The 9 - 11 Attacks

The 9/11 Attacks
It was a terrifying, startling, and humbling event for the country, it was a
day that defined the beginning of the 21st century for all Americans. The
11th of September 2001 marked a turning point in the history of mankind.
Death and destruction was on the way as soon as 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists
boarded four American aircrafts with the intent of crashing each one into
one of America's most important architectures.
This is the story of the 9/11 attacks…..

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September 11, 2001 began as an ordinary, late-summer day. As the sun

rose, fair weather and blue skies prevailed over much of the country and
thousands of commercial airliners prepared for flight. The attacks in New
York occurred in the country’s busiest city on a busy workday. And the
staggered nature of the attacks meant that news footage captured almost
everything as it happened, ensuring that millions of Americans saw the
events precisely as they unfolded.
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The moment shocked the nation. Two planes, hijacked by Islamic jihadists
vowing death to all Americans, crashed into both towers at the World Trade
Center in New York. Another plane was flown into the Pentagon in
Washington, DC. A fourth plane, presumably headed for the White House,
ended up crashing in an empty field in Pennsylvania as a result of the
unselfish and brave acts of the 40 passengers and crew members on board
Flight 93 which prevented the hijackers' primary objective, the White
house, from being reached.
On that day, about 8:45 AM, a Boeing 767 operated by American Airlines
carrying 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the World Trade Center's
north tower in New York City. The impact left a burning hole near the 80th
floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and
trapping hundreds more in higher floors.
As the evacuation of the tower began, television cameras broadcasted live

images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 18 minutes
after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767 appeared out of the sky, and
turned sharply towards the World Trade Center and sliced into the south
tower near the 60th floor.
The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris

over surrounding buildings and onto the streets below. It immediately
became clear that America was under attack.
___________________________________________________________
The hijackers were Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other
Arab nations. Reportedly financed by the al Qaeda terrorist organization of
Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden, they were allegedly acting in retaliation for
America’s support of Israel, its involvement in the Persian Gulf War and its
continued military presence in the Middle East.
Some of the terrorists had lived in the United States for more than a year
and had taken flying lessons at American commercial flight schools.
Others had slipped into the country in the months before September 11 and
acted as the “muscle” in the operation.
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As millions watched the events unfolding in New York, American Airlines
Flight 77 circled over downtown Washington, D.C., before crashing into the
west side of the Pentagon military headquarters at 9:45 a.m just an hour
after the first attack.
Less than 15 minutes after the terrorists struck the nerve center of the U.S.
military, the horror in New York took a catastrophic turn when the south
tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and
smoke. At 10:30 a.m., the north building of the twin towers collapsed. Only
six people in the World Trade Center towers at the time of their collapse
survived. Almost 10,000 others were treated for injuries, many severe.
_____________________________________________________________
While this was happening, United Airlines Flight 93, a fourth aircraft with a
destination of California, was hijacked about 40 minutes after taking off
from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The passengers
on board were informed of the events in New York and Washington by
mobile phone and Airfone calls since the plane had been delayed in taking
off.
Knowing that the aircraft was not returning to an airport as the hijackers
claimed, a group of passengers and flight attendants planned an
insurrection. One of the passengers, Thomas Burnett, Jr., told his wife over
the phone that “I know we’re all going to die. There’s three of us who are
going to do something about it.”
Sandy Bradshaw, a flight attendant, called her husband and explained that
she had slipped into a galley and was filling pitchers with boiling water. Her
last words to him were “Everyone’s running to first class. I’ve got to go.
Bye.”
The four hijackers were fought by the passengers, who are also suspected
of using a fire extinguisher to attack the cockpit. The aircraft subsequently
overturned and descended at a speed of more than 500 miles per hour,
falling around 10:10 a.m. in a rural field close to Shanksville in western
Pennsylvania.
All 44 people aboard were killed.

________________________________________________________________
At 7 p.m, President George Walker Bush, who was in Florida at the time of
the attacks and had spent the day being shuttled around the country
because of security concerns, returned to the White House.
At 9 p.m., he delivered a televised address from the Oval Office, declaring,

“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but
they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but
they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”
_______________________________________________________________
Although Khalid Sheikh Mohammed served as the operational planner,

Osama bin Laden, the head of Al-Qaeda, is widely regarded as the attack's
mastermind. Al-Qaeda supplied the troops, resources, and logistical
assistance necessary to carry out Mohammed's tactical innovation of
utilizing hijacked aircraft to strike the United States. Mohammed Atta was
chosen to serve as the operation's manager. He established himself in the
United States with 18 other terrorists, the most of whom were from Saudi
Arabia, and some of whom obtained training for commercial flying. The 19
hijackers perished in the attacks, while Mohammed was arrested in 2003
and Osama bin Laden was murdered by US troops in 2011.
________________________________________________________________
When the buildings burned and fell, thousands of first responders,
residents, and workers in lower Manhattan near Ground Zero were exposed
to poisonous gases and debris. By 2018, 10,000 people were diagnosed
with 9/11-related cancer.
From 2001 to 2004, over $7 billion dollars in compensation was given to

families of the 9/11 victims and the 2,680 people injured in the attacks.
Funding was renewed on January 2, 2011, when President Barack Obama
signed The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act into law.
Named after James Zadroga, a New York City Police officer who died of
respiratory disease he contracted after rescuing people from the rubble at
Ground Zero.
________________________________________________________________
For most who are old enough to remember, it is a day that is impossible to
forget. In many ways, 9/11 reshaped how Americans think of war and
peace, their own personal safety and their fellow citizens. And today, the
violence and chaos in a country half a world away brings with it the
opening of an uncertain new chapter in the post-9/11 era.

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The 9/11 Attacks

This is the story of the 9/11 attacks…..

September 11, 2001 began as an ordinary, late-summer day. As the sun

As the evacuation of the tower began, television cameras broadcasted live

The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris

All 44 people aboard were killed.

At 9 p.m., he delivered a televised address from the Oval Office, declaring,

Although Khalid Sheikh Mohammed served as the operational planner,

From 2001 to 2004, over $7 billion dollars in compensation was given to

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