United States Attacked
The World Trade Center
Photo by Steve Spak http://fdnyphoto.com/
New York's World Trade Center
Destroyed
On September11,2001 two hijacked planes slammed into the New York's World Trade Center Tuesday, destroying the twin 110-story towers.
A third plane crashed into The Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jason Ingersoll
A fourth plane crashed in Western Pennsylvania. It is reported that passengers fought with the hijackers preventing them from completing their mission.
BBC Graphic
All four planes were hijacked within hours of each other.
New York Skyline Before and After
Both Towers on Fire-Towers Then Collapse
266 passengers and crew died. Several cell phone calls from the planes reported teams of 3 to 5 hijackers armed with knives and box cutters had commandeered the flights. In total there were 19 hijackers, seven of whom were believed to be pilots.
Church St. & Vesey St. New York, NY
Architects: Minoru Yamasaki & Associates; Emery Roth & Sons, P.C.
Height: 1,368 and 1,362 feet (417 and 415 meters)
1 WORLD TRADE CENTER -
NORTH TOWER
Built: 1970
Height: 110 Floors
Floor Sizes: (9 - 105) 45,000-50,000 sf
Elevators: 97 passenger, 6 freight
2 WORLD TRADE CENTER -
SOUTH TOWER
Built: 1972
Height: 110 Floors
Floor Sizes (2 - 109) 45,000 - 50,000 sf
Elevators: 97 passenger, 6 freight
4 WORLD TRADE CENTER -
SOUTHEAST PLAZA BUILDING
Built: 1977
Height: 9 Floors
Floor Sizes: (2 - 9) 84,500 sf
Elevators: 12 passenger, 1 freight
5 WORLD TRADE CENTER -
NORTHEAST PLAZA BUILDING
Built: 1972
Height: 9 Floors
Floor Sizes: (2 - 9) 108,400 sf
Elevators: 9 passenger
6 WORLD TRADE CENTER -
U.S. CUSTOMHOUSE
Built: 1975
Height: 8 Floors
Floor Sizes: (2- 8) 80,400 sf
Elevators: 8 passenger, 4 freight
World Trade Center Before The Attack
Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite
spaceimaging.com
World Trade Center After The Attack
Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite
spaceimaging.com
World Trade Center Before The Attack
Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite
spaceimaging.com
World Trade Center After The Attack
Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite
spaceimaging.com
New York City Office Of Emergency Management Images
THE SEATTLE TIMES graphic
It is estimated that 40,000 to 50,000 people were at The World Trade Center. Authorities say 2,880 people died at the World Trade Center . At least 300 New York City Firefighters were killed including Peter Ganci, Fire Department chief and The Rev. Mychal Judge, New York Fire Department chaplain.
The Rev. Mychal Judge
The death toll at the Pentagon is 189.
The US has high security on international flights, and virtually no security on internal flights. Key parts of international procedure - such as making sure bags are accompanied, and X-raying hold baggage - are absent. Airport security is maintained by low paid employees that have a high rate of turnover.
Former Vice President Al Gore was head of a commission that recommended sweeping changes in airport security several years ago, The United States Congress, The Federal Aviation Administration and the airline industry basically dismissed the recommendations, saying it would cause delays and it would be too costly.
Osama bin Laden
The usual suspect, Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, warned three weeks ago that he and his followers would carry out an unprecedented attack on US interests for its support of Israel. Many other organizations and countries also have motives to carry out violence against The United States.
The people ultimately responsible for these terrorist attacks died in completing it . The remaining question is who were they backed by and who if any one helped them.
Dan Rather being interviewed by David Letterman
Many people in The United States question how these terrorists could strike these targets so easily. On September 17, Dan Rather, respected veteran newsman for CBS, made an emotional appearance on CBS's ''Late Show with David Letterman'' and he has one possible answer for these questions. The usually calm and collected newsman was visibly shaken during much of the interview. He said it is well known in the law enforcement community, that even though 29 billion dollars are spent on intelligence by the United States, the CIA and The FBI are considered to be like "The Keystone Kops". He said in essence that both agencies hide information from each other, do not work together and are not accountable for their shortcomings. The" Keystone Kops" were a silent movie series that portrayed a "slapstick" bungling group of police.
Investigation
The FBI has taken individuals into custody in Venice and Vero Beach in Florida in conjunction with the investigation. Three men were also taken into custody in Boston.
In Boston The FBI found a copy of the Koran, a videotape on how to fly commercial jets and a fuel consumption calculator in a pair of bags meant for American Airlines Flight 11. The suitcases belonged to a man with an Arabic name who investigators believe was one of those who hijacked the plane and crashed it into The World Trade Center. The man boarded Flight 11 after flying into Boston's Logan International airport from Portland, Maine, but his bags missed the connection.
The FBI seized a Mitsubishi rental car containing Arabic-language flight training manuals at Logan International Airport. The car was rented to two men who were brothers whose passports were traced to the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan. One of the men was a trained pilot.
Mohamed Attah
One of the men was Muhammed Attah who learned to fly at Huffman Aviation in Venice, Florida. They were on flight 175.
The FBI and The Justice department announced they now know the identities of all of the hijackers:
Hijackers Mohammed Atta, right, and Abdulaziz Alomari, center, pass through airport security, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 at Portland International Jetport
United Airlines Flight 175-
Marwan Al Shehhi, Fayez Rashid Ahmed Hassan Al Qadi Banihammad, Ahmed
Alghamdi, Hamza Alghamdi, Mohald Alshehri, 
American Airlines Flight 11- Satam Al Suqami,Waleed M. Alshehri, Wail Alshehri, Mohamed Atta, Abdulaziz Alomari
American Airlines Flight 77- Khalid Al-Midhar, Majed Moqed, Nawaq Alhamzi, Salem Alhamzi , Hani Hanjour
United Airlines Flight 93- Saeed Alghamdi ,Ahmad Ibrahim A. Al Haznawi, Ahmed Alnami, Ziad Jarrahi
Over 1,000 people are being detained in conjunction with the investigation.
Terror Time Line
Boeing 767
|
Basic
Dimensions - Wing Span - Overall Length - Tail Height - Interior Cabin Width |
156
ft 1in (47.6 m)
180 ft 3 in (54.9 m) 52 ft (15.8 m) 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m) |
|
Maximum Fuel Capacity |
23,980 U.S. gal (90,770 l) |
0845 EDT American Airlines flight 11 a from Boston to Los Angeles jet airliner crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York
0903 EDT United Airlines flight 175 a Boeing 767 from Boston to Los Angeles crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
0903 EDT Speaking from Florida, President George Bush pledges the United States will hunt down the guilty parties.
The Pentagon
0940 EDT American Airlines flight 77 a Boeing 757 crashes into the Pentagon in Washington
The Pentagon Before The Attack
spaceimaging.com
The Pentagon After The Attack
spaceimaging.com
*Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Boeing 757
|
Basic
Dimensions |
124
ft 10 in (38.05 m) |
| Maximum Fuel Capacity |
11,276 gal
(42,680 l)
|
Sydney Morning Herald graphic
WORLD TRADE CENTER
QE2 passing The World Trade Center
Photograph by Michael McGuire
Opened in 1970, the World Trade Center was constructed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The complex was situated on a 16-acre site and consists of seven buildings with 12 million square feet.
All were constructed around the five-acre Austin J. Tobin Plaza and have entrances to the Plaza and the surrounding city streets.
The World Trade
Center was connected by a land bridge to the World Financial Center
complex located to its west and is close to the New York and American
Stock Exchanges. More than 400 firms from 25 countries are represented
in the complex.
At least 50,000 people worked at the World Trade Center and another 70,000 visited each day.
The Center
consisted of two 110-story (1350 feet each)
office towers (One and Two World Trade Center), a 47-story office
building (Seven World Trade Center), two nine-story office buildings
(Four and Five World Trade Center), an eight-story U.S. Customhouse (Six
World Trade Center), and the 22-story New York Marriott World Trade
Center Hotel (Three World Trade Center).
At 110 floors, The World Trade Center was New York's tallest building
and the among tallest buildings in the world.
Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Pentagon
The Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defense, is one of the world's largest office buildings. It is twice the size of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, and has three times the floor space of the Empire State Building in New York. The National Capitol could fit into any one of the five wedge-shaped sections. Approximately 24,000 employees, both military and civilian, work at The Pentagon.
9-11-01
Let's
all keep a prayer or good thought in our hearts for the thousands of innocent
victims and their families, and we should never forget the sacrifice made by the
hundreds of firefighters, and police officers lost in this tragedy.