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| <ref>The attacks are often referred to simply as '''September 11th''', '''9/11''', or '''9-11'''. The latter two are from the U.S. style for writing short dates, in which the month precedes the day. Both are pronounced "nine-eleven." With the ] ] on ], ], called "M11" or "3/11", and the Jordan Bombings on ], ] often called "11/9", the convention has been extended. The ] occurred on a day when the month and the day were the same so the speaker can decide if the US or European convention (day, then month) is implied. (In the UK these events are more generally referred to as the 'London bombings' or '7th July bombings' in any event.) ] also happens to be the ] used in the United States and Canada to dial for emergency assistance (police, ambulance, and fire department). | <ref>The attacks are often referred to simply as '''September 11th''', '''9/11''', or '''9-11'''. The latter two are from the U.S. style for writing short dates, in which the month precedes the day. Both are pronounced "nine-eleven." With the ] ] on ], ], called "M11" or "3/11", and the Jordan Bombings on ], ] often called "11/9", the convention has been extended. The ] occurred on a day when the month and the day were the same so the speaker can decide if the US or European convention (day, then month) is implied. (In the UK these events are more generally referred to as the 'London bombings' or '7th July bombings' in any event.) ] also happens to be the ] used in the United States and Canada to dial for emergency assistance (police, ambulance, and fire department). | ||
| </ref>) | </ref>) | ||
| were a series of coordinated ] ] upon the ] carried out on Tuesday, ], ]. That morning, ] affiliated with ]<ref>See ]</ref><ref>."</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/10/29/binladen_message041029.html |title=Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11 |publisher=CBC News |date=2004, October 29}}</ref> ] four commercial passenger ]s. The attackers crashed two planes into the Twin Towers of the ] in ], one plane into each tower, causing the collapse of both towers within two hours. Hijackers of the third aircraft crashed that plane into the ] in ]. Passengers on the fourth hijacked aircraft attempted to retake control of their plane from the hijackers, which crashed into a field in rural ]. Approximately 3,000 people died in these attacks. Affected property owners and their insurers incurred billions of dollars in damages. | were a series of coordinated ] ] upon the ] carried out on Tuesday, ], ]. That morning, ] affiliated with ]<ref>See ]</ref><ref>."</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/10/29/binladen_message041029.html |title=Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11 |publisher=CBC News |date=2004, October 29}}</ref> ] four commercial passenger ]s. The attackers crashed two planes into the Twin Towers of the ] in ], one plane into each tower, causing the collapse of both towers within two hours. Hijackers of the third aircraft crashed that plane into the ] in ]. Passengers on the fourth hijacked aircraft attempted to retake control of their plane from the hijackers, which crashed into a field in rural ]. Approximately 3,000 people died in these attacks. Affected property owners and their insurers incurred billions of dollars in damages. | ||
| ==The attacks== | ==The attacks== | ||
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| ] crashed into the north side of the north tower of the ] (WTC) at 8:46:40 a.m. ] (12:46:40 ]). At 9:03:11 a.m. local time (13:03:11 UTC), ] crashed into the south tower, an event covered live by television broadcasters that had their cameras trained on the North Tower. ] crashed into ] at 9:37:46 a.m. local time (13:37:46 UTC). The fourth hijacked plane, ], crashed in a field in southwest Pennsylvania, at 10:03:11 a.m. local time (14:03:11 UTC), with parts and debris found up to eight miles away. The crash in Pennsylvania is believed to have resulted from the hijackers either deliberately crashing the aircraft or losing control of it as they fought with the passengers. No one survived in any of the hijacked aircraft.<ref>"." ''].'' ], ].</ref> | ] crashed into the north side of the north tower of the ] (WTC) at 8:46:40 a.m. ] (12:46:40 ]). At 9:03:11 a.m. local time (13:03:11 UTC), ] crashed into the south tower, an event covered live by television broadcasters that had their cameras trained on the North Tower. ] crashed into ] at 9:37:46 a.m. local time (13:37:46 UTC). The fourth hijacked plane, ], crashed in a field in southwest Pennsylvania, at 10:03:11 a.m. local time (14:03:11 UTC), with parts and debris found up to eight miles away. The crash in Pennsylvania is believed to have resulted from the hijackers either deliberately crashing the aircraft or losing control of it as they fought with the passengers. No one survived in any of the hijacked aircraft.<ref>"." ''].'' ], ].</ref> | ||
| The fatalities were in the thousands: 265 on the four planes; 2,595, including 343 ]s, 23 ] police officers, and 37 ] police officers, in the towers and on the ground; and 125 ]s and military personnel at the Pentagon. At least 2,986 people were killed in total. In addition to the 110-floor Twin Towers of the World Trade Center itself, five other buildings at the WTC site, including ], and four ] stations were destroyed or badly damaged. In total, on ], 25 buildings were damaged. Communications equipment such as broadcast ], ] and ] antenna towers were damaged beyond repair. In ], a portion of the Pentagon was severely damaged by fire and one section of the building collapsed.<ref>Kugler, Sara. "." '']'' (reported by ]). ], ].</ref> | The fatalities were in the thousands: 265 on the four planes; 2,595, including 343 ]s, 23 ] police officers, and 37 ] police officers, in the towers and on the ground; and 125 ]s and military personnel at the Pentagon. At least 2,986 people were killed in total. In addition to the 110-floor Twin Towers of the World Trade Center itself, five other buildings at the WTC site, including ], and four ] stations were destroyed or badly damaged. In total, on [ | ||
| Some passengers and crew members were able to make phone calls from the doomed flights. They reported that multiple ]s were aboard each plane. A total of 19 were later identified by the FBI, four on United 93 and five each on the other three flights. | |||
| For a short period, the precise identity of the 19 hijackers was uncertain. For example, the ] reported 14 days after the attack that 4 of the 19 were alive based upon the initial identification supplied by the FBI.<ref>]. "." ], ].</ref> | |||
| The hijackers reportedly took control of the aircraft by using ] to kill flight attendants and at least one pilot or passenger. The ] could only establish that two of the hijackers had recently purchased ] multi-function hand tools,<ref>Ahlers, Mike M. "." ]. ], ].</ref> but some form of noxious chemical spray, such as ] or ], was reported to have been used on American 11 and United 175 to keep passengers out of the first-class cabin. ] were made on three of the aircraft, but not on American 77. | |||
| ] was severely damaged during the attack, and 125 lives were lost.]] | |||
| ] | |||
| In the fourth airplane, ] recordings reportedly revealed that crew and passengers attempted to seize control of the plane from the hijackers, who then rocked the plane in a failed attempt to subdue the passengers. According to ] tapes, one of the passengers, ], had asked for the operator to pray with him before the passengers attempted to retake the aircraft. After praying, he simply said, "]." (The 9/11 Commission stated that Beamer actually said "Roll it," most likely referring to a drink cart being used as a battering ram.) The term "Let's roll" would later become the war cry for those fighting Al Qaeda in ]. Soon afterward, the aircraft crashed into a field near ] in ], ], at 10:03:11 a.m. ] (14:03:11 UTC). There is a dispute about the exact timing of the crash as the ] indicates that the impact occurred at 10:06 a.m.<ref>Kim, Won-Young; Baum, Gerald R. "." .</ref> The 9/11 Panel reports that captured ] mastermind ] said that Flight 93's target was the U.S. Capitol, which was given the code name, "The Faculty of Law." | |||
| {{seealso|Communication during the September 11, 2001 attacks}} | |||
| ===Fatalities=== | |||
| <!--]--> | |||
| {|table align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 0 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" | |||
| |+ colspan="2" | Number of fatalities | |||
| |- | |||
| | rowspan=3 | World Trade Center || Towers || align=right | 2,595 | |||
| |- | |||
| |Flight 11 || align=right | 92 | |||
| |- | |||
| |Flight 175 || align=right | 65 | |||
| |- | |||
| | rowspan=2 | Pentagon || Building || align=right | 125 | |||
| |- | |||
| |Flight 77 || align=right | 64 | |||
| |- | |||
| | Shanksville || Flight 93 || align=right | 45 | |||
| |- | |||
| ! Total || colspan=2 align=right | 2,986 | |||
| |} | |||
| Reportedly the first fatality was US-Israeli billionaire ], a former member of an elite Israeli anti-terrorist unit. Also aboard ] the captain, ], is said to have been killed before the impact. | |||
| ]", falls from the North Tower]]. | |||
| At the World Trade Center, faced with a desperate situation of smoke and burning heat from the jet fuel, an estimated 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 (a reaction to the attacks similar to the effects of the ]). In addition, some of the occupants of each tower above its point of impact made their way upward toward the roof in hope of helicopter rescue. No rescue plan existed for such an eventuality. By some accounts, fleeing occupants instead encountered locked access doors upon reaching the roof. In any case, thick smoke and intense heat prevented rescue helicopters from landing. | |||
| As many as 1,366 people were trapped at and above the floors of impact in the North Tower (1 WTC). None of them survived. As many as 600 people were trapped at and above the floors of impact in the South Tower (2 WTC). Only about 18 managed to escape in time from above the impact zone and out of the South Tower before it collapsed. | |||
| As the suburbs around New York City learned of the destruction so close to home, many schools closed for the day, evacuated, or were locked down. Other school districts shielded students from watching television because many of their parents held jobs in the World Trade Center towers. In ] and ], private schools were evacuated. ] schools closed for the day. In ], about 15 miles north of the city, hundreds of students had direct ties to victims of the attacks. ], ], and ], ], two of the wealthiest towns in the world, had more residents killed than any other town in the New York metro area. | |||
| According to ], the city identified over 1,600 bodies but was unable to identify the rest of the bodies (about 1,100 people). They report that the city has "about 10,000 unidentified bone and tissue fragments that cannot be matched to the list of the dead."<ref>]. ], ].</ref> Bone fragments were still being found as late as April 2006 as workers prepared the damaged Deutsche Bank for demolition. | |||
| {{seealso|Survivors of the September 11, 2001 attacks}} | |||
| ===Other planned attacks=== | |||
| Allegedly 27 members of al-Qaeda attempted to enter the United States to take part in the September 11 attacks. In the end, only 19 allegedly participated. Other would-be hijackers are often referred to as the ]. | |||
| ] allegedly meant to take part in the attacks, but he was repeatedly denied a ] for entry into the U.S. ], a ]n citizen, may also have been planning to join the hijackers but ] authorities at ] refused his entry into the U.S. in August, 2001. He was later captured in ] and imprisoned at the U.S. military prison known as ] at ], ]. ] was reportedly considered as a replacement for ], who at one point threatened to withdraw from the scheme because of tensions amongst the plotters. Plans to include Moussaoui were allegedly never completed because the al-Qaeda hierarchy allegedly had doubts about his reliability. In April 2005, Moussaoui pled guilty to conspiring to hijack planes, and to involvement with al-Qaeda, but he denies foreknowledge of the 9-11 attacks. On ], ], a federal jury rejected the ] and sentenced Moussaoui to 6 life terms in ] without ]. At his sentencing trial, FBI agent ] testified that prior to the attacks, he urged his supervisor, ], "to prevent Zacarias Moussaoui from flying a plane into the World Trade Center." Maltbie had refused to act on 70 requests from another agent, ], to obtain a warrant to search Moussaoui's computer. | |||
| ] | |||
| Other al-Qaeda members who allegedly may have attempted, but were unable, to take part in the attacks include Saeed al-Ghamdi (not to be confused with the successful hijacker of the same name), Mushabib al-Hamlan, ], ], and ]. According to the ], ], the attack's mastermind, wanted to remove at least one member—]—from the operation, but he was overruled by ]. | |||
| According to ], a planned simultaneous attack in ] on the ] and ] was aborted at the last minute when the would-be hijackers, waiting to board the planes they were to hijack, saw the damage in the U.S., panicked, and fled. | |||
| ], at his sentencing hearing in March 2006, claimed that, upon the personal directive of ], he and ] were due to hijack a fifth plane and fly it into the White House. His own defense lawyers dismissed this as fantasy on the part of Moussaoui, saying that he was not an operative in Al Qaeda, but only a "hanger-on." | |||
| In February of 2006, President Bush revealed that an Al Qaeda plan to crash a plane into ] in ], also on the same day, had been foiled. Similar attacks may also have been planned in ], ], and ]. | |||
| The U.S. government also initially claimed that the White House and Air Force One were also targeted, although the source and nature of these threats was not disclosed. (BBC News, September 12, 2001, ). | |||
| ==Responsibility and motives== | |||
| ===Responsibility=== | |||
| {{main|Responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks}} | |||
| ] | |||
| The ] determined (in part based on classified information) that ] and ] bear responsibility for the attacks. Bin Laden initially denied, but later admitted involvement in the incidents. He had earlier declared a ] against the United States and this is seen as a motive for the 9/11 attacks. | |||
| On ], ], Osama 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>]. "Pakistan to Demand Taliban Give Up Bin Laden as Iran Seals Afghan Border." ], ].</ref> This denial was broadcast on U.S. news networks and worldwide. This was in stark contrast to an earlier Fatwa, signed by bin Laden and others, calling for the killing of American civilians in 1998.<ref>Emergency.com. ". ], ].</ref> | |||
| ]In November, 2001, U.S. forces recovered a videotape from a destroyed house in ], Afghanistan, in which a man who apparently is Osama bin Laden is talking to ]. In the tape, bin Laden admits to planning the attacks.<ref>]. "" ], ].</ref> The tape was broadcast on various news networks in December, 2001. | |||
| Shortly before the U.S. presidential election in 2004 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 a free people who do not accept injustice, and we want to regain the freedom of our nation." | |||
| The ] was formed by the United States government and was commonly called the ''9-11 Commission.'' It released its report on ], ], concluding that the attacks were conceived and implemented by members of al-Qaeda.<ref>]. "." ], ].</ref> The Commission stated that, "9/11 plotters eventually spent somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000 to plan and conduct their attack," but that the specific origin of the funds used to execute the attacks remained unknown. To date, only peripheral figures have been tried or convicted in connection with the attacks. | |||
| ===Motive=== | |||
| According to official U.S. government sources, the September 11th attacks were consistent with the mission statement of ]. The group's involvement in the bombing of ] is widely suspected, and al-Qaeda had declared responsibility for the 2000 ] in Yemen. | |||
| The motivation for this campaign was set out in a 1998 ] issued by ], ], ], ], and Fazlur Rahman (Amir of the Jihad Movement in Bangladesh, ]).<ref>Osama bin Laden; et al. "." ], ].</ref> The fatwa lists three "crimes and sins committed by the Americans": | |||
| * U.S. support of Israel. | |||
| * U.S. occupation of the Arabian Peninsula. | |||
| * U.S. aggression against the Iraqi people. | |||
| The fatwa states that the United States: | |||
| * Plunders the resources of the ]. | |||
| * Dictates policy to the rulers of those countries. | |||
| * Supports abusive regimes and monarchies in the Middle East, thereby oppressing their people. | |||
| * Has military bases and installations upon the Arabian Peninsula, which violates the Muslim holy land, in order to threaten neighboring Muslim countries. | |||
| * Intends thereby to create disunion between Muslim states, thus weakening them as a political force. | |||
| * Supports ], and wishes to divert international attention from (and tacitly maintain) the occupation of ]. | |||
| The Gulf War and the ensuing sanctions against and bombing of Iraq by the United States, were cited, in 1998, as further proof of these allegations. To the disapproval of moderate and liberal Muslims, the fatwa uses ] texts to exhort violent action against American military and citizenry until the alleged grievances are reversed: Stating "ulema have throughout Islamic history unanimously agreed that the ] is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries." | |||
| ] in ] (])]] | |||
| Statements of al-Qaeda recorded after 9/11 add weight to the U.S account of who was responsible for the attacks. In a ], apparently acknowledging responsibility for the attacks, bin Laden stated that he was motivated by the ], which he held the U.S. partially responsible for. In the video, bin Laden also claims that he wants to, "restore freedom to our nation," to, "punish the aggressor in kind," and to inflict economic damage on America. He declared that a continuing objective of his ] was to, " America to the point of bankruptcy."<ref>]. "." ], ].</ref> Bin Laden said, "We swore that 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." | |||
| The ] determined that the animosity towards the United States felt by ], the so-called, "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." The same motivation has been imputed to the two pilots who flew into the WTC: ] was described by one Ralph Bodenstein—who traveled, worked and talked with him—as "most imbued actually about... U.S. protection of these Israeli politics in the region." ] is said to have explained his humorless demeanor with the words: "How can you laugh when people are dying in Palestine?" | |||
| By contrast, the Bush administration says that Al-Qaeda was motivated by hatred of the freedom and democracy exemplified by the United States, and independent analysts say that one major Al-Qaeda motive is to encourage Islamic solidarity focused on a common enemy, and thus in the long term help pave the way for an Islamic world order. | |||
| ==Reactions== | |||
| {{main|Aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks}} | |||
| ===International reaction=== | |||
| ] | |||
| The attacks had major ]. They were denounced by mainstream media and governments worldwide,<ref>September11News.com. ""</ref> with the headline of ], ]'s '']'' newspaper summing up the international mood of sympathy: "We Are All Americans" (''Nous sommes tous Américains''). Approximately one month after the attacks, the United States led a broad ] of international forces into ] in pursuit of al-Qaeda forces in order to topple the Taliban government for harboring what it referred to as a terrorist organization.<ref>Bush, George W. "." ]. ], ].</ref> The ]i authorities moved decisively to align themselves with the United States in a war against Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. It gave the U.S. a number of military airports and bases for its attack on Afghanistan, and arrested over 600 supposed al-Qaeda members, whom it handed over to the U.S.<ref>Khan, Aamer Ahmed. "." ]. ], ].</ref> | |||
| Numerous countries, including the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] introduced "anti-terrorism" legislation<ref>Hamilton, Stuart. "." 68th IFLA Council and General Conference, ], ]–], ]</ref> and froze the ]s of businesses and individuals they suspected of having al-Qaeda ties.<ref>"." ]. Kananaskis Summit 2002.</ref> Law enforcement and intelligence agencies 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>Walsh, Courtney C. "." '']'', ], ].</ref><ref>Staff report. "." ], ], ].</ref> This process aroused controversy, as critics such as the ] argued that traditional restrictions on federal surveillance (e.g. ]'s monitoring of public meetings) were, "dismantled" by the ];<ref>Talanian, Nancy. "." ''Bill of Rights Defense Committee'', 2002.</ref> ] organizations such as the ] and ] argued that certain ] protections were also being circumvented.<ref>"" ]. ].</ref><ref>" Liberty and Security]." ].</ref> The United States set up a detention center at ], ], to hold, ]s. The legitimacy of these detentions has been questioned by, among others, member states of the ], the ], and ]. (''See ] for further details.'') | |||
| ===Public response=== | |||
| ]'' on September 12, 2001, the first issue of that paper to be released following the attacks]] | |||
| Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, ]'s job approval rating soared to 86% <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001/09/16/poll.htm |title=Poll finds a united nation |date=2001, September 16 |publisher=USA Today |author=Benedetto, Richard and Patrick O'Driscoll}}</ref>. On ], ], the president spoke before the nation and a joint-session of ], regarding the events of that day, the intervening nine days of rescue and recovery efforts, and his intent in response to those events. The highly visible role played by ], then ] of ], won him high praise nationally and in New York City. <ref>{{cite news|title=Rudolph Giuliani Rudy the Rock |publisher=The Scotsman |date=2001, September 22 |page=14}}</ref> | |||
| The attacks also had immediate and overwhelming effects upon the United States population. Gratitude toward uniformed public-safety workers, and especially toward firefighters, was widely expressed in light of both the drama of the risks taken on the scene and the high death toll among the workers. Many police officers and rescue workers elsewhere in the country took leaves of absence to travel to New York City to assist in the grim process of recovering bodies from the twisted remnants of the Twin Towers. ]s also saw a surge in the weeks after 9/11 <ref>Glynn, Simone A. "." '']'', '''289''', 2246-2253.</ref> | |||
| There were some incidents of harassment and hate crimes against Middle Easterners and other, "Middle Eastern-looking" people, particularly ], due to the fact that Sikh males usually wear ], stereotypically associated with Muslims in the United States. At least nine people were murdered within the United States as part of retaliation. ], one of the first victims of this ], was shot dead on ]. He, like others, was a ] who was mistaken for a Muslim. | |||
| ===Conspiracy theories=== | |||
| {{main|9/11 conspiracy theories}} | |||
| Since the attacks, various ] have emerged. These include speculation that individuals in the ] knew of the impending attacks and failed to act on that knowledge, or that they actually planned the attacks. Some of those questioning the mainstream account of 9/11 have speculated that the ] was caused by explosives. Some also contend that a commercial airliner did not crash into ], and that ] was shot down. | |||
| ==Government response== | |||
| ===Rescue, recovery, and compensation=== | |||
| {{main|Rescue and recovery effort after the September 11, 2001 attacks}} | |||
| Rescue and recovery efforts took months to complete. It took several weeks to simply put out the fires burning in the rubble of the buildings, and the clean-up was not completed until May, 2002. Temporary wooden, "viewing platforms" were set up for tourists to view construction crews clearing out the gaping holes where the towers once stood. These platforms were closed on ], ]. | |||
| Many relief funds were immediately set up to assist victims of the attacks, with the task of providing ] to the ] and the families of victims. At the deadline for victim's compensation, ] ], 2,833 applications were received from the families of those killed (from an official death toll of 2,986).<ref>Barrett, Devlin. "." '']'', ], ].</ref> | |||
| ===The "War on Terrorism"=== | |||
| {{main|Global War on Terrorism}} | |||
| In the aftermath of the attacks, many U.S. citizens held the view that they had "changed the world forever," that the United States was now vulnerable to terrorist attacks in ways it had not been previously. The Bush administration declared 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 outside of the United States was the invasion of ], by a U.S.-led coalition. The U.S. 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 ]. | |||
| President Bush said "The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the 11, 2001..."<ref>Bush, George W. "." '']'' (Official Press Release), ], ].</ref> Also, the U.S. government has continued to maintain that the war on Iraq is critical to the American "War on Terrorism": "In the war on terror, Iraq is now the central front..." President Bush said on ], ].<ref>Bush, George W. "." '']'' (Official Press Release), ], ].</ref> | |||
| Two years after the attacks, the ] reported on an ] it conducted of the American public from January through September 2003. The poll asked, "How likely it is that Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the September 11th Terrorist attacks?" The response was 32% very likely, 37% somewhat likely, 12% not very likely and 3% not at all likely.<ref>Kull, Steven. "." ''Program on International Policy Attitudes (Pipa), University of Maryland.'' ], ].</ref> This unsubstantiated view was promoted by the U.S. government in the lead up to the ], when for example, Vice President Dick Cheney suggested that Iraq was involved in the September 11 attack during a, "Meet the Press" interview: Iraq is, "the geographic base of the terrorists who had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9-11."<ref>Davies, Frank. "." ''],'' ], ].</ref> No clear evidence has emerged to support the claim. (Unsubstantiated U.S. government claims to the contrary include: (1) allegations by Czech intelligence of a meeting between 9/11 ringleader ] and an Iraqi intelligence official in ] on the same day Atta was seen in Florida; and (2) evidence that Ahmed Hikmat Shakir, allegedly a contact of Iraqi intelligence, was present at a meeting in ] where future 9/11 hijacker Khalid al Mihdhar is believed by the ] to have attended.) | |||
| ===Domestic response=== | |||
| Within the United States, President Bush created the ], representing the largest restructuring of the U.S. government in contemporary history. Congress passed the ], stating that it would help detect and prosecute terrorism and ]. Civil liberties groups have criticized the PATRIOT Act, saying that it allows law enforcement to invade the privacy of citizens and eliminates Judicial oversight over law-enforcement and domestic intelligence gathering. The Bush Administration also invoked 9/11 as the reason to initiate a secret ] operation (see ]), "to eavesdrop on telephone and e-mail communications between the United States and people overseas without a warrant."<ref>VandeHei, Jim; Eggen, Dan. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> | |||
| Following the attacks, 80,000 Arab and Muslim immigrants were fingerprinted and registered under the ] of 1940. 8,000 Arab and Muslim men were interviewed, and 5,000 foreign nationals were detained under Joint Congressional Resolution 107-40 authorizing the use of military force "to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States." | |||
| ===Investigations=== | |||
| ====The collapse of the World Trade Center==== | |||
| {{main|Collapse of the World Trade Center}} | |||
| ].]] | |||
| There has been much speculation on the "performance" of the Twin Towers after the impacts, and the reasons for the collapse are under active debate by ]s, ], and the relevant U.S. government agencies. The design of the WTC included many basic innovations distinguishing it from all previous skyscrapers and from many built since. Although the kinetic energy of the jetliner impacts and the resulting fires were unprecedented in the history of building disasters, some engineers strongly believe skyscrapers of more traditional design (such as New York City's ] and Malaysia's ]) would have fared much better under the circumstances, perhaps standing indefinitely. If they are correct, super tall buildings that share the WTC's major design elements (for example, Chicago's ] and ]) could be considered particularly vulnerable. | |||
| ] collapsed in the late afternoon of ]. (See ] for more details). | |||
| ], ]: A New York City firefighter looks up at what remains of the South Tower.]] | |||
| A federal technical building and fire safety investigation of the collapses of the Twin Towers and 7 WTC has been conducted by the United States ]'s ] (]). The goals of this investigation, completed on ], ], were to investigate the building construction, the materials used, and the technical conditions that contributed to the outcome of the WTC disaster. The investigation was to serve as the basis for: | |||
| * Improvements in the way buildings are designed, constructed, maintained, and used | |||
| * Improved tools and guidance for industry and safety officials | |||
| * Revisions to building and fire codes, standards, and practices | |||
| * Improved public safety | |||
| The report concludes that the fireproofing on the Twin Towers' ] infrastructures was blown off by the initial impact of the planes and that if this had not occurred the WTC would likely have remained standing. 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, so they collapsed. In addition, the report asserts that the Towers' stairwells were not adequately reinforced to provide emergency escape for people above the impact zones. NIST stated that the final report on the collapse of WTC 7 will appear in a separate report.<ref>"." ''],'' ], ].</ref> | |||
| ====9/11 Commission Report==== | |||
| {{main|9/11 Commission Report}} | |||
| The ] 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 ], ], the ] was released. The 9/11 Commission has not been without some ]. | |||
| ==Long-term effects== | |||
| ===Economic aftermath=== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| The attacks had a significant economic impact on the United States and world markets. The ] (NYSE), the ] and ] did not open on ] and remained closed until ]. NYSE facilities and remote data processing sites were not damaged by the attack, but member firms, customers and markets were unable to communicate due to major damage to the telephone exchange facility near the World Trade Center. When the stock markets reopened on ], ], after the longest closure since the ] in 1929, the ] (“DJIA”) stock market index fell 684 points, or 7.1%, to 8920, its biggest-ever one-day point decline. By the end of the week, the DJIA had fallen 1369.7 points (14.3%), its largest one-week point drop in history. U.S. stocks lost $1.2 trillion in value for the week. ] Wall and ] near the New York Stock Exchange remain barricaded and guarded to prevent a physical attack upon the building. | |||
| The economy of ], which by itself is the third-largest business district in the United States (after ] and the ]) was devastated in the immediate aftermath. Thirty percent (28.7 million sq. ft) of ] office space was either damaged or destroyed. The 41-story ], neighboring the ], was subsequently closed because of extensive damage made it unfit for habitation and beyond repair and was scheduled for demolition. Power, telephone and gas were cut off in much of ]. Citizens were not permitted to enter the ] and ] area without extensive inspection. Much of what was destroyed was valuable ] space. The pre-2001 trend of moving jobs out of Lower Manhattan to Midtown and New Jersey was accelerated. Many questioned whether this loss of jobs and its associated tax base would ever be restored.<ref>Parrott, James. (Ed.) "." ''The Fiscal Policy Institute'', ], ].</ref><ref>"." '']: ]'', ], ].</ref> | |||
| The rebuilding has been inhibited by a lack of agreement on priorities. For example, ] had made New York's bid for the ] the core of his capital development plan from 2002 until mid-2005, and Governor Pataki largely delegated his role to the ] which has been widely criticized for doing little with the enormous funding directed to the rebuilding efforts.<ref>Lubell, Sam; Linn, Charles. "." ''Architectural Record'', ], ].</ref><ref>Buettner, Russ; et al. "." ''New York Daily News'', ], ].</ref> | |||
| On the sites of the totally destroyed buildings, one, ], has a new office tower. Only ], a ] of ] Financial Advisors has been named as a potential ] for it.<ref>Canfield, Clarke. "." ''Boston.com'', ], ].</ref> There is no consensus regarding the demand for office space looking forward to 2010, so the market for 7 WTC and other new construction in the ] is soft. | |||
| North American air space was closed for several days after the attacks and air travel decreased significantly upon its reopening. The attacks led to nearly a 20% cutback in air travel capacity, and severely exacerbated financial problems in the struggling U.S. ] industry.<ref>Bhadra, Dipasis; Texter, Pamela. "", '''2004.''' ''Journal of Transportation and Statistics'', '''7(1)'''.</ref> | |||
| Many towers in the United States metropolitan areas were evacuated hours after the attacks, including ], where traffic was at its lowest volume ever for that city, and the major downtown business district was virtually deserted. | |||
| ===Potential health effects=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Thousands of tons of toxic debris resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers included ], ], and ], as well as unprecedented levels of ] and ] from the fires which burned for three months. This has led to debilitating illnesses among rescue and recovery workers, and the death of NYPD officer James Zadroga. <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/408217p-345459c.html |title=WTC air doomed ex-cop |author=Schapiro, Rich |publisher=New York Daily News |date=2006, April 12}}</ref> Health effects also extend to some residents, students, and office workers of Lower Manhattan and nearby ].<ref>"." '''2005.''' ''].''</ref> | |||
| There is scientific speculation that exposure to various toxic products and the pollutants in the air surrounding the Towers after the WTC collapse may have negative effects on fetal development. Due to this potential harm, 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. The staff of this study assess the children using psychological testing every year and interview the mothers every six months. The purpose of the study is to determine whether there is significant difference in development and health progression of children whose mothers were exposed versus those who were not exposed after the WTC collapse. | |||
| ==Memorials== | |||
| {{main|September 11, 2001 attack memorials and services}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] on the memorial of the attacks in 2004.]] | |||
| Memorials to the victims and heroes of the attacks of September 11 have been planned. An outdoor public ] at the Pentagon has been designed by Keith Kaseman and Julie Beckman of KBAS in New York City.<ref>.</ref> Construction of the memorial is scheduled for completion in Fall 2006. Within the Pentagon itself, the ] was added in September, 2002 when the building repairs were completed. However, public access to this memorial is restricted to group tours. | |||
| The proposed design for ] is called, "Crescent of Embrace," which has created some controversy due to its large red ] that also points toward ]. Recently, due to the amount of public pressure, it has been announced that the memorial will be redesigned so as to avoid any confusion with the sign of ]. | |||
| Construction of the ] began in March 2006. The winning design of the ] was ''Reflecting Absence'' created by ]. It is expected to open in 2009. | |||
| Many '''permanent memorials''' are being constructed around the world. and a list is being updated as new ones are completed. is a site that features the newest as they are added and provides a directory of each by community, state, and country that has built a memorial among the list in the column on the right of the site page. | |||
| In addition to physical monuments, a number of September 11th family members and friends have set up memorial funds, scholarships, and charities in honor of lost loved ones. | |||
| {{further|]}} | |||
| {{seealso|September 11, 2001 attacks in arts and literature}} | |||
| ==Media== | |||
| {{commons|Category:9/11}} | |||
| {{multi-listen start}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=George W. Bush Speech - September 12, 2001.ogg|title=President George W. Bush's September 12, 2001 speech about the attacks|description=|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen end}} | |||
| ==See also== | |||
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| ==References== | |||
| <!--This article uses ] for its references. Please use this format when adding references to parts of the article. Any additional references not utilizing this format are subject to deletion, and external links (linkspam) added to this subject is subject to immediate deletion without warning. --> | |||
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| ==External links== | |||
| {{sisterlinks|September 11}} | |||
| <!-- ATTENTION! DO NOT ADD LINKS WITHOUT DISCUSSION AND CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE. OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE REMOVED. --> | |||
| * - 'National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States' (Official Website – ''archived'') | |||
| * - 'September 11 Digital Archive: Saving the Histories of September 11th, 2001' (in partnership with the ]) | |||
| * - Repository of documents relating to the 9/11 attacks and War on Terrorism | |||
| * - 'America's Day of Terror' | |||
| * | |||
| * - 'September 11, 2001, Documentary Project', The ] | |||
| * - New York Fire Department audio tapes from ] ]. | |||
| * - New York One News Television, 'World Trade Center Special Section' (], ]) | |||
| * - More than 15,000 free newspaper articles related to the 9/11/2001 attacks. | |||
| * - 'Terrorists Unleash Assault on US' | |||
| * - September 11, 2001 | |||
| '''Multimedia''' | |||
| <!-- ATTENTION! DO NOT ADD LINKS WITHOUT DISCUSSION AND CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE. OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE REMOVED. --> | |||
| * | |||
| * - Chronology of events according to 9/11 Commission Report presented in 4-way split screen. | |||
| * - Video archive, including the first and second planes. | |||
| * - ] | |||
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| * - 'Shattered: a remarkable collection photographs', James Nachtwey | |||
| * | |||
| '''Memorials''' | |||
| <!-- ATTENTION! DO NOT ADD LINKS WITHOUT DISCUSSION AND CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE. OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE REMOVED. --> | |||
| * - List of victims, and photos. | |||
| * - 'In-Depth Special: War Against Terror Damage report from the city of New York' | |||
| * - 9/11 Memoirs | |||
| * - 9/11 by the Numbers: Death, destruction, charity, salvation, war, money, real estate, spouses, babies, and other September 11 statistics', '']'' | |||
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Revision as of 22:29, 24 May 2006
The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11 ) were a series of coordinated terrorist vgggg upon the United States of America carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen men affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The attackers crashed two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower, causing the collapse of both towers within two hours. Hijackers of the third aircraft crashed that plane into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. Passengers on the fourth hijacked aircraft attempted to retake control of their plane from the hijackers, which crashed into a field in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Approximately 3,000 people died in these attacks. Affected property owners and their insurers incurred billions of dollars in damages.
The attacks
The attacks started with the hijacking of 4 commercial airliners. With jet fuel capacities of nearly 24,000 U.S. gallons (91,000 liters), each aircraft became a flying incendiary bomb. American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north side of the north tower of the World Trade Center (WTC) at 8:46:40 a.m. local time (12:46:40 UTC). At 9:03:11 a.m. local time (13:03:11 UTC), United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the south tower, an event covered live by television broadcasters that had their cameras trained on the North Tower. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37:46 a.m. local time (13:37:46 UTC). The fourth hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in southwest Pennsylvania, at 10:03:11 a.m. local time (14:03:11 UTC), with parts and debris found up to eight miles away. The crash in Pennsylvania is believed to have resulted from the hijackers either deliberately crashing the aircraft or losing control of it as they fought with the passengers. No one survived in any of the hijacked aircraft.
The fatalities were in the thousands: 265 on the four planes; 2,595, including 343 New York City firefighters, 23 NYPD police officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers, in the towers and on the ground; and 125 civilians and military personnel at the Pentagon. At least 2,986 people were killed in total. In addition to the 110-floor Twin Towers of the World Trade Center itself, five other buildings at the WTC site, including WTC building 7, and four subway stations were destroyed or badly damaged. In total, on [
- The attacks are often referred to simply as September 11th, 9/11, or 9-11. The latter two are from the U.S. style for writing short dates, in which the month precedes the day. Both are pronounced "nine-eleven." With the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks on March 11, 2004, called "M11" or "3/11", and the Jordan Bombings on November 9, 2005 often called "11/9", the convention has been extended. The 7 July 2005 London bombings occurred on a day when the month and the day were the same so the speaker can decide if the US or European convention (day, then month) is implied. (In the UK these events are more generally referred to as the 'London bombings' or '7th July bombings' in any event.) 9-1-1 also happens to be the telephone number used in the United States and Canada to dial for emergency assistance (police, ambulance, and fire department).
- See Organizers of the September 11, 2001 attacks
- Recently In Focus: Profile: Osama bin Laden."
- "Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11". CBC News. 2004, October 29.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Boeing"Commercial Airplanes; Technical Characteristics: Boeing 767-200ER."
- "September 11: Chronology of terror." CNN. September 12, 2001.