October 1, 2001 |title=New York broadcasters rebuild |url=http://sysdesignshowcase.broadcastengineering.com/ar/broadcasting_new_york_broadcasters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604040210/http://sysdesignshowcase.broadcastengineering.com/ar/broadcasting_new_york_broadcasters |archive-date=June 4, 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=Broadcast Engineering}}</ref>
===Khalid Sheikh Mohammed===
] during cleanup operations]]
] after his capture in Pakistan]]
The ] train system's ] was located under the complex and was demolished when the towers collapsed. The tunnels leading to ] in ] were flooded with water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 11, 2009 |title=Downtown Restoration Program |url=http://www.panynj.gov/drp/wtcpath/pathinfo.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111002148/http://www.panynj.gov/drp/wtcpath/pathinfo.php |archive-date=January 11, 2009 |access-date=February 7, 2018 |publisher=The Port Authority}}</ref> The station was rebuilt as the $4{{spaces}}billion ], which reopened in March 2015.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 3, 2016 |title=World Trade Center transportation hub, dubbed Oculus, opens to public |url=http://abc7ny.com/1229181/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708162414/http://abc7ny.com/1229181/ |archive-date=July 8, 2018 |access-date=July 8, 2018 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2016 |title=Port Authority Announces Opening of World Trade Center Transportation Hub |url=http://www.panynj.gov/press-room/press-item.cfm?headLine_id=2353 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203034610/http://www.panynj.gov/press-room/press-item.cfm?headLine_id=2353 |archive-date=February 3, 2016 |access-date=January 29, 2016 |publisher=The Port Authority}}</ref> The ] on the ]'s ] was also in close proximity to the World Trade Center complex, and the entire station, along with the surrounding track, was reduced to rubble.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Randy |date=January 4, 2002 |title=Subway Line in Attack May Reopen Much Earlier |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/04/nyregion/subway-line-in-attack-may-reopen-much-earlier.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423024227/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/04/nyregion/subway-line-in-attack-may-reopen-much-earlier.html |archive-date=April 23, 2014 |access-date=February 7, 2018 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The station was rebuilt and reopened to the public on September 8, 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 8, 2018 |title=WTC Cortlandt Subway Station Reopens for 1st Time Since 9/11 Attacks |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/WTC-Cortlandt-Subway-Station-Reopens-for-1st-Time-Since-9-11-Attacks-492777501.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909111234/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/WTC-Cortlandt-Subway-Station-Reopens-for-1st-Time-Since-9-11-Attacks-492777501.html |archive-date=September 9, 2018 |access-date=September 8, 2018 |work=] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
The journalist ] of the Arabic television channel ] reported that in April 2002, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted his involvement, along with ], in the "Holy Tuesday operation".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html |title='We left out nuclear targets, for now' |publisher=The Guardian |date=2003-03-04 |accessdate=2008-05-20|quote=Yosri Fouda of the Arabic television channel al-Jazeera is the only journalist to have interviewed Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the al-Qaida military commander arrested at the weekend. Here he describes the two-day encounter with him and his fellow organiser of September 11, Ramzi bin al- Shibh: Summoning every thread of experience and courage, I looked Khalid in the eye and asked: ‘Did you do it?’ The reference to September 11 was implicit. Khalid responded with little fanfare: ‘I am the head of the al-Qaida military committee,’ he began, ‘and Ramzi is the coordinator of the Holy Tuesday operation. And yes, we did it.’}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html|title= Alleged 9/11 mastermind wants to confess to plot |publisher=Telegraph |date=2008-10-10 |accessdate=2009-07-06}}</ref><ref name=aljazeera2007/> The ] determined that the animosity towards the United States felt by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the "principal architect" of the 9/11 attacks, stemmed "not from his experiences there as a student, but rather from his violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel".<ref name="911-ch5">{{cite book |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch5.htm |chapter=Chapter 5 |title=9/11 Commission Report |author=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |year=2004}}</ref> Mohamed Atta shared this same motivation. Ralph Bodenstein, a former classmate of Atta described him as "most imbued actually about... U.S. protection of these ] in the region".<ref>{{cite video |title=Making of the Death Pilots |publisher=MSNBC-TV |date=March 2002}}</ref> ], a hijacker aboard Flight 11 with Mohamed Atta, said in his video will, "My work is a message those who heard me and to all those who saw me at the same time it is a message to the infidels that you should leave the Arabian peninsula defeated and stop giving a hand of help to the coward Jews in ]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/september11/oneyearon/story/0,,789253,00.html |title=Al-Qaida tape finally claims responsibility for attacks |publisher=] |date=2002-09-10 |accessdate=2007-05-07}}</ref>


The Pentagon was extensively damaged, causing one section of the building to collapse.<ref>''The Pentagon Building Performance Report'', pp. ??{{page needed|date=September 2020}}</ref> As the ] approached the Pentagon, its wings knocked down light poles and its right engine hit a power generator before crashing into the western side of the building.<ref>''Flight Path Study – American Airlines Flight 77'', pp. {{page needed|date=September 2020}}</ref><ref name="fdr">''American Airlines Flight 77 FDR Report'', pp. ??{{page needed|date=September 2020}}</ref> The plane hit the Pentagon at the first-floor level. The front part of the fuselage disintegrated on impact;{{sfnp|Goldberg et al.|2007|p=17}} debris from the tail section penetrated the furthest into the building, breaking through {{convert|310|ft|m|0}} of the three outermost of the building's five rings.{{sfnp|Goldberg et al.|2007|p=17}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maclean |first=John N. |date=June 1, 2008 |title=America Under Attack: A chronicle of chaos and heroism at the Pentagon |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052903149.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218104155/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052903149.html |archive-date=December 18, 2014 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref>
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was also an adviser and financier of a ], also on the World Trade Center. He is also the uncle of ], the lead bomber in that attack.


=== Rescue efforts ===
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested on March 1, 2003 in ], ] by Pakistani security officials working with the CIA, and is currently being held at ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html |title=Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Names Names |publisher=] |date=2003-03-24 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref> During US hearings in March 2007, which have been "widely criticized by lawyers and human rights groups as sham tribunals", Sheikh Mohammed again confessed his responsibility for the attacks, saying "I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm |title= Key 9/11 suspect 'admits guilt' |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-03-15 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref><ref name=aljazeera2007>{{cite news |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2007/03/200852512026300115.html |title=September 11 suspect 'confesses' |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=2007-03-15 |accessdate=2009-06-10}}</ref>
{{Main|Rescue and recovery effort after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center}}
{{See also|List of emergency and first responder agencies that responded to the September 11 attacks}}
] on its way to assist the site on September 11]]
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) deployed more than 200 units (approximately half of the department) to the World Trade Center.<ref name="mckinsey-exec" /> Their efforts were supplemented by off-duty firefighters and ]s.<ref name="mckinsey-ems">''McKinsey Report'', pp. 43–54, "Emergency Medical Service response
on September 11"</ref><ref name="mckinsey-exec">''McKinsey Report'', pp. 5–22, "Executive Summary"</ref><ref>''McKinsey Report'', pp. ??{{page needed|date=September 2020}}Exhibit 7, "Fire Apparatus Deployment on September 11"</ref> The New York City Police Department (NYPD) sent ] and other police personnel and deployed its aviation unit,<ref>''9/11 Commission Report'' (2004), pp. 291–292</ref> which determined that helicopter rescues from the towers were not feasible.<ref>''9/11 Commission Report'' (2004), pp. 286, 291–292</ref> Numerous police officers of the Port Authority Police Department&nbsp;(PAPD) also participated in rescue efforts.<ref>''9/11 Commission Report'' (2004), pp. 292–293.</ref> Once on the scene, the FDNY, the NYPD, and the PAPD did not coordinate efforts and performed redundant searches for civilians.<ref name="mckinsey-ems" />{{sfnp|Alavosius|Rodriquez|2005|pp=666–680}}


As conditions deteriorated, the NYPD aviation unit relayed information to police commanders, who issued orders for personnel to evacuate the towers; most NYPD officers were able to evacuate before the buildings collapsed.{{sfnp|Alavosius|Rodriquez|2005|pp=666–680}}<ref name="mckinsey-nypd">''McKinsey Report'', "NYPD", pp. ??{{page needed|date=September 2020}}</ref> With separate command posts set up and incompatible radio communications between the agencies, warnings were not passed along to FDNY commanders.<ref>''McKinsey Report'', pp. 7–9, 38</ref>
===Other al-Qaeda members===
In "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" from the trial of ], five people are identified as having been completely aware of the operation's details. They are Osama bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web| title=Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed| pages=p. 24| url=http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/notablecases/moussaoui/exhibits/defense/941.pdf| year=2006| work=]| publisher=United States Department of Justice| accessdate=2008-05-20|format=PDF}}</ref> To date, only peripheral figures have been tried or convicted in connection with the attacks. Bin Laden has not yet been formally indicted for the attacks.<ref>{{cite web| last=Clewley| first=Robin | title=How Osama Cracked FBI's Top 10| publisher=]| date=2001-09-27| url=http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/09/47109| accessdate=2007-07-06}}</ref>


After the first tower collapsed, FDNY commanders issued evacuation warnings. Due to ], many firefighters never heard the evacuation orders. 9-1-1 dispatchers also received information from callers that was not passed along to commanders on the scene.<ref name="mckinsey-exec" />
On September 26, 2005, the ] ] directed by judge ] sentenced ] to 27 years of imprisonment for ] on the 9/11 attacks and being a member of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. At the same time, another 17 al-Qaeda members were sentenced to penalties of between six and eleven years.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html| title=Spain jails 18 al-Qaeda operatives| publisher=]| date=2005-09-27| accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.forbes.com/finance/feeds/afx/2005/09/26/afx2243735.html| title=18 jailed in Spanish Al-Qaeda trial| publisher=]| date=2005-09-26| accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref> On February 16, 2006, the Spanish ] reduced the Abu Dahdah penalty to 12 years because it considered that his participation in the conspiracy was not proven.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://spain.usembassy.gov/terrorism2006en.html| title=Country Reports on Terrorism 2006| work=Embassy of the United States in Spain| publisher=United States Department of State| date=2007-10-02| accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref>


===Motive=== == Reactions ==
{{Main|Reactions to the September 11 attacks}}
The attacks were consistent with the overall mission statement of ], as set out in a 1998 fatwā issued by Osama bin Laden, ], ], ], and Fazlur Rahman.<ref name="fatwa98">{{cite web |url=http://cryptome.org/zawahri-wsj.htm |title= Saga of Dr. Zawahri Sheds Light On the Roots of al Qaeda Terror |publisher=] |date=2002-07-02 |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing10/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-04-13.htm |title=Tenth Public Hearing, Testimony of Louis Freeh| publisher=9/11 Commission| date=2004-04-13| accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref><ref name="JihadStatement">{{cite web| title=Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders: World Islamic Front Statement|date=February 23, 1998| url = http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm| accessdate = 2006-09-08 }}</ref> This statement begins by quoting the ] as saying, "slay the pagans wherever ye find them" and extrapolates this to conclude that it is the "duty of every Muslim" to "kill Americans anywhere".<ref name="JihadStatement"/> Bin Laden elaborated on this theme in his "Letter to America" of October 2002: "You are the worst civilization witnessed by the history of mankind: You are the nation who, rather than ruling by the Shariah of Allah in its Constitution and Laws, choose to invent your own laws as you will and desire. You separate religion from your policies, contradicting the pure nature which affirms Absolute Authority to the Lord and your Creator."<ref>{{cite web |title=Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America' |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver |date=2002-11-24 |publisher=The Guardian |accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref>
{{See also|Timeline for September following the September 11 attacks}}
] in ]]]
The 9/11 attacks resulted in immediate responses, including ]; ]; ]s; ]; and ]. Shortly after the attacks, the ] was created by an ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Feinberg |first=Kenneth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5j6N5LTz1N0C |title=Who Gets What: Fair Compensation after Tragedy and Financial Upheaval |publisher=] |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-58648-977-9 |location=New York}}</ref><ref>Feinberg, Kenneth. ''What is Life Worth?: The Unprecedented Effort to Compensate the Victims of 9/11'' (2005), Perseus Books Group.</ref> The purpose of the fund was to compensate the victims of the attacks and their families with their agreement not to file ]s against the airlines involved.<ref></ref> Legislation authorizes the fund to disburse a maximum of $7.375&nbsp;billion, including operational and administrative costs, of U.S. government funds.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=October 3, 2018 |title=September 11th Victim Compensation Fund: Compensation of Claims |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-10-03/pdf/2018-21490.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Federal Register |volume=83 |issue=192 |pages=49946–49947 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914183424/https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-10-03/pdf/2018-21490.pdf |archive-date=September 14, 2023 |access-date=April 9, 2019}}</ref> The fund was set to expire by 2020 but was in 2019 prolonged to allow claims to be filed until October 2090.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 23, 2019 |title=Senate votes to permanently extend 9/11 victims fund |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/23/jon-stewart-9-11-victims-fund-vote-1427399 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231125133852/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/23/jon-stewart-9-11-victims-fund-vote-1427399 |archive-date=November 25, 2023 |access-date=November 25, 2023 |work=Politico}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Barrett |first=Devlin |last2=Epstein |first2=Kayla |date=July 24, 2019 |title=Senate votes to extend 9/11 victims fund for first responders who've become sick since 2001 attacks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/senate-votes-to-extend-911-victims-fund-for-first-responders-whove-become-sick-since-2001-attacks/2019/07/23/c9fda47e-ad68-11e9-a0c9-6d2d7818f3da_story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529121120/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/senate-votes-to-extend-911-victims-fund-for-first-responders-whove-become-sick-since-2001-attacks/2019/07/23/c9fda47e-ad68-11e9-a0c9-6d2d7818f3da_story.html |archive-date=May 29, 2022 |access-date=November 25, 2023 |work=] |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
Many of the eventual findings of the 9/11 Commission with respect to motives have been supported by other experts. ] expert ] explains in his 2004 book, '']'', that U.S. foreign policy decisions including "confronting Moscow in Afghanistan, inserting the U.S. military in the Persian Gulf", and "strengthening Israel as a base for a southern flank against the Soviets" contributed to al-Qaeda's motives.<ref name="Clarke">{{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Richard |title=Against All Enemies |publisher=Free Press |year=2004 |location=New York |isbn=0-7432-6024-4 |page=35}}</ref> Others, such as ], foreign correspondent for '']'', focus on a more political aspect to the motive, stating that "bin Laden is an activist with a very clear sense of what he wants and how he hopes to achieve it. Those means may be far outside the norms of political activity but his agenda is a basically political one."<ref name="Burke">{{cite book |last=Burke |first=Jason |title=Al-Qaeda - The True Story of Radical Islam |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2004 |location=London, New York |pages=23, 162–163 |isbn=1-85043-666-5}}</ref>


=== Immediate response ===
A variety of scholarship has also focused on bin Laden's overall strategy as a motive for the attacks. For instance, correspondent ] argues that the attacks were part of a plan to cause the United States to increase its military and cultural presence in the Middle East, thereby forcing Muslims to confront the "evils" of a non-Muslim government and establish conservative Islamic governments in the region.<ref name="Bergen2">{{cite book |last=Bergen |first=Peter |title=The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader |publisher=Free Press |year=2006 |location=New York |isbn=0-7432-7891-7 |page=229}}</ref> Michael Scott Doran, correspondent for '']'', further emphasizes the "mythic" use of the term "spectacular" in bin Laden's response to the attacks, explaining that he was attempting to provoke a visceral reaction in the Middle East and ensure that Muslim citizens would react as violently as possible to an increase in U.S. involvement in their region.<ref>{{cite book |last=Doran |first=Michael Scott |title=Understanding the War on Terror |publisher=Norton |year=2005 |location=New York |pages=72–75 |isbn=0-87609-347-0}}</ref>
{{Further|U.S. military response during the September 11 attacks}}
{{See also|Communication during the September 11 attacks}}
] is briefed in ], where he learned of the attacks unfolding while visiting [[Emma E. Booker Elementary School|Emma E. Booker Elementary School<!-- MESSAGE TO POST-2094: When Paul J. Richards' copyright expires 70 years after his eventual death, this current image should be replaced with the one in the link below with a caption along the lines of:


"White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card informs President George W. Bush "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack" in Sarasota, Florida during a visit to Emma E. Booker Elementary School"
==Aftermath==
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/GettyImages-150092234%20copy%202.jpeg
] ] is briefed on the World Trade Center attack.]]
===Immediate response===
{{Seealso|Airport security repercussions due to the September 11 attacks|Closings and cancellations following the September 11 attacks|Aftermath of the September 11 attacks|Reactions to the September 11 attacks|U.S. military response during the September 11 attacks}}
The 9/11 attacks had immediate and overwhelming effects upon the American people.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stein |first=Howard F. |year=2003 |title=Days of Awe: September 11, 2001 and its Cultural Psychodynamics |journal=Journal for the Psychoanalysis of Culture and Society |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=187&ndash;199 |publisher=Ohio State University Press |location=Columbus, OH |issn=1088-0763 |doi=10.1353/psy.2003.0047 }}</ref> Many ]s and rescue workers elsewhere in the country took leaves of absence to travel to New York City to assist in the process of recovering bodies from the twisted remnants of the Twin Towers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Asthma Rates Up Among Ground Zero Workers |work=Associated Press |publisher=CBS News |date=2007-08-27 |accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> ]s across the U.S. also saw a surge in the weeks after 9/11.<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Glynn| first=Simone A.| title=Effect of a National Disaster on Blood Supply and Safety: The September 11 Experience| url=http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/289/17/2246?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1119520325357_713&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&volume=289&firstpage=2246&journalcode=jama | date=2003-05-07| journal=]| publisher=]| volume=289| issue=17| accessdate=2008-05-20| pmid=12734136| doi=10.1001/jama.289.17.2246| pages=2246}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Red Cross Woes| url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec01/redcross_12-19.html| date=2001-12-19| accessdate=2008-05-01| publisher=PBS}}</ref> For the first time in history, ] was invoked forcing all non-emergency civilian aircraft in the United States and several other countries including ] to be immediately grounded, stranding tens of thousands of passengers across the world.<ref name="Commission">{{cite web| title = Wartime| work = National Commission on Terrorists Attacks upon the United States| publisher = U.S. Congress| url = http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch10.htm| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref> Any international flights were closed to American airspace by the ], causing about five hundred flights to be turned back or redirected to other countries. Canada received 226 of the diverted flights and launched ] to deal with the large numbers of grounded planes and stranded passengers.<ref name='canadaflights'>{{cite press release| title=Actions taken following September 11 terrorist attacks |date=2001-12-11 |publisher=] |url=http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2001/01_h152e.htm |accessdate=2009-04-23}}</ref>


-->]].]]
===Military operations following the attacks===
] declares "The Pentagon is functioning".]]
{{main|War on Terrorism}}
At 8:32&nbsp;a.m., ] officials were notified Flight{{spaces}}11 had been hijacked and they, in turn, notified the ] (NORAD). NORAD scrambled two ] from ] in Massachusetts; they were airborne by 8:53&nbsp;a.m. Because of slow and confused communication from FAA officials, NORAD had nine minutes' notice, and no notice about any of the other flights before they crashed.
The ] council declared that the attacks on the United States were considered an attack on all NATO nations and, as such, satisfied Article 5 of the NATO charter.<ref>{{cite web| title = Statement by the North Atlantic Council| publisher = NATO|date=September 15, 2001| url = http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2001/p01-124e.htm| accessdate = 2006-09-08| quote="Article 5: The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. / Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security."}}</ref> Upon returning to Australia having been on an official visit to the US at the time of the attacks, Australian Prime Minister ] invoked Article IV of the ] treaty. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the Bush administration announced a ], with the stated goals of bringing Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice and preventing the emergence of other terrorist networks. These goals would be accomplished by means including economic and military sanctions against states perceived as harboring terrorists and increasing global surveillance and intelligence sharing. The second-biggest operation of the U.S. Global War on Terrorism outside of the United States, and the largest directly connected to terrorism, was the overthrow of the ] rule of ] by a U.S.-led coalition. The United States was not the only nation to increase its military readiness, with other notable examples being the ] and ], countries that have their own internal conflicts with ].<ref>{{cite paper| author = C. S. Kuppuswamy| title = Terrorism in Indonesia : Role of the Religious Organisation| publisher = South Asia Analysis Group | date= 2005-11-02| url = http://www.saag.org/%5Cpapers16%5Cpaper1596.html| format = ]| accessdate =2007-07-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Banlaoi |first=Rommel | contribution=Radical Muslim Terrorism in the Philippines |year=2006 |title=Handbook on Terrorism and Insurgency in Southeast Asia |editor-last=Tan |editor-first=Andrew |place=London |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing}}</ref> U.S. officials speculated on ] immediately afterwards.<ref name="IraqSuspect">{{cite news| title=Plans For Iraq Attack Began On 9/11| publisher=CBS News| date=2002-09-04| url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/09/04/september11/main520830.shtml| accessdate=2007-01-08}}</ref> Although these suspicions were unfounded, the association contributed to public acceptance for the ].<ref name="IraqSuspect" />


After both of the Twin Towers had been hit, more fighters were scrambled from ] in Virginia at 9:30&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="norad">{{Cite web |title=We Have Some Planes |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |access-date=September 9, 2011 |website=The 9/11 Commission Report |publisher=9/11 Commission |pages=20–42}}</ref> At 10:20&nbsp;am, Vice President ] issued orders to shoot down any commercial aircraft that could be positively identified as being hijacked. These instructions were not relayed in time for the fighters to take action.<ref name="norad" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 4, 2011 |title=Cheney: Order To Shoot Down Hijacked 9/11 Planes 'Necessary' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cheney-order-to-shoot-down-hijacked-9-11-planes-necessary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924140656/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/04/cheney-order-to-shoot-down-hijacked-11-planes-necessary/ |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=September 9, 2011 |work=Fox News Channel}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Schrader |first=Esther |date=June 18, 2004 |title=Cheney Gave Order to Shoot Down Jets |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-18-na-cheney18-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811141540/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jun/18/nation/na-cheney18 |archive-date=August 11, 2011 |access-date=September 9, 2011 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Some fighters took to the air without live ammunition, knowing that to prevent the hijackers from striking their intended targets, the pilots might have to intercept and crash their fighters into the hijacked planes, possibly ejecting at the last moment.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hendrix |first=Steve |date=September 8, 2011 |title=F-16 pilot was ready to give her life on Sept. 11 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/f-16-pilot-was-ready-to-give-her-life-on-sept-11/2011/09/06/gIQAMpcODK_story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905053526/http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/f-16-pilot-was-ready-to-give-her-life-on-sept-11/2011/09/06/gIQAMpcODK_story.html |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=September 9, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>
===Domestic response===
] on September 20, 2001]]
Following the attacks, President Bush's job ] soared to 90%.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/116500/Presidential-Approval-Ratings-George-Bush.aspx |title=Presidential Approval Ratings -- George W. Bush |date= |publisher=Gallup |author= |accessdate=2009-04-09}}</ref> On September 20, 2001, the U.S. president spoke before the nation and a ], regarding the events of that day, the intervening nine days of rescue and recovery efforts, and his intent in response to those events. In addition, the highly visible role played by ] ] won him high praise nationally and in New York.<ref>{{cite web| last = Pooley| first = Eric| title = Mayor of the World| work = Time 2001 Person of the Year| publisher = Time| url = http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/personoftheyear/| accessdate = 2006-09-08 }}</ref> Many relief funds were immediately set up to assist victims of the attacks, with the task of providing ] to the ] and to the families of victims, such as the Coalition of 9/11 Families. By the deadline for victim's compensation, September 11, 2003, 2,833 applications had been received from the families of those who were killed.<ref>{{cite web| last = Barrett
| first = Devlin| title = 9/11 Fund Deadline Passes| publisher =CBS News | date= December 23, 2003| url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/16/national/main593715.shtml| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref>


For the first time in U.S. history, the emergency preparedness plan ] (SCATANA) was invoked,<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 13, 2007 |title=NOTAMs/Flight Restrictions in Effect on September 13, 2001 |url=http://www.judicialwatch.org/archive/2007/Saudi%20Docs%202.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225071325/http://www.judicialwatch.org/archive/2007/Saudi%20Docs%202.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2014 |access-date=January 17, 2010 |publisher=Flight Data Center, Federal Bureau of Investigation |page=15ff}}</ref> stranding tens of thousands of passengers across the world.<ref name="Commission">{{Cite web |title=Wartime |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch10.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812081229/http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch10.htm |archive-date=August 12, 2011 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |website=National Commission on Terrorists Attacks upon the United States |publisher=U.S. Congress}}</ref> ], in his first day as the National Operations Manager of the ],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Andrew |date=October 4, 2006 |title=60 Seconds: Ben Sliney |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=20603&in_page_id=11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529141832/http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=20603&in_page_id=11 |archive-date=May 29, 2008 |access-date=April 13, 2010 |work=] |location=London}}</ref> ordered that American airspace be closed to all international flights, causing about 500 flights to be turned back or redirected to other countries. Canada received 226 of the diverted flights and launched ] to deal with the large numbers of grounded planes and stranded passengers.<ref name="canadaflights">{{Cite press release |title=Actions taken following September 11 terrorist attacks |date=December 11, 2001 |publisher=] |url=http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2001/01_h152e.htm |access-date=September 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020415131425/http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2001/01_h152e.htm |archive-date=April 15, 2002}}</ref>
{{Listen |pos=left |filename=GWBush Oval Office Address 20010911-1-.ogg |title=Statement by the President in his Address to the Nation |description=George W. Bush's address to the people of the United States, September 11, 2001, 8:30pm EDT. |format=]}}
Contingency plans for the ] and the evacuation of leaders were also implemented almost immediately after the attacks.<ref name="Commission"/> Congress, however, was not told that the United States was under a continuity of government status until February 2002.<ref>{{cite web| title = 'Shadow Government' News To Congress| publisher = CBS News| date= March 2, 2002| url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/03/01/attack/main502530.shtml| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref> Within the United States, Congress passed and President Bush signed the ] of 2002, creating the ], representing the largest restructuring of the U.S. government in contemporary history. Congress also passed the ], stating that it would help detect and prosecute terrorism and other crimes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/highlights.htm |title=The USA PATRIOT Act: Preserving Life and Liberty |accessdate=2008-09-12 |publisher=]}}</ref> Civil liberties groups have criticized the PATRIOT Act, saying that it allows law enforcement to invade the privacy of citizens and eliminates ] of ] and domestic ].<ref name="ACLUAdv">
{{cite press release| url=http://www.aclu.org/safefree/patriot/16745prs20030903.html| title=Uncle Sam Asks: "What The Hell Is Going On Here?"in New ACLU Print and Radio Advertisements| publisher=]| date=2003-09-03| accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Eggen| first=Dan| title=Key Part of Patriot Act Ruled Unconstitutional| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59626-2004Sep29.html| publisher=]| date=2004-09-30| accessdate=2008-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/26/patriot.act/index.html |title= Federal judge rules 2 Patriot Act provisions unconstitutional |accessdate=2008-05-19 |date=2007-09-26 |publisher=]}}</ref> The Bush Administration also invoked 9/11 as the reason to initiate a secret ] ], "to eavesdrop on telephone and ] communications between the United States and people overseas without a warrant".<ref>{{cite web| last = VandeHei| first = Jim| coauthors = Dan Eggen| title = Cheney Cites Justifications For Domestic Eavesdropping| publisher = Washington Post| date= January 5, 2006| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010400973.html| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref>


The 9/11 attacks had immediate effects on the American people.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stein |first=Howard F. |year=2003 |title=Days of Awe: September 11, 2001 and its Cultural Psychodynamics |journal=Journal for the Psychoanalysis of Culture and Society |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=187–199 |doi=10.1353/psy.2003.0047 |issn=1088-0763 |s2cid=144229311}}</ref> Police and rescue workers from around the country traveled to New York City to help recover bodies from the remnants of the Twin Towers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 10, 2009 |title=Asthma Rates Up Among Ground Zero Workers |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/asthma-rates-up-among-ground-zero-workers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112192716/http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-3207507.html |archive-date=November 12, 2013 |access-date=September 11, 2013 |work=] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Over 3,000 children lost a parent in the attacks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Coates |first1=S. |last2=Schechter |first2=D. |year=2004 |title=Preschoolers' traumatic stress post-9/11: Relational and developmental perspectives |journal=Psychiatric Clinics of North America |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=473–489 |doi=10.1016/j.psc.2004.03.006 |pmid=15325488}}</ref> Blood donations across the U.S. surged in the weeks after 9/11.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Glynn |first1=Simone A. |last2=Busch |first2=M. P. |last3=Schreiber |first3=G. B. |last4=Murphy |first4=E. L. |last5=Wright |first5=D. J. |last6=Tu |first6=Y. |last7=Kleinman |first7=S. H. |year=2003 |title=Effect of a National Disaster on Blood Supply and Safety: The September 11 Experience |journal=] |volume=289 |issue=17 |pages=2246–2253 |doi=10.1001/jama.289.17.2246 |pmid=12734136 |doi-access=free |collaboration=Nhlbi Reds Study Group}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 19, 2001 |title=Red Cross Woes |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec01/redcross_12-19.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905071729/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec01/redcross_12-19.html |archive-date=September 5, 2011 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=NewsHour |publisher=]}}</ref>
====Hate crimes====
Numerous incidents of harassment and ]s were reported against Middle Easterners and other "Middle Eastern-looking" people in the days following the 9/11 attacks.<ref name="Hate crime reports up in wake of terrorist attacks">{{cite web| title = Hate crime reports up in wake of terrorist attacks| publisher = CNN|date=September 17, 2001| url = http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/gen.hate.crimes/| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=485 |title=U.S. Officials Should Have Been Better Prepared For Hate Crime Wave
|accessdate=2008-09-11 |date=November 14, 2002 |publisher=]}}</ref> ]s were also targeted because Sikh males usually wear ]s, which are stereotypically associated with ]s in the United States. There were reports of ], attacks on mosques and other religious buildings (including the firebombing of a ]) and assaults on people, including one murder: ] was fatally shot on September 15, 2001. He, like others, was a Sikh who was mistaken for a Muslim.<ref name="Hate crime reports up in wake of terrorist attacks"/>


=== Domestic reactions ===
According to a study by ], people perceived to be Middle Eastern were as likely to be victims of hate crimes as followers of Islam during this time. The study also found a similar increase in hate crimes against people who may have been perceived as members of Islam, Arabs and others thought to be of Middle Eastern origin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,-1019-12850,00.html |title=Many minority groups were victims of hate crimes after 9-11 |accessdate=2008-09-11 |date=October 9, 2003 |publisher=]}}</ref>
{{Further|U.S. government response to the September 11 attacks}}{{multiple image
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====Muslim American reaction====
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Top Muslim organizations in the United States were swift to condemn the attacks on 9/11 and called "upon ] to come forward with their skills and resources to help alleviate the sufferings of the affected people and their families".<ref>{{cite web| last = American Muslim Leaders| title = Muslim Americans Condemn Attack| publisher = ISNA| url = http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=AM0109-335| accessdate = 2006-12-19}}</ref> Top organizations include: ], American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council, ], ], and the Shari'a Scholars Association of North America. In addition to massive monetary donations, many Islamic organizations launched blood drives and provided medical assistance, food, and residence for victims.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Beaulieu | first = Dan | title = Muslim groups around world condemn the killing of innocents | work = Agence France Presse -- English | date = 2001-9-12 | accessdate = 2008-11-19 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last = Davis | first = Joyce M. | title = Muslims condemn attacks, insist Islam not violent against innocents | work = Knight Ridder Washington Bureau | date = 2001-9-13 | accessdate = 2008-11-19 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last = Witham | first = Larry | title = Muslim groups decry attacks; No cause justifies the 'immoral' act, U.S. councils say | work = The Washington Times | date = 2001-9-12 | accessdate = 2008-11-19 }}</ref>
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Following the attacks, President George W. Bush's approval rating increased to 90%.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Presidential Approval Ratings – George W. Bush |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/116500/Presidential-Approval-Ratings-George-Bush.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402045152/http://www.gallup.com/poll/116500/presidential-approval-ratings-george-bush.aspx |archive-date=April 2, 2009 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=Gallup}}</ref> On September 20, 2001, he addressed the nation and a joint session of Congress regarding the events, the rescue and recovery efforts, and his intended response to the attacks. ] resulted in praise in New York and nationally.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Pooley |first=Eric |date=December 31, 2001 |title=Mayor of the World |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2020227_2020306_2022358,00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930062651/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2020227_2020306_2022358,00.html |archive-date=September 30, 2013 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |magazine=]}}</ref>
===International response===
] looks up at the remains of the South Tower.]]
The attacks were ] by ] and governments worldwide. Across the globe, nations offered pro-American support and solidarity.<ref>{{cite web| last=Hertzberg| first=Hendrik| title=Lost love| publisher=]| url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/09/11/060911ta_talk_hertzberg| date=2006-09-11| accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref> Leaders in most Middle Eastern countries, and Afghanistan, condemned the attacks. Iraq was a notable exception, with an immediate official statement that "the American cowboys are reaping the fruit of their ]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Attacks draw mixed response in Mideast|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/09/12/mideast.reaction/index.html|publisher=CNN.com|date=2001-09-12|accessdate=2007-03-30}}</ref> Another publicized exception was the celebration of some ].<ref>{{cite web|author=Saleh, Heba|title=Mixed response from Arab World|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1538861.stm|date=2001-09-11|accessdate=2008-05-04}}</ref>


Many relief funds were immediately set up to provide ] to the ] and the victims' families. By the deadline for victims' compensation on September 11, 2003, 2,833 applications had been received from the families of those killed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barrett |first=Devlin |date=December 23, 2003 |title=9/11 Fund Deadline Passes |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/9-11-fund-deadline-passes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826063644/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/16/national/main593715.shtml |archive-date=August 26, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=CBS News}}</ref>
Tens of thousands of people attempted to flee ] following the attacks, fearing a ]. Pakistan, already home to many Afghan refugees from previous Afghan conflict, closed its border with Afghanistan on September 17. Approximately one month after the attacks, the United States led a broad ] of international forces in the removal of the ] regime for harboring the ] organization.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. President Bush's speech to United Nations |publisher=CNN |date= November 10, 2001 |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/11/10/ret.bush.un.transcript/index.html |accessdate=2008-04-14}}</ref> The ]i authorities moved decisively to align themselves with the United States in a war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Pakistan provided the United States a number of military airports and bases for its attack on the Taliban regime and arrested over 600 supposed al-Qaeda members, whom it handed over to the United States.<ref>{{cite web| last = Khan| first = Aamer Ahmed| title = Pakistan and the 'key al-Qaeda' man| publisher = BBC| date= May 4, 2005| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4513281.stm| accessdate = 2006-09-08 }}</ref>


Contingency plans for the ] and the evacuation of leaders were implemented soon after the attacks.<ref name="Commission" /> Congress was not told that the United States had been under a continuity of government status until February 2002.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 2, 2002 |title='Shadow Government' News To Congress |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shadow-government-news-to-congress/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905080451/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/03/01/attack/main502530.shtml |archive-date=September 5, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=CBS News}}</ref>
Numerous countries, including the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] introduced "anti-terrorism" legislation and froze the ]s of businesses and individuals they suspected of having al-Qaeda ties.<ref>{{cite web| last=Hamilton| first=Stuart| title=September 11, the Internet, and the effects on information provision in Libraries| work=68th IFLA Council and Conference| date=2002-08-24| url=http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/papers/156-079e.pdf| format=pdf| accessdate=2006-09-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.g8.fr/evian/english/navigation/g8_documents/archives_from_previous_summits/kananaskis_summit_-_2002/g8_counter-terrorism_cooperation_since_september_11th_backgrounder.html|title=G8 counter-terrorism cooperation since September 11 backgrounder|accessdate=2006-09-14|publisher=Site Internet du Sommet du G8 d'Evian}}</ref> Law enforcement and ] in a number of countries, including ], ], ], and the ] arrested people they labeled terrorist suspects for the stated purpose of breaking up militant cells around the world.<ref>{{cite web| last = Walsh| first = Courtney C| title = Italian police explore Al Qaeda links in cyanide plot| publisher = Christian Science Monitor| date= March 7, 2002| url = http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0307/p07s02-woeu.html | accessdate =2006-09-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = SE Asia unites to smash militant cells| publisher = CNN| date= May 8, 2002| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/05/07/seasia.terror.pact/| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref> In the U.S., this aroused some controversy, as critics such as the ] argued that traditional restrictions on federal surveillance (e.g. ]'s monitoring of public meetings) were "dismantled" by the USA PATRIOT Act.<ref>{{cite web| last = Talanian| first = Nancy| title = A Guide to Provisions of the USA Patriot Act and Federal Executive Orders that threaten civil liberties| publisher = Bill of Rights Defense Committee| year= 2002| url = http://www.bordc.org/resources/repeal.pdf| format = pdf| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref> Organizations such as the ] and ] argued that certain ] protections were also being circumvented.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://action.aclu.org/reformthepatriotact/primer.html|title=Reform the Patriot Act -- Do not Expand It!|publisher=]|accessdate=2006-09-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/issues/2-terrorism/index.shtml|title=Liberty - Protecting Civil Liberties Promoting Human Rights : Terrorism|publisher=]|accessdate=2006-09-14}}</ref>


In the largest restructuring of the U.S. government in contemporary history, the United States enacted the ], creating the ]. Congress also passed the ], saying it would help detect and prosecute terrorism and other crimes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The USA PATRIOT Act: Preserving Life and Liberty |url=http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/highlights.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102035036/http://www.justice.gov/archive/ll/highlights.htm |archive-date=January 2, 2010 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref> Civil liberties groups have criticized the PATRIOT Act, saying it allows law enforcement to invade citizens' privacy and that it eliminates judicial oversight of law enforcement and domestic intelligence.<ref name="ACLUAdv">{{Cite press release |title=Uncle Sam Asks: "What The Hell Is Going On Here?" in New ACLU Print and Radio Advertisements |date=September 3, 2003 |publisher=] |url=https://www.aclu.org/national-security/uncle-sam-asks-what-hell-going-herein-new-aclu-print-and-radio-advertisements |access-date=April 10, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603123234/http://www.aclu.org/national-security/uncle-sam-asks-what-hell-going-herein-new-aclu-print-and-radio-advertisements |archive-date=June 3, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Eggen |first=Dan |date=September 30, 2004 |title=Key Part of Patriot Act Ruled Unconstitutional |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59626-2004Sep29.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020081006/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59626-2004Sep29.html |archive-date=October 20, 2013 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 26, 2007 |title=Federal judge rules 2 Patriot Act provisions unconstitutional |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/26/patriot.act/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172324/http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/26/patriot.act/index.html%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=CNN}}</ref>
The United States set up a detention center at ], ], to hold what they termed "]". The legitimacy of these detentions has been questioned by, among others, the ], the ], and ].<ref>{{cite web| title=Euro MPs urge Guantanamo closure| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5074216.stm| publisher=BBC News| date=2006-06-13| accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Mendez |first=Juan E. |author-link=Juan E. Méndez|date=2002-03-13 |title=Detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Request for Precautionary Measures, Inter-Am. C.H.R. |url=http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/cases/guantanamo-2003.html |publisher=] |accessdate=2008-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=USA: Release or fair trials for all remaining Guantánamo detainees|url=http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/usa-release-or-fair-trials-all-remaining-guant%C3%A1namo-detainees-20080502|publisher=Amnesty International|date=2008-05-02|accessdate=2008-05-04}}</ref>


To effectively combat future acts of terrorism, the ] (NSA) was given broad powers. The NSA commenced ] of telecommunications, which was sometimes criticized as permitting the agency "to eavesdrop on telephone and e-mail communications between the United States and people overseas without a warrant".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=VandeHei |first1=Jim |last2=Eggen |first2=Dan |date=January 5, 2006 |title=Cheney Cites Justifications For Domestic Eavesdropping |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010400973.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820073716/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010400973.html |archive-date=August 20, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> In response to requests by intelligence agencies, the ] permitted an expansion of powers by the U.S. government in seeking, obtaining, and sharing information on U.S. citizens as well as non-Americans around the world.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Charlie |last2=Poitras |first2=Laura |date=March 11, 2014 |title=How a Court Secretly Evolved, Extending U.S. Spies' Reach |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/us/how-a-courts-secret-evolution-extended-spies-reach.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312220916/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/us/how-a-courts-secret-evolution-extended-spies-reach.html |archive-date=March 12, 2014 |access-date=March 13, 2014 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
The international events and reactions immediately after the attacks had an effect on the impact of the ], which had ended in discord and international recriminations just three days before.<ref name=Schechter>{{cite book|pages=177–182|title=United Nations Global Conferences|author=Michael G. Schechter|year=2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0415343801}}</ref>


==== Hate crimes ====
As in the United States, the aftermath of the attacks saw racial tensions increase in other countries between Muslims and non Muslims<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1551868.stm</ref>. The most notable example occurred in the United Kingdom, where on September 21st, teenager ] was murdered by a gang of Muslims in a racist attack.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/dec/20/race.world</ref>
{{See also|Persecution of Muslims}}
Six days after the attacks, President Bush made a public appearance at ] where he acknowledged the "incredibly valuable contribution" of ] and called for them "to be treated with respect".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Freedman |first=Samuel G. |date=September 7, 2012 |title=Six Days After 9/11, Another Anniversary Worth Honoring |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/us/on-religion-six-days-after-9-11-another-anniversary-worth-honoring.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106125316/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/us/on-religion-six-days-after-9-11-another-anniversary-worth-honoring.html |archive-date=November 6, 2019 |access-date=March 12, 2015 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Numerous incidents of harassment and ]s against Muslims and ] were reported in the days following the attacks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New York City Commission on Human Rights |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/cchr/html/report.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040203071912/http://www.nyc.gov/html/cchr/html/report.html |archive-date=February 3, 2004 |access-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 25, 2011 |title=Post-9/11, US policies created atmosphere of fear for South Asians |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/post9-11-us-policies-created-atmosphere-of-fear-for-south-asians/836936 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526183307/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/post9-11-us-policies-created-atmosphere-of-fear-for-south-asians/836936 |archive-date=May 26, 2020 |access-date=October 23, 2011 |work=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref name="Hate">{{Cite news |date=September 17, 2001 |title=Hate crime reports up in wake of terrorist attacks |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/gen.hate.crimes |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127025019/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/gen.hate.crimes/ |archive-date=November 27, 2005 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |work=CNN}}</ref>


]s were also targeted due to their use of ]s, which are stereotypically associated with Muslims. There were reports of attacks on mosques and other religious buildings (including the firebombing of a ]), and assaults on individuals, including one murder: ], a Sikh mistaken for a Muslim, who was fatally shot on September 15, 2001, in ].<ref name="Hate" /> Two dozen members of Osama bin Laden's family were urgently evacuated out of the country on a private charter plane under FBI supervision three days after the attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bin Laden Family Evacuated |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bin-laden-family-evacuated/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411091619/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bin-laden-family-evacuated/ |archive-date=April 11, 2020 |access-date=January 30, 2019 |work=CBS News}}</ref>
===Conspiracy theories===
{{main|9/11 conspiracy theories}}
Proponents of ] have suggested that individuals inside the United States possessed detailed information about the attacks and deliberately chose not to prevent them, or that individuals outside of al-Qaeda planned, carried out, or assisted in the attacks. Some conspiracy theorists claim the World Trade Center did not collapse because of the crashing planes but was demolished through the use of explosives.<ref>{{cite news| last=Stillwell| first=Cinnamon| title=The Truth About 9/11 Conspiracy Theories| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2006/04/19/cstillwell.DTL&type=printable| publisher=]| date=2006-04-19| accessdate=2008-05-19}}</ref> This controlled demolition hypothesis is rejected by the ] and by the ], who, after their research, both concluded that the impacts of jets at high speeds in combination with subsequent fires caused the collapse of both Twin Towers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wtc.nist.gov/media/NIST_NCSTAR_1A_for_public_comment.pdf|title=Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7|month=August | year=2008|publisher=]|pages=p. 22-4|accessdate=2008-09-30|format=PDF}}</ref><ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.asce.org/pdf/5-1-02wtc_testimony.pdf |title=Testimony of Dr. W. Gene Corley |accessdate=2009-06-10 |date=2002-05-01 |format=PDF |publisher=American Society of Civil Engineers }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| last=Bazant| first=Zdenek P.| coauthors=Mathieu Verdure |month=March |year=2007 |title=Mechanics of Progressive Collapse: Learning from World Trade Center and Building Demolitions |journal=Journal of Engineering Mechanics |publisher=] | volume=133| issue=3| pages=pp. 308–319| url=http://www.civil.northwestern.edu/people/bazant/PDFs/Papers/466.pdf| doi=10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2007)133:3(308)| accessdate=2008-05-20|format=PDF}}</ref>


According to an academic study, people perceived to be ] were as likely to be victims of hate crimes as followers of Islam during this time. The study also found a similar increase in hate crimes against people who may have been perceived as Muslims, Arabs, and others thought to be of Middle Eastern origin.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 9, 2003 |title=Many minority groups were victims of hate crimes after 9-11 |url=http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,-1019-12850,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211050839/http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0%2C1370%2C-1019-12850%2C00.html |archive-date=December 11, 2008 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |publisher=]}}</ref> A report by the South Asian American advocacy group South Asian Americans Leading Together documented media coverage of 645 bias incidents against Americans of South Asian or Middle Eastern descent between September 11 and 17, 2001. Crimes such as vandalism, arson, assault, shootings, harassment, and threats in numerous places were documented.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2003 |title=American Backlash: Terrorist Bring War Home in More Ways Than One |url=http://www.saalt.org/attachments/1/American%20Backlash%20report.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203140832/http://static.911digitalarchive.org/REPOSITORY/OTHER_OBJECTS/6object.pdf |archive-date=December 3, 2010 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |publisher=SAALT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Thayil |first=Jeet |date=October 12, 2001 |title=645 racial incidents reported in week after September 11 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79281024.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511211812/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79281024.html |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |work=]}}</ref> Women wearing ] were also targeted.<ref name="HRW not enemy">{{Cite web |date=November 2002 |title=We Are Not the Enemy: Hate Crimes Against Arabs, Muslims, and Those Perceived to be Arab or Muslim after September 11 |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/usahate/usa1102-04.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522192143/https://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/usahate/usa1102-04.htm |archive-date=May 22, 2022 |access-date=June 7, 2022 |publisher=]}}</ref>
===US foreign policy and relations shifts===
As a result of the 9/11 attack, US foreign policy shifted abruptly and dramatically. As noted above, the attacks resulted directly in the declaration of the US ] beginning in 2001, and indirectly facilitated the declaration of the ] beginning in 2003. The 9/11 attack emboldened hawkish military planners such as the authors of the 'Doctrine of the preemptive military strike', and it was this military strategy which led to the prosecution of the ]. The 9/11 attack also caused the Bush Administration to significantly relax American standards of compliance with the Geneva Convention, resulting in authorizations of 'enhanced interrogation techniques' which included ] and other harsh methods which the Obama administration has since both called tantamount to ], and has banned.


==== Discrimination and racial profiling ====
During the first few years after the 9/11 attacks, international support for an aggressive response by the US ran high, however, as the years of the Bush administration seemed to run on without producing any of the promised results, i.e. the capture of Bin Laden, or the reduction of terrorism by Islamic extremists, international support for Bush administration policies seemed to wither and to even turn antagonistic. Ultimately, Bush left office with an international approval rating of his foreign policies of less than 20%. <ref name="Europe-Ratings"> Boston Globe, July 23, 2009, Retrieved: 2009-08-23.</ref> After the American 2008 election results indicated that Americans had grown weary of pursuing aggressive militaristic policies as a response to the 9/11 attacks, and after a government had been elected that had pledged to reverse such policies, popular international support for America began to rebound.<ref name="Europe-Ratings" />
{{Further|Detentions following the September 11 attacks|Islamophobia in the United States|Flying while Muslim}}
{{See also|Airport racial profiling in the United States}}
A poll of ] in May 2002 found that 20% had personally experienced discrimination since September 11. A July 2002 poll of Muslim Americans found that 48% believed their lives had changed for the worse since September 11, and 57% had experienced an act of bias or discrimination.<ref name="HRW not enemy" /> Following the September 11 attacks, many ] identified themselves as Indians to avoid potential discrimination and obtain jobs.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 7, 2010 |title=Pakistanis pose as Indians after NY bomb scare |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-timessquare-backlash/pakistanis-pose-as-indians-after-ny-bomb-scare-idUSTRE64655Y20100507 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114111303/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-timessquare-backlash/pakistanis-pose-as-indians-after-ny-bomb-scare-idUSTRE64655Y20100507 |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=March 23, 2020 |work=]}}</ref>


By May 2002, there were 488 complaints of ] reported to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). 301 of those were complaints from people fired from their jobs. Similarly, by June 2002, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) had investigated 111 September 11th-related complaints from airline passengers purporting that their religious or ethnic appearance caused them to be singled out at security screenings, and an additional 31 complaints from people who alleged they were blocked from boarding airplanes on the same grounds.<ref name="HRW not enemy" />
==Long-term effects==
===Economic aftermath===
{{main|Economic effects arising from the September 11 attacks}}
] spreads a large smoke plume]]
] of the World Trade Center ]]


==== Muslim American response ====
The attacks had a significant economic impact on the United States and world markets.<ref>{{cite web |author=Makinen, Gail |url=http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL31617.pdf |title=The Economic Effects of 9/11: A Retrospective Assessment |pages=p. 17 |date=2002-09-27 |work=Congressional Research Service |publisher=] |accessdate=2008-05-21|format=PDF}}</ref> The ] (NYSE), the ] (AMEX), and ] did not open on September 11 and remained closed until September 17. When the ]s reopened, the ] (DJIA) stock market index fell 684 points, or 7.1%, to 8921, a record-setting one-day point decline.<ref>{{cite web| title=Markets reopen, plunge| last=Barnhart| first=Bill| url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-010917markets,1,2882341.story| publisher=Chicago Tribune| date=2001-09-17| accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> By the end of the week, the DJIA had fallen 1,369.7 points (14.3%), its largest one-week point drop in history, though later surpassed in 2008 during the ].<ref name="MarkDec">{{cite news |first=Fernandez |last=Bob |title=U.S. Markets Decline Again |work=KRTBN Knight Ridder Tribune Business News |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=2001-09-22 |accessdate=2008-05-02}}</ref> U.S. stocks lost $1.4 trillion in value for the week.<ref name="MarkDec" /> This is equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1400000000000|2001|r=-6}}}} in present day terms.{{Inflation-fn|US}}
{{See also|Muslim attitudes towards terrorism|Peace in Islamic philosophy}}
Muslim organizations in the United States were swift to condemn the attacks and called "upon ] to come forward with their skills and resources to help alleviate the sufferings of the affected people and their families".<ref>{{Cite web |last=American Muslim Leaders |title=Muslim Americans Condemn Attack |url=http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=AM0109-335 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172342/https://www.islamicity.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=ISNA}}</ref> These organizations included the ], American Muslim Alliance, ], ], ], and the Shari'a Scholars Association of North America. Along with monetary donations, many Islamic organizations launched blood drives and provided medical assistance, food, and shelter for victims.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beaulieu |first=Dan |date=September 12, 2001 |title=Muslim groups around world condemn the killing of innocents |work=Agence France Presse}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Davis |first=Joyce M. |date=September 13, 2001 |title=Muslims condemn attacks, insist Islam not violent against innocents |agency=Knight Ridder Washington Bureau}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Witham |first=Larry |date=September 12, 2001 |title=Muslim groups decry attacks; No cause justifies the 'immoral' act, U.S. councils say |work=The Washington Times}}</ref>


==== Interfaith efforts ====
Economist and Crisis Consultant ] was retained by the city and state of New York to compute the economic damages to The World Trade Center site. He writes in his book, Strategy 360,<ref>{{cite book |last=Bell |first=Randall |title=Strategy 360 |url=http://www.Strategy360.com}}</ref> "The World Trade Center damages, estimated by the New York City Mayor's Office, were staggering:
Curiosity about Islam increased after the attacks. As a result, many mosques and Islamic centers began holding open houses and participating in outreach efforts to educate non-Muslims about the faith. In the first 10 years after the attacks, ] community service increased from 8 to 20 percent and the percentage of U.S. congregations involved in interfaith worship doubled from 7 to 14 percent.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 8, 2011 |title=From fear of Islam to outreach: how 9/11 prompted interfaith efforts |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2011/0908/From-fear-of-Islam-to-outreach-how-9-11-prompted-interfaith-efforts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827153610/https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2011/0908/From-fear-of-Islam-to-outreach-how-9-11-prompted-interfaith-efforts |archive-date=August 27, 2021 |access-date=August 27, 2021 |work=The Christian Science Monitor |issn=0882-7729}}</ref>
Clean up and stabilization of the WTC site - $9.0 billion;
Repairing and replacing damaged infrastructure - $9.0 billion;
Rebuilding the World Trade Center as smaller buildings - $6.7 billion;
Repairing and restoring other damaged buildings - $5.3 billion;
Lost rent of the destroyed buildings - $1.75 billion."


=== International reactions ===
In New York City, about 430,000 job-months and $2.8 billion in wages were lost in the three months following the 9/11 attacks. The economic effects were mainly focused on the city's ] economy sectors.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Dolfman, Michael L., Solidelle F. Wasser |journal=Monthly Labor Review |volume=127 |year=2004 |title=9/11 and the New York City Economy}}</ref> The city's ] was estimated to have declined by $27.3 billion for the last three months of 2001 and all of 2002. The Federal government provided $11.2 billion in immediate assistance to the ] in September 2001, and $10.5 billion in early 2002 for economic development and infrastructure needs.<ref name="crs-5">{{cite web |author=Makinen, Gail |url=http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL31617.pdf |title=The Economic Effects of 9/11: A Retrospective Assessment |pages=p. 5 |date=2002-09-27 |work=Congressional Research Service |publisher=] |accessdate=2008-05-21|format=PDF}}</ref>
] ] (''right'') with ] (''center'') at a commemoration service in New York City on November 16]]
The attacks were denounced by mass media and governments worldwide. Nations offered pro-American support and solidarity.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hertzberg |first=Hendrik |date=September 11, 2006 |title=Lost love |url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/09/11/060911ta_talk_hertzberg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606070654/http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/09/11/060911ta_talk_hertzberg |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |magazine=]}}</ref> Leaders in most Middle Eastern countries, as well as Libya and Afghanistan, condemned the attacks. Iraq was a notable exception, with an immediate official statement that "the American cowboys are reaping the fruit of their crimes against humanity".<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 12, 2001 |title=Attacks draw mixed response in Mideast |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/09/12/mideast.reaction/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813060324/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/09/12/mideast.reaction/index.html |archive-date=August 13, 2007 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |work=]}}</ref> The government of Saudi Arabia officially condemned the attacks, but privately many Saudis favored bin Laden's cause.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Summers |first1=Anthony |url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ |title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden |last2=Swan |first2=Robbyn |publisher=Ballantine |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9 |location=New York |page= |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="The Kingdom and the Towers">{{Cite web |last1=Summers |first1=Anthony |last2=Swan |first2=Robbyn |date=June 30, 2011 |title=The Kingdom and the Towers |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/08/9-11-2011-201108 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901235354/http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/08/9-11-2011-201108 |archive-date=September 1, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |website=]}}</ref>


Although ] (PA) president ] also condemned the attacks, there were reports of celebrations of disputed size in the ], ], and ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 12, 2001 |title=In pictures: Atrocities' aftermath |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1538664.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726224706/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1538664.stm |archive-date=July 26, 2008 |access-date=September 12, 2019 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Porter |first=Patrick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VE5yDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA139 |title=Blunder: Britain's War in Iraq |publisher=] |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-19-880796-4 |page=139 |access-date=September 12, 2019}}</ref> Palestinian leaders discredited news broadcasters that justified the attacks or showed celebrations,<ref name="fox1">{{Cite news |date=September 12, 2001 |title=Arafat Horrified by Attacks, but Thousands of Palestinians Celebrate; Rest of World Outraged |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/arafat-horrified-by-attacks-but-thousands-of-palestinians-celebrate-rest-of-world-outraged |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413170546/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34187,00.html |archive-date=April 13, 2008 |access-date=April 17, 2008 |publisher=Fox News}}</ref> and the Authority claimed such celebrations do not represent the Palestinians' sentiment.<ref>Palestinian Authority has muzzled coverage of Palestinian celebrations' (Middle East Newsline)<br />'Israel to AP: Release film of Palestinian celebrations' (Jerusalem Post/The Associated Press)<br />'Bin-Laden Poster Seen at Gaza Rally' (The Associated Press).</ref><ref name="FOX_Quash">{{Cite news |last=Donaldson |first=Catherine |date=September 13, 2001 |title=Palestinian Officials Quash Pictures of Arab Celebrations |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34346,00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505074246/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34346,00.html |archive-date=May 5, 2011 |access-date=September 11, 2011 |work=Fox News}}</ref> Footage by CNN{{vague|date=May 2020}} and other news outlets were suggested by a report originating at a Brazilian university to be from 1991; this was later proven to be a false accusation.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 16, 2008 |title=CNN statement about false claim it used old video – September 20, 2001 |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/20/cnn.statement/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416104012/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/20/cnn.statement/ |archive-date=April 16, 2008 |access-date=September 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2008 |title=Palestinians Dancing in the Street |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/false-footaging/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630180736/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/false-footaging/ |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |access-date=September 12, 2019 |website=]}}</ref> As in the United States, the aftermath of the attacks saw tensions increase in other countries between Muslims and non-Muslims.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 19, 2001 |title=Muslim community targets racial tension |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1551868.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321022930/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1551868.stm |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |access-date=April 11, 2012 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
The 9/11 attacks also hurt ]es in ] near the ], destroying or displacing about 18,000 of them. Assistance was provided by ] loans and federal government Community Development Block Grants and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.<ref name="crs-5" /> Some 31.9 million square feet of ] office space was damaged or destroyed.<ref>{{cite web| last=Hensell| first=Lesley| title=Tough Times Loom For Manhattan Commercial Market| url=http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20011214_downtown.htm| publisher=Realty Times| date=2001-12-14| accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> Many wondered whether these jobs would return, and the damaged ] recover.<ref>{{cite web| last = Parrott| first = James| title = The Employment Impact of the September 11 World Trade Center Attacks: Updated Estimates based on the Benchmarked Employment Data| publisher = The Fiscal Policy Institute| date= March 8, 2002| url = http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/Employment%20Impact%20of%20September%2011_Update.pdf| format = pdf| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref> Studies of the economic effects of 9/11 show that the Manhattan office real-estate market and office employment were less affected than initially expected because of the financial services industry's need for face-to-face interaction.<ref>{{cite web| last = Fuerst| first = Franz| title = Exogenous Shocks and Real Estate Rental Markets: An Event Study of the 9/11 Attacks and their Impact on the New York Office Market | publisher = Russell Sage Foundation|date=September 7, 2005| url = http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=800006| accessdate = 2007-05-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last = Russell| first = James S.| title = Do skyscrapers still make sense? Revived downtowns and new business models spur tall-building innovation.
| publisher = Architectural Record| date= November 7, 2004| url = http://archrecord.construction.com/innovation/2_Features/0411SkyscraperSense.asp| accessdate = 2007-05-10}}</ref>


] condemned the attacks and expressed readiness to take all necessary steps to respond and combat terrorism in accordance with their ].<ref name="SecCounc">{{Cite press release |title=Security Council Condemns, 'In Strongest Terms', Terrorist Attacks on the United States |date=September 12, 2001 |publisher=United Nations |url=https://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/SC7143.doc.htm |quote=The Security Council today, following what it called yesterday's "horrifying terrorist attacks" in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, unequivocally condemned those acts, and expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families and to the people and Government of the United States. |access-date=September 11, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909162055/http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/SC7143.doc.htm |archive-date=September 9, 2006}}</ref> Numerous countries introduced anti-terrorism legislation and froze bank accounts they suspected of al-Qaeda ties.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Stuart |date=August 24, 2002 |title=September 11, the Internet, and the effects on information provision in Libraries |url=http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/papers/156-079e.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911170808/http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/papers/156-079e.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=G8 counter-terrorism cooperation since September 11 backgrounder |url=http://www.g8.fr/evian/english/navigation/g8_documents/archives_from_previous_summits/kananaskis_summit_-_2002/g8_counter-terrorism_cooperation_since_september_11th_backgrounder.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927084019/http://www.g8.fr/evian/english/navigation/g8_documents/archives_from_previous_summits/kananaskis_summit_-_2002/g8_counter-terrorism_cooperation_since_september_11th_backgrounder.html |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref> Law enforcement and intelligence agencies in a number of countries arrested alleged terrorists.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Walsh |first=Courtney C. |date=March 7, 2002 |title=Italian police explore Al Qaeda links in cyanide plot |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0307/p07s02-woeu.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909191322/http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0307/p07s02-woeu.html |archive-date=September 9, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The Christian Science Monitor}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 8, 2002 |title=SE Asia unites to smash militant cells |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/05/07/seasia.terror.pact/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815074324/http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/05/07/seasia.terror.pact/ |archive-date=August 15, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=CNN}}</ref>
North American ] was closed for several days after the attacks and ] decreased upon its reopening, leading to nearly a 20% cutback in air travel capacity, and exacerbating financial problems in the struggling U.S. ] industry.<ref>{{cite web| last=Bhadra| first=Dipasis| coauthors=Pamela Texter| title=Airline Networks: An Econometric Framework to Analyze Domestic U.S. Air Travel| publisher=]| year=2004| url=http://www.bts.gov/publications/journal_of_transportation_and_statistics/volume_07_number_01/html/paper_06/| accessdate=2008-05-21}}</ref>


British Prime Minister ] said Britain stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 11, 2001 |title=Blair's statement in full |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1538551.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307034034/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1538551.stm |archive-date=March 7, 2022 |access-date=August 23, 2021 |work=BBC News}}</ref> In a speech to Congress nine days after the attacks, which Blair attended as a guest, President Bush declared "America has no truer friend than Great Britain".<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 20, 2001 |title=President Declares 'Freedom at War with Fear' |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225062850/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html |archive-date=February 25, 2008 |access-date=August 25, 2016 |publisher=The White House}}</ref> Subsequently, Prime Minister Blair embarked on two months of diplomacy to rally international support for military action; he held 54 meetings with world leaders.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 27, 2007 |title=Tony Blair's allegiance to George Bush laid bare |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tony-blairs-corrosive-allegiance-to-george-bush-laid-bare-for-the-first-time-6668892.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113071246/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tony-blairs-corrosive-allegiance-to-george-bush-laid-bare-for-the-first-time-6668892.html |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=August 23, 2021 |work=Evening Standard |location=London}}</ref>
===Health effects===
{{main|Health effects arising from the September 11 attacks}}
] and ] in ]]]
The thousands of tons of toxic debris resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers consisted of more than 2,500 contaminants, including known carcinogens.<ref>{{cite news| first=Anita |last=Gates |title=Buildings Rise from Rubble while Health Crumbles |publusher=] |date=2006-09-11 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/arts/television/11dust.html?ref=nyregionspecial3 |accessdate=2008-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/09/05/nyregion/20060905_HEALTH_GRAPHIC.html |title=What was Found in the Dust |publisher=] |date=September 5, 2006|accessdate=2006-09-08}}</ref> This has led to ] among rescue and recovery workers, which many claim to be directly linked to debris exposure.<ref name="DustDeath">{{cite web | title= New York: 9/11 toxins caused death | publisher= CNN.com| date=2007-05-24 | work= | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/24/wtc.dust/index.html | accessdate=2007-07-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/13/nyregion/13symptoms.html| title=Tracing Lung Ailments That Rose With 9/11 Dust| last=DePalma| first=Anthony| date=2006-05-13| publisher=The New York Times| accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> For example, NYPD Officer Frank Macri died of lung cancer that spread throughout his body on September 3, 2007; his family contends the cancer is the result of long hours on the site and they have filed for line-of-duty death benefits, which the city has yet to rule on.<ref>{{cite news| last=Shapiro| first=Rich| title=Cancer ends his fitness life after toil at the Pit| publisher=New York Daily News| date=2007-09-10| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/09/10/2007-09-10_cancer_ends_his_fitness_life_after_toil_.html| accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> Health effects have also extended to some residents, students, and office workers of Lower Manhattan and nearby ].<ref>{{cite web| title=Updated Ground Zero Report Examines Failure of Government to Protect Citizens| publisher=Sierra Club| year=2006| url=http://www.sierraclub.org/groundzero/| accessdate=2008-05-21}}</ref> Several deaths have been linked to the toxic dust caused by the World Trade Center's collapse and the victims' names will be included in the World Trade Center memorial.<ref>{{cite web| last=Smith| first=Stephen| url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/28/national/main4049362.shtml| title=9/11 "Wall Of Heroes" To Include Sick Cops| publisher=CBS News| date=2008-04-28| accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> There is also scientific speculation that exposure to various toxic products in the air may have negative effects on ]. Due to this potential hazard, a notable children's environmental health center is currently analyzing the children whose mothers were pregnant during the WTC collapse, and were living or working near the World Trade Center towers.<ref>{{cite web| title = CCCEH Study of the Effects of 9/11 on Pregnant Women and Newborns| work = World Trade Center Pregnancy Study| publisher = Columbia University| year= 2006| url =http://www.familiesofseptember11.org/docs/CCCEH%20Study%20Intro.pdf|accessdate=2008-04-14|format=PDF}}</ref>


The U.S. set up the ] to hold inmates they defined as "]". The legitimacy of these detentions has been questioned by the ] and human rights organizations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 13, 2006 |title=Euro MPs urge Guantanamo closure |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5074216.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172515/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5074216.stm%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mendez |first=Juan E. |author-link=Juan E. Méndez |date=March 13, 2002 |title=Detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Request for Precautionary Measures, Inter-Am. C.H.R. |url=http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/cases/guantanamo-2003.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172520/http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/cases/guantanamo-2003.html%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2, 2008 |title=USA: Release or fair trials for all remaining Guantánamo detainees |url=https://www.amnesty.org/press-releases/2008/05/usa-release-or-fair-trials-all-remaining-guantc3a1namo-detainees-20080502/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207114425/https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2008/05/usa-release-or-fair-trials-all-remaining-guantc3a1namo-detainees-20080502/ |archive-date=December 7, 2023 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=Amnesty International}}</ref>
Legal disputes over the attendant costs of illnesses related to the attacks are still in the court system. On October 17, 2006, ] ] rejected New York City's refusal to pay for health costs for rescue workers, allowing for the possibility of numerous suits against the city.<ref>{{cite news| first=Anthony |last=DePalma |title=Many Ground Zero Workers Gain Chance at Lawsuits |publusher=] |date=2006-10-18 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/18/nyregion/nyregionspecial3/18toxic.html?ref=nyregion |accessdate=2008-05-18}}</ref> Government officials have been faulted for urging the public to return to lower Manhattan in the weeks shortly following the attacks. ], administrator of the ] in the aftermath of the attacks, was heavily criticized for incorrectly saying that the area was environmentally safe.<ref>{{cite web |first=Larry |last=Neumeister |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2006/02/02/national/a142556S81.DTL |title=Judge Slams Ex-EPA Chief Over Sept. 11 |work=Associated Press |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2006-02-02 |accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> President Bush was criticized for interfering with EPA interpretations and pronouncements regarding air quality in the aftermath of the attacks.<ref>{{cite news | last = Heilprin| first = John| title = White House edited EPA's 9/11 reports| publisher = Seattle Post-Intelligencer| date = 2003-06-23| url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/136350_epa23.html?rand=26878.51| accessdate = 2008-04-12}}</ref> In addition, Mayor Giuliani was criticized for urging financial industry personnel to return quickly to the greater ] area.<ref>{{cite news| last=Smith| first=Ben| title=Rudy's black cloud. WTC health risks may hurt Prez bid| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2006/09/18/2006-09-18_rudy_s_black_cloud__wtc_heal.html| publisher=]| date=2006-09-18| accessdate=2008-05-21}}</ref>

On September 25, 2001, ]'s president ], meeting British Foreign Secretary ], said: "Iran fully understands the feelings of the Americans about the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11". He said although the American administrations had been at best indifferent about terrorist operations in Iran, the Iranians felt differently and had expressed their sympathetic feelings with bereaved Americans in the tragic incidents in the two cities. He also stated that "Nations should not be punished in place of terrorists".<ref>. The Official Site of the Office of the President of Iran. . September 25, 2001. Permanent Archived Link. The original page and URL are not available online now. ()</ref>

According to ]'s website, when the news of the attacks was released, some Iranian citizens gathered in front of the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran, which serves as the protecting power of the United States in Iran, to express their sympathy, and some of them lit candles as a symbol of mourning. Radio Farda's website also states that in 2011, on the anniversary of the attacks, the ] published a post on its blog, in which the Department thanked the Iranian people for their sympathy and stated that it would never forget Iranian people's kindness.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 11, 2011 |script-title=fa:تشکر وزارت خارجه آمریکا از همدردی ایرانیان با قربانیان ۱۱ سپتامبر |url=http://www.radiofarda.com/content/f12_us_state_department_thanks_iranian_sympathy_with_sept_11_victims_in_2001/24324962.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121163708/http://www.radiofarda.com/content/f12_us_state_department_thanks_iranian_sympathy_with_sept_11_victims_in_2001/24324962.html |archive-date=January 21, 2012 |access-date=June 30, 2016 |work=] |language=fa}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813021914/https://translate.google.com/translate?&sl=fa&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.radiofarda.com%2Fcontent%2Ff12_us_state_department_thanks_iranian_sympathy_with_sept_11_victims_in_2001%2F24324962.html |date=August 13, 2021 }}.</ref> After the attacks, both the President<ref>. ]. November 10, 2001 / 17:07. . Retrieved and archived on September 18, 2016, 15:45:04 UTC.</ref><ref>. ]. November 9, 2006. . Retrieved and archived on September 8, 2016; 18:31:08 UTC.</ref> and the Supreme Leader of Iran condemned the attacks. The ] and '']'' magazine published reports on holding candlelit vigils for the victims of Iranian citizens on their websites.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Corera |first=Gordon |date=September 25, 2006 |title=Iran's gulf of misunderstanding with US |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5377914.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215064710/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5377914.stm |archive-date=February 15, 2009 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |work=BBC News}} .</ref><ref> ''Time''</ref> According to '']'', following the attacks, ], the Supreme Leader of Iran, "suspended the usual ']' chants at ]" temporarily.<ref name="Politico 2013-11-19">{{Cite magazine |last=Slavin |first=Barbara |date=November 19, 2013 |title=34 Years of Getting to No with Iran |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/11/a-failure-to-communicate-100052.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129195150/http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/11/a-failure-to-communicate-100052.html |archive-date=January 29, 2014 |access-date=July 4, 2016 |magazine=Politico Magazine}}</ref>

=== Military operations ===
{{further|War on terror|US invasion of Afghanistan}}{{Events leading to the Iraq War}}
At 2:40&nbsp;pm on September 11, Secretary of Defense ] was issuing orders to his aides to look for evidence of Iraqi involvement. According to notes taken by senior policy official ], Rumsfeld asked for, "Best info fast. Judge whether they are good enough to hit S.H. at the same time. Not only UBL" .<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Bush's War |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/ |access-date=September 4, 2011 |series=Frontline |series-link=Frontline (U.S. TV series) |network=PBS |station=WGBH |date=March 24–25, 2008 |time=8:40 |transcript=Transcript |transcript-url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/etc/script.html |credits=Written, produced and directed by ], produced and reported by Jim Gilmore |location=Boston |archive-date=December 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211110930/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a meeting at ] on September 15 the Bush administration rejected the idea of attacking ] in response to the September 11 attacks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 9/11 Commission Report |url=http://avalon.law.yale.edu/sept11/911Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123013421/http://avalon.law.yale.edu/sept11/911Report.pdf |archive-date=November 23, 2015 |website=] |pages=334–336}}</ref> Nonetheless, they later ] with allies, citing "]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=President Discusses Beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030322.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111031010540/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030322.html |archive-date=October 31, 2011 |access-date=October 29, 2011}}</ref> At the time, as many as seven in ten Americans believed the Iraqi president played a role in the 9/11 attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 7, 2003 |title=US public thinks Saddam had role in 9/11 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/sep/07/usa.theobserver |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321084658/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/sep/07/usa.theobserver |archive-date=March 21, 2017 |access-date=March 20, 2017 |work=]}}</ref> Three years later, Bush conceded that he had not.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 12, 2006 |title=Bush: Saddam was not responsible for 9/11 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/sep/12/september11.usa2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321085103/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/sep/12/september11.usa2 |archive-date=March 21, 2017 |access-date=March 20, 2017 |work=]}}</ref>

The ] council declared that the terrorist attacks on the United States were an attack on all NATO nations that satisfied ] of the NATO charter. This marked the first invocation of Article 5, which had been written during the ] with an attack by the Soviet Union in mind.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 15, 2001 |title=Statement by the North Atlantic Council |url=http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2001/p01-124e.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172232/https://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2001/p01-124e.htm%20 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=NATO |quote=Article 5: The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in the exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.}}</ref> Australian Prime Minister ], who was in Washington, D.C., during the attacks, invoked Article IV of the ] treaty.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 2011 |title=ABC Conversations with Richard Fidler John Howard Interview Transcript |url=http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201109/r826557_7555516.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510233640/http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201109/r826557_7555516.pdf |archive-date=May 10, 2013 |access-date=January 25, 2013 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> The Bush administration announced a ], with the stated goals of bringing bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice and preventing the emergence of other terrorist networks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bush |first=George |date=September 20, 2001 |title=Text: President Bush Addresses the Nation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/bushaddress_092001.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813093643/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/bushaddress_092001.html |archive-date=August 13, 2021 |access-date=July 4, 2015 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> These goals would be accomplished by imposing economic and military sanctions against states harboring terrorists, and increasing global surveillance and intelligence sharing.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2003 |title=National Strategy for Combating Terrorism |url=https://www.cia.gov/news-information/cia-the-war-on-terrorism/Counter_Terrorism_Strategy.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224121111/https://www.cia.gov/news-information/cia-the-war-on-terrorism/Counter_Terrorism_Strategy.pdf |archive-date=February 24, 2015 |access-date=July 4, 2015 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref>

On September 14, 2001, the ] passed the ], which grants the President the authority to use all "necessary and appropriate force" against those whom he determined "planned, authorized, committed or aided" the September 11 attacks or who harbored said persons or groups. It is still in effect.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 18, 2001 |title=Public Law 107–40—Sept. 18, 2001: Joint Resolution To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States |url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ40/pdf/PLAW-107publ40.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207022906/https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ40/pdf/PLAW-107publ40.pdf |archive-date=December 7, 2018 |access-date=July 4, 2015 |publisher=107th Congress}}</ref>

On October 7, 2001, the ] began when U.S. and British forces initiated aerial bombing campaigns targeting ] and al-Qaeda camps, then later invaded Afghanistan with ground troops of the ].{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} This eventually led to the overthrow of the Taliban's rule of Afghanistan with the ] on December 7, 2001, by U.S.-led ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Military Operations in the Global War on Terrorism: Afghanistan, Africa, the Philippines, and Colombia |url=http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl32758.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923181625/http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl32758.pdf |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |access-date=July 5, 2015 |publisher=]}}</ref>

Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who went into hiding in the ], was targeted by U.S. coalition forces in the ],<ref name="BBC News 2011-07-11">{{Cite news |last=Corera |first=Gordon |date=July 21, 2011 |title=Bin Laden's Tora Bora escape, just months after 9/11 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14190032 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129165659/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14190032 |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |work=BBC News}}</ref> but he escaped across the ] and remained out of sight for almost ten years.<ref name="BBC News 2011-07-11" /> In an interview with ] on October 21, 2001, bin Laden stated: <blockquote>The events proved the extent of terrorism that America exercises in the world. Bush stated that the world has to be divided in two: Bush and his supporters, and any country that doesn't get into the global crusade is with the terrorists. What terrorism is clearer than this? Many governments were forced to support this "new terrorism"... America wouldn't live in security until we live it truly in Palestine. This showed the reality of America, which puts Israel's interest above its own people's interest. America won't get out of this crisis until it gets out of the Arabian Peninsula, and until it stops its ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Greenberg |first=Karen J. |title=Al Qaeda Now |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-521-85911-0 |location=New York |pages=192–206 |chapter=October 21, 2001 – Interview with Tayseer Alouni}}</ref></blockquote>

== Aftermath ==
{{Main|Aftermath of the September 11 attacks}}

{{See also|Post-9/11}}

=== Health issues ===
{{Main|Health effects arising from the September 11 attacks}}

]; a photograph of another dust-covered victim, ], subsequently gained much attention.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 11, 2021 |title=The tragic story of 'Dust Lady' and other 9/11 survivors with fatal health problems |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/marcy-borders-dust-lady-911-b1916365.html |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pilkington |first=Ed |date=September 21, 2015 |title=9/11 'Dust Lady' Marcy Borders: depression, rehab, back from the brink – then a final bombshell |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/21/911-dust-lady-marcy-borders-depression-rehab-back-from-the-brink-then-a-final-bombshell |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>]]
Hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic debris containing more than 2,500 contaminants and known carcinogens were spread across Lower Manhattan when the towers collapsed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gates |first=Anita |date=September 11, 2006 |title=Buildings Rise from Rubble while Health Crumbles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/arts/television/11dust.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 5, 2006 |title=What was Found in the Dust |url=https://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/09/05/nyregion/20060905_HEALTH_GRAPHIC.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Exposure to the toxins in the debris is alleged to have contributed to ] among people who were at Ground Zero.<ref name="CNN 2007-05-24">{{Cite news |date=May 24, 2007 |title=New York: 9/11 toxins caused death |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/24/wtc.dust/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070618154824/http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/24/wtc.dust/index.html |archive-date=June 18, 2007 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=DePalma |first=Anthony |date=May 13, 2006 |title=Tracing Lung Ailments That Rose With 9/11 Dust |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/13/nyregion/13symptoms.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The Bush administration ordered the ] (EPA) to issue reassuring statements regarding air quality in the aftermath of the attacks, citing national security, but the EPA did not determine that air quality had returned to pre-September 11 levels until June 2002.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Heilprin |first=John |date=June 23, 2003 |title=White House edited EPA's 9/11 reports |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/White-House-edited-EPA-s-9-11-reports-1122465.php |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref>

Health effects extended to residents, students, and office workers of Lower Manhattan and nearby ].<ref>{{Cite web |year=2006 |title=Updated Ground Zero Report Examines Failure of Government to Protect Citizens |url=http://www.sierraclub.org/groundzero/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611191219/http://www.sierraclub.org/groundzero/ |archive-date=June 11, 2010 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=Sierra Club}}</ref> Several deaths have been linked to the toxic dust, and victims' names were included in the World Trade Center memorial.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Stephen |date=April 28, 2008 |title=9/11 "Wall of Heroes" To Include Sick Cops |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/9-11-wall-of-heroes-to-include-sick-cops/ |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=CBS News}}</ref> An estimated 18,000 people have developed illnesses as a result of the toxic dust.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shukman |first=David |date=September 1, 2011 |title=Toxic dust legacy of 9/11 plagues thousands of people |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14738140 |access-date=September 11, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref> There is also scientific speculation that exposure to toxic products in the air may have negative effects on fetal development.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Currie |first1=Janet |last2=Schwandt |first2=Hannes |title=The 9/11 Dust Cloud and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Reconsideration |journal=Journal of Human Resources |date=2016 |volume=51 |issue=4 |pages=805–831 |doi=10.3368/jhr.51.4.0714-6533R |pmid=28496283 |pmc=5421999}}</ref> A study of rescue workers released in April 2010 found that all those studied had impaired lung function.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grady |first=Denise |date=April 7, 2010 |title=Lung Function of 9/11 Rescuers Fell, Study Finds |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/nyregion/08lung.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

Years after the attacks, legal disputes over the costs of related illnesses were still in the court system. On October 17, 2006, a federal judge rejected New York City's refusal to pay for health costs for rescue workers, allowing for the possibility of suits against the city.<ref>{{Cite news |last=DePalma |first=Anthony |date=October 18, 2006 |title=Many Ground Zero Workers Gain Chance at Lawsuits |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/18/nyregion/nyregionspecial3/18toxic.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Government officials have been faulted for urging the public to return to lower Manhattan in the weeks shortly after the attacks. Christine Todd Whitman, administrator of the EPA in the attacks' aftermath, was heavily criticized by a U.S. District Judge for incorrectly saying that the area was environmentally safe.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Neumeister |first=Larry |date=February 2, 2006 |title=Judge Slams Ex-EPA Chief Over Sept. 11 |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2006/02/02/national/a142556S81.DTL |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524084609/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2006%2F02%2F02%2Fnational%2Fa142556S81.DTL |archive-date=May 24, 2008 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Mayor Giuliani was criticized for urging financial industry personnel to return quickly to the greater ] area.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Ben |date=September 18, 2006 |title=Rudy's black cloud. WTC health risks may hurt Prez bid |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/rudy-black-cloud-wtc-health-risks-hurt-prez-bid-article-1.618126 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |work=New York Daily News}}</ref>

The ] (2010) allocated $4.2{{spaces}}billion to create the ], which provides testing and treatment for people with long-term health problems related to the 9/11 attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 20, 2010 |title=Bloomberg urges passage of 9/11 health bill |url=https://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/20/new.york.9.11.bill/index.html |work=]}}</ref><ref name="WTCHP faq">{{Cite web |title=World Trade Center Health Program FAQ |url=https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/faq.html |access-date=July 2, 2012 |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref> The WTC Health Program replaced preexisting 9/11-related health programs such as the Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program and the WTC Environmental Health Center program.<ref name="WTCHP faq" />

In 2020, the NYPD confirmed that 247 NYPD police officers had died due to 9/11-related illnesses. In September 2022, the FDNY confirmed that 299 firefighters had died due to 9/11-related illnesses. Both agencies believe that the death toll will rise dramatically in the coming years. The ] (PAPD), the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the World Trade Center, confirmed that four of its police officers have died of 9/11-related illnesses. The chief of the PAPD at the time, Joseph Morris, made sure that industrial-grade respirators were provided to all PAPD police officers within 48 hours and decided that the same 30 to 40 police officers would be stationed at the World Trade Center pile, drastically lowering the number of total PAPD personnel who would be exposed to the air. The FDNY and NYPD had rotated hundreds, if not thousands, of different personnel from all over New York City to the pile without adequate respirators and breathing equipment that could have prevented future diseases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=9/11 Tribute |url=https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/about/memorials/9-11-tribute.page |access-date=September 19, 2022 |publisher=NYPD}}{{title missing|date=September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 13, 2022 |title=FDNY Adds 37 Names to Memorial Wall for Deaths Related to World Trade Center Illnesses |url=https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/news/022-22/fdny-adds-37-names-memorial-wall-deaths-related-world-trade-center-illnesses |access-date=September 19, 2022 |website=www1.nyc.gov}}{{title missing|date=September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Port Authority Police-Union Leader: Still Pain for Families of 9/11 Cops (Free Article) |url=https://www.thechiefleader.com/stories/port-authority-police-union-leader-still-pain-for-families-of-911-cops-free-article,6828 |access-date=September 19, 2022 |work=The Chief Leader}}{{title missing|date=September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Swift action on 9/11 by NYC's Port Authority police saved lives |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/september-11/ny-9-11-port-authority-police-saved-lives-20210906-gtmdsurzt5fjxaqhp6bdiq3x3q-story.html |access-date=September 19, 2022 |work=New York Daily News}}{{title missing|date=September 2022}}</ref>

=== Economic ===
{{Main|Economic effects of the September 11 attacks}}

] and ] increases in the seven years following the attacks from 2001 to 2008.]]
The attacks had a significant economic impact on the US and world markets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Makinen |first=Gail |date=September 27, 2002 |title=The Economic Effects of 9/11: A Retrospective Assessment |url=https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL31617.pdf |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=Congressional Research Service, ] |page=17}}</ref> The stock exchanges did not open on September 11 and remained closed until September 17. Reopening, the ] (DJIA) fell 684 points, or 7.1%, to 8921, a record-setting one-day point decline.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barnhart |first=Bill |date=September 17, 2001 |title=Markets reopen, plunge |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-010917markets,0,5287650.story |access-date=April 11, 2012 |work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> By the end of the week, the DJIA had fallen 1,369.7 points (14.3%), at the time its largest one-week point drop in history. In 2001 dollars, U.S. stocks lost $1.4{{spaces}}trillion in valuation for the week.<ref name="MarkDec">{{Cite news |last=Fernandez |first=Bob |date=September 22, 2001 |title=U.S. Markets Decline Again |work=KRTBN Knight Ridder Tribune Business News}}</ref>

In New York City, about 430,000 job months and $2.8{{spaces}}billion in wages were lost in the first three months after the attacks. The economic effects were mainly on the economy's export sectors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dolfman |first1=Michael L. |last2=Wasser |first2=Solidelle F. |year=2004 |title=9/11 and the New York City Economy |journal=Monthly Labor Review |volume=127}}</ref><ref name="IAGS cost">{{Cite web |title=How much did the September 11 terrorist attack cost America? |url=http://www.iags.org/costof911.html |access-date=April 30, 2014 |publisher=Institute for the Analysis of Global Security}}</ref><ref name="PEARL9/11">{{Cite book |last=Morgan |first=Matthew J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JDEfUCll7DcC |title=The Impact of 9/11 on Politics and War: The Day that Changed Everything? |date=August 4, 2009 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-60763-7 |page=222}}</ref> The city's GDP was estimated to have declined by $27.3{{spaces}}billion for the last three months of 2001 and all of 2002. The U.S. government provided $11.2{{spaces}}billion in immediate assistance to the ] in September 2001, and $10.5{{spaces}}billion in early 2002 for economic development and infrastructure needs.<ref name="crs-5">{{Cite web |last=Makinen |first=Gail |date=September 27, 2002 |title=The Economic Effects of 9/11: A Retrospective Assessment |url=https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL31617.pdf |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=Congressional Research Service, ] |page=5}}</ref>

Also hurt were small businesses in ] near the World Trade Center (18,000 of which were destroyed or displaced), resulting in lost jobs and wages. Assistance was provided by ] loans; federal government Community Development Block Grants; and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.<ref name="crs-5" /> Some {{convert|31900000|sqft|m2}} of Lower Manhattan office space was damaged or destroyed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hensell |first=Lesley |date=December 14, 2001 |title=Tough Times Loom For Manhattan Commercial Market |url=http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20011214_downtown.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814003420/http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20011214_downtown.htm |archive-date=August 14, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |website=Realty Times}}</ref> Many wondered whether these jobs would return, and if the damaged tax base would recover.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parrott |first=James |date=March 8, 2002 |title=The Employment Impact of the September 11 World Trade Center Attacks: Updated Estimates based on the Benchmarked Employment Data |url=http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/Employment%20Impact%20of%20September%2011_Update.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911170813/http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/Employment%20Impact%20of%20September%2011_Update.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=The Fiscal Policy Institute}}</ref> Studies of 9/11's economic effects show the Manhattan office real-estate market and office employment were less affected than first feared, because of the financial services industry's need for face-to-face interaction.<ref>{{Cite SSRN |title=Exogenous Shocks and Real Estate Rental Markets: An Event Study of the 9/11 Attacks and their Impact on the New York Office Market |last=Fuerst |first=Franz |date=September 7, 2005 |ssrn=800006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Russell |first=James S. |date=November 7, 2004 |title=Do skyscrapers still make sense? Revived downtowns and new business models spur tall-building innovation |url=http://archrecord.construction.com/innovation/2_Features/0411SkyscraperSense.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808062854/http://archrecord.construction.com/innovation/2_Features/0411SkyscraperSense.asp |archive-date=August 8, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |magazine=Architectural Record}}</ref>

North American air space was closed for several days after the attacks and air travel decreased upon its reopening, leading to a nearly 20% cutback in air travel capacity, and exacerbating financial problems in the struggling U.S. airline industry.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Bhadra |first1=Dipasis |last2=Texter |first2=Pamela |year=2004 |title=Airline Networks: An Econometric Framework to Analyze Domestic U.S. Air Travel |url=http://www.bts.gov/publications/journal_of_transportation_and_statistics/volume_07_number_01/html/paper_06/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050330035744/http://www.bts.gov/publications/journal_of_transportation_and_statistics/volume_07_number_01/html/paper_06/ |archive-date=March 30, 2005 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref>

The September 11 attacks also led to the U.S. ] and ],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Heath |first=Thomas |date=May 3, 2011 |title=Bin Laden's war against the U.S. economy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/bin-ladens-war-against-the-us-economy/2011/04/27/AFDOPjfF_blog.html |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> as well as additional ] spending, totaling at least $5{{spaces}}trillion.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Khimm |first=Suzy |date=May 3, 2011 |title=Osama bin Laden didn't win, but he was 'enormously successful' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/osama-bin-laden-didnt-win-but-he-was-enormously-successful/2011/05/02/AFexZjbF_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

=== Effects in Afghanistan ===
{{further|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Aftermath of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri}}
{{Quote box
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| quote = If Americans are clamouring to bomb Afghanistan back to the ], they ought to know that this nation does not have so far to go. This is a post-apocalyptic place of felled cities, parched land and downtrodden people.
| source = — ], '']'', September 13, 2001<ref name="TalibanPlead" />
}}
Most of the ] was already going hungry at the time of the September 11 attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 26, 2001 |title=Horror in Afghanistan |url=https://www.economist.com/unknown/2001/09/26/horror-in-afghanistan |newspaper=The Economist}}</ref> In the aftermath of the attacks, tens of thousands of people attempted to flee Afghanistan due to the possibility of military retaliation by the US. Pakistan, already ] from previous conflicts, closed its border with Afghanistan on September 17, 2001.<ref name="speechto" /> Thousands of Afghans also fled to the frontier with ] but were denied entry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2001 |title=Tajikistan: Holed up at the border – Afghanistan |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/tajikistan-holed-border |website=ReliefWeb}}</ref> The ] leaders in Afghanistan pleaded against military action, saying "We appeal to the United States not to put Afghanistan into more misery because our people have suffered so much", referring to ] and the humanitarian crisis attached to it.<ref name="TalibanPlead">{{Cite news |last=Bearak |first=Barry |date=September 13, 2001 |title=After The Attacks: The Afghans; Taliban Plead for Mercy to the Miserable in a Land of Nothing |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/13/us/after-attacks-afghans-taliban-plead-for-mercy-miserable-land-nothing.html |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

All United Nations expatriates had left Afghanistan after the attacks and no national or international aid workers were at their post. Workers were instead preparing in bordering countries like Pakistan, China and Uzbekistan to prevent a potential "humanitarian catastrophe", amid a critically low food stock for the Afghan population.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 20, 2001 |title=Afghan refugee crisis spreads |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/09/20/ret.afghan.refugees/ |work=CNN}}</ref> The ] stopped importing wheat to Afghanistan on September 12 due to security risks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 22, 2001 |title=Aid shortage adds to Afghan woes |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1556117.stm |via=BBC News}}</ref>

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| footer = ''From left to right'': U.S. soldiers engaged in the war on terror in Afghanistan in May 2006. • Army Major General ] left Afghanistan as the final American soldier on August 30, 2021.
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Approximately one month after the attacks, the United States led a broad ] to overthrow the Taliban regime from Afghanistan for their harboring of Al-Qaeda.<ref name="speechto">{{Cite news |date=November 10, 2001 |title=U.S. President Bush's speech to United Nations |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/11/10/ret.bush.un.transcript/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615023853/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/11/10/ret.bush.un.transcript/index.html |archive-date=June 15, 2006 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |work=CNN}}</ref> Though Pakistani authorities were initially reluctant to align themselves with the US against the Taliban, they permitted the coalition access to their military bases, and arrested and handed over to the U.S. over 600 suspected al-Qaeda members.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 11, 2009 |title=Musharraf 'bullied' into supporting US war on terror |url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/musharraf-bullied-into-supporting-us-war-on-terror-ex-general_586640.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=Zee News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Khan |first=Aamer Ahmed |date=May 4, 2005 |title=Pakistan and the 'key al-Qaeda' man |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4513281.stm |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

In 2011, the U.S. and NATO under ] initiated a ] in Afghanistan finalized in 2016. During the presidencies of ] and ] in 2020 and 2021, the United States alongside its NATO allies ] completing the withdrawal of all regular U.S. troops on August 30, 2021.<ref name="DOD Cronk Biden Announces">{{Cite web |last=Cronk |first=Terri Moon |date=April 14, 2021 |title=Biden Announces Full U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan by Sept. 11 |url=https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2573268/biden-announces-full-us-troop-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-by-sept-11/ |access-date=August 16, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Department of Defense}}</ref><ref name="White House 2021-04-14">{{Cite web |date=April 14, 2021 |title=Remarks by President Biden on the Way Forward in Afghanistan |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/04/14/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-way-forward-in-afghanistan/ |access-date=August 16, 2021 |website=The White House}}</ref><ref name="Time 2021">{{Cite magazine |last=Satia |first=Priya |date=April 27, 2021 |editor-last=Felsenthal |editor-first=Edward |editor-link=Edward Felsenthal |title=History's Warning for the U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan |url=https://time.com/5959073/afghanistan-withdrawal-empire-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427194916/https://time.com/5959073/afghanistan-withdrawal-empire-history/ |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |access-date=April 27, 2021 |magazine=] |location=New York}}</ref> The withdrawal marked the end of the ]. Biden said that after nearly 20 years of war, it was clear that the U.S. military could not transform Afghanistan into a modern democracy.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zucchino |first=David |date=October 7, 2021 |title=The U.S. War in Afghanistan: How It Started, and How It Ended |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/afghanistan-war-us.html |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

=== Cultural influence ===
{{Main|Cultural influence of the September 11 attacks}}
{{Further|List of cultural references to the September 11 attacks|Entertainment affected by the September 11 attacks|Osama bin Laden in popular culture}}
{{See also|Osama bin Laden (elephant)}}
Immediate responses to 9/11 included greater focus on home life and time spent with family, higher church attendance, and increased expressions of patriotism such as the flying of American flags.<ref name="Carducci2009b">{{Cite book |last=Carducci |first=Bernardo J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1gJPXv5wQbIC&pg=PA200 |title=The Psychology of Personality: Viewpoints, Research, and Applications |date=February 20, 2009 |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |isbn=978-1-4051-3635-8 |page=200 |access-date=January 16, 2012}}</ref> ], and the attacks have subsequently been used as background, narrative, or thematic elements in ], ], ], and ]. Already-running television shows as well as programs developed after 9/11 have reflected ] cultural concerns.<ref name="Pop Culture Guide">{{Cite book |last1=Quay |first1=Sara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lx7i4YHl_NoC |title=September 11 in Popular Culture: A Guide |last2=Damico |first2=Amy |date=September 14, 2010 |publisher=Greenwood |isbn=978-0-313-35505-9}}</ref>

<!-- "STOP. Before expanding or removing 9/11 conspiracy theories, please note that the verbiage being used was arrived at after months of discussion and consensus-building. If you think something should be changed, please start a discussion on the article talk page. Thank you." -->] have become a social phenomenon, despite a lack of support from expert scientists, engineers, and historians.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Norman |first=Joshua |date=September 11, 2011 |title=9/11 conspiracy theories won't stop |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/9-11-conspiracy-theories-wont-stop/ |work=CBS News}}</ref> 9/11 has also had a major impact on the religious faith of many individuals; for some it strengthened, to find ] to cope with the loss of loved ones and overcome their grief; others started to question their faith or lose it entirely because they ] with their view of religion.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 29, 2011 |title=After 9/11, Some Run Toward Faith, Some Run The Other Way |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/29/september-11-challenged-faith_n_941017.html |access-date=April 6, 2013 |work=HuffPost}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero – The Question of God |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/faith/questions/god.html |access-date=April 6, 2013 |work=PBS Frontline}}</ref>

The culture of America, after the attacks, is noted for heightened security and an increased demand thereof, as well as ] and ] regarding future terrorist attacks against most of the nation. Psychologists have also confirmed that there has been an increased amount of national anxiety in commercial air travel.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Schmidt |first1=Brad |last2=Winters |first2=Jeffrey |date=January 1, 2002 |title=Anxiety After 9/11 |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200201/anxiety-after-911 |access-date=October 11, 2013 |website=]}}</ref> Anti-Muslim hate crimes rose nearly ten-fold in 2001 and have subsequently remained "roughly five times higher than the pre-9/11 rate".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ingraham |first=Christopher |date=February 11, 2015 |title=Anti-Muslim hate crimes are still five times more common today than before 9/11 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/11/anti-muslim-hate-crimes-are-still-five-times-more-common-today-than-before-911/ |url-access=limited |access-date=December 20, 2023 |newspaper=]}}</ref>

=== Government policies towards terrorism ===
{{Further|War on terror|Anti-terrorism legislation|Airport security repercussions due to the September 11 attacks|Legal issues related to the September 11 attacks}}
{{See also|Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture}}
]" illegal flights of the ], as reported by Polish newspaper '']''<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 17, 2009 |title=Politycy nie pozwolili śledczym tropić lotów CIA |url=http://www.rp.pl/artykul/292283.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711125637/http://www.rp.pl/artykul/292283.html |archive-date=July 11, 2015 |access-date=February 24, 2022 |work=] |language=pl}}</ref>]]
As a result of the attacks, many governments across the world passed legislation to combat terrorism.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Scobell |first=Andrew |year=2004 |title=Terrorism in the Asia-Pacific: Threat and Response |journal=] |volume=63 |issue=4 |pages=1078–1079 |doi=10.1017/S0021911804002463 |s2cid=163030372}}</ref> In Germany, where several of the 9/11 terrorists had resided and taken advantage of that country's liberal asylum policies, two major anti-terrorism packages were enacted. The first removed legal loopholes that permitted terrorists to live and raise money in Germany. The second addressed the effectiveness and communication of intelligence and law enforcement.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Miko |first1=Francis |last2=Froehlich |first2=Christian |date=December 27, 2004 |title=Germany's Role in Fighting Terrorism: Implications for U.S. Policy |url=https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL32710.pdf |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref> Canada passed the ], their first anti-terrorism law.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 27, 2007 |title=Anti-terrorism Act |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/cdnsecurity/ |access-date=November 12, 2013 |work=CBC News}}</ref> The United Kingdom passed the ] and the ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 17, 2003 |title=Q and A: Anti-terrorism legislation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3197394.stm |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Coates |first=Sam |date=November 10, 2005 |title=After all the fuss dies down, what really happened |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article588553.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814133937/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article588553.ece |archive-date=August 14, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The Times}}</ref> New Zealand enacted the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 |url=http://legislation.co.nz/act/public/2002/0034/19.0/DLM2493700.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219044052/http://legislation.co.nz/act/public/2002/0034/19.0/DLM2493700.html |archive-date=December 19, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=New Zealand Government}}</ref>

In the United States, the ] was created by the ] to coordinate domestic anti-terrorism efforts. The ] gave the federal government greater powers, including the authority to detain foreign terror suspects for a week without charge; to monitor terror suspects' telephone communications, e-mail, and Internet use; and to prosecute suspected terrorists without time restrictions. The FAA ordered that airplane cockpits be reinforced to prevent terrorists from gaining control of planes and assigned ] to flights.

Further, the ] made the federal government, rather than airports, responsible for ]. The law created the ] to inspect passengers and luggage, causing long delays and concern over passenger privacy.<ref name="Modern World History">{{Cite book |last=Beck |first=Roger |title=Modern World History |publisher=] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-618-69012-1 |pages=657–658 |chapter=20 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WfSPAAAACAAJ}}</ref> After suspected abuses of the USA Patriot Act were ] in June 2013 with articles about the collection of American call records by the ] and the ] program, Representative ] (of ]), who introduced the Patriot Act in 2001, said that the NSA overstepped its bounds.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 6, 2013 |title=President Obama's Dragnet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/opinion/president-obamas-dragnet.html |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 6, 2013 |title=Author of Patriot Act: FBI's FISA Order is Abuse of Patriot Act |url=http://sensenbrenner.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=337001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610061511/http://sensenbrenner.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=337001 |archive-date=June 10, 2013}}</ref>

] has focused on its morality, efficiency, and cost. According to a 2021 report by the ], the several post-9/11 wars participated in by the United States in its ] have caused the displacement, conservatively calculated, of 38 million people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and the Philippines.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Vine |first1=David |last2=Coffman |first2=Cala |last3=Khoury |first3=Katalina |last4=Lovasz |first4=Madison |last5=Bush |first5=Helen |last6=Leduc |first6=Rachel |last7=Walkup |first7=Jennifer |date=September 8, 2020 |title=Creating Refugees: Displacement Caused by the United States' Post-9/11 Wars |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2020/Displacement_Vine%20et%20al_Costs%20of%20War%202020%2009%2008.pdf |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vine |first=David |date=September 18, 2020 |title=US-led wars have displaced 37&nbsp;m people. America should accept responsibility |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/18/us-wars-iraq-george-w-bush |work=]}}</ref><ref name="Costs of War">{{Cite web |title=Latest Figures |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures |access-date=September 1, 2021 |website=Costs of War}}</ref> They estimated these wars caused the deaths of 897,000 to 929,000 people directly and cost $8&nbsp;trillion.<ref name="Costs of War" /> In a 2023 report, the Costs of War Project estimated that there have been between 3.6 and 3.7&nbsp;million indirect deaths in the post-9/11 war zones, with the total death toll being 4.5 to 4.6&nbsp;million. The report defined post-9/11 war zones as conflicts that included significant United States counter-terrorism operations since 9/11, which in addition to the wars in ], ] and ], also includes the civil wars in ], ], ] and ].<ref name=":2" /> The report derived its estimate of indirect deaths using a calculation from the ] which estimates that for every person directly killed by war, four more die from the indirect consequences of war.<ref name=":2" /> The ] and ] prohibits the use of ], yet such ] during the war on terror under the euphemism "]".<ref>. Associated Press, 2017.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 9, 2021 |title=Twenty Years On: The Legacy of 9/11 |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/09/twenty-years-legacy-9/11 |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> In 2005, ''The Washington Post'' and ] (HRW) published revelations concerning CIA flights and "]", covert prisons operated by the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitlock |first=Craig |date=November 17, 2005 |title=Europeans Probe Secret CIA Flights |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/16/AR2005111602198.html |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 3, 2005 |title=EU to look into 'secret US jails' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4403166.stm |work=BBC News}}</ref> The term "torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the CIA and other U.S. agencies have ] to countries known to employ torture.<ref>"". '']''. August 28, 2009.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 10, 2021 |title='A heavy price': Two decades of war, wariness and the post-9/11 security state |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/heavy-price-two-decades-war-wariness-post-9-11-security-n1278846 |work=NBC News}}</ref>

=== Legal proceedings ===
{{Main|Trials related to the September 11 attacks|United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed}}
As all 19 hijackers died in the attacks, they were never prosecuted. Osama bin Laden was never formally indicted; he was ultimately ] by U.S. special forces on May 2, 2011, in ] in ], Pakistan, after a ].{{Efn|President ] announced his death on May 1. At the time of the raid, it was early morning of May 2 in Pakistan and late afternoon of May 1 in the U.S.}}<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |last2=Cooper |first2=Helene |date=May 1, 2011 |title=Bin Laden Is Dead, President Obama Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=]}}</ref> The ] against Mohammed and his co-conspirators ], ], ], and ] remains unresolved. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested on March 1, 2003, in ], Pakistan, by Pakistani security officials working with the CIA. He was then held at multiple ] and ], where he was interrogated and tortured with methods including ].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Shannon |first1=Elaine |last2=Weisskopf |first2=Michael |date=March 24, 2003 |title=Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Names Names |url=http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927221045/http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html |archive-date=September 27, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |magazine=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nichols |first=Michelle |date=May 8, 2008 |title=US judge orders CIA to turn over 'torture' memo-ACLU |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN08420997 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |work=]}}</ref> In 2003, ] and ] were arrested and transferred to U.S. custody. Both would later be accused of providing money and travel assistance to the hijackers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Carol |date=July 10, 2023 |title=Trial Guide: The Sept. 11 Case at Guantánamo Bay |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/september-11-trial-guantanamo-bay.html |work=]}}</ref> During U.S. hearings at Guantanamo Bay in March 2007, Mohammed again confessed his responsibility for the attacks, stating he "was responsible for the 9/11 operation from A to Z" and that his statement was not made under duress.<ref name="aljazeera2007" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 15, 2007 |title=Key 9/11 suspect 'admits guilt' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm |access-date=April 10, 2012 |work=]}}</ref> In January 2023, the US government opened up about a potential ],<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Dunleavy |first=Jerry |date=January 9, 2023 |title=9/11 trial delayed again as Biden administration pushes for plea deal with terrorists |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/2023-kicks-off-911-gitmo-hearings-delayed-again |access-date=December 20, 2023 |work=Washington Examiner}}</ref> with Biden giving up on the effort in September that year.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Nagle |first1=Molly |last2=Schulze |first2=Elizabeth |last3=Winsor |first3=Morgan |date=September 7, 2023 |title=Biden rejects proposed conditions for plea deal for 9/11 defendants |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-rejects-proposed-conditions-plea-deal-911-defendants/story?id=102989534 |access-date=December 20, 2023 |work=]}}</ref>

To date, only peripheral persons have thus been convicted for charges in connection with the attacks. These include:

* ] who was indicted in December 2001 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in May 2006 by a U.S. federal jury
* ] who was first convicted in February 2003 by a ] in Germany and was deported to ] in October 2018 after serving his sentence<ref>{{Cite news |last=Werkhäuser |first=Nina |date=October 15, 2018 |title=Germany deports convicted 9/11 accomplice |url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-deports-convicted-9-11-accomplice-motassadeq-to-morocco/a-45838887 |access-date=December 20, 2023 |work=Deutsche Welle}}</ref>
* ] who was arrested in November 2001, sentenced by a ] and released from prison in May 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 23, 2013 |title=Alleged Al Qaeda in Spain chief Abu Dahdah released - Spain |url=http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/spain/2013/05/23/Alleged-Qaeda-Spain-chief-Abu-Dahdah-released_8754650.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524161926/https://www.ansa.it/ansamed/en/news/nations/spain/2013/05/23/Alleged-Qaeda-Spain-chief-Abu-Dahdah-released_8754650.html |archive-date=May 24, 2013 |access-date=December 20, 2023 |work=ANSAMed}}</ref><!--Please add a summary of the period between 2008 and 2023. See the heading "Trial for role in 9/11 attacks" in Mohammed's article and "United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" for information-->
On July 31, 2024, ''The New York Times'' reported that Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy in exchange for life sentences, avoiding trial and execution. However, on August 2, 2024, U.S. Defense Secretary ] revoked a plea agreement with Mohammed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 3, 2024 |title=Plea deal for accused 9/11 plotters revoked by US defence secretary |url=https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240803-us-scraps-plea-deal-with-9-11-mastermind-and-two-other-defendants |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240803103006/https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240803-us-scraps-plea-deal-with-9-11-mastermind-and-two-other-defendants |archive-date=August 3, 2024 |access-date=August 3, 2024 |work=France24}}</ref>

== Investigations ==
=== FBI ===
{{further|Hijackers in the September 11 attacks}}

Immediately after the attacks, the ] started ], the largest criminal inquiry in US history. At its height, more than half of the FBI's agents worked on the investigation and followed a half-million leads.<ref name="Pentbomb">{{Cite web |title=9/11 Investigation (PENTTBOM) |url=https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/9-11-investigation/9-11-investigation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010030053/http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/9-11-investigation/9-11-investigation |archive-date=October 10, 2010 |access-date=April 11, 2012 |publisher=]}}</ref> The FBI concluded that there was "clear and irrefutable" evidence linking al-Qaeda and bin Laden to the attacks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 6, 2002 |title=Testimony of Dale L. Watson, Executive Assistant Director, Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Division, FBI Before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence |url=https://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress02/watson020602.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410013616/http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress02/watson020602.htm |archive-date=April 10, 2010 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref>

] was one of the main planners of the attacks and the operational leader, responsible for crashing Flight 11 into the North Tower.]]

The FBI quickly identified the hijackers, including leader Mohamed Atta, when his luggage was discovered at Boston's Logan Airport. Atta had been forced to check two of his three bags due to space limitations on the 19-seat commuter flight he took to Boston. Due to a new policy instituted to prevent flight delays, the luggage failed to make it aboard American Airlines Flight 11 as planned. The luggage contained the hijackers' names, assignments, and Al-Qaeda connections. "It had all these Arab-language{{sic}} papers that amounted to the Rosetta stone of the investigation", said one FBI agent.<ref name="Unraveling 9-11 Was in the Bags">{{Cite news |date=February 6, 2009 |title=Unraveling 9–11 Was in the Bags |url=http://www.securityinfowatch.com/news/10555883/unraveling-9-11-was-in-the-bags |access-date=April 11, 2012 |work=Newsday}}</ref> Within hours of the attacks, the FBI released the names and in many cases the personal details of the suspected pilots and hijackers.{{sfnp|Clarke|2004|pp=13–14}}<ref name="FBI 19">{{Cite press release |title=FBI Announces List of 19 Hijackers |publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-announces-list-of-19-hijackers |access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> Abu Jandal, who served as bin Laden's chief bodyguard for years, confirmed the identity of seven hijackers as al-Qaeda members during interrogations with the FBI on September 17. He had been jailed in a Yemeni prison since 2000.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bergen |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Bergen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U7SriggSMckC&pg=PA29 |title=Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden – from 9/11 to Abbottabad |publisher=Broadway |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-307-95588-3 |location=New York |pages=29–30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Soufan |first1=Ali |author-link1=Ali Soufan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1tTXDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT302 |title=The Black Banners (Declassified): How Torture Derailed the War on Terror after 9/11 |last2=Freedman |first2=Daniel |publisher=W. W. Norton |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-393-54072-7 |location=New York |pages=317–318}}</ref> On September 27, 2001, photos of all 19 hijackers were released, along with information about possible nationalities and aliases.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=The FBI Releases 19 Photographs of Individuals Believed to be the Hijackers of the Four Airliners that Crashed on September 11, 2001 |publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/the-fbi-releases-19-photographs-of-individuals-believed-to-be-the-hijackers |access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> Fifteen of the men were from Saudi Arabia, two were from the ], one was from Egypt, and one was from Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnston |first=David |date=September 9, 2003 |title=Two Years Later: 9/11 Tactics; Official Says Qaeda Recruited Saudi Hijackers to Strain Ties |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/us/two-years-later-9-11-tactics-official-says-qaeda-recruited-saudi-hijackers.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

By midday, the U.S. National Security Agency and German intelligence agencies had intercepted communications pointing to Osama bin Laden.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 30, 2001 |title=Piece by piece, the jigsaw of terror revealed |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/piece-by-piece-the-jigsaw-of-terror-revealed-671334.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015065134/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/piece-by-piece-the-jigsaw-of-terror-revealed-671334.html |archive-date=October 15, 2009 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref> Two of the hijackers were known to have traveled with a bin Laden associate to Malaysia in 2000<ref> pp. 266–272</ref> and hijacker ] had previously gone to Afghanistan.<ref> Time magazine October 15, 2001</ref> He and others were part of a terrorist cell in ].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Tagliabue |first1=John |last2=Bonner |first2=Raymond |date=September 29, 2001 |title=A Nation challenged: German Intelligence; German Data Led U.S. to Search For More Suicide Hijacker Teams |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/29/world/nation-challenged-german-intelligence-german-data-led-us-search-for-more-suicide.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> One of the members of the ] in Germany was discovered to have been in communication with ] who was identified as a member of ].<ref> pp. 276–277</ref>

Authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom also obtained electronic intercepts, including telephone conversations and electronic bank transfers, which indicated that ], a bin Laden deputy, was a key figure in the planning of the 9/11 attacks. Intercepts were also obtained of conversations that took place days before September 11 between bin Laden and an associate in Pakistan referring to "an incident that would take place in America on, or around, September 11" and discussing potential repercussions. In another conversation with an associate in Afghanistan, bin Laden discussed the "scale and effects of a forthcoming operation". These conversations did not specifically mention the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or other specifics.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 7, 2001 |title=The proof they did not reveal |url=http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/2001/10/07/stiusausa02012.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011116020322/http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/2001/10/07/stiusausa02012.html |archive-date=November 16, 2001 |work=Sunday Times}}</ref>

{{anchor|Origins}}{{Bar chart
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In their annual violent crime index for the year 2001, the FBI recorded the deaths from the attacks as murder, in separate tables so as not to mix them with other reported crimes for that year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 28, 2002 |title=Crime in the United States 2001, Section V |url=https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/ojstatbb/ezacjrp/pdf/cius_911.pdf |access-date=April 13, 2023 |publisher=]}}</ref> In a disclaimer, the FBI stated that "the number of deaths is so great that combining it with the traditional ] will have an ] effect that falsely ] all types of measurements in the program's analyses".<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 28, 2002 |title=Crime in the United States 2001 |url=https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2001/toc01.pdf |access-date=September 12, 2018 |publisher=] |page=2}}</ref> New York City also did not include the deaths in their annual crime statistics for 2001.<ref name="HuffPost story">{{Cite news |last=Hanrahan |first=Mark |date=September 8, 2011 |title=Henryk Siwiak, Shot To Death On September 11th: Case Remains Unsolved |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/08/911-only-homicide-unsolved_n_953864.html |access-date=September 6, 2016 |work=]}}</ref>

=== CIA ===
{{Further|September 11 intelligence before the attacks}}
In 2004, ], the Inspector General of the ] (CIA), conducted an internal review of the agency's pre-9/11 performance and was harshly critical of senior CIA officials for not doing everything possible to confront terrorism.<ref name="Spiegel 2009">{{Cite news |date=August 31, 2009 |title=Ex-CIA Inspector General on Interrogation Report: 'The Agency Went over Bounds and Outside the Rules' |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/ex-cia-inspector-general-on-interrogation-report-the-agency-went-over-bounds-and-outside-the-rules-a-646010.html |access-date=February 3, 2021 |work=Der Spiegel}}</ref> According to ] in '']'', Helgerson criticized their failure to stop two of the 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, as they entered the United States and their failure to share information on the two men with the FBI.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 1, 2005 |title=Deep Background |url=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/deep-background/ |access-date=April 11, 2012 |magazine=American Conservative}}</ref>

In May 2007, senators from both major U.S. political parties (the ] and ] parties) drafted legislation to make the review public. One of the backers, Senator ] said, "The American people have a right to know what the Central Intelligence Agency was doing in those critical months before 9/11".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shrader |first=Katherine |date=May 17, 2007 |title=Senators Want CIA to Release 9/11 Report |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/17/national/w131436D49.DTL |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017005618/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2007%2F05%2F17%2Fnational%2Fw131436D49.DTL |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> The report was released in 2009 by President ].<ref name="Spiegel 2009" />

=== Congressional inquiry ===
{{Main|Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001}}
In February 2002, the ] and the ] formed a joint inquiry into the performance of the ].<ref>, Senate and House Intelligence Committees Announce Joint Inquiry into the September 11 Terrorist Attacks, February 14, 2002.</ref> Their 832-page report released in December 2002<ref>{{Cite web |title=Congressional Reports: Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 |url=http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/911.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807204747/http://www.gpoaccess.gov//serialset/creports/911.html |archive-date=August 7, 2010 |access-date=August 10, 2010}}</ref> detailed failings of the FBI and CIA to use available information, including about terrorists the CIA knew were in the United States, to disrupt the plots.<ref name="Theoharis 2006 p222–224">{{Cite book |title=The Central Intelligence Agency: Security Under Scrutiny |publisher=Greenwood |year=2006 |isbn=0-313-33282-7 |editor-last=Theoharis |editor-first=Athan G. |pages=–224}}</ref> The joint inquiry developed its information about possible involvement of Saudi Arabian government officials from non-classified sources.<ref name="McClatchy DC 2013-08-12">{{Cite news |last=Watkins |first=Ali |date=August 12, 2013 |title=Senate intelligence panel could seek to declassify documents; it just doesn't |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/08/12/199122_senate-intelligence-panel-could.html?rh=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903123631/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/08/12/199122_senate-intelligence-panel-could.html |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |publisher=]}}</ref> The Bush administration demanded 28 related pages remain classified.<ref name="Theoharis 2006 p222–224" /> In December 2002, the inquiry's chair ] revealed in an interview that there was "evidence that there were foreign governments involved in facilitating the activities of at least some of the terrorists in the United States".<ref>, ] interview with Sen. Bob Graham, December 11, 2002.</ref> September 11 victim families were frustrated by the unanswered questions and redacted material from the congressional inquiry and demanded an independent commission.<ref name="Theoharis 2006 p222–224" /> September 11 victim families,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mondics |first=Chris |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Struggling to detail alleged Saudi role in 9/11 attacks |url=http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-31/business/48708504_1_osama-president-obama-law-firm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407230637/http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-31/business/48708504_1_osama-president-obama-law-firm |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |work=]}}</ref> members of Congress<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907084340/http://jones.house.gov/sites/jones.house.gov/files/Reps.%20Jones%20and%20Lynch%20Letter%20to%20Obama_28%20Pages.pdf |date=September 7, 2016 }}, signed by Representatives ] and ].</ref> and the Saudi Arabian government are still seeking the release of the documents.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tapper |first=Jake |author-link=Jake Tapper |date=September 8, 2014 |title=Why hasn't Obama kept a promise to declassify 28 pages of a report about 9/11? |url=http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2014/09/08/why-hasnt-obama-kept-promise-to-declassify-28-pages-about-911 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803143353/https://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2014/09/08/why-hasnt-obama-kept-promise-to-declassify-28-pages-about-911/ |archive-date=August 3, 2021 |access-date=September 12, 2014 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Wright |first=Lawrence |date=September 9, 2014 |title=The Twenty-Eight Pages |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/twenty-eight-pages |access-date=August 30, 2019 |magazine=]}}</ref> In June 2016, CIA chief ] said that he believes 28 redacted pages of a congressional inquiry into 9/11 will soon be made public, and that they will prove that the government of Saudi Arabia had no involvement in the September 11 attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McKirdy |first=Euan |date=June 14, 2016 |title=CIA chief: Missing report pages exonerate Saudi Arabia in 9/11 attacks |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/12/politics/cia-john-brennan-saudi-arabia-9-11/ |work=]}}</ref>

In September 2016, Congress passed the ] that would allow relatives of victims of the September 11 attacks to sue ] for its government's ].<ref>"". ''USA Today''. September 23, 2016.</ref><ref>"". ''Daily News'' (New York). April 16, 2016.</ref><ref>"". ''Daily News'' (New York). April 19, 2016.</ref>


==Investigations==
===9/11 Commission=== ===9/11 Commission===
{{main|9/11 Commission}} {{Main|9/11 Commission|9/11 Commission Report}}
{{See also|Criticism of the 9/11 Commission}}
The ''National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States'' (9/11 Commission), chaired by former ] ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/about/bio_kean.htm|title=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States|publisher=govinfo.library.unt.edu|accessdate=2008-06-17}}</ref> was formed in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the attacks, including preparedness for, and the immediate response to, the attacks. On July 22, 2004, the 9/11 Commission issued the ]. The commission and its report have been subject to various forms of ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard A. |last=Posner |title=The 9/11 Report: A Dissent |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E6D81E3FF93AA1575BC0A9629C8B63 |publisher=''The New York Times''|date=August 29, 2004 |accessdate=2008-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/23/commission.senators/index.html |title=Republicans amplify criticism of 9/11 commission |accessdate=2008-04-14 |author=Ed Henry |date=April 26, 2004 |publisher=CNN.com}}</ref>
]'', a 585-page report released in 2004, on events leading up to the September 11 attacks and steps recommended to avoid a future terrorist attack]]
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, popularly known as the ], chaired by ],{{efn|Former Secretary of State ] was initially appointed to head the commission<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 27, 2002 |title=Investigating Sept. 11 |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-dec02/investigation_11-27.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220061250/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-dec02/investigation_11-27.html |archive-date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=January 21, 2009 |work=NewsHour |publisher=PBS}}</ref> but resigned only weeks after being appointed, to avoid conflicts of interest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 13, 2002 |title=Kissinger resigns as head of 9/11 commission |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/13/kissinger.resigns/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427145915/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/13/kissinger.resigns/ |archive-date=April 27, 2006 |access-date=August 7, 2006 |work=CNN}}</ref> Former U.S. Senator ] was originally appointed as the vice chairman, but he stepped down on December 10, 2002, not wanting to sever ties to his law firm.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 10, 2002 |title=Mitchell quits 9/11 probe |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/11/mitchell.resigns/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220082114/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/11/mitchell.resigns/ |archive-date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=January 21, 2009 |work=CNN}}</ref> On December 15, 2002, Bush appointed former New Jersey governor ] to head the commission.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 16, 2002 |title=Bush taps ex-New Jersey governor for 9/11 panel |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/16/commission.kean/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220082119/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/16/commission.kean/ |archive-date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=January 21, 2009 |work=CNN}}</ref>}} was formed in late 2002 to prepare a thorough account of the circumstances surrounding the attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thomas H. Kean |url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/about/bio_kean.htm |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States}}</ref> On July 22, 2004, the commission issued the '']'', a 585-page report based on its investigations. The report detailed the events leading up to the attacks, concluding that they were carried out by al-Qaeda.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 22, 2004 |title=The 9/11 Commission Report |url=https://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf |access-date=August 23, 2024}}</ref> The commission also examined how security and intelligence agencies were inadequately coordinated to prevent the attacks.


According to the report, "We believe the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Foresight-and Hindsight |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch11.htm |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States}}</ref> The commission made numerous recommendations on how to prevent future attacks, and in 2011 was dismayed that several of its recommendations had yet to be implemented.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bennett |first=Brian |date=August 30, 2011 |title=Post-9/11 assessment sees major security gaps |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2011-aug-30-la-na-911-report-card-20110831-story.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
===Collapse of the World Trade Center===
{{main|Collapse of the World Trade Center}}
A federal technical building and ] investigation of the collapses of the Twin Towers and 7&nbsp;WTC has been conducted by the ]'s ] (NIST). The goals of this investigation were to determine why the buildings collapsed, the extent of injuries and fatalities, and the procedures involved in designing and managing the World Trade Center.<ref name="NISTInvest">{{cite web |title=NIST’s World Trade Center Investigation |url=http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/factsheet/nist_investigation_911.htm |work=National Institute of Standards and Technology |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce |date=2007-12-14 |accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref> The investigation into the collapse of 1&nbsp;WTC and 2&nbsp;WTC was concluded in October 2005, and the investigation into the collapse of 7&nbsp;WTC concluded in August 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wtc.nist.gov/reports_october05.htm |title=Final Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster |date=2006-06-08 |accessdate=2008-04-30 |work=] |publisher=]}}</ref><ref name="NISTTheory">{{cite web |url=http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/wtc082108.html |title=NIST WTC 7 Investigation Finds Building Fires Caused Collapse |date=2008-08-21 |accessdate=2008-08-22 |work=] |publisher=]}}</ref> The report concluded that the ] on the Twin Towers' ] infrastructures was blown off by the initial impact of the planes and that, if this had not occurred, the towers would likely have remained standing.<ref name="NISTCollapse">{{cite book |author=National Construction Safety Team |url=http://wtc.nist.gov/NISTNCSTAR1CollapseofTowers.pdf |title=Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers |work=National Institute of Standards and Technology|publisher=United States Department of Commerce |chapter=Executive Summary |month=September | year=2005| accessdate=2008-05-21|format=PDF}}</ref> This was confirmed by an independent study by ].<ref>{{cite news | title = Purdue creates scientifically based animation of 9/11 attack | last = Tally | first = Steve | publisher = Purdue News Service | url = http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007a/070612HoffmannWTC.html |date= 2007-06-12 | accessdate = 2008-08-29}}</ref>


=== National Institute of Standards and Technology ===
], the director of the original investigation, commented that "the towers really did amazingly well. The terrorist aircraft didn’t bring the buildings down; it was the fire which followed. It was proven that you could take out two thirds of the columns in a tower and the building would still stand."<ref name="TerrorProof">{{cite web |title=Building a Terror-Proof Skyscraper: Experts Debate Feasibility, Options |first=Pete |last=Sigmund |url=http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/story.asp?story=2598&headline=Building%20a%20Terror-Proof%20Skyscraper:%20Experts%20Debate%20Feasibility,%20Options |accessdate=2008-01-24 |date=2002-09-25}}</ref> The fires weakened the trusses supporting the floors, making the floors sag. The sagging floors pulled on the exterior steel columns to the point where exterior columns bowed inward. With the damage to the core columns, the buckling exterior columns could no longer support the buildings, causing them to collapse. In addition, the report asserts that the towers' stairwells were not adequately reinforced to provide ] for people above the impact zones.<ref name="NIST">{{cite web | title=Translating WTC Recommendations Into Model Building Codes | publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology | url=http://wtc.nist.gov/NIBS_MMC/CodeChangeProposals.htm | accessdate=2008-01-24 | date=2007-10-25}}</ref> NIST concluded that uncontrolled fires in 7&nbsp;WTC caused floor beams and girders to heat and subsequently "caused a critical support column to fail, initiating a fire-induced progressive collapse that brought the building down".<ref name="NISTTheory" />
{{Main|NIST World Trade Center Disaster Investigation}}
{{See also|7 World Trade Center (1987–2001)#9/11 and collapse}}
].]]
The U.S. ] (NIST) investigated the collapses of the Twin Towers and 7{{spaces}}WTC. The investigations examined why the buildings collapsed and what fire protection measures were in place, and evaluated how fire protection systems might be improved in future construction.<ref name="NISTInvest">{{Cite press release |title=NIST's World Trade Center Investigation |date=September 8, 2006 |publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology |url=https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2006/09/nists-world-trade-center-investigation |access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> The investigation into the collapse of 1{{spaces}}WTC and 2{{spaces}}WTC was concluded in October 2005 and that of 7{{spaces}}WTC was completed in August 2008.<ref name="NIST WTC 7 Investigation">{{Cite press release |title=NIST WTC 7 Investigation Finds Building Fires Caused Collapse |date=August 21, 2008 |publisher=The National Institute of Standards and Technology |url=https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2008/08/nist-wtc-7-investigation-finds-building-fires-caused-collapse |access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref>


NIST found that the fireproofing on the Twin Towers' steel infrastructures was blown off by the initial impact of the planes and that had this not occurred, the towers likely would have remained standing.<ref name="NISTCollapse">{{Cite book |title=Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers |date=September 2005 |publisher=National Construction Safety Team, National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States Department of Commerce |chapter=Executive Summary |access-date=April 10, 2011 |chapter-url=https://www.nist.gov/customcf/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=909017}}</ref> A 2007 study of the north tower's collapse published by researchers of ] determined that since the plane's impact had stripped off much of the structure's thermal insulation, the heat from a typical office fire would have softened and weakened the exposed girders and columns enough to initiate the collapse regardless of the number of columns cut or damaged by the impact.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Irfanoglu |first1=A. |last2=Hoffmann |first2=C. M. |year=2008 |title=Engineering Perspective of the Collapse of WTC-I |journal=Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities |volume=22 |page=62 |doi=10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3828(2008)22:1(62) |quote=As the aircraft debris went through several stories in the tower, much of the thermal insulation on the core columns would have been scoured off. Under such conditions, the ensuing fire would be sufficient to cause instability and initiate collapse. From an engineering perspective, impact damage to the core structure had a negligible effect on the critical thermal load required to initiate collapse in the core structure.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tally |first=Steve |date=June 12, 2007 |title=Purdue creates scientifically based animation of 9/11 attack |url=http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007a/070612HoffmannWTC.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231084252/https://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007a/070612HoffmannWTC.html |archive-date=December 31, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=Purdue News Service |quote=The aircraft moved through the building as if it were a hot and fast lava flow", Sozen says. "Consequently, much of the fireproofing insulation was ripped off the structure. Even if all of the columns and girders had survived the impact{{snd}}an unlikely event{{snd}}the structure would fail as the result of a buckling of the columns. The heat from an ordinary office fire would suffice to soften and weaken the unprotected steel. Evaluation of the effects of the fire on the core column structure, with the insulation removed by the impact, showed that collapse would follow whatever the number of columns cut at the time of the impact.}}</ref>
===Internal review of the CIA===
] ], dated August 6, 2001, that mentions uncorroborated reporting from a foreign intelligence service suggesting that Bin Laden may want to hijack an airplane to secure the release of Islamic extremist prisoners.]]
The Inspector General of the ] conducted an internal review of the CIA's pre-9/11 performance, and was harshly critical of senior CIA officials for not doing everything possible to confront terrorism, including failing to stop two of the 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, as they entered the United States and failing to share information on the two men with the FBI.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amconmag.com/2005_08_01/article3.html |title=Deep Background |publisher=American Conservative| date=2005-04-01 |accessdate=2007-03-29}}</ref>


The director of the original investigation stated that "the towers did amazingly well. The terrorist aircraft didn't bring the buildings down; it was the fire that followed. It was proven that you could take out two-thirds of the columns in a tower and the building would still stand".<ref name="TerrorProof">{{Cite web |last=Sigmund |first=Pete |date=September 25, 2002 |title=Building a Terror-Proof Skyscraper: Experts Debate Feasibility, Options |url=http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/Building-a-Terror-Proof-Skyscraper-Experts-Debate-Feasibility-Options/2598/ |access-date=April 11, 2012}}</ref> The fires weakened the trusses supporting the floors, making the floors sag. The sagging floors pulled on the exterior steel columns causing the exterior columns to bow inward.
In May 2007, senators from both the ] and the ] drafted legislation that would openly present an internal CIA investigative report. One of the backers, Senator ] stated "The American people have a right to know what the Central Intelligence Agency was doing in those critical months before 9/11.... I am going to bulldog this until the public gets it." The report investigates the responsibilities of individual CIA personnel before and after the 9/11 attacks. The report was completed in 2005, but its details have never been released to the public.<ref>{{cite news |first=Katherine |last=Shrader |title=Senators Want CIA to Release 9/11 Report |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/17/national/w131436D49.DTL |work=] |publisher=] |date=May 17, 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-14}}</ref>


With the damage to the core columns, the buckling exterior columns could no longer support the buildings, causing them to collapse. Additionally, the report found the towers' stairwells were not properly reinforced to provide adequate ] for people above the impact zones.<ref name="NIST">{{Cite web |date=October 25, 2007 |title=Translating WTC Recommendations into Model Building Codes |url=http://wtc.nist.gov/NIBS_MMC/CodeChangeProposals.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310004023/http://wtc.nist.gov/NIBS_MMC/CodeChangeProposals.htm |archive-date=March 10, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology}}</ref> NIST concluded that uncontrolled fires in 7{{spaces}}WTC caused floor beams and girders to heat and subsequently "caused a critical support column to fail, initiating a fire-induced progressive collapse that brought the building down".<ref name="NIST WTC 7 Investigation" />
==Rebuilding==
On the day of the attacks, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani proclaimed, "We will rebuild. We're going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again."<ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Tess |url=http://www.architectureweek.com/2001/0926/today.html |title=Rebuilding in New York |date=2001-09-26 |publisher=Architecture Week |issue=68 |accessdate=2008-05-21}}</ref> The ], tasked with coordinating rebuilding efforts at the ], was criticized for doing little with the enormous funding directed to the rebuilding efforts.<ref>{{cite web| last = Lubell| first = Sam| coauthors = Charles Linn| title = Power Struggle Heats Up While Development Moves Slowly at Ground Zero| publisher = Architectural Record| date= December 5, 2005| url = http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/051205groundzero.asp| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last = Buettner| first = Russ| title = Fat cats milked Ground Zero | publisher = Daily News| url = http://www.nydailynews.com/news/index.html/story/371361p-315964c.html| accessdate = 2006-09-08}}</ref>
On the sites of the totally destroyed buildings, one, ], has a new ] which was completed in 2006. The ] is currently under construction at the site and at 1,776&nbsp;ft (541&nbsp;m) upon completion in 2011, will become the ] in North America, behind the ] and the ] in ].<ref>{{cite news |first=David W. |last=Dunlap |authorlink= |coauthors=Glenn Collins |title=Revised Design for Freedom Tower Unveiled |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/28/nyregion/28cnd-freedom.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ei=5094&en=43f0767f75b25082&hp&ex=1151553600&partner=homepage |work= |publisher=The New York Times |date=2006-06-28 |accessdate=2008-12-29 }}</ref><ref> ] ], ]</ref> Three more towers were expected to be built between 2007 and 2012 on the site, and will be located one block east of where the original towers stood. After the ], the site's owners said that construction of new towers could be delayed until ].<ref>{{cite web | title=Talk of delaying WTC towers for decades | publisher= ]| date=2009-04-16 |work= | url=http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Talk-of-delaying-WTC-towers-apf-14944197.html | accessdate=2009-04-19}}</ref> The damaged section of the Pentagon was rebuilt and occupied within a year of the attacks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Oglesby |first=Christy |title=Phoenix rises: Pentagon honors 'hard-hat patriots' |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/09/11/ar911.memorial.pentagon/ |publisher=CNN |date=2002-09-11 |accessdate=2008-06-13}}</ref>


=== Alleged Saudi government role ===
==Memorials==
{{Main|Alleged Saudi government role in the September 11 attacks}}{{See also|Saudi Arabia–United States relations|Saudi Arabia and state-sponsored terrorism|The 28 pages}}
In the days immediately following the attacks, ] around the world.<ref>{{cite news | title = Honoring the fallen, From New York to Texas, Americans pay respect to the victims of terrorism| publisher = ]| date= 2001-09-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Ahrens| first = Frank | title = Sorrow's Legions; Washingtonians Gather With Candles, Prayers And a Shared Grief| publisher = ]| date= 2001-09-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Bush Thanks Canadians for Helping After 9/11| publisher = ]| date= 2004-12-01| url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,140098,00.html| accessdate = 2007-07-21 }}</ref> In addition, pictures were placed all over ]. A witness described being unable to "get away from faces of innocent victims who were killed. Their pictures are everywhere, on phone booths, street lights, walls of subway stations. Everything reminded me of a huge funeral, people quiet and sad, but also very nice. Before, New York gave me a cold feeling; now people were reaching out to help each other.”<ref name="Sigmund">{{cite web | publisher=Construction Equipment Guide | first=Pete | last=Sigmund | date=2001-09-26 | accessdate=2008-01-24 | title=Crews Assist Rescuers in Massive WTC Search | url=http://www.cegltd.com/story.asp?story=1531&headline=Crews%20Assist%20Rescuers%20in%20Massive%20WTC%20Search}}</ref>
In July 2016, the Obama administration released a document compiled by U.S. investigators Dana Lesemann and Michael Jacobson, known as "File 17",<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 20, 2016 |title=Saudi diplomats 'links to 9/11 attackers' |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/saudi-diplomats-linked-to-9-11-plot-9hgrfjhbm |work=The Week}}</ref> which contains a list naming three dozen people, including the suspected ] officers attached to Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington, D.C.,<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 13, 2019 |title=US to reveal Saudi official allegedly tied to 9/11 attackers |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/reveal-saudi-official-allegedly-tied-911-attackers-190913011926350.html |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref> which connects Saudi Arabia to the hijackers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Riechmann |first=Deb |date=July 2, 2016 |title=File 17 Is Glimpse Into Still-Secret 28 Pages About 9/11 |url=https://apnews.com/fe56c5d224a8463aa7cfc6ccf4689122 |work=AP News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 28, 2018 |title=CIA and Saudi Arabia Conspired to Keep 9/11 Details Secret, New Book Says |url=https://www.newsweek.com/cia-and-saudi-arabia-conspired-keep-911-details-secret-new-book-says-1091935 |work=Newsweek}}</ref>


In September 2016, Congress passed the ].<ref name="Stempel">{{Cite news |last=Stempel |first=Jonathan |date=March 28, 2018 |title=Saudi Arabia must face U.S. lawsuits over Sept. 11 attacks |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-sept11/saudi-arabia-must-face-u-s-lawsuits-over-sept-11-attacks-idUSKBN1H43A1 |access-date=November 22, 2018 |work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Horsley |first1=Scott |last2=Chang |first2=Alisa |date=September 28, 2016 |title=Senate Votes To Override Obama's Veto On Sept. 11 Lawsuit Bill |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/28/495709481/sept-11-lawsuits-vote-today-could-be-first-reversal-of-an-obama-veto |work=NPR}}</ref> The practical effect of the legislation was to allow the continuation of a longstanding civil lawsuit brought by families of victims of the September 11 attacks against Saudi Arabia for its government's alleged role in the attacks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=S.2040 – Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2040 |access-date=May 20, 2016 |publisher=U.S. Congress}}</ref> In March 2018, a U.S. judge formally allowed a suit to move forward against the government of Saudi Arabia brought by 9/11 survivors and victims' families.<ref name="Stempel" />
] viewed from ] on the anniversary of the attacks in 2004]]
One of the first memorials was the ], an installation of 88 searchlights at the footprints of the World Trade Center towers which projected two vertical columns of light into the sky.<ref>{{cite web| title = Tribute in light to New York victims| publisher = ]| date= 2002-03-06| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1857699.stm| accessdate = 2007-07-21 }}</ref> In New York, the ] was held to design an appropriate memorial on the site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wtcsitememorial.org/about.html |title=About the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition |accessdate=2008-09-12 |publisher=World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition}}</ref> The winning design, '']'', was selected in August 2006, and consists of a pair of reflecting pools in the footprints of the towers, surrounded by a list of the victims' names in an underground memorial space.<ref>{{cite web| coauthors = ]| title = WTC Memorial Construction Begins| publisher = ]| date= 2006-03-06| url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/13/national/main1393070.shtml| accessdate = 2007-07-22}}</ref> Plans for a museum on the site have been put on hold, following the abandonment of the ] in reaction to complaints from the families of many victims.<ref>{{cite news| last=Dunlap| first=David| title=Governor Bars Freedom Center at Ground Zero| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/29/nyregion/29freedom.html| publisher=''The New York Times''| date=2005-09-25| accessdate=2008-05-21}}</ref>


In 2022, the families of some 9/11 victims obtained two videos and a notepad seized from Saudi national ] by the British courts. The first video showed him hosting a party in ] for Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, the first two hijackers to arrive in the U.S. The other video showed al-Bayoumi greeting the cleric ], who was blamed for radicalizing Americans and later killed in a CIA drone strike. The notepad depicted a hand-drawn airplane and some mathematical equations that, according to a pilot's court statement, might have been used to calculate the rate of descent to get to a target. According to a 2017 FBI memo, from the late 1990s up until the 9/11 attack, al-Bayoumi was a paid cooptee of the Saudi ]. {{As of|2022|04}} he is believed to be living in Saudi Arabia, which has denied any involvement in 9/11.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Herridge |first=Catherine |date=April 27, 2022 |title=Newly released video shows 9/11 hijackers with alleged Saudi intelligence operative |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/911-hijackers-video-saudi-intelligence-official-omar-al-bayoumi/ |work=CBS News}}</ref>
The ] was completed and opened to the public on the seventh anniversary of the attacks, September 11, 2008.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Miroff |title=Creating a Place Like No Other |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091000018.html |work=] |publisher=] |date=2008-09-11 |accessdate=2008-09-12 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Miroff |title=A Long-Awaited Opening, Bringing Closure to Many |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091100579.html?hpid=topnews |work=The Washington Post |publisher=The Washington Post Company |date=2008-09-11 |accessdate=2008-09-11 }}</ref> It consists of a landscaped park with 184 benches facing the Pentagon.<ref name="dwyer-may2007">{{cite news |last=Dwyer |first=Timothy |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052502284.html |title=Pentagon Memorial Progress Is Step Forward for Families |date=2007-05-26 |publisher=The Washington Post |accessdate=2008-05-21}}</ref> When the Pentagon was repaired in 2001–2002, a private chapel and indoor memorial were included, located at the spot where Flight 77 crashed into the building.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defenselink.mil/photos/newsphoto.aspx?newsphotoid=4018 |title=DefenseLINK News Photos - Pentagon's America's Heroes Memorial |publisher=Department of Defense |accessdate=2007-07-24}}</ref>


== Rebuilding and memorials ==
At Shanksville, a permanent ] is planned to include a sculpted grove of trees forming a circle around the crash site, bisected by the plane's path, while wind chimes will bear the names of the victims.<ref>{{cite web| coauthors = ]| title = Sept. 11 Flight 93 Memorial Design Chosen| publisher = ]| date= 2005-09-08| url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168821,00.html| accessdate = 2007-07-22}}</ref> A temporary memorial is located {{convert|500|yd|0}} from the crash site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/flni |title=Flight 93 Memorial Project |publisher=Flight 93 Memorial Project / National Park Service |accessdate=2008-04-14}}</ref>
New York City firefighters donated a memorial to the ]. It is a cross made of steel from the World Trade Center and mounted atop a platform shaped like the Pentagon.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Ganassi |first=Michelle
|title=NY firefighter donating steel to Shanksville
|url=http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2008/08/22/news/news/news808.txt
|date=2008-08-25
|work=Daily American
|accessdate=2008-08-22}}</ref> It was installed outside the firehouse on August 25, 2008.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Gaskell |first=Stephanie
|title=Pa. site of 9/11 crash gets WTC beam |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/us/05memorial.html
|date=2008-08-25
|work=New York Daily news
|accessdate=2008-08-25}}</ref>


=== Reconstruction ===
Many other permanent memorials are being constructed elsewhere, and scholarships and charities have been established by the victims' families, along with many other organizations and private figures.<ref>{{cite news| last=Fessenden| first=Ford| title= 9/11; After the World Gave: Where $2 Billion in Kindness Ended Up| url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505E3DB1030F93BA25752C1A9649C8B63| publisher=''The New York Times''| date=2002-11-18| accessdate=2008-05-21}}</ref>
{{Main|Rescue and recovery effort after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center|Construction of One World Trade Center}}
{{Further|World Trade Center (2001–present)|World Trade Center site}}
], September 2020]]
On the day of the attacks, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani stated: "We will rebuild. We're going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Tess |date=September 26, 2001 |title=Rebuilding in New York |url=http://www.architectureweek.com/2001/0926/today.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511012010/http://www.architectureweek.com/2001/0926/today.html |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=Architecture Week |issue=68}}</ref>


Within hours of the attack, a substantial search and rescue operation was launched. After months of around-the-clock operations, the World Trade Center site was cleared by the end of May 2002.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 30, 2002 |title=Ceremony closes 'Ground Zero' cleanup |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/05/30/rec.wtc.cleanup/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201081749/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/05/30/rec.wtc.cleanup/ |archive-date=December 1, 2008 |access-date=November 24, 2013 |work=CNN}}</ref> The damaged section of the Pentagon was rebuilt and occupied within a year of the attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oglesby |first=Christy |date=September 11, 2002 |title=Phoenix rises: Pentagon honors 'hard-hat patriots' |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/09/11/ar911.memorial.pentagon/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041218040531/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/09/11/ar911.memorial.pentagon/ |archive-date=December 18, 2004 |access-date=May 29, 2014 |work=CNN}}</ref> The temporary ] opened in late 2003 and construction of the new 7{{spaces}}World Trade Center was completed in 2006. Work on rebuilding the main World Trade Center site was delayed until late 2006 when leaseholder ] and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agreed on financing.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bagli |first=Charles V. |date=September 22, 2006 |title=An Agreement Is Formalized on Rebuilding at Ground Zero |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/22/nyregion/nyregionspecial3/22rebuild.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The construction of ] began on April 27, 2006, and reached its full height on May 20, 2013. The spire was installed atop the building at that date, putting One{{spaces}}WTC's height at 1,776 feet (541{{spaces}}m) and thus claiming the title of the tallest building in the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Badia |first1=Erik |last2=Sit |first2=Ryan |date=May 10, 2013 |title=One World Trade Center gets spire, bringing it to its full 1,776-foot height |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/1-wtc-spire-bringing-full-height-article-1.1340224 |access-date=January 12, 2015 |work=New York Daily News website}}</ref><ref name="Moore One WTC">{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Jack |date=November 3, 2014 |title=World Trade Center Re-opens as Tallest Building in America |url=http://onewtc.com/news/world-trade-center-re-opens-as-tallest-building-in-america |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904120549/http://onewtc.com/news/world-trade-center-re-opens-as-tallest-building-in-america |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015 |publisher=One World Trade Center}}</ref> One WTC finished construction and opened on November 3, 2014.<ref name="Moore One WTC" /><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Iyengar |first=Rishi |date=November 3, 2014 |title=One World Trade Center Opens Its Doors |url=https://time.com/3553897/one-world-trade-center-freedom-tower-opens-doors-new-york-city-911/ |access-date=January 12, 2015 |magazine=Time}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Aaron |date=November 3, 2014 |title=One World Trade Center opens today |url=https://money.cnn.com/2014/11/03/news/companies/one-world-trade-center/index.html |access-date=November 4, 2014 |publisher=CNN}}</ref>
==See also==
*]


On the World Trade Center site, three more office towers were to be built one block east of where the original towers stood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lower Manhattan: Current Construction |url=http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914070256/http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/ |archive-date=September 14, 2011 |access-date=September 8, 2011 |publisher=Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center}}</ref> ], meanwhile, opened in November 2013, making it the second tower on the site to open behind 7{{spaces}}World Trade Center, as well as the first building on the Port Authority property.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 12, 2013 |title=NYC's World Trade Tower Opens 40% Empty in Revival |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-11-12/world-trade-center-tower-debuts-in-manhattan-leasing-test |access-date=October 5, 2015 |work=Bloomberg.com}}</ref> 3{{spaces}}WTC opened on June 11, 2018, becoming the fourth skyscraper at the site to be completed.<ref name="USAToday 2018-06-10">{{Cite news |date=June 10, 2018 |title=New World Trade Center to open after years of delays |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/06/10/3-world-trade-center-open-after-years-delays-twin-towers-site/689035002/ |access-date=June 11, 2018 |work=USA Today}}</ref> In December 2022, the Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church fully reopened for regular services<ref name="CBS News 20222">{{Cite news |date=December 6, 2022 |title=Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church officially reopens to public after being destroyed on 9/11 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/saint-nicholas-greek-orthodox-church-officially-reopens-to-public-after-being-destroyed-on-911/ |access-date=December 7, 2022 |work=CBS News}}</ref> followed by the opening of the ] in September 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=September 18, 2023 |title=Perelman Arts Center Opens in New York and Welcomes the World |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/arts/music/perelman-arts-center-opens.html |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> With construction beginning in 2008,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dunlap |first=David W. |date=June 11, 2008 |title=Late Delivery of the 2 World Trade Center Site |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/late-delivery-of-the-2-world-trade-center-site/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206052142/http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/late-delivery-of-the-2-world-trade-center-site/ |archive-date=December 6, 2013 |access-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref> ] remains as of 2023 unfinished.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sayej |first=Nadja |date=October 27, 2022 |title=The Latest Developments on 2 World Trade |url=https://lev.co/blog/markets/latest-development-2-world-trade/ |access-date=September 27, 2023 |website=Lev}}</ref> Construction of a ] is planned to begin in 2024 and be finished by 2029.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Rizzi |first=Nicholas |date=February 11, 2021 |title=Silverstein, Brookfield Win Bid to Build Tower at 5 World Trade Center |url=https://commercialobserver.com/2021/02/silverstein-brookfield-win-bid-to-build-mixed-use-tower-at-5-world-trade-center/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213164618/https://commercialobserver.com/2021/02/silverstein-brookfield-win-bid-to-build-mixed-use-tower-at-5-world-trade-center/ |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |access-date=February 14, 2021 |work=Commercial Observer}}</ref><ref name="newyorkyimby.com">{{Cite news |last=Young |first=Michael |date=February 13, 2021 |title=Five World Trade Center's 900-Foot-Tall Redesign by Kohn Pedersen Fox Revealed, in Manhattan's Financial District |url=https://newyorkyimby.com/2021/02/five-world-trade-centers-900-foot-tall-redesign-by-kohn-pedersen-fox-revealed-in-manhattans-financial-district.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421231413/https://newyorkyimby.com/2021/02/five-world-trade-centers-900-foot-tall-redesign-by-kohn-pedersen-fox-revealed-in-manhattans-financial-district.html |archive-date=April 21, 2022 |access-date=April 23, 2021 |work=New York YIMBY}}</ref>
==References==

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=== Memorials ===
{{reflist|2}}
{{Main|Memorials and services for the September 11 attacks}}
] in ], August 2016]]
In the days immediately following the attacks, many memorials and vigils were held around the world, and photographs of the dead and missing were posted around ]. A witness described being unable to "get away from faces of innocent victims who were killed. Their pictures are everywhere, on phone booths, street lights, and walls of subway stations. Everything reminded me of a huge funeral, people were quiet and sad, but also very nice. Before, New York gave me a cold feeling; now people were reaching out to help each other".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sigmund |first=Pete |title=Crews Assist Rescuers in Massive WTC Search |url=http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/Crews-Assist-Rescuers-in-Massive-WTC-Search/1531/ |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=Construction Equipment Guide}}</ref> President Bush proclaimed Friday, September 14, 2001, as Patriot Day.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906080819/https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010913-7.html|date=September 6, 2017}} A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America</ref>
]'', featuring two columns of light representing the Twin Towers, September 2020]]
One of the first memorials was the '']'', an installation of 88 searchlights at the footprints of the World Trade Center towers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 6, 2002 |title=Tribute in light to New York victims |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1857699.stm |access-date=April 1, 2012 |work=BBC News}}</ref> In New York City, the ] was held to design an appropriate memorial on the site.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition |url=http://wtcsitememorial.org/about.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215163019/http://www.wtcsitememorial.org/about.html |archive-date=December 15, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition}}</ref> The winning design, '']'', was selected in August 2006, and consists of a pair of reflecting pools in the footprints of the towers, surrounded by a list of the victims' names in an underground memorial space.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 6, 2006 |title=WTC Memorial Construction Begins |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wtc-memorial-construction-begins/ |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> The memorial was completed on September 11, 2011;<ref>{{Cite web |year=2011 |title=A Place of Remembrance |url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/remembering-9-11/place-of-remembrance/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105175631/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/remembering-9-11/place-of-remembrance/ |archive-date=November 5, 2014 |access-date=November 5, 2014 |website=]}}</ref> a museum also opened on site on May 21, 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 21, 2014 |title=National September 11 Memorial Museum opens |url=http://www.myfoxny.com/story/25574078/national-september-11-memorial-museum-opens |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521194934/http://www.myfoxny.com/story/25574078/national-september-11-memorial-museum-opens |archive-date=May 21, 2014 |access-date=May 21, 2014 |work=]}}</ref>

'']'' by the German sculptor ] is the world's largest bronze sculpture of modern times, and stood between the Twin Towers on the ] from 1971 until the attacks. The sculpture, weighing more than 20 tons, was the only remaining work of art to be recovered largely intact from the ruins of the towers. Since then, the work of art, known in the U.S. as ''The Sphere'', has been transformed into a symbolic monument of 9/11 commemoration. After being dismantled and stored near a hangar at ], the sculpture was the subject of the 2001 documentary '']'' by filmmaker ]. On August 16, 2017, the work was installed at ], close to the new World Trade Center aerial and the ].<ref name="NYT 2017-11-29">{{Cite news |last=Otterman |first=Sharon |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Battered and Scarred, 'Sphere' Returns to 9/11 Site |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/nyregion/911-memorial-sphere-sculpture.html |access-date=August 23, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
] in ], September 2008]]

In Arlington County, the ] was completed and opened to the public on the seventh anniversary of the attacks in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miroff |first=Nick |date=September 11, 2008 |title=Creating a Place Like No Other |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091000018.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Miroff |first=Nick |date=September 12, 2008 |title=A Long-Awaited Opening, Bringing Closure to Many |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091100579.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> It consists of a landscaped park with 184 benches facing the Pentagon.<ref name="dwyer-may2007">{{Cite news |last=Dwyer |first=Timothy |date=May 26, 2007 |title=Pentagon Memorial Progress Is Step Forward for Families |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052502284.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> When the Pentagon was repaired in 2001–2002, a private chapel and indoor memorial were included at the spot where Flight 77 crashed into the building.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DefenseLINK News Photos – Pentagon's America's Heroes Memorial |url=http://www.defenselink.mil/photos/newsphoto.aspx?newsphotoid=4018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130081905/http://www.defenselink.mil/photos/newsphoto.aspx?newsphotoid=4018 |archive-date=November 30, 2009 |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=Department of Defense}}</ref>

In Shanksville, a ] was opened on September 10, 2015,<ref name="NPS 93 mem">{{Cite web |date=n.d. |title=Flight 93 National Memorial – Sources and Detailed Information |url=https://www.nps.gov/flni/learn/historyculture/sources-and-detailed-information.htm |access-date=January 31, 2017 |publisher=National Park Service |quote=13. When will the Memorial be finished?}}</ref> situated on a hill overlooking the crash site and the white marble ''Wall of Names''.<ref name="NPS FAQs">{{Cite web |date=May 2013 |title=Flight 93 National Memorial – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |url=https://www.nps.gov/flni/historyculture/upload/FAQs_longform_formatted_5-2013.pdf |access-date=January 31, 2017 |publisher=National Park Service |pages=22–23}}</ref> An observation platform at the visitor center and the white marble wall are both aligned beneath the path of Flight 93.<ref name="NPS FAQs" /><ref name="NYT 2015-09-09">{{Cite news |date=September 9, 2015 |title=A Long Road to a Place of Peace for Flight 93 Families |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/09/us/a-long-road-to-a-place-of-peace-for-flight-93-families.html |access-date=September 9, 2015 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> New York City firefighters donated a cross made of steel from the World Trade Center and mounted on top of a platform shaped like the Pentagon.<ref name="ap2008-08-24">{{Cite news |last=Nephin |first=Dan |date=August 24, 2008 |title=Steel cross goes up near flight's 9/11 Pa. crash site |url=http://global.christianpost.com/news/steel-cross-installed-near-flight-93-site-in-pa-33978/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021140020/http://global.christianpost.com/news/steel-cross-installed-near-flight-93-site-in-pa-33978/ |archive-date=October 21, 2011 |access-date=September 5, 2011 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> It was installed outside the firehouse on August 25, 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gaskell |first=Stephanie |date=August 25, 2008 |title=Pa. site of 9/11 crash gets WTC beam |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/us/05memorial.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=New York Daily News}}</ref> Many other permanent memorials are elsewhere. Scholarships and charities have been established by the victims' families and by many other organizations and private figures.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fessenden |first=Ford |date=November 18, 2002 |title=9/11; After the World Gave: Where $2 Billion in Kindness Ended Up |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/18/giving/9-11-after-the-world-gave-where-2-billion-in-kindness-ended-up.html |access-date=September 4, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

On every anniversary in New York City, the names of the victims who died there are read out over music. The President of the United States attends a memorial service at the Pentagon,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Newman |first=Andy |date=September 11, 2010 |title=At a Memorial Ceremony, Loss and Tension |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/at-a-memorial-ceremony-loss-and-tension/?hp |work=The New York Times}}</ref> and asks Americans to observe ] with a moment of silence. Smaller services are held in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, which are usually attended by the First Lady. In September 2023, President Joe Biden did not attend services in the affected areas, instead marking the day in ], Alaska, the first U.S. President to do so since the attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 28, 2023 |title=Biden will observe 9/11 in Alaska instead of the traditional NYC, Virginia or Pennsylvania events |url=https://apnews.com/article/biden-911-terrorist-attack-harris-alaska-8e58378865dc612a49d0a2dee80f2304 |access-date=September 23, 2023 |work=AP News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Judd |first=Donald |date=September 11, 2023 |title=Biden marks 9/11 in Alaska, calls on Americans 'to protect our democracy' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/politics/biden-september-11-remarks/index.html |access-date=September 23, 2023 |work=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hutzler |first=Alexandra |date=September 11, 2023 |title=Biden criticized for marking 9/11 anniversary in Alaska |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-mark-911-anniversary-alaska-harris-visits-ground/story?id=103088628 |access-date=September 23, 2023 |work=]}}</ref>
{{clear}}

== See also ==
{{cmn|
* ]
** '']''
* ]
* ]
* ] and ], two other flights that were falsely suspected of being hijacked as part of the September 11 attacks
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
** ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] ("11M", abbr. of March 11)}}

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{notelist}}

=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography<span class="anchor" id="Sources"></span> ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite report |title=9/11 Commission Report |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |access-date=March 18, 2016 |chapter-url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch1.pdf |chapter='We Have Some Planes': Inside the Four Flights |year=2004}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Alavosius |first1=Mark P. |last2=Rodriquez |first2=Nischal J. |year=2005 |title=Unity of Purpose/Unity of effort: Private-Sector Preparedness in Times of Terror |journal=Disaster Prevention & Management |volume=14 |issue=5 |page=666 |bibcode=2005DisPM..14..666A |doi=10.1108/09653560510634098}}
* {{Cite web |date=January 31, 2002 |title=American Airlines Flight 77 FDR Report |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/about/Documents/AAL77_fdr.pdf |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}}
* {{Cite report |url=http://wtc.nist.gov/NCSTAR1/PDF/NCSTAR%201-7.pdf |title=Final Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster |last=Averill |first=Jason D. |publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) |access-date=September 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509033658/http://wtc.nist.gov/NCSTAR1/PDF/NCSTAR%201-7.pdf |archive-date=May 9, 2009 |year=2005}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bergen |first=Peter L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sRhZDrJb0zgC&pg=PP1 |title=Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama Bin Laden |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-7432-3467-2 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bergen |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_XkM92XMlQ4C&pg=PP1 |title=The Osama Bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of Al Qaeda's Leader |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7432-9592-5 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* {{Cite book |last=Berner |first=Brad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=smP3gFyQpXQC&pg=PP1 |title=The World According to Al Qaeda |publisher=Peacock |year=2007 |isbn=978-81-248-0114-7 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* Bodnar, John. ''Divided by Terror: American Patriotism after 9/11'' (University of North Carolina Press, 2021)
* {{Cite book |last=Clarke |first=Richard |url=https://archive.org/details/againstallenemie00clar |title=Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror |publisher=Free Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7432-6024-4 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Dwyer |first1=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Ctk6LxDDR8C&pg=PP1 |title=102 Minutes |last2=Flynn |first2=Kevin |publisher=Times |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-8050-7682-0 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* {{Cite report |url=https://www.nist.gov/customcf/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=861610 |title=Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 |date=November 2008 |publisher=] |access-date=April 11, 2012 |ref={{harvid|''Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7''|2008}}}}
* {{Cite web |date=February 19, 2002 |title=Flight Path Study – American Airlines Flight 77 |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc02.pdf |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=]}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Fouda |first1=Yosri |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IASlEi7rogIC&pg=PP1 |title=Masterminds of Terror: The Truth Behind the Most Devastating Terrorist Attack the World Has Ever Seen |last2=Fielding |first2=Nick |publisher=Arcade |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-55970-717-6 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Goldberg |first1=Alfred |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wfhI5oc41sMC&pg=PP1 |title=Pentagon 9/11 |last2=Papadopoulos |first2=Sarandis |last3=Putney |first3=Diane |last4=Berlage |first4=Nancy |last5=Welch |first5=Rebecca |publisher=Government Printing Office |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-16-078328-9 |location=Washington, D.C. |ref={{harvid|Goldberg et al.|2007}} |display-authors=1 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* {{Cite book |last=Graff |first=Garrett M. |author-link=Garrett Graff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=we-oDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 |title=The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 |publisher=Avid Reader |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-5011-8220-4 |location=New York}}
* {{Cite book |last=Gunaratna |first=Ronan |url=https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna |title=Inside Al Qaeda: global network of terror |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-231-12692-2 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Holmes |first=Stephen |title=Making sense of suicide missions |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-19-929797-9 |editor-last=Gambetta |editor-first=Diego |chapter=Al Qaeda, September 11, 2001 |access-date=March 18, 2016 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eciSejVv-YoC&pg=PP1}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Ibrahim |first1=Raymond |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ne5JZYf-dlkC&pg=PR2 |title=The Al Qaeda reader |last2=bin Laden |first2=Osama |publisher=Random House |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-385-51655-6 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Javorsek |first1=Daniel II |last2=Rose |first2=John |last3=Marshall |first3=Christopher |last4=Leitner |first4=Peter |date=August 5, 2015 |title=A Formal Risk-Effectiveness Analysis Proposal for the Compartmentalized Intelligence Security Structure |journal=International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=734–761 |doi=10.1080/08850607.2015.1051830 |s2cid=152911592}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Jessee |first=Devin |year=2006 |title=Tactical Means, Strategic Ends: Al Qaeda's Use of Denial and Deception |url=http://web.international.ucla.edu/media/files/FTPV_A_175157_P.pdf |url-status=live |journal=International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=367–388 |doi=10.1080/09546550600751941 |s2cid=144349098 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121230603/https://web.international.ucla.edu/media/files/FTPV_A_175157_P.pdf |archive-date=November 21, 2021 |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kelley |first=Christopher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qgzmexCI734C&pg=PP1 |title=Executing the Constitution: putting the president back into the Constitution |publisher=SUNY Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7914-6727-5 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Keppel |first1=Gilles |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780674028043 |title=Al Qaeda in its own words |last2=Milelli |first2=Jean-Pierre |last3=Ghazaleh |first3=Pascale |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-674-02804-3 |access-date=March 18, 2016 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lawrence |first=Bruce |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3_fRlEZoaioC&pg=PP1 |title=Messages to the world: the statements of Osama Bin Laden |publisher=Verso |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-84467-045-1 |access-date=May 29, 2014}}
* {{Cite book |last=Martin |first=Gus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_jh4VBi_HYC&pg=PP1 |title=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism, Second Edition |publisher=Sage |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4129-8017-3 |access-date=March 18, 2016}}
* {{Cite book |last=McDermott |first=Terry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Oufo58esZAC&pg=PP1 |title=Perfect Soldiers: The 9/11 Hijackers |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-06-058470-2 |pages=191–192}}
* {{Cite web |date=August 9, 2002 |title=McKinsey Report |url=http://home2.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/mck_report/toc.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603212555/http://home2.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/mck_report/toc.shtml |archive-date=June 3, 2010 |access-date=September 25, 2011 |publisher=FDNY / McKinsey & Company}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mearsheimer |first=John J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIrFUBs7G6kC |title=The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy |publisher=Macmillan |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-374-17772-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Murdico |first=Suzanne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SSHiERbJuKMC&pg=PP1 |title=Osama Bin Laden |publisher=Rosen |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-8239-4467-5}}
* {{Cite web |date=January 2003 |title=The Pentagon Building Performance Report |url=http://www.fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build03/PDF/b03017.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721055255/http://www.fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build03/PDF/b03017.pdf |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Summers |first1=Anthony |url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ |title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden |last2=Swan |first2=Robbyn |publisher=Ballantine |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9 |location=New York |access-date=March 18, 2016 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Sunder |first=Shyam S. |url=https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=909017 |title=Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers |date=September 2005 |publisher=] |id=NIST NCSTAR 1 |access-date=September 11, 2024}}
* {{Cite web |date=May 2002 |title=World Trade Center Building Performance Study – Bankers Trust Building |url=http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fema403_ch6.pdf |access-date=July 12, 2007 |publisher=]}}
* {{Cite web |date=May 2002 |title=World Trade Center Building Performance Study – Peripheral Buildings |url=http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fema403_ch7.pdf |access-date=September 3, 2011 |publisher=]}}
* {{Cite web |year=2002 |title=World Trade Center Building Performance Study |url=http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fema403_ch5.pdf |access-date=September 2, 2011 |publisher=Federal Emergency Management Agency}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wright |first=Lawrence |author-link=Lawrence Wright |url=https://archive.org/details/loomingtoweralqa00wrig |title=The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-375-41486-2 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Yitzhak |first=Ronen |date=Summer 2016 |title=The War Against Terrorism and For Stability of the Hashemite Regime: Jordanian Intelligence Challenges in the 21st Century |journal=International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=213–235 |doi=10.1080/08850607.2016.1121038 |s2cid=155138286}}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TjKODEaahVQC&pg=PP1 |title=9/11 Commission Report |date=July 30, 2010 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks |isbn=978-1-61640-219-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Atkins |first=Stephen E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PDDIgWRN_HQC&pg=PP1 |title=The 9/11 Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-59884-921-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bolton |first=M. Kent |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IETboc9ajpQC&pg=PP1 |title=U.S. National Security and Foreign Policymaking After 9/11: Present at the Re-creation |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7425-5900-4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Caraley |first=Demetrios |author-link=Demetrios James Caraley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xMCGStzPzooC&pg=PP1 |title=September 11, terrorist attacks, and U.S. foreign policy |publisher=Academy of Political Science |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-884853-01-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Chernick |first=Howard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GL6vOpKbFygC&pg=PP1 |title=Resilient city: the economic impact of 9/11 |publisher=Russell Sage Foundation |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-87154-170-3}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Damico |first1=Amy M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mgtSLkKxIpEC&pg=PP1 |title=September 11 in Popular Culture: A Guide |last2=Quay |first2=Sara E. |publisher=Greenwood |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-313-35505-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hampton |first=Wilborn |url=https://archive.org/details/september112001a00wilb |title=September 11, 2001: attack on New York City |publisher=Candlewick |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7636-1949-7 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Langley |first=Andrew |url=https://archive.org/details/september11attac0000lang |title=September 11: Attack on America |publisher=Compass Point |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7565-1620-8 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Neria |first1=Yuval |author-link1=Yuval Neria |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kADL4ymHsY8C&pg=PP1 |title=9/11: mental health in the wake of terrorist attacks |last2=Gross |first2=Raz |last3=Marshall |first3=Randall D. |last4=Susser |first4=Ezra S. |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-521-83191-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Allan A. |title=The 9/11 Terror Cases: Constitutional Challenges in the War against Al Qaeda |publisher=University Press of Kansas |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-7006-2132-3}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Strasser |first1=Steven |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qLCn_D7lX5kC&pg=PP1 |title=The 9/11 investigations: staff reports of the 9/11 Commission: excerpts from the House-Senate joint inquiry report on 9/11: testimony from fourteen key witnesses, including Richard Clarke, George Tenet, and Condoleezza Rice |last2=Whitney |first2=Craig R. |publisher=PublicAffairs |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-58648-279-4}}
{{refend}}


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* ''official commission website'' * ''official commission website''
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* from the U.S. ], ''Memory.loc.gov''
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Latest revision as of 20:05, 24 December 2024

2001 Islamist terror attacks in the United States This article is about the attacks in 2001. For other attacks on the same date, see September 11 attacks (disambiguation). "Nine eleven" and "9/11" redirect here. For the calendar dates, see September 11 and November 9. For the reverse, see 11/9 (disambiguation). For other uses, see 911 (disambiguation). "9-11" redirects here. For the collection of interviews with Noam Chomsky, see 9-11 (book).

September 11 attacks
Part of terrorism in the United States
A montage of eight images depicting, from top to bottom, the World Trade Center towers burning, the collapsed section of the Pentagon, the impact explosion in the South Tower, a rescue worker standing in front of rubble of the collapsed towers, an excavator unearthing a smashed jet engine, three frames of video depicting American Airlines Flight 77 hitting the Pentagon
Location
DateSeptember 11, 2001; 23 years ago (2001-09-11)
c. 08:13 a.m. – 10:03 a.m. (EDT)
Target
Attack typeIslamic terrorism, aircraft hijacking, suicide attack, mass murder
Deaths2,996
(2,977 victims and 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists)
Injured6,000–25,000+
PerpetratorsAl-Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden (see also: responsibility)
No. of participants19
MotiveSeveral; see Motives for the September 11 attacks and Fatwas of Osama bin Laden
Convicted
September 11 attacks
Timeline
Victims
Hijacked airliners
Crash sites
Aftermath
Response
Perpetrators
Inquiries
Cultural effects
Miscellaneous
al-Qaeda attacks

The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the third into the Pentagon (headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense) in Arlington County, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania during a passenger revolt. The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in history. In response to the attacks, the United States waged the multi-decade global war on terror to eliminate hostile groups deemed terrorist organizations, as well as the foreign governments purported to support them.

Ringleader Mohamed Atta flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan at 8:46 a.m. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower. Both collapsed within an hour and forty-one minutes, bringing about the destruction of the remaining five structures in the complex and damaging or destroying nearby buildings. American Airlines Flight 77 flew towards Washington, D.C. and crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., causing a partial collapse. The fourth and final flight, United Airlines Flight 93, also changed course towards Washington, believed by investigators to target either the United States Capitol or the White House. Alerted to the previous attacks, the passengers revolted against the hijackers who crashed the aircraft into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered an indefinite ground stop for all air traffic in U.S. airspace, preventing any further aircraft departures until September 13 and requiring all airborne aircraft to return to their point of origin or divert to Canada. The actions undertaken in Canada to support incoming aircraft and their occupants were collectively titled Operation Yellow Ribbon.

That evening, the Central Intelligence Agency informed President George W. Bush that its Counterterrorism Center had identified the attacks as having been the work of Al-Qaeda under Osama bin Laden. The United States formally responded by launching the war on terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, which rejected U.S. terms to expel Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and extradite its leaders. The U.S.'s invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty—its only usage to date—called upon allies to fight al-Qaeda. As U.S. and NATO invasion forces swept through Afghanistan, bin Laden eluded them. He denied any involvement until 2004, when excerpts of a taped statement in which he accepted responsibility for the attacks were released. Al-Qaeda's cited motivations included U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. military bases in Saudi Arabia and sanctions against Iraq. The nearly decade-long manhunt for bin Laden concluded on May 2, 2011, when he was killed during a U.S. military raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The War in Afghanistan continued for another eight years until the agreement was made in February 2020 for American and NATO troops to withdraw from the country.

Excluding the hijackers, the attacks killed 2,977 people, injured thousands more and gave rise to substantial long-term health consequences while also causing at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in history as well as the deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement personnel in American history, killing 343 and 72 members, respectively. The loss of life stemming from the impact of Flight 11 made it the most lethal multi-plane crash in aviation history followed by the death toll incurred by Flight 175. The destruction of the World Trade Center and its environs seriously harmed the U.S. economy and induced global market shocks. Many other countries strengthened anti-terrorism legislation and expanded their powers of law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The total number of deaths caused by the attacks, combined with the death tolls from the conflicts they directly incited, has been estimated by the Costs of War Project to be over 4.5 million. Cleanup of the World Trade Center site (colloquially "Ground Zero") took eight months and was completed in May 2002, while the Pentagon was repaired within a year. After delays in the design of a replacement complex, six new buildings were planned to replace the lost towers, along with a museum and memorial dedicated to those who were killed or injured in the attacks. The tallest building, One World Trade Center, began construction in November 2006; it opened in November 2014. Memorials to the attacks include the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial at the Pennsylvania crash site.

Background

Further information: Fatwas of Osama bin Laden, Political views of Osama bin Laden, and 1993 World Trade Center bombing

In 1996, Osama bin Laden of the Islamist militant organization al-Qaeda issued his first fatwā, which declared war against the United States and demanded the expulsion of all American soldiers from the Arabian Peninsula. In a second 1998 fatwā, bin Laden outlined his objections to American foreign policy with respect to Israel, as well as the continued presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War. Bin Laden maintained that Muslims are obliged to attack American targets until the aggressive policies of the U.S. against Muslims were reversed.

The Hamburg cell in Germany included Islamists who eventually came to be key operatives in the 9/11 attacks. Mohamed Atta; Marwan al-Shehhi; Ziad Jarrah; Ramzi bin al-Shibh; and Said Bahaji were all members of al-Qaeda's Hamburg cell. Bin Laden asserted that all Muslims must wage a defensive war against the United States and combat American aggression. He further argued that military strikes against American assets would send a message to the American people, attempting to force the U.S. to re-evaluate its support to Israel, and other aggressive policies. In a 1998 interview with American journalist John Miller, bin Laden stated:

We do not differentiate between those dressed in military uniforms and civilians; they are all targets in this fatwa. American history does not distinguish between civilians and military, not even women and children. They are the ones who used bombs against Nagasaki. Can these bombs distinguish between infants and military? America does not have a religion that will prevent it from destroying all people. So we tell the Americans as people and we tell the mothers of soldiers and American mothers in general that if they value their lives and the lives of their children, to find a nationalistic government that will look after their interests and not the interests of the Jews. The continuation of tyranny will bring the fight to America, as Ramzi yourself and others did. This is my message to the American people: to look for a serious government that looks out for their interests and does not attack others, their lands, or their honor. My word to American journalists is not to ask why we did that but to ask what their government has done that forced us to defend ourselves.

— Osama bin Laden, in his interview with John Miller, May 1998,

Osama bin Laden

Main article: Osama bin Laden Further information: Militant career of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden in 1997 or 1998

Bin Laden orchestrated the September 11 attacks. He initially denied involvement, but later recanted his denial. Al Jazeera broadcast a statement by him on September 16, 2001: "I stress that I have not carried out this act, which appears to have been carried out by individuals with their own motivation". In November 2001, U.S. forces recovered a videotape in which bin Laden, talking to Khaled al-Harbi, admitted foreknowledge of the attacks. On December 27, 2001, a second video of bin Laden was released in which he, stopping short of admitting responsibility for the attacks, said:

It has become clear that the West in general and America in particular have an unspeakable hatred for Islam. ... It is the hatred of crusaders. Terrorism against America deserves to be praised because it was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing America to stop its support for Israel, which kills our people. ... We say that the end of the United States is imminent, whether Bin Laden or his followers are alive or dead, for the awakening of the Muslim ummah has occurred. ... It is important to hit the economy (of the United States), which is the base of its military power...If the economy is hit they will become reoccupied.

— Osama bin Laden

Shortly before the 2004 U.S. presidential election, bin Laden used a taped statement to publicly acknowledge al-Qaeda's involvement in the attacks. He admitted his direct link to the attacks and said they were carried out because:

The events that affected my soul in a direct way started in 1982 when America permitted the Israelis to invade Lebanon and the American Sixth Fleet helped them in that. This bombardment began and many were killed and injured and others were terrorised and displaced.

I couldn't forget those moving scenes, blood and severed limbs, women and children sprawled everywhere. Houses were destroyed along with their occupants, high rises demolished over their residents, rockets raining down on our home without mercy...As I looked at those demolished towers in Lebanon, it entered my mind that we should punish the oppressor in kind and that we should destroy towers in America so that they taste some of what we tasted and so that they be deterred from killing our women and children.

And that day, it was confirmed to me that oppression and the intentional killing of innocent women and children is a deliberate American policy. Destruction is freedom and democracy, while resistance is terrorism and intolerance.

Bin Laden personally directed his followers to attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Another video obtained by Al Jazeera in September 2006 showed bin Laden with one of the attacks' chief planners, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, as well as hijackers, Hamza al-Ghamdi and Wail al-Shehri, amidst making preparations for the attacks.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other al-Qaeda members

Main article: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed after his 2003 capture in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Journalist Yosri Fouda of the Arabic television channel Al Jazeera reported that in April 2002, al-Qaeda member Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted his involvement in the attacks, along with Ramzi bin al-Shibh. The 2004 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity which Mohammed, the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, felt towards the United States had stemmed from his "violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel". Mohammed was also an adviser and financier of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the uncle of Ramzi Yousef, the lead bomber in that attack. In late 1994, Mohammed and Yousef moved on to plan a new terrorist attack called the Bojinka plot planned for January 1995. Despite a failure and Yousef's capture by U.S. forces the following month, the Bojinka plot would influence the later 9/11 attacks.

In "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, five people are identified as having been completely aware of the operation's details. They are bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Abu Turab al-Urduni and Mohammed Atef.

Motives

Main article: Motives for the September 11 attacks Further information: Fatwas of Osama bin Laden

Osama bin Laden's declaration of a holy war against the United States, and a 1998 fatwā signed by bin Laden and others that called for the killing of Americans, are seen by investigators as evidence of his motivation. In November 2001, bin Laden defended the attacks as retaliatory strikes against American atrocities against Muslims across the world. He also maintained that the attacks were not directed against women and children, asserting that the targets of the strikes were symbols of America's "economic and military power".

In bin Laden's November 2002 Letter to the American People, he identified al-Qaeda's motives for the attacks:

After the attacks, bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri released additional recordings, some of which repeated the above reasons. Two relevant publications were bin Laden's 2002 Letter to the American People and a 2004 videotape by bin Laden.

those young men, for whom God has cleared the way, didn't set out to kill children, but rather attacked the biggest centre of military power in the world, the Pentagon, which contains more than 64,000 workers, a military base which has a big concentration of army and intelligence ... As for the World Trade Center, the ones who were attacked and who died in it were part of a financial power. It wasn't a children's school! Neither was it a residence. The consensus is that most of the people who were in the towers were men who backed the biggest financial force in the world, which spreads mischief throughout the world.

— Osama Bin Laden's interview with Tayseer Allouni, October 21, 2001

As an adherent of Islam, bin Laden believed that non-Muslims are forbidden from having a permanent presence in the Arabian Peninsula. In 1996, bin Laden issued a fatwā calling for American troops to leave Saudi Arabia. One analysis of suicide terrorism suggested that without U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, Al-Qaeda likely would not have been able to get people to commit to suicide missions. In the 1998 fatwa, al-Qaeda identified the Iraq sanctions as a reason to kill Americans, condemning the "protracted blockade" among other actions that constitute a declaration of war against "Allah, his messenger, and Muslims".

In 2004, bin Laden claimed that the idea of destroying the towers had first occurred to him in 1982 when he witnessed Israel's bombardment of high-rise apartment buildings during the 1982 Lebanon War. Some analysts, including political scientists John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, also claimed that U.S. support of Israel was a motive for the attacks. In 2004 and 2010, bin Laden again connected the September 11 attacks with U.S. support of Israel, although most of the letters expressed bin Laden's disdain for President Bush and bin Laden's hope to "destroy and bankrupt" the U.S.

Other motives have been suggested in addition to those stated by bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Some authors suggested the "humiliation" that resulted from the Islamic world falling behind the Western world—this discrepancy was rendered especially visible by globalization and a desire to provoke the U.S. into a broader war against the Islamic world in the hope of motivating more allies to support al-Qaeda. Similarly, others have argued the 9/11 attacks were a strategic move to provoke America into a war that would incite a pan-Islamic revolution.

Planning

Main article: Planning of the September 11 attacks
Ground zero and surrounding area as seen from directly above depicting where the two planes impacted the towers
Map of the attacks on the World Trade Center
Diagram of the World Trade Center attacks

Documents seized during the 2011 operation that killed bin Laden included notes handwritten by bin Laden in September 2002 with the heading "The Birth of the Idea of September 11". He describes how he was inspired by the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 on October 31, 1999, which was deliberately crashed by co-pilot Gameel Al-Batouti, killing over 200 passengers. "This is how the idea of 9/11 was conceived and developed in my head, and that is when we began the planning" bin Laden continued, adding that no one but Abu Hafs and Abu al-Khair knew about it at the time. The 9/11 Commission Report identified Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as the architect of 9/11, but he is not mentioned in bin Laden's notes.

The attacks were conceived by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who first presented it to Osama bin Laden in 1996. At that time, bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were in a period of transition, having just relocated back to Afghanistan from Sudan. The 1998 African embassy bombings and bin Laden's February 1998 fatwā marked a turning point of al-Qaeda's terrorist operation, as bin Laden became intent on attacking the United States.

In late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden approved Mohammed to go forward with organizing the plot. Atef provided operational support, including target selections and helping arrange travel for the hijackers. Bin Laden overruled Mohammed, rejecting potential targets such as the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles for lack of time.

Bin Laden provided leadership and financial support and was involved in selecting participants. He initially selected Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, both experienced jihadists who had fought in Bosnia. Hazmi and Mihdhar arrived in the United States in mid-January 2000. In early 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar took flying lessons in San Diego, California. Both spoke little English, performed poorly in flying lessons, and eventually served as secondary "muscle" hijackers.

In late 1999, a group of men from Hamburg, Germany, arrived in Afghanistan. The group included Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh. Bin Laden selected these men because they were educated, could speak English, and had experience living in the West. New recruits were routinely screened for special skills and al-Qaeda leaders consequently discovered that Hani Hanjour already had a commercial pilot's license.

Hanjour arrived in San Diego on December 8, 2000, joining Hazmi. They soon left for Arizona, where Hanjour took refresher training. Marwan al-Shehhi arrived at the end of May 2000, while Atta arrived on June 3, 2000, and Jarrah arrived on June 27, 2000. Bin al-Shibh applied several times for a visa to the United States, but as a Yemeni, he was rejected out of concerns he would overstay his visa. Bin al-Shibh stayed in Hamburg, providing coordination between Atta and Mohammed. The three Hamburg cell members all took pilot training in South Florida at Huffman Aviation.

In the spring of 2001, the secondary hijackers began arriving in the United States. In July 2001, Atta met with bin al-Shibh in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, where they coordinated details of the plot, including final target selection. Bin al-Shibh passed along bin Laden's wish for the attacks to be carried out as soon as possible. Some of the hijackers received passports from corrupt Saudi officials who were family members or used fraudulent passports to gain entry.

There have been a few theories that 9/11 was selected by the hijackers as the date of the attack because it resembled 9-1-1, the phone number used to report emergencies in the United States. However, Lawrence Wright wrote that the hijackers chose the date when John III Sobieski, the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, began the battle that turned back the Ottoman Empire's Muslim armies that were attempting to capture Vienna in 1683. Vienna was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire and Habsburg monarchy, both major powers in Europe at the time. For Osama bin Laden, this was a date when the West gained some dominance over Islam, and by attacking on this date, he hoped to make a step in Islam "winning" the war for worldwide power and influence.

Prior intelligence

Main article: September 11 intelligence before the attacks

In late 1999, al-Qaeda associate Walid bin Attash ("Khallad") contacted Mihdhar and told him to meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hazmi and Abu Bara al Yemeni would also be in attendance. The NSA intercepted a telephone call mentioning the meeting, Mihdhar, and the name "Nawaf" (Hazmi); while the agency feared "Something nefarious might be afoot", it took no further action.

The CIA had already been alerted by Saudi intelligence about Mihdhar and Hazmi being Al-Qaeda members. A CIA team broke into Mihdhar's Dubai hotel room and discovered that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. While Alec Station alerted intelligence agencies worldwide, it did not share this information with the FBI. The Malaysian Special Branch observed the January 5, 2000, meeting of the two al-Qaeda members and informed the CIA that Mihdhar, Hazmi, and Khallad were flying to Bangkok, but the CIA never notified other agencies of this, nor did it ask the State Department to put Mihdhar on its watchlist. An FBI liaison asked permission to inform the FBI of the meeting but was told: "This is not a matter for the FBI".

By late June, senior counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke and CIA director George Tenet were "convinced that a major series of attacks was about to come", although the CIA believed the attacks would likely occur in Saudi Arabia or Israel. In early July, Clarke put domestic agencies on "full alert", telling them, "Something spectacular is going to happen here, and it's going to happen soon". He asked the FBI and the State Department to alert the embassies and police departments, and the Defense Department to go to "Threat Condition Delta". Clarke later wrote:

Somewhere in CIA there was information that two known al Qaeda terrorists had come into the United States. Somewhere in the FBI, there was information that strange things had been going on at flight schools in the United States.  They had specific information about individual terrorists from which one could have deduced what was about to happen. None of that information got to me or the White House.

by July , with word spreading of a coming attack, a schism emerged among the senior leadership of al Qaeda. Several senior members reportedly agreed with Mullah Omar. Those who reportedly sided with bin Ladin included Atef, Sulayman Abu Ghayth, and KSM. But those said to have opposed him were weighty figures in the organization-including Abu Hafs the Mauritanian, Sheikh Saeed al Masri, and Sayf al Adl. One senior al Qaeda operative claims to recall Bin Ladin arguing that attacks against the United States needed to be carried out immediately to support insurgency in the Israeli-occupied territories and protest the presence of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia.

— 9/11 Commission Report, p. 251

On July 13, Tom Wilshire, a CIA agent assigned to the FBI's international terrorism division, emailed his superiors at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center (CTC) requesting permission to inform the FBI that Hazmi was in the country and that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. The CIA never responded.

The same day, Margarette Gillespie, an FBI analyst working in the CTC, was told to review material about the Malaysia meeting. She was not told of the participant's presence in the U.S. The CIA gave Gillespie surveillance photos of Mihdhar and Hazmi from the meeting to show to FBI counterterrorism but did not tell her their significance. The Intelink database informed her not to share intelligence material with criminal investigators. When shown the photos, the FBI refused more details on their significance, and they were not given Mihdhar's date of birth or passport number. In late August 2001, Gillespie told the INS, the State Department, the Customs Service, and the FBI to put Hazmi and Mihdhar on their watchlists, but the FBI was prohibited from using criminal agents in searching for the duo, hindering their efforts.

Also in July, a Phoenix-based FBI agent sent a message to FBI headquarters, Alec Station, and FBI agents in New York alerting them to "the possibility of a coordinated effort by Osama bin Laden to send students to the United States to attend civil aviation universities and colleges". The agent, Kenneth Williams, suggested the need to interview flight school managers and identify all Arab students seeking flight training. In July, Jordan alerted the U.S. that al-Qaeda was planning an attack on the U.S.; "months later", Jordan notified the U.S. that the attack's codename was "The Big Wedding" and that it involved airplanes.

On August 6, 2001, the CIA's Presidential Daily Brief, designated "For the President Only", was entitled Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US. The memo noted that FBI information "indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks".

In mid-August, one Minnesota flight school alerted the FBI about Zacarias Moussaoui, who had asked "suspicious questions". The FBI found that Moussaoui was a radical who had traveled to Pakistan, and the INS arrested him for overstaying his French visa. Their request to search his laptop was denied by FBI headquarters due to the lack of probable cause.

The failures in intelligence-sharing were attributed to 1995 Justice Department policies limiting intelligence-sharing, combined with CIA and NSA reluctance to reveal "sensitive sources and methods" such as tapped phones. Testifying before the 9/11 Commission in April 2004, then—Attorney General John Ashcroft recalled that the "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents". Clarke also wrote: "here were... failures to get information to the right place at the right time".

Attacks

For a chronological guide, see Timeline for the day of the September 11 attacks.

Early on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, nineteen hijackers took control of four commercial airliners (two Boeing 757s and two Boeing 767s). Large planes with long flights were selected for hijacking because they would have more fuel.

Key info about the four flights
Operator Flight number Aircraft type Time of departure* Time of crash* Departed from En route to Crash site Fatalities
(There were no survivors from the flights)
Crew Passengers Ground Hijackers Total
American Airlines 11 Boeing 767-223ER 7:59 a.m. 8:46 a.m. Logan International Airport Los Angeles International Airport North Tower of the World Trade Center, floors 93 to 99 11 76 2,606 5 2,763
United Airlines 175 Boeing 767–222 8:14 a.m. 9:03 a.m. Logan International Airport Los Angeles International Airport South Tower of the World Trade Center, floors 77 to 85 9 51 5
American Airlines 77 Boeing 757–223 8:20 a.m. 9:37 a.m. Washington Dulles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport West wall of Pentagon 6 53 125 5 189
United Airlines 93 Boeing 757–222 8:42 a.m. 10:03 a.m. Newark Int'l Airport San Francisco International Airport Field in Stonycreek Township near Shanksville 7 33 0 4 44
Totals 33 213 2,731 19 2,996

* Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−04:00)
Excluding hijackers
Including emergency workers
Including hijackers

Crashes

See also: Media documentation of the September 11 attacks The North Tower shortly after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed. The first attack.United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into 2 World Trade Center. The second attack.Security camera footage of American Airlines Flight 77 crashing into the Pentagon; the plane collides with the Pentagon approximately 86 seconds after the start of the recording. The third attack.A grassfieldThe crash site of United Airlines Flight 93, near Stonycreek Township

At 7:59 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 took off from Logan International Airport in Boston. Fifteen minutes into the flight, five hijackers armed with boxcutters took over the plane, injuring at least three people (and possibly killing one) before forcing their way into the cockpit. The terrorists also displayed an apparent explosive and sprayed mace into the cabin, to frighten the hostages into submission and further hinder resistance. Back at Logan, United Airlines Flight 175 took off at 8:14 a.m. Hundreds of miles southwest at Dulles International Airport, American Airlines Flight 77 left the runway at 8:20 a.m. Flight 175's journey proceeded normally for 28 minutes until 8:42 am, when a group of five hijacked the plane, murdering both pilots and stabbing several crew members before assuming control of the aircraft. These hijackers also used bomb threats to instil fear into the passengers and crew, also spraying "tear gas, pepper spray or another irritant" in the cabin to force passengers and flight attendants to the rear of the cabin. Concurrently, United Airlines Flight 93 departed from Newark International Airport in New Jersey; originally scheduled to pull away from the gate at 8:00 a.m., the plane was running 42 minutes late.

At 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 was deliberately crashed into the north face of the World Trade Center's North Tower between the 93rd and 99th floors. The initial presumption by many was that it was an accident. At 8:51 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 was also taken over by five hijackers who forcibly entered the cockpit 31 minutes after take-off. Although they were equipped with knives, there were no reports of anyone on board being stabbed, nor did the two people who made phone calls mention the use of mace or a bomb threat.

United Airlines Flight 175 hitting the South Tower

Flight 175 was flown into the South Tower's southern facade (2 WTC) between the 77th and 85th floors at 9:03 a.m., demonstrating that the first crash was a deliberate act of terrorism.

Four men aboard Flight 93 struck suddenly, killing at least one passenger, after having waited 46 minutes—a holdup that proved disastrous for the terrorists when combined with the delayed takeoff. They stormed the cockpit and seized control of the plane at 9:28 a.m., turning the plane eastbound towards Washington, D.C. Much like their counterparts on the first two flights, the fourth team used bomb threats and filled the cabin with mace.

Nine minutes after Flight 93's hijacking, Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon. Because of the two delays, the passengers and crew of Flight 93 had time to learn of the previous attacks through phone calls to the ground, and as a result an uprising was hastily organized to take control of the aircraft at 9:57 a.m. Within minutes, passengers had fought their way to the front of the cabin and began breaking down the cockpit door. Fearing their captives would gain the upper hand, the hijackers rolled the plane and pitched it into a nosedive, crashing into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh, at 10:03 a.m. The plane was about twenty minutes away from reaching D.C. at the time of the crash, and its target is believed to have been either the Capitol Building or the White House.

Some passengers and crew who called from the aircraft using the cabin air phone service and mobile phones provided details: several hijackers were aboard each plane; they used mace, tear gas, or pepper spray to overcome attendants; and some people aboard had been stabbed. Reports indicated hijackers stabbed and killed pilots, flight attendants, and one or more passengers. According to the 9/11 Commission's final report, the hijackers had recently purchased multi-function hand tools and assorted Leatherman-type utility knives with locking blades (which were not forbidden to passengers at the time), but these were not found among the possessions left behind by the hijackers. A flight attendant on Flight 11, a passenger on Flight 175, and passengers on Flight 93 said the hijackers had bombs, but one of the passengers said he thought the bombs were fake. The FBI found no traces of explosives at the crash sites, and the 9/11 Commission concluded that the bombs were probably fake. On at least two of the hijacked flights—American 11 and United 93—the terrorists claimed over the PA system that they were taking hostages and were returning to the airport to have a ransom demand met, a clear attempt to prevent passengers from fighting back. Both attempts failed, however, as both hijacker pilots in these instances (Mohamed Atta and Ziad Jarrah, respectively) mistakenly transmitted their messages to ATC instead of the people on the plane as intended, tipping off the flight controllers that the planes had been hijacked.

Three buildings in the World Trade Center collapsed due to fire-induced structural failure. Although the South Tower was struck 17 minutes after the North Tower, the plane's impact zone was far lower, at a much faster speed, and into a corner, with the unevenly-balanced additional structural weight causing it to collapse first at 9:59 a.m., having burned for 56 minutes in the fire caused by the crash of United Airlines Flight 175 and the explosion of its fuel. The North Tower lasted another 29 minutes before collapsing at 10:28 a.m., one hour and forty-two minutes after being struck by American Airlines Flight 11. When the North Tower collapsed, debris fell on the nearby 7 World Trade Center building (7 WTC), damaging the building and starting fires. These fires burned for nearly seven hours, compromising the building's structural integrity, and 7 WTC collapsed at 5:21 p.m. The west side of the Pentagon sustained significant damage.

At 9:42 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all civilian aircraft within the continental U.S., and civilian aircraft already in flight were told to land immediately. All international civilian aircraft were either turned back or redirected to airports in Canada or Mexico, and were banned from landing on United States territory for three days. The attacks created widespread confusion among news organizations and air traffic controllers. Among unconfirmed and often contradictory news reports aired throughout the day, one of the most prevalent claimed a car bomb had been detonated at the U.S. State Department's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Another jet (Delta Air Lines Flight 1989) was suspected of having been hijacked, but the aircraft responded to controllers and landed safely in Cleveland, Ohio.

In an April 2002 interview, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, who are believed to have organized the attacks, said Flight 93's intended target was the United States Capitol, not the White House. During the planning stage of the attacks, Mohamed Atta (Flight 11's hijacker and pilot) thought the White House might be too tough a target and sought an assessment from Hani Hanjour (who hijacked and piloted Flight 77). Mohammed said Al-Qaeda initially planned to target nuclear installations rather than the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but decided against it, fearing things could "get out of control". Final decisions on targets, according to Mohammed, were left in the hands of the pilots. If any pilot could not reach his intended target, he was to crash the plane.

Casualties

Main articles: Casualties of the September 11 attacks and Lists of victims of the September 11 attacks
One of three observable falls from the South Tower. A similar photograph of a victim from the North Tower titled The Falling Man gained wide acclamation.

The attack on the World Trade Center's North Tower alone made 9/11 the deadliest act of terrorism in history. Taken together, the four crashes killed 2,996 people (including the hijackers) and injured thousands more. The death toll included 265 on the four planes (from which there were no survivors); 2,606 in the World Trade Center and the surrounding area; and 125 at the Pentagon. Most who died were civilians, as well as 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, 55 military personnel, and the 19 terrorists. More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks.

In New York City, more than 90% of those who died in the towers had been at or above the points of impact. In the North Tower, between 1,344 and 1,402 people were at, above or one floor below the point of impact and all died. Hundreds were killed instantly when the plane struck. The estimated 800 people who survived the impact were trapped and died in the fires or from smoke inhalation; fell or jumped from the tower to escape the smoke and flames; or were killed in the building's collapse. The destruction of all three staircases in the North Tower when Flight 11 hit made it impossible for anyone from the impact zone upward to escape. 107 people not trapped by the impact died. When Flight 11 struck between floors 93 and 99, the 92nd floor was rendered inescapable: the crash severed all elevator shafts while falling debris blocked the stairwells, ensuring the deaths of all 69 workers on the floor.

In the South Tower, around 600 people were on or above the 77th floor when Flight 175 struck; few survived. As with the North Tower, hundreds were killed at the moment of impact. Unlike those in the North Tower, the estimated 300 survivors of the crash were not technically trapped, but most were either unaware that a means of escape still existed or were unable to use it. One stairway, Stairwell A, narrowly avoided being destroyed, allowing 14 people located on the floors of impact (including Stanley Praimnath, a man who saw the plane coming at him) and four more from the floors above to escape. New York City 9-1-1 operators who received calls from people inside the tower were not well informed of the situation as it rapidly unfolded and as a result, told callers not to descend the tower on their own. In total, 630 people died in the South Tower, fewer than half the number killed in the North Tower. Of the 100–200 people witnessed jumping or falling to their deaths, only three recorded sightings were from the South Tower. Casualties in the South Tower were significantly reduced because some occupants decided to leave the building immediately following the first crash, and because Eric Eisenberg, an executive at AON Insurance, decided to evacuate the floors occupied by AON (92 and 98–105) following the impact of Flight 11. The 17-minute gap allowed over 900 of the 1,100 AON employees present to evacuate from above the 77th floor before the South Tower was struck; Eisenberg was among the nearly 200 who did not escape. Similar pre-impact evacuations were carried out by Fiduciary Trust, CSC, and Euro Brokers, all of whom had offices on floors above the point of impact. The failure to order a full evacuation of the South Tower after the first plane crash into the North Tower was described by USA Today as "one of the day's great tragedies".

As exemplified in the photograph The Falling Man, more than 200 people fell to their deaths from the burning towers, most of whom were forced to jump to escape the extreme heat, fire and smoke. Some occupants of each tower above the point of impact made their way toward the roof in the hope of helicopter rescue, but the roof access doors were locked. No plan existed for helicopter rescues, and the combination of roof equipment, thick smoke and intense heat prevented helicopters from approaching.

At the World Trade Center complex, 414 emergency workers died as they tried to rescue people and fight fires, while another law enforcement officer was killed when United 93 crashed. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lost 343 firefighters, including a chaplain and two paramedics. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) lost 23 officers. The Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) lost 37 officers. Eight emergency medical technicians and paramedics from private emergency medical services units were killed. Almost all of the emergency personnel who died at the scene were killed as a result of the towers collapsing, with the exception of one who was struck by a civilian falling from the South Tower.

Cantor Fitzgerald L.P. (an investment bank on the North Tower's 101st–105th floors) lost 658 employees, considerably more than any other employer. Marsh Inc., located immediately below Cantor Fitzgerald on floors 93–100, lost 358 employees, and 175 employees of Aon Corporation were killed. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) estimated that about 17,400 civilians were in the World Trade Center complex at the time of the attacks. Turnstile counts from the Port Authority suggest 14,154 people were typically in the Twin Towers by 8:45 a.m. Most people below the impact zone safely evacuated.

In Arlington County, Virginia, 125 Pentagon workers died when Flight 77 crashed into the building's western side. 70 were civilians and 55 were military personnel, many of whom worked for the United States Army or the United States Navy. The Army lost 47 civilian employees, six civilian contractors, and 22 soldiers, while the Navy lost six civilian employees, three civilian contractors, and 33 sailors. Seven Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) civilian employees and one Office of the Secretary of Defense contractor died. Timothy Maude, a Lieutenant General and Army Deputy Chief of Staff, was the highest-ranking military official killed at the Pentagon.

Weeks after the attack, the death toll was estimated to be over 6,000, more than twice the number of deaths eventually confirmed. The city was only able to identify remains for about 1,600 of the World Trade Center victims. The medical examiner's office collected "about 10,000 unidentified bone and tissue fragments that cannot be matched to the list of the dead". Bone fragments were still being found in 2006 by workers who were preparing to demolish the damaged Deutsche Bank Building.

In 2010, a team of anthropologists and archaeologists searched for human remains and personal items at the Fresh Kills Landfill, where 72 more human remains were recovered, bringing the total found to 1,845. DNA profiling continues in an attempt to identify additional victims. In 2014, three coffin-size cases carrying 7,930 unidentified remains were transferred to a medical examiner's repository located at the same site as the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Victims' families are permitted to visit a private "reflection room" which is closed to the public. The choice to place the remains in an underground area attached to a museum has been controversial; families of some victims have attempted to have the remains instead interred in a separate, above-ground monument.

In August 2017, the 1,641st victim was identified as a result of newly available DNA technology, and a 1,642nd during July 2018. Three more victims were identified in October 2019, two in September 2021 and an additional two in September 2023. As of September 2023, 1,104 victims remain unidentified, amounting to 40% of the deaths in the World Trade Center attacks. On September 25, 2023, the FDNY reported that the department had now lost the same number of members to 9/11-related illnesses as it did on the day of the attacks.

Damage

Further information: Collapse of the World Trade Center and List of buildings damaged or destroyed in the September 11 attacks
The World Trade Center site, called Ground Zero, with an overlay showing the locations of the original buildings

The Twin Towers, the Marriott Hotel (3 WTC), 7 WTC, and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church were destroyed. The U.S. Customs House (6 World Trade Center), 4 World Trade Center, 5 World Trade Center, and both pedestrian bridges connecting buildings were severely damaged. All surrounding streets were in ruins. The last fires at the World Trade Center site were extinguished on December 20.

The Deutsche Bank Building was damaged and was later condemned as uninhabitable because of toxic conditions; it was deconstructed starting in 2007. Buildings of the World Financial Center were damaged. The Borough of Manhattan Community College's Fiterman Hall was condemned due to extensive damage, and then reopened in 2012.

Other neighboring buildings (including 90 West Street and the Verizon Building) suffered major damage but have been restored. World Financial Center buildings, One Liberty Plaza, the Millenium Hilton, and 90 Church Street had moderate damage and have been restored. Communications equipment on top of the North Tower was also destroyed, with only WCBS-TV maintaining a backup transmitter on the Empire State Building, but media stations were quickly able to reroute the signals and resume their broadcasts.

A September 14 aerial view of the Pentagon during cleanup operations

The PATH train system's World Trade Center station was located under the complex and was demolished when the towers collapsed. The tunnels leading to Exchange Place station in Jersey City were flooded with water. The station was rebuilt as the $4 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub, which reopened in March 2015. The Cortlandt Street station on the New York City Subway's IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line was also in close proximity to the World Trade Center complex, and the entire station, along with the surrounding track, was reduced to rubble. The station was rebuilt and reopened to the public on September 8, 2018.

The Pentagon was extensively damaged, causing one section of the building to collapse. As the plane approached the Pentagon, its wings knocked down light poles and its right engine hit a power generator before crashing into the western side of the building. The plane hit the Pentagon at the first-floor level. The front part of the fuselage disintegrated on impact; debris from the tail section penetrated the furthest into the building, breaking through 310 feet (94 m) of the three outermost of the building's five rings.

Rescue efforts

Main article: Rescue and recovery effort after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center See also: List of emergency and first responder agencies that responded to the September 11 attacks
Patrol Boat Hocking of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on its way to assist the site on September 11

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) deployed more than 200 units (approximately half of the department) to the World Trade Center. Their efforts were supplemented by off-duty firefighters and emergency medical technicians. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) sent its Emergency Service Units and other police personnel and deployed its aviation unit, which determined that helicopter rescues from the towers were not feasible. Numerous police officers of the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) also participated in rescue efforts. Once on the scene, the FDNY, the NYPD, and the PAPD did not coordinate efforts and performed redundant searches for civilians.

As conditions deteriorated, the NYPD aviation unit relayed information to police commanders, who issued orders for personnel to evacuate the towers; most NYPD officers were able to evacuate before the buildings collapsed. With separate command posts set up and incompatible radio communications between the agencies, warnings were not passed along to FDNY commanders.

After the first tower collapsed, FDNY commanders issued evacuation warnings. Due to malfunctioning radio repeater systems, many firefighters never heard the evacuation orders. 9-1-1 dispatchers also received information from callers that was not passed along to commanders on the scene.

Reactions

Main article: Reactions to the September 11 attacks See also: Timeline for September following the September 11 attacks

The 9/11 attacks resulted in immediate responses, including domestic reactions; closings and cancellations; hate crimes; international responses; and military responses. Shortly after the attacks, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund was created by an Act of Congress. The purpose of the fund was to compensate the victims of the attacks and their families with their agreement not to file lawsuits against the airlines involved. Legislation authorizes the fund to disburse a maximum of $7.375 billion, including operational and administrative costs, of U.S. government funds. The fund was set to expire by 2020 but was in 2019 prolonged to allow claims to be filed until October 2090.

Immediate response

Further information: U.S. military response during the September 11 attacks See also: Communication during the September 11 attacks
President George W. Bush is briefed in Sarasota, Florida, where he learned of the attacks unfolding while visiting Emma E. Booker Elementary School.
Eight hours after the attacks, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld declares "The Pentagon is functioning".

At 8:32 a.m., FAA officials were notified Flight 11 had been hijacked and they, in turn, notified the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). NORAD scrambled two F-15s from Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts; they were airborne by 8:53 a.m. Because of slow and confused communication from FAA officials, NORAD had nine minutes' notice, and no notice about any of the other flights before they crashed.

After both of the Twin Towers had been hit, more fighters were scrambled from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia at 9:30 a.m. At 10:20 am, Vice President Dick Cheney issued orders to shoot down any commercial aircraft that could be positively identified as being hijacked. These instructions were not relayed in time for the fighters to take action. Some fighters took to the air without live ammunition, knowing that to prevent the hijackers from striking their intended targets, the pilots might have to intercept and crash their fighters into the hijacked planes, possibly ejecting at the last moment.

For the first time in U.S. history, the emergency preparedness plan Security Control of Air Traffic and Air Navigation Aids (SCATANA) was invoked, stranding tens of thousands of passengers across the world. Ben Sliney, in his first day as the National Operations Manager of the FAA, ordered that American airspace be closed to all international flights, causing about 500 flights to be turned back or redirected to other countries. Canada received 226 of the diverted flights and launched Operation Yellow Ribbon to deal with the large numbers of grounded planes and stranded passengers.

The 9/11 attacks had immediate effects on the American people. Police and rescue workers from around the country traveled to New York City to help recover bodies from the remnants of the Twin Towers. Over 3,000 children lost a parent in the attacks. Blood donations across the U.S. surged in the weeks after 9/11.

Domestic reactions

Further information: U.S. government response to the September 11 attacksPresident Bush addressing the nation from the White House at 8:30 pm ETBush speaking to rescue workers at Ground Zero on September 14 During a speech to a joint session of Congress, President George W. Bush pledges "to defend freedom against terrorism". September 20, 2001 (audio only).

Following the attacks, President George W. Bush's approval rating increased to 90%. On September 20, 2001, he addressed the nation and a joint session of Congress regarding the events, the rescue and recovery efforts, and his intended response to the attacks. New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani's highly visible role resulted in praise in New York and nationally.

Many relief funds were immediately set up to provide financial assistance to the survivors of the attacks and the victims' families. By the deadline for victims' compensation on September 11, 2003, 2,833 applications had been received from the families of those killed.

Contingency plans for the continuity of government and the evacuation of leaders were implemented soon after the attacks. Congress was not told that the United States had been under a continuity of government status until February 2002.

In the largest restructuring of the U.S. government in contemporary history, the United States enacted the Homeland Security Act of 2002, creating the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Congress also passed the USA PATRIOT Act, saying it would help detect and prosecute terrorism and other crimes. Civil liberties groups have criticized the PATRIOT Act, saying it allows law enforcement to invade citizens' privacy and that it eliminates judicial oversight of law enforcement and domestic intelligence.

To effectively combat future acts of terrorism, the National Security Agency (NSA) was given broad powers. The NSA commenced warrantless surveillance of telecommunications, which was sometimes criticized as permitting the agency "to eavesdrop on telephone and e-mail communications between the United States and people overseas without a warrant". In response to requests by intelligence agencies, the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court permitted an expansion of powers by the U.S. government in seeking, obtaining, and sharing information on U.S. citizens as well as non-Americans around the world.

Hate crimes

See also: Persecution of Muslims

Six days after the attacks, President Bush made a public appearance at Washington, D.C.'s largest Islamic Center where he acknowledged the "incredibly valuable contribution" of American Muslims and called for them "to be treated with respect". Numerous incidents of harassment and hate crimes against Muslims and South Asians were reported in the days following the attacks.

Sikhs were also targeted due to their use of turbans, which are stereotypically associated with Muslims. There were reports of attacks on mosques and other religious buildings (including the firebombing of a Hindu temple), and assaults on individuals, including one murder: Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh mistaken for a Muslim, who was fatally shot on September 15, 2001, in Mesa, Arizona. Two dozen members of Osama bin Laden's family were urgently evacuated out of the country on a private charter plane under FBI supervision three days after the attacks.

According to an academic study, people perceived to be Middle Eastern were as likely to be victims of hate crimes as followers of Islam during this time. The study also found a similar increase in hate crimes against people who may have been perceived as Muslims, Arabs, and others thought to be of Middle Eastern origin. A report by the South Asian American advocacy group South Asian Americans Leading Together documented media coverage of 645 bias incidents against Americans of South Asian or Middle Eastern descent between September 11 and 17, 2001. Crimes such as vandalism, arson, assault, shootings, harassment, and threats in numerous places were documented. Women wearing hijab were also targeted.

Discrimination and racial profiling

Further information: Detentions following the September 11 attacks, Islamophobia in the United States, and Flying while Muslim See also: Airport racial profiling in the United States

A poll of Arab-Americans in May 2002 found that 20% had personally experienced discrimination since September 11. A July 2002 poll of Muslim Americans found that 48% believed their lives had changed for the worse since September 11, and 57% had experienced an act of bias or discrimination. Following the September 11 attacks, many Pakistani Americans identified themselves as Indians to avoid potential discrimination and obtain jobs.

By May 2002, there were 488 complaints of employment discrimination reported to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). 301 of those were complaints from people fired from their jobs. Similarly, by June 2002, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) had investigated 111 September 11th-related complaints from airline passengers purporting that their religious or ethnic appearance caused them to be singled out at security screenings, and an additional 31 complaints from people who alleged they were blocked from boarding airplanes on the same grounds.

Muslim American response

See also: Muslim attitudes towards terrorism and Peace in Islamic philosophy

Muslim organizations in the United States were swift to condemn the attacks and called "upon Muslim Americans to come forward with their skills and resources to help alleviate the sufferings of the affected people and their families". These organizations included the Islamic Society of North America, American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Circle of North America, and the Shari'a Scholars Association of North America. Along with monetary donations, many Islamic organizations launched blood drives and provided medical assistance, food, and shelter for victims.

Interfaith efforts

Curiosity about Islam increased after the attacks. As a result, many mosques and Islamic centers began holding open houses and participating in outreach efforts to educate non-Muslims about the faith. In the first 10 years after the attacks, interfaith community service increased from 8 to 20 percent and the percentage of U.S. congregations involved in interfaith worship doubled from 7 to 14 percent.

International reactions

President of Russia Vladimir Putin (right) with his wife (center) at a commemoration service in New York City on November 16

The attacks were denounced by mass media and governments worldwide. Nations offered pro-American support and solidarity. Leaders in most Middle Eastern countries, as well as Libya and Afghanistan, condemned the attacks. Iraq was a notable exception, with an immediate official statement that "the American cowboys are reaping the fruit of their crimes against humanity". The government of Saudi Arabia officially condemned the attacks, but privately many Saudis favored bin Laden's cause.

Although Palestinian Authority (PA) president Yasser Arafat also condemned the attacks, there were reports of celebrations of disputed size in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Palestinian leaders discredited news broadcasters that justified the attacks or showed celebrations, and the Authority claimed such celebrations do not represent the Palestinians' sentiment. Footage by CNN and other news outlets were suggested by a report originating at a Brazilian university to be from 1991; this was later proven to be a false accusation. As in the United States, the aftermath of the attacks saw tensions increase in other countries between Muslims and non-Muslims.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368 condemned the attacks and expressed readiness to take all necessary steps to respond and combat terrorism in accordance with their Charter. Numerous countries introduced anti-terrorism legislation and froze bank accounts they suspected of al-Qaeda ties. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies in a number of countries arrested alleged terrorists.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the United States. In a speech to Congress nine days after the attacks, which Blair attended as a guest, President Bush declared "America has no truer friend than Great Britain". Subsequently, Prime Minister Blair embarked on two months of diplomacy to rally international support for military action; he held 54 meetings with world leaders.

The U.S. set up the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to hold inmates they defined as "illegal enemy combatants". The legitimacy of these detentions has been questioned by the European Union and human rights organizations.

On September 25, 2001, Iran's president Mohammad Khatami, meeting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, said: "Iran fully understands the feelings of the Americans about the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11". He said although the American administrations had been at best indifferent about terrorist operations in Iran, the Iranians felt differently and had expressed their sympathetic feelings with bereaved Americans in the tragic incidents in the two cities. He also stated that "Nations should not be punished in place of terrorists".

According to Radio Farda's website, when the news of the attacks was released, some Iranian citizens gathered in front of the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran, which serves as the protecting power of the United States in Iran, to express their sympathy, and some of them lit candles as a symbol of mourning. Radio Farda's website also states that in 2011, on the anniversary of the attacks, the United States Department of State published a post on its blog, in which the Department thanked the Iranian people for their sympathy and stated that it would never forget Iranian people's kindness. After the attacks, both the President and the Supreme Leader of Iran condemned the attacks. The BBC and Time magazine published reports on holding candlelit vigils for the victims of Iranian citizens on their websites. According to Politico Magazine, following the attacks, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, "suspended the usual 'Death to America' chants at Friday prayers" temporarily.

Military operations

Further information: War on terror and US invasion of Afghanistan
Events leading up
to the Iraq War

At 2:40 pm on September 11, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was issuing orders to his aides to look for evidence of Iraqi involvement. According to notes taken by senior policy official Stephen Cambone, Rumsfeld asked for, "Best info fast. Judge whether they are good enough to hit S.H. at the same time. Not only UBL" .

In a meeting at Camp David on September 15 the Bush administration rejected the idea of attacking Iraq in response to the September 11 attacks. Nonetheless, they later invaded the country with allies, citing "Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism". At the time, as many as seven in ten Americans believed the Iraqi president played a role in the 9/11 attacks. Three years later, Bush conceded that he had not.

The NATO council declared that the terrorist attacks on the United States were an attack on all NATO nations that satisfied Article 5 of the NATO charter. This marked the first invocation of Article 5, which had been written during the Cold War with an attack by the Soviet Union in mind. Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who was in Washington, D.C., during the attacks, invoked Article IV of the ANZUS treaty. The Bush administration announced a war on terror, with the stated goals of bringing bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice and preventing the emergence of other terrorist networks. These goals would be accomplished by imposing economic and military sanctions against states harboring terrorists, and increasing global surveillance and intelligence sharing.

On September 14, 2001, the U.S. Congress passed the Authorization for the use of Military Force Against Terrorists, which grants the President the authority to use all "necessary and appropriate force" against those whom he determined "planned, authorized, committed or aided" the September 11 attacks or who harbored said persons or groups. It is still in effect.

On October 7, 2001, the War in Afghanistan began when U.S. and British forces initiated aerial bombing campaigns targeting Taliban and al-Qaeda camps, then later invaded Afghanistan with ground troops of the Special Forces. This eventually led to the overthrow of the Taliban's rule of Afghanistan with the Fall of Kandahar on December 7, 2001, by U.S.-led coalition forces.

Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who went into hiding in the White Mountains, was targeted by U.S. coalition forces in the Battle of Tora Bora, but he escaped across the Pakistani border and remained out of sight for almost ten years. In an interview with Tayseer Allouni on October 21, 2001, bin Laden stated:

The events proved the extent of terrorism that America exercises in the world. Bush stated that the world has to be divided in two: Bush and his supporters, and any country that doesn't get into the global crusade is with the terrorists. What terrorism is clearer than this? Many governments were forced to support this "new terrorism"... America wouldn't live in security until we live it truly in Palestine. This showed the reality of America, which puts Israel's interest above its own people's interest. America won't get out of this crisis until it gets out of the Arabian Peninsula, and until it stops its support of Israel.

Aftermath

Main article: Aftermath of the September 11 attacks See also: Post-9/11

Health issues

Main article: Health effects arising from the September 11 attacks
Survivors covered in dust after the collapse of the World Trade towers; a photograph of another dust-covered victim, Marcy Borders, subsequently gained much attention.

Hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic debris containing more than 2,500 contaminants and known carcinogens were spread across Lower Manhattan when the towers collapsed. Exposure to the toxins in the debris is alleged to have contributed to fatal or debilitating illnesses among people who were at Ground Zero. The Bush administration ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue reassuring statements regarding air quality in the aftermath of the attacks, citing national security, but the EPA did not determine that air quality had returned to pre-September 11 levels until June 2002.

Health effects extended to residents, students, and office workers of Lower Manhattan and nearby Chinatown. Several deaths have been linked to the toxic dust, and victims' names were included in the World Trade Center memorial. An estimated 18,000 people have developed illnesses as a result of the toxic dust. There is also scientific speculation that exposure to toxic products in the air may have negative effects on fetal development. A study of rescue workers released in April 2010 found that all those studied had impaired lung function.

Years after the attacks, legal disputes over the costs of related illnesses were still in the court system. On October 17, 2006, a federal judge rejected New York City's refusal to pay for health costs for rescue workers, allowing for the possibility of suits against the city. Government officials have been faulted for urging the public to return to lower Manhattan in the weeks shortly after the attacks. Christine Todd Whitman, administrator of the EPA in the attacks' aftermath, was heavily criticized by a U.S. District Judge for incorrectly saying that the area was environmentally safe. Mayor Giuliani was criticized for urging financial industry personnel to return quickly to the greater Wall Street area.

The James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (2010) allocated $4.2 billion to create the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides testing and treatment for people with long-term health problems related to the 9/11 attacks. The WTC Health Program replaced preexisting 9/11-related health programs such as the Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program and the WTC Environmental Health Center program.

In 2020, the NYPD confirmed that 247 NYPD police officers had died due to 9/11-related illnesses. In September 2022, the FDNY confirmed that 299 firefighters had died due to 9/11-related illnesses. Both agencies believe that the death toll will rise dramatically in the coming years. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department (PAPD), the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the World Trade Center, confirmed that four of its police officers have died of 9/11-related illnesses. The chief of the PAPD at the time, Joseph Morris, made sure that industrial-grade respirators were provided to all PAPD police officers within 48 hours and decided that the same 30 to 40 police officers would be stationed at the World Trade Center pile, drastically lowering the number of total PAPD personnel who would be exposed to the air. The FDNY and NYPD had rotated hundreds, if not thousands, of different personnel from all over New York City to the pile without adequate respirators and breathing equipment that could have prevented future diseases.

Economic

Main article: Economic effects of the September 11 attacks
U.S. deficit and debt increases in the seven years following the attacks from 2001 to 2008.

The attacks had a significant economic impact on the US and world markets. The stock exchanges did not open on September 11 and remained closed until September 17. Reopening, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell 684 points, or 7.1%, to 8921, a record-setting one-day point decline. By the end of the week, the DJIA had fallen 1,369.7 points (14.3%), at the time its largest one-week point drop in history. In 2001 dollars, U.S. stocks lost $1.4 trillion in valuation for the week.

In New York City, about 430,000 job months and $2.8 billion in wages were lost in the first three months after the attacks. The economic effects were mainly on the economy's export sectors. The city's GDP was estimated to have declined by $27.3 billion for the last three months of 2001 and all of 2002. The U.S. government provided $11.2 billion in immediate assistance to the Government of New York City in September 2001, and $10.5 billion in early 2002 for economic development and infrastructure needs.

Also hurt were small businesses in Lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center (18,000 of which were destroyed or displaced), resulting in lost jobs and wages. Assistance was provided by Small Business Administration loans; federal government Community Development Block Grants; and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Some 31,900,000 square feet (2,960,000 m) of Lower Manhattan office space was damaged or destroyed. Many wondered whether these jobs would return, and if the damaged tax base would recover. Studies of 9/11's economic effects show the Manhattan office real-estate market and office employment were less affected than first feared, because of the financial services industry's need for face-to-face interaction.

North American air space was closed for several days after the attacks and air travel decreased upon its reopening, leading to a nearly 20% cutback in air travel capacity, and exacerbating financial problems in the struggling U.S. airline industry.

The September 11 attacks also led to the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as additional homeland security spending, totaling at least $5 trillion.

Effects in Afghanistan

Further information: War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), Aftermath of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri

If Americans are clamouring to bomb Afghanistan back to the Stone Age, they ought to know that this nation does not have so far to go. This is a post-apocalyptic place of felled cities, parched land and downtrodden people.

Barry Bearak, The New York Times, September 13, 2001

Most of the Afghan population was already going hungry at the time of the September 11 attacks. In the aftermath of the attacks, tens of thousands of people attempted to flee Afghanistan due to the possibility of military retaliation by the US. Pakistan, already home to many Afghan refugees from previous conflicts, closed its border with Afghanistan on September 17, 2001. Thousands of Afghans also fled to the frontier with Tajikistan but were denied entry. The Taliban leaders in Afghanistan pleaded against military action, saying "We appeal to the United States not to put Afghanistan into more misery because our people have suffered so much", referring to two decades of conflict and the humanitarian crisis attached to it.

All United Nations expatriates had left Afghanistan after the attacks and no national or international aid workers were at their post. Workers were instead preparing in bordering countries like Pakistan, China and Uzbekistan to prevent a potential "humanitarian catastrophe", amid a critically low food stock for the Afghan population. The World Food Programme stopped importing wheat to Afghanistan on September 12 due to security risks.

From left to right: U.S. soldiers engaged in the war on terror in Afghanistan in May 2006. • Army Major General Chris Donahue left Afghanistan as the final American soldier on August 30, 2021.

Approximately one month after the attacks, the United States led a broad coalition of international forces to overthrow the Taliban regime from Afghanistan for their harboring of Al-Qaeda. Though Pakistani authorities were initially reluctant to align themselves with the US against the Taliban, they permitted the coalition access to their military bases, and arrested and handed over to the U.S. over 600 suspected al-Qaeda members.

In 2011, the U.S. and NATO under President Obama initiated a drawdown of troops in Afghanistan finalized in 2016. During the presidencies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden in 2020 and 2021, the United States alongside its NATO allies withdrew all troops from Afghanistan completing the withdrawal of all regular U.S. troops on August 30, 2021. The withdrawal marked the end of the 2001–2021 War in Afghanistan. Biden said that after nearly 20 years of war, it was clear that the U.S. military could not transform Afghanistan into a modern democracy.

Cultural influence

Main article: Cultural influence of the September 11 attacks Further information: List of cultural references to the September 11 attacks, Entertainment affected by the September 11 attacks, and Osama bin Laden in popular culture See also: Osama bin Laden (elephant)

Immediate responses to 9/11 included greater focus on home life and time spent with family, higher church attendance, and increased expressions of patriotism such as the flying of American flags. The radio industry responded by removing certain songs from playlists, and the attacks have subsequently been used as background, narrative, or thematic elements in film, music, literature, and humour. Already-running television shows as well as programs developed after 9/11 have reflected post-9/11 cultural concerns.

9/11 conspiracy theories have become a social phenomenon, despite a lack of support from expert scientists, engineers, and historians. 9/11 has also had a major impact on the religious faith of many individuals; for some it strengthened, to find consolation to cope with the loss of loved ones and overcome their grief; others started to question their faith or lose it entirely because they could not reconcile it with their view of religion.

The culture of America, after the attacks, is noted for heightened security and an increased demand thereof, as well as paranoia and anxiety regarding future terrorist attacks against most of the nation. Psychologists have also confirmed that there has been an increased amount of national anxiety in commercial air travel. Anti-Muslim hate crimes rose nearly ten-fold in 2001 and have subsequently remained "roughly five times higher than the pre-9/11 rate".

Government policies towards terrorism

Further information: War on terror, Anti-terrorism legislation, Airport security repercussions due to the September 11 attacks, and Legal issues related to the September 11 attacks See also: Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture
Alleged "extraordinary rendition" illegal flights of the CIA, as reported by Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita

As a result of the attacks, many governments across the world passed legislation to combat terrorism. In Germany, where several of the 9/11 terrorists had resided and taken advantage of that country's liberal asylum policies, two major anti-terrorism packages were enacted. The first removed legal loopholes that permitted terrorists to live and raise money in Germany. The second addressed the effectiveness and communication of intelligence and law enforcement. Canada passed the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act, their first anti-terrorism law. The United Kingdom passed the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. New Zealand enacted the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.

In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security was created by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to coordinate domestic anti-terrorism efforts. The USA Patriot Act gave the federal government greater powers, including the authority to detain foreign terror suspects for a week without charge; to monitor terror suspects' telephone communications, e-mail, and Internet use; and to prosecute suspected terrorists without time restrictions. The FAA ordered that airplane cockpits be reinforced to prevent terrorists from gaining control of planes and assigned sky marshals to flights.

Further, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act made the federal government, rather than airports, responsible for airport security. The law created the Transportation Security Administration to inspect passengers and luggage, causing long delays and concern over passenger privacy. After suspected abuses of the USA Patriot Act were brought to light in June 2013 with articles about the collection of American call records by the NSA and the PRISM program, Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (of Wisconsin), who introduced the Patriot Act in 2001, said that the NSA overstepped its bounds.

Criticism of the war on terror has focused on its morality, efficiency, and cost. According to a 2021 report by the Costs of War Project, the several post-9/11 wars participated in by the United States in its war on terror have caused the displacement, conservatively calculated, of 38 million people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and the Philippines. They estimated these wars caused the deaths of 897,000 to 929,000 people directly and cost $8 trillion. In a 2023 report, the Costs of War Project estimated that there have been between 3.6 and 3.7 million indirect deaths in the post-9/11 war zones, with the total death toll being 4.5 to 4.6 million. The report defined post-9/11 war zones as conflicts that included significant United States counter-terrorism operations since 9/11, which in addition to the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, also includes the civil wars in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Somalia. The report derived its estimate of indirect deaths using a calculation from the Geneva Declaration of Secretariat which estimates that for every person directly killed by war, four more die from the indirect consequences of war. The U.S. Constitution and U.S. law prohibits the use of torture, yet such human rights violations occurred during the war on terror under the euphemism "enhanced interrogation". In 2005, The Washington Post and Human Rights Watch (HRW) published revelations concerning CIA flights and "black sites", covert prisons operated by the CIA. The term "torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the CIA and other U.S. agencies have transferred suspected terrorists to countries known to employ torture.

Legal proceedings

Main articles: Trials related to the September 11 attacks and United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

As all 19 hijackers died in the attacks, they were never prosecuted. Osama bin Laden was never formally indicted; he was ultimately killed by U.S. special forces on May 2, 2011, in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, after a 10-year manhunt. The main trial of the attacks against Mohammed and his co-conspirators Walid bin Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ammar al-Baluchi, and Mustafa Ahmad al Hawsawi remains unresolved. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested on March 1, 2003, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, by Pakistani security officials working with the CIA. He was then held at multiple CIA secret prisons and Guantanamo Bay, where he was interrogated and tortured with methods including waterboarding. In 2003, Mustafa al-Hawsawi and Abd al-Aziz Ali were arrested and transferred to U.S. custody. Both would later be accused of providing money and travel assistance to the hijackers. During U.S. hearings at Guantanamo Bay in March 2007, Mohammed again confessed his responsibility for the attacks, stating he "was responsible for the 9/11 operation from A to Z" and that his statement was not made under duress. In January 2023, the US government opened up about a potential plea deal, with Biden giving up on the effort in September that year.

To date, only peripheral persons have thus been convicted for charges in connection with the attacks. These include:

On July 31, 2024, The New York Times reported that Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy in exchange for life sentences, avoiding trial and execution. However, on August 2, 2024, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked a plea agreement with Mohammed.

Investigations

FBI

Further information: Hijackers in the September 11 attacks

Immediately after the attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation started PENTTBOM, the largest criminal inquiry in US history. At its height, more than half of the FBI's agents worked on the investigation and followed a half-million leads. The FBI concluded that there was "clear and irrefutable" evidence linking al-Qaeda and bin Laden to the attacks.

Mohamed Atta headshot, expressionless, full face
Mohamed Atta was one of the main planners of the attacks and the operational leader, responsible for crashing Flight 11 into the North Tower.

The FBI quickly identified the hijackers, including leader Mohamed Atta, when his luggage was discovered at Boston's Logan Airport. Atta had been forced to check two of his three bags due to space limitations on the 19-seat commuter flight he took to Boston. Due to a new policy instituted to prevent flight delays, the luggage failed to make it aboard American Airlines Flight 11 as planned. The luggage contained the hijackers' names, assignments, and Al-Qaeda connections. "It had all these Arab-language [sic] papers that amounted to the Rosetta stone of the investigation", said one FBI agent. Within hours of the attacks, the FBI released the names and in many cases the personal details of the suspected pilots and hijackers. Abu Jandal, who served as bin Laden's chief bodyguard for years, confirmed the identity of seven hijackers as al-Qaeda members during interrogations with the FBI on September 17. He had been jailed in a Yemeni prison since 2000. On September 27, 2001, photos of all 19 hijackers were released, along with information about possible nationalities and aliases. Fifteen of the men were from Saudi Arabia, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Egypt, and one was from Lebanon.

By midday, the U.S. National Security Agency and German intelligence agencies had intercepted communications pointing to Osama bin Laden. Two of the hijackers were known to have traveled with a bin Laden associate to Malaysia in 2000 and hijacker Mohamed Atta had previously gone to Afghanistan. He and others were part of a terrorist cell in Hamburg. One of the members of the Hamburg cell in Germany was discovered to have been in communication with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who was identified as a member of Al-Qaeda.

Authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom also obtained electronic intercepts, including telephone conversations and electronic bank transfers, which indicated that Mohammed Atef, a bin Laden deputy, was a key figure in the planning of the 9/11 attacks. Intercepts were also obtained of conversations that took place days before September 11 between bin Laden and an associate in Pakistan referring to "an incident that would take place in America on, or around, September 11" and discussing potential repercussions. In another conversation with an associate in Afghanistan, bin Laden discussed the "scale and effects of a forthcoming operation". These conversations did not specifically mention the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or other specifics.

Origins of the 19 hijackers
Nationality Number
Saudi Arabia 15
United Arab Emirates 2
Egypt 1
Lebanon 1

In their annual violent crime index for the year 2001, the FBI recorded the deaths from the attacks as murder, in separate tables so as not to mix them with other reported crimes for that year. In a disclaimer, the FBI stated that "the number of deaths is so great that combining it with the traditional crime statistics will have an outlier effect that falsely skews all types of measurements in the program's analyses". New York City also did not include the deaths in their annual crime statistics for 2001.

CIA

Further information: September 11 intelligence before the attacks

In 2004, John L. Helgerson, the Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), conducted an internal review of the agency's pre-9/11 performance and was harshly critical of senior CIA officials for not doing everything possible to confront terrorism. According to Philip Giraldi in The American Conservative, Helgerson criticized their failure to stop two of the 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, as they entered the United States and their failure to share information on the two men with the FBI.

In May 2007, senators from both major U.S. political parties (the Republican and Democratic parties) drafted legislation to make the review public. One of the backers, Senator Ron Wyden said, "The American people have a right to know what the Central Intelligence Agency was doing in those critical months before 9/11". The report was released in 2009 by President Barack Obama.

Congressional inquiry

Main article: Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001

In February 2002, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence formed a joint inquiry into the performance of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Their 832-page report released in December 2002 detailed failings of the FBI and CIA to use available information, including about terrorists the CIA knew were in the United States, to disrupt the plots. The joint inquiry developed its information about possible involvement of Saudi Arabian government officials from non-classified sources. The Bush administration demanded 28 related pages remain classified. In December 2002, the inquiry's chair Bob Graham revealed in an interview that there was "evidence that there were foreign governments involved in facilitating the activities of at least some of the terrorists in the United States". September 11 victim families were frustrated by the unanswered questions and redacted material from the congressional inquiry and demanded an independent commission. September 11 victim families, members of Congress and the Saudi Arabian government are still seeking the release of the documents. In June 2016, CIA chief John Brennan said that he believes 28 redacted pages of a congressional inquiry into 9/11 will soon be made public, and that they will prove that the government of Saudi Arabia had no involvement in the September 11 attacks.

In September 2016, Congress passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act that would allow relatives of victims of the September 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for its government's alleged role in the attacks.

9/11 Commission

Main articles: 9/11 Commission and 9/11 Commission Report See also: Criticism of the 9/11 Commission
The cover of the 9/11 Commission Report, a 585-page report released in 2004, on events leading up to the September 11 attacks and steps recommended to avoid a future terrorist attack

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, popularly known as the 9/11 Commission, chaired by Thomas Kean, was formed in late 2002 to prepare a thorough account of the circumstances surrounding the attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. On July 22, 2004, the commission issued the 9/11 Commission Report, a 585-page report based on its investigations. The report detailed the events leading up to the attacks, concluding that they were carried out by al-Qaeda. The commission also examined how security and intelligence agencies were inadequately coordinated to prevent the attacks.

According to the report, "We believe the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management". The commission made numerous recommendations on how to prevent future attacks, and in 2011 was dismayed that several of its recommendations had yet to be implemented.

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Main article: NIST World Trade Center Disaster Investigation See also: 7 World Trade Center (1987–2001) § 9/11 and collapse
The exterior support columns from the lower level of the South Tower remained standing after the building collapsed.

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigated the collapses of the Twin Towers and 7 WTC. The investigations examined why the buildings collapsed and what fire protection measures were in place, and evaluated how fire protection systems might be improved in future construction. The investigation into the collapse of 1 WTC and 2 WTC was concluded in October 2005 and that of 7 WTC was completed in August 2008.

NIST found that the fireproofing on the Twin Towers' steel infrastructures was blown off by the initial impact of the planes and that had this not occurred, the towers likely would have remained standing. A 2007 study of the north tower's collapse published by researchers of Purdue University determined that since the plane's impact had stripped off much of the structure's thermal insulation, the heat from a typical office fire would have softened and weakened the exposed girders and columns enough to initiate the collapse regardless of the number of columns cut or damaged by the impact.

The director of the original investigation stated that "the towers did amazingly well. The terrorist aircraft didn't bring the buildings down; it was the fire that followed. It was proven that you could take out two-thirds of the columns in a tower and the building would still stand". The fires weakened the trusses supporting the floors, making the floors sag. The sagging floors pulled on the exterior steel columns causing the exterior columns to bow inward.

With the damage to the core columns, the buckling exterior columns could no longer support the buildings, causing them to collapse. Additionally, the report found the towers' stairwells were not properly reinforced to provide adequate emergency escape for people above the impact zones. NIST concluded that uncontrolled fires in 7 WTC caused floor beams and girders to heat and subsequently "caused a critical support column to fail, initiating a fire-induced progressive collapse that brought the building down".

Alleged Saudi government role

Main article: Alleged Saudi government role in the September 11 attacksSee also: Saudi Arabia–United States relations, Saudi Arabia and state-sponsored terrorism, and The 28 pages

In July 2016, the Obama administration released a document compiled by U.S. investigators Dana Lesemann and Michael Jacobson, known as "File 17", which contains a list naming three dozen people, including the suspected Saudi intelligence officers attached to Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington, D.C., which connects Saudi Arabia to the hijackers.

In September 2016, Congress passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. The practical effect of the legislation was to allow the continuation of a longstanding civil lawsuit brought by families of victims of the September 11 attacks against Saudi Arabia for its government's alleged role in the attacks. In March 2018, a U.S. judge formally allowed a suit to move forward against the government of Saudi Arabia brought by 9/11 survivors and victims' families.

In 2022, the families of some 9/11 victims obtained two videos and a notepad seized from Saudi national Omar al-Bayoumi by the British courts. The first video showed him hosting a party in San Diego for Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, the first two hijackers to arrive in the U.S. The other video showed al-Bayoumi greeting the cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was blamed for radicalizing Americans and later killed in a CIA drone strike. The notepad depicted a hand-drawn airplane and some mathematical equations that, according to a pilot's court statement, might have been used to calculate the rate of descent to get to a target. According to a 2017 FBI memo, from the late 1990s up until the 9/11 attack, al-Bayoumi was a paid cooptee of the Saudi General Intelligence Presidency. As of April 2022 he is believed to be living in Saudi Arabia, which has denied any involvement in 9/11.

Rebuilding and memorials

Reconstruction

Main articles: Rescue and recovery effort after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Construction of One World Trade Center Further information: World Trade Center (2001–present) and World Trade Center site
The rebuilt World Trade Center, September 2020

On the day of the attacks, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani stated: "We will rebuild. We're going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again".

Within hours of the attack, a substantial search and rescue operation was launched. After months of around-the-clock operations, the World Trade Center site was cleared by the end of May 2002. The damaged section of the Pentagon was rebuilt and occupied within a year of the attacks. The temporary World Trade Center PATH station opened in late 2003 and construction of the new 7 World Trade Center was completed in 2006. Work on rebuilding the main World Trade Center site was delayed until late 2006 when leaseholder Larry Silverstein and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agreed on financing. The construction of One World Trade Center began on April 27, 2006, and reached its full height on May 20, 2013. The spire was installed atop the building at that date, putting One WTC's height at 1,776 feet (541 m) and thus claiming the title of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. One WTC finished construction and opened on November 3, 2014.

On the World Trade Center site, three more office towers were to be built one block east of where the original towers stood. 4 WTC, meanwhile, opened in November 2013, making it the second tower on the site to open behind 7 World Trade Center, as well as the first building on the Port Authority property. 3 WTC opened on June 11, 2018, becoming the fourth skyscraper at the site to be completed. In December 2022, the Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church fully reopened for regular services followed by the opening of the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center in September 2023. With construction beginning in 2008, 2 World Trade Center remains as of 2023 unfinished. Construction of a 5 World Trade Center is planned to begin in 2024 and be finished by 2029.

Memorials

Main article: Memorials and services for the September 11 attacks
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan, August 2016

In the days immediately following the attacks, many memorials and vigils were held around the world, and photographs of the dead and missing were posted around Ground Zero. A witness described being unable to "get away from faces of innocent victims who were killed. Their pictures are everywhere, on phone booths, street lights, and walls of subway stations. Everything reminded me of a huge funeral, people were quiet and sad, but also very nice. Before, New York gave me a cold feeling; now people were reaching out to help each other". President Bush proclaimed Friday, September 14, 2001, as Patriot Day.

Tribute in Light, featuring two columns of light representing the Twin Towers, September 2020

One of the first memorials was the Tribute in Light, an installation of 88 searchlights at the footprints of the World Trade Center towers. In New York City, the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition was held to design an appropriate memorial on the site. The winning design, Reflecting Absence, was selected in August 2006, and consists of a pair of reflecting pools in the footprints of the towers, surrounded by a list of the victims' names in an underground memorial space. The memorial was completed on September 11, 2011; a museum also opened on site on May 21, 2014.

The Sphere by the German sculptor Fritz Koenig is the world's largest bronze sculpture of modern times, and stood between the Twin Towers on the Austin J. Tobin Plaza from 1971 until the attacks. The sculpture, weighing more than 20 tons, was the only remaining work of art to be recovered largely intact from the ruins of the towers. Since then, the work of art, known in the U.S. as The Sphere, has been transformed into a symbolic monument of 9/11 commemoration. After being dismantled and stored near a hangar at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the sculpture was the subject of the 2001 documentary The Sphere by filmmaker Percy Adlon. On August 16, 2017, the work was installed at Liberty Park, close to the new World Trade Center aerial and the 9/11 Memorial.

The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia, September 2008

In Arlington County, the Pentagon Memorial was completed and opened to the public on the seventh anniversary of the attacks in 2008. It consists of a landscaped park with 184 benches facing the Pentagon. When the Pentagon was repaired in 2001–2002, a private chapel and indoor memorial were included at the spot where Flight 77 crashed into the building.

In Shanksville, a concrete-and-glass visitor center was opened on September 10, 2015, situated on a hill overlooking the crash site and the white marble Wall of Names. An observation platform at the visitor center and the white marble wall are both aligned beneath the path of Flight 93. New York City firefighters donated a cross made of steel from the World Trade Center and mounted on top of a platform shaped like the Pentagon. It was installed outside the firehouse on August 25, 2008. Many other permanent memorials are elsewhere. Scholarships and charities have been established by the victims' families and by many other organizations and private figures.

On every anniversary in New York City, the names of the victims who died there are read out over music. The President of the United States attends a memorial service at the Pentagon, and asks Americans to observe Patriot Day with a moment of silence. Smaller services are held in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, which are usually attended by the First Lady. In September 2023, President Joe Biden did not attend services in the affected areas, instead marking the day in Anchorage, Alaska, the first U.S. President to do so since the attacks.

See also

References

Notes

  1. Other, secondary attack locations include the airspaces of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.
  2. The hijackers began their first attack at around 08:13 am, when a group of five took control of American Airlines Flight 11, injuring two people and murdering one before forcing their way into the cockpit.
  3. The fourth and final hijacked plane of the attacks crashed in a Pennsylvania field at 10:03 a.m., which concluded the attacks since all the attackers were now dead and all of the hijacked planes were destroyed. However, the attackers' damage continued as the North Tower kept burning for an additional 25 minutes until it ultimately collapsed by 10:28 a.m.
  4. Thousands more are thought to have died of illnesses related to the attack; however, the exact number is unknown as it is difficult to determine whether or not the illnesses were related or unrelated to the attack.
  5. Sources vary regarding the number of injuries―some say 6,000 while others go as high as 25,000.
  6. Al-Qaeda's name for the events is the Manhattan Raid, though this name is rarely used by non-jihadist sources.
  7. The expression 9/11 is typically pronounced "nine eleven" in English, even in places that use the opposite date format. The slash is not pronounced.
  8. The exact time is disputed. The 9/11 Commission Report states that Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 08:46:40 a.m., NIST reports 08:46:30 a.m., and some other sources claim 08:46:26 a.m.
  9. ^ The exact time is disputed. The 9/11 Commission Report states that Flight 175 struck the South Tower at 09:03:11 a.m., NIST reports 09:02:59 a.m., and some other sources claim 09:03:02 a.m. In any case, the 16-minute gap between each impact is rounded to 17.
  10. ^ While NIST and the 9/11 Commission give differing accounts of the exact second of the North Tower's collapse initiation, with NIST placing it at 10:28:22 a.m. and the commission at 10:28:25 a.m., it is generally accepted that Flight 11 did not strike the North Tower any sooner than 8:46:26 a.m., so the time it took for the North Tower to collapse was just shy of 102 minutes either way.
  11. NIST and the 9/11 Commission both state that the collapse began at 9:58:59 a.m., which is rounded to 9:59 for simplicity. If the commission's claim that the South Tower was struck at 9:03:11 is to be believed, then the collapse began 55 minutes and 48 seconds after the crash, not 56 minutes.
  12. The exact time of the North Tower's collapse initiation is disputed, with NIST dubbing the moment it began to collapse as being 10:28:22 a.m. and the 9/11 Commission recording the time as 10:28:25.
  13. The massacre at Camp Speicher―often described as the second deadliest act of terrorism in history after 9/11―is said to have killed between 1,095 and 1,700 people. The upper estimate would tie it with the attack on the World Trade Center's North Tower, but until the true death toll of the massacre becomes known, then the hijacking and crash of Flight 11 was the deadliest act of terrorism on record.
  14. President Barack Obama announced his death on May 1. At the time of the raid, it was early morning of May 2 in Pakistan and late afternoon of May 1 in the U.S.
  15. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was initially appointed to head the commission but resigned only weeks after being appointed, to avoid conflicts of interest. Former U.S. Senator George Mitchell was originally appointed as the vice chairman, but he stepped down on December 10, 2002, not wanting to sever ties to his law firm. On December 15, 2002, Bush appointed former New Jersey governor Thomas Kean to head the commission.

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Aviation accidents and incidents in 2001 (2001)
Jan 23 Yemenia Flight 448Jan 25 RUTACA Airlines Flight 225Jan 27 Omsk An-70 crashJan 27 Oklahoma State basketball team crashJan 31 Japan Airlines mid-air incidentFeb 7 Iberia Flight 1456Feb 27 Loganair Flight 670AMar 3 Thai Airways International Flight 114Mar 15 Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2806Mar 24 Air Caraïbes Flight 1501Mar 29 Avjet Gulfstream III crashApr 1 Hainan Island incidentApr 20 Peru shootdownMay 17 Faraz Qeshm Airlines Yak-40 crashJul 4 Vladivostok Air Flight 352Aug 24 Air Transat Flight 236Aug 25 Marsh Harbour Cessna 402 crashAug 29 Binter Mediterráneo Flight 8261Sep 11 American Airlines Flight 11Sep 11 United Airlines Flight 175Sep 11 American Airlines Flight 77Sep 11 United Airlines Flight 93Sep 11 Delta Air Lines Flight 1989Sep 11 Korean Air Flight 085Sep 15 TAM Airlines Flight 9755Sep 17 Grozny Mi-8 crashSep 21 Aeroflot Flight 521Oct 4 Siberia Airlines Flight 1812Oct 8 2001 Linate Airport runway collisionOct 10 Flightline Flight 101Nov 12 American Airlines Flight 587Nov 12 Fishtail Air Eurocopter AS350 crashNov 19 IRS Aero Flight 9601/02Nov 24 Crossair Flight 3597Dec 2 AFRF Flight 9064Dec 22 American Airlines Flight 63
2000   ◄    ►   2002
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Deadliest terrorist attacks in the United States
  1. September 11 attacks (2001) (2,977 deaths)
  2. Oklahoma City bombing (1995) (168 deaths)
  3. Mountain Meadows Massacre (1857) (120 deaths)
  4. Tulsa race massacre (1921) (75–300 deaths)
  5. Pulse nightclub shooting (2016) (49 deaths)
  6. Bath School disaster (1927) (44 deaths)
  7. Wall Street bombing (1920) (38 deaths)
  8. UpStairs Lounge arson attack (1973) (32 deaths)
  9. El Paso Walmart shooting (2019) (23 deaths)
  10. Wilmington insurrection (1898) (22 deaths)
  11. Los Angeles Times bombing (1910) (21 deaths)
  12. Fort Hood shooting (2009) (14 deaths)
  13. San Bernardino attack (2015) (14 deaths)
  14. Haymarket affair (1886) (12 deaths)
  15. LaGuardia Airport bombing (1975) (11 deaths)
  16. Pittsburgh synagogue shooting (2018) (11 deaths)
  17. Preparedness Day bombing (1916) (10 deaths)
  18. Buffalo supermarket shooting (2022) (10 deaths)
  19. Milwaukee Police Department bombing (1917) (10 deaths)
Death counts do not include deceased perpetrator(s). This navbox reflects information from this list.
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