September 11, 2001 attacks
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- "9/11" redirects here. For other uses, see 911 (disambiguation).
| September 11, 2001 attacks | |
|---|---|
| Image:National Park Service 9-11 Statue of Liberty and WTC fire.jpg The towers burn shortly after United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower on the right. On the left is the still smoking North Tower, struck earlier by American Airlines Flight 11. | |
| Location | New York, New York (first two), Arlington, Virginia (3rd), Shanksville, Pennsylvania (4th); all USA |
| Target(s) | World Trade Center and The Pentagon (fourth hijacking was probably aimed for the White House or the U.S. Capitol).[citation needed] |
| Date | September 11, 2001
|
| Attack Type | Suicide attack, Hijacking |
| Fatalities | 2,992 (including 19 suicide hijackers) |
| Injuries | Unknown |
| Perpetrator(s) | Osama bin Laden, see also Responsibility and Organizers on the right hand column |
The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced "nine eleven") consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist<ref>The September 11 attacks were described by the United Nations Security Council as "horrifying terrorist attacks". Security Council Condemns, 'In Strongest Terms' Terrorist Attacks on the United States. United Nations (September 12, 2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-11.</ref> suicide attacks by Islamic extremists on the United States on September 11, 2001. The victims were predominantly civilians.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen terrorists<ref>Grunwald, Michael (2001). Terrorists Hijack 4 Airliners, Destroy World Trade Center, Hit Pentagon; Hundreds Dead. Remembering September 11. Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.</ref> affiliated with al-Qaeda<ref name="CBC">"Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11", CBC News, 2004-10-29. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Each team of hijackers included a trained pilot. The hijackers crashed two of the airliners (United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11) into the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower (1 WTC and 2 WTC). A third airliner (American Airlines Flight 77) was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. Passengers and members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft (United Airlines Flight 93) attempted to retake control of their plane from the hijackers; that plane crashed into a field near the town of Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In addition to the 19 hijackers, 2,973 people died; another 24 are missing and presumed dead.
Contents |
The attacks
Four commercial airliners were hijacked en route to California from Logan International, Dulles International, and Newark airports. Each of the airliners had a jet fuel capacity of nearly 24,000 U.S. gallons (91,000 liters) or 144,000 pounds (65,455 kilograms).<ref name="Boeing">Technical Characteristics Boeing 767-200ER. 767 Family. Boeing. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> Two of the airliners were flown into the World Trade Center, one each into the North and South towers, one was flown into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
- American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767-223<ref name="FAA">N-Number Inquiry Results, N334AA. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> wide-body aircraft, crashed into the north side of the North Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC) at 8:46:30 a.m. local time (Eastern Daylight Time, 12:46:30 UTC).
- United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767-222,<ref name="FAA2">N-Number Inquiry Results, N612UA. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> crashed into the South Tower at 9:02:59 a.m. local time (13:02:59 UTC), an event covered live by television broadcasters and amateur filmers from around the world who had their cameras trained on the buildings after the earlier crash.
- American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757-223,<ref name="FAA3">N-Number Inquiry Results, N644AA. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37:46 a.m. local time (13:37:46 UTC).
- United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757-222,<ref name="FAA4">N-Number Inquiry Results, N591UA. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> crashed in a field in southwest Pennsylvania just outside of Shanksville, about 150 miles (240 km) northwest of Washington, D.C., 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 resulted from the passengers of the airliner attempting to regain control from the hijackers.
During the hijacking some passengers and crew members were able to make phone calls using the cabin GTE airphone service.<ref>McKinnon, Jim. "The phone line from Flight 93 was still open when a GTE operator heard Todd Beamer say: 'Are you guys ready? Let's roll'", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.</ref><ref>"Relatives wait for news as rescuers dig", CNN, September 13, 2001.</ref> They reported that several hijackers were aboard each plane.
The terrorists reportedly took control of the aircraft by using knives and box-cutter knives to kill flight attendants and at least one pilot or passenger. There were a number of reports from callers aboard the hijacked aircraft that suggest the hijackers murdered several people aboard the planes before impact including the captain of Flight 11, John Ogonowski.<ref>We have some Planes. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. U.S. Congress (August 21, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-09-10.</ref>
Some form of noxious chemical spray, such as tear gas or pepper spray, was reported to have been used on American 11 and United 175 to keep passengers out of the first-class cabin.<ref name="CNN1">Ahlers, Mike M. (January 27, 2004). 9/11 panel: Hijackers may have had utility knives. CBS News. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> Bomb threats were made on three of the aircraft, but not on American 77. According to the Commission Report the bombs were probably fake. The 9/11 Commission established that two of the hijackers had recently purchased Leatherman multi-function hand tools.
On United Airlines Flight 93, black box 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. According to the transcript of Flight 93's recorder one of the hijackers gave the order to roll the plane once it became evident that they would lose control of the plane to the passengers. Soon afterward, the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at 10:03:11 a.m. local time (14:03:11 UTC). The 9/11 Panel reported that captured al-Qaeda leader Khalid Shaikh Mohammed said that Flight 93's target was the United States Capitol, which was given the code name "the Faculty of Law."
The attacks created widespread confusion across the United States. Unconfirmed and often contradictory reports were aired and published throughout the day. One of the most prevalent of these reported that a car bomb had been detonated at the U.S. State Department's headquarters, the Truman Building in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C. This erroneous report, picked up by the wire services, was reported on CNN and in a number of newspapers published that day. Soon after reporting for the first time on the Pentagon crash, CNN and other media also briefly reported that a fire had broken out on the Washington Mall. Another report went out on the AP wire, claiming that a Delta 767–Flight 1989–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 Cleveland, Ohio.
Fatalities
| Fatalities (Not including the 19 hijackers) | ||
|---|---|---|
| New York City | World Trade Center | 2,602 died and another 24 remain listed as missing<ref>"2006 9/11 Death Toll", CNN, 2006, April 26. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref><ref name="hirschkorn"/> |
| American 11 | 88<ref>American Airlines Flight 11. CNN. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> | |
| United 175 | 59<ref>United Airlines Flight 175. CNN. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> | |
| Pentagon | Building | 125<ref>American Airlines Flight 77. CNN. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> |
| American 77 | 59<ref>American Airlines Flight 77. CNN. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> | |
| Shanksville | United 93 | 40<ref>Roddy, Dennis B.. "Flight 93: Forty lives, one destiny", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2001, October 28. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> |
| Total | 2,973 died and another 24 remain listed as missing. | |
There were 2,973 fatalities: 246 on the four planes (no one on board any of the hijacked aircraft survived<ref name="Chrono">September 11: Chronology of terror. CNN. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref>), 2,602 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon.<ref>"First video of Pentagon 9/11 attack released", CNN, May 16, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.</ref>Among the fatalities were 343 New York City Fire Department firefighters, 23 New York City Police Department officers, and 37 Port Authority Police Department officers.<ref>"9/11 by the Numbers", NeyYorkMag.com, September 5, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.</ref> An additional 24 people remain listed as missing.<ref name="hirschkorn">"24 Remain Missing", September 11 Victims, 2006, August 12. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref>
World Trade Center - 1366 people died who were at or above the floors of impact in the North Tower (1 WTC); according to the Commission Report, hundreds were killed instantly by the impact while the rest were trapped and died later.<ref name="National">Heroism and Honor. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. U.S. Congress (August 21, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
As many as 600 people were killed instantly or trapped at or 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.
An estimated 200 people jumped to their deaths from the burning towers (as depicted in the photograph "The Falling Man"), landing on the streets and rooftops of adjacent buildings hundreds of feet below.<ref>Cauchon, Dennis and Martha Moore. "Desperation forced a horrific decision", USATODAY, September 2, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.</ref> To witnesses watching, a few of the people falling from the towers seemed to have stumbled out of broken windows.<ref>Cauchon, Dennis and Martha Moore. "Desperation forced a horrific decision", USATODAY, September 2, 2002. Retrieved on 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, however; no rescue plan existed for such an eventuality, the roof access doors were locked and thick smoke and intense heat would have prevented rescue helicopters from landing.<ref>"Poor Info Hindered 9/11 Rescue", CBS News, May 18, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.</ref>
Cantor Fitzgerald L.P., an investment bank on the 101st-105th floors of One World Trade Center, lost 658 employees, considerably more than any other employer. Marsh Inc., located immediately below Cantor Fitzgerald on floors 93-101 (the location of Flight 11's impact), lost 295 employees, including one on Flight 175. Additionally, Marsh lost 38 consultants. Approximately 400 rescue workers, most of them of the FDNY, died when the towers collapsed.
According to the Associated Press, the city identified over 1,600 bodies but was unable to identify the rest (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 name="CBS2">Ground Zero Forensic Work Ends. CBS News (Feb. 23, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> Bone fragments were still being found in 2006 as workers prepared the damaged Deutsche Bank Building for demolition. The average age of all the dead in New York City was 40.
The dead included 8 children: 5 on American 77 ranging in age from 3 to 11, 3 on United 175 ages 2, 3, and 4.<ref name="World">Lynne, Diana (December 21, 2001). Littlest victims largely overlooked. World Net Daily. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> The youngest victim was a 2 year-old child on Flight 175, the oldest an 82 year-old passenger on Flight 11. In the buildings, the youngest victim was 17 and the oldest was 79.<ref>Victims of the World Trade Center attack, listed by age. Lewis Mumford Center for comparative urban and regional research. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.</ref>
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 New Jersey and Connecticut, private schools were evacuated. Many children in schools of Maryland, those nearest to DC, were sent home. Scarsdale, New York schools closed for the day. In Greenwich, Connecticut, about 20 miles north of the city, hundreds of school children had direct ties to victims of the attacks. Greenwich and nearby New Canaan, two of the wealthiest towns in the area along with neighboring Darien, had more residents killed, as a percentage of total population, than any other Connecticut towns. After New York, New Jersey was the hardest hit state, with the town of Hoboken sustaining the most fatalities. Almost all the massacred were civilians, except some of the 125 victims in the Pentagon.
There were also a number of reports, some contradictory, from callers aboard the hijacked aircraft that suggest the hijackers murdered several people aboard the planes before impact.<ref>We have some Planes. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. U.S. Congress (August 21, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-09-10.</ref>
Damage
In addition to the 110-floor Twin Towers of the World Trade Center itself, five other buildings at the World Trade Center site, including 7 World Trade Center and the Marriott Hotel, two New York City Subway stations, and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church were destroyed or badly damaged. In total, in Manhattan, 25 buildings were damaged and all seven buildings of the World Trade Center Complex had to be razed. Two additional buildings were later condemned: the Deutsche Bank Building across Liberty Street from the World Trade Center complex, due to the uninhabitable, toxic conditions inside the office tower and Borough of Manhattan Community College's Fiterman Hall at 30 West Broadway due to extensive damage in the attacks. These buildings are both (as of September 2006) slated for deconstruction. [1]
Communications equipment such as broadcast radio, television and two-way radio antenna towers were damaged beyond repair. In Arlington County, a portion of the Pentagon was severely damaged by fire and one section of the building collapsed.<ref name="CBS">New WTC Death Toll Is 2,752. CBS News (October 30, 2003). Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref>
Survivors
According to the 9/11 Commission, approximately 16,000 people were below the impact zones in the World Trade Center complex at the time of the attacks. The vast majority of those below the impact areas survived, evacuating before the towers collapsed.
The hijackers
Nineteen Arab men boarded the four planes, five each on American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 77, four on United Airlines Flight 93. Fifteen of the attackers were from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt, and one from Lebanon.
The group consisted of six core organizers, which included the four pilots, and thirteen others. Unlike many stereotypes of hijackers or terrorists, most of the attackers were educated and came from well-to-do backgrounds.
Other potential hijackers
27 members of al-Qaeda attempted to enter the United States to take part in the September 11 attacks, only 19 participated. Other would-be hijackers are often referred to as the 20th hijacker:
- Ramzi Binalshibh allegedly meant to take part in the attacks, but he was repeatedly denied a visa for entry into the U.S.
- Mohamed al-Kahtani, a Saudi Arabian citizen, may also have been planning to join the hijackers but U.S. Immigration authorities at Orlando International Airport refused his entry into the U.S. in August, 2001. He was later captured in Afghanistan and imprisoned at the U.S. military prison known as Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
- Zacarias Moussaoui was reportedly considered as a replacement for Ziad Jarrah, who at one point threatened to withdraw from the scheme because of tensions amongst the plotters. Plans to include Moussaoui were never completed because the al-Qaeda hierarchy allegedly had doubts about his reliability. He was arrested on August 16, 2001, about four weeks before the attacks, ostensibly for an immigration violation, but FBI agents suspected he had violent intentions after receiving flight training earlier that year. In April 2005, Moussaoui pleaded guilty to conspiring to hijack planes, and to involvement with al-Qaeda, but he denies foreknowledge of the 9-11 attacks. Moussaoui, at his sentencing hearing in March 2006, claimed that, upon the personal directive of Osama bin Laden, he and Richard Reid were due to hijack a fifth plane and fly it into the White House.<ref>"Moussaoui lies 'let 9/11 happen'", BBC News, March 27, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
His 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 a video tape released in May 2006, Osama bin Laden claimed that Moussaoui had "no connection whatsoever with the events of September 11" and that he knows this because "I was responsible for entrusting the 19 brothers" who carried out the attacks.<ref>Markon, Jerry, Karen DeYoung. "Bin Laden: Moussaoui Played No Role in 9/11", Washington Post, May 24, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> On May 3, 2006, a federal jury rejected the death penalty and sentenced Moussaoui to 6 life terms in prison without parole.<ref>"Moussaoui is spared death penalty", BBC News, May 4, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
At Moussaoui's sentencing trial, FBI agent Greg Jones testified that prior to the attacks, he urged his supervisor, Michael Maltbie, "to prevent Zacarias Moussaoui from flying a plane into the World Trade Center." Maltbie had refused to act on 70 requests from another agent, Harry Samit, to obtain a warrant to search Moussaoui's computer.
Other al-Qaeda members who 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, Zakariyah Essabar, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Tawfiq bin Attash. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the attack's mastermind, wanted to remove at least one member — Khalid al-Mihdhar—from the operation, but he was overruled by Osama bin Laden.
Responsibility and motives
Responsibility
Within hours of the attacks, the FBI was able to determine their names and in many cases details such as dates of birth, known and/or possible residences, visa status, and specific identity of the suspected pilots and hijackers.<ref>Clarke, Richard A. Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terrorism (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004), pp13-14</ref><ref>FBI Announces List of 19 Hijackers. Federal Bureau of Investigation (September 14, 2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> Few had made any attempt to disguise their names on flight and credit card records, and they were some of the few people of Arabic descent on the flights. On the day of the attacks, the National Security Agency intercepted communications that pointed to Osama bin Laden,<ref>Blackhurst, Chris, and Paul Lashmar. "Piece by Piece, The Jigsaw of Terror Revealed", Independent on Sunday (London), September 30, 2001.</ref> as did German intelligence agencies.<ref>Tagliabue, John, and Raymond Bonner. "A NATION CHALLENGED: GERMAN INTELLIGENCE; German Data Led U.S. to Search For More Suicide Hijacker Teams", The New York Times, September 29, 2001.</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>Press Release. Federal Bureau of Investigation (September 27, 2001).</ref> The FBI investigation into the September 11, 2001 attacks, code named operation PENTTBOM, was the largest and most complex investigation in the history of the FBI, involving over 7,000 special agents.<ref>Rolince, Michael E., Acting Assistant Director in Charge, FBI (June 24, 2003). "The Inspector General's Report and the September 11th Response", Congressional Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Federal Bureau of Investigation.</ref> The United States government determined that al-Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden, bore responsibility for the attacks, with the FBI stating that evidence linking Al-Qaeda and bin Laden to the attacks of September 11 is clear and irrefutable.<ref>Watson, Dale L., Executive Assistant Director, Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Division, FBI (February 6, 2002). "The Terrorist Threat Confronting the United States", Congressional Testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Federal Bureau of Investigation.</ref> The Government of the United Kingdom reached the same conclusion, regarding Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden's culpability for the September 11, 2001 attacks.<ref>Responsibility for the Terrorist Atrocities in the United States, 11 September 2001. 10 Downing Street, Office of the Prime Minister of the U.K. (2001, November 14). Retrieved on 2006-09-29.</ref>
Osama bin Laden's declaration of a holy war against the United States, and a Fatwa signed by bin Laden and others calling for the killing of American civilians in 1998, are seen by many as evidence of his motivation to commit such acts.
Bin Laden initially denied, but later admitted involvement in the incidents. On September 16, 2001, bin Laden denied any involvement with the attacks by reading a statement which was broadcast by Qatar's Al Jazeera 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>Fox News. "Pakistan to Demand Taliban Give Up Bin Laden as Iran Seals Afghan Border." September 16, 2001.</ref> This denial was broadcast on U.S. news networks and worldwide.
In November 2001, U.S. forces recovered a videotape from a destroyed house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in which Osama bin Laden is talking to Khaled al-Harbi. In the tape bin Laden admits foreknowledge of the attacks.<ref>"Bin Laden on tape: Attacks 'benefited Islam greatly'", CNN, December 14, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref> The tape was broadcast on various news networks from December 13, 2001.
On December 27, 2001, a second bin Laden video was released. In the video he stated "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," but he stopped short of admitting responsibility for the attacks.<ref>"Transcript: Bin Laden video excerpts", BBC News, December 27, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.</ref>
Shortly before the U.S. presidential election in 2004 in a taped statement, 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."
In a videotape aired on Al Jazeera on October 30, 2004, bin Laden said he had personally directed the 19 hijackers.<ref>"Al-Jazeera: Bin Laden tape obtained in Pakistan", MSNBC, Oct 30, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-09-07. - "In the tape, bin Laden — wearing traditional white robes, a turban and a tan cloak — reads from papers at a lectern against a plain brown background. Speaking quietly in an even voice, he tells the American people that he ordered the Sept. 11 attacks because “we are a free people” who wanted to “regain the freedom” of their nation."</ref> Another video obtained by Al Jazeera in September 2006 shows Osama bin Laden with Ramzi Binalshibh, as well as two hijackers, Hamza al-Ghamdi and Wail al-Shehri, as they make preparations for the attacks.<ref>"Bin Laden 9/11 planning video aired", CBC News, 2006, September 7.</ref>
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States was formed by the United States government and was commonly called the 9/11 Commission. It released its report on July 22, 2004, concluding that the attacks were conceived and implemented by members of al-Qaeda. 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.<ref>National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. U.S. Congress (August 21, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> To date, only peripheral figures have been tried or convicted in connection with the attacks.
In "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheik Mohammed" from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, five people are identified as having been completely aware of the operations details. They are: Osama bin Laden, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, Ramzi Binalshibh, Abu Turab Al-Urduni and Mohammed Atef.<ref> (2006) "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheik Mohammed". U.S. of America vs. Zacarias Moussaoui, 24.</ref>
On September 26th of 2005, the Spain's high court directed by judge Baltazar Garzon sentenced Abu Dahdah to 27 years of imprisonment for conspiracy on the 9/11 attacks and as part of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda. At the same time, another 17 Al Qaeda members were sentenced to penalties of between 6 and 12 years.<ref>La Audiencia Nacional dicta la primera sentencia contra el terrorismo de Al Qaeda en España, Diario Directo, 09.26.2005</ref><ref>Al-Qaeda Cell in Spain Charged with Aiding September 11 Attacks, Institute for Counter-Terrorism, November 19, 2001</ref> On February 16th 2006, the Spanish Supreme Court reduced the Abu Dahdah penalty to 12 years because it considered that his participation in the conspiracy was not proven.<ref>El Supremo rebaja de 27 a 12 años la pena a Abu Dahdah y absuelve a otros tres condenados, El País, 06.01.2006</ref>
Motive
According to official U.S. government sources, the September 11th attacks were consistent with the mission statement of al-Qaeda. The overarching motivation for the present al-Qaeda campaign was set out in a 1998 fatwa issued by Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Abu-Yasir Rifa'i Ahmad Taha, Shaykh Mir Hamzah, and Fazlur Rahman (Amir of the Jihad Movement in Bangladesh, Fazlur Rahman).<ref>Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders: World Islamic Front Statement (February 23, 1998). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
The fatwa lists three "crimes and sins" committed by the Americans:
- U.S. support of Israel.
- U.S. military occupation of the Arabian Peninsula.
- U.S. aggression against the Iraqi people.
The fatwa states that the United States:
- Plunders the resources of the Arabian Peninsula.
- 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 Israel, and wishes to divert international attention from (and tacitly maintain) the occupation of Palestine.
The Persian Gulf War, the ensuing sanctions against Iraq and the 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 Islamic 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 jihad is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries."
Statements of al-Qaeda recorded after 9/11 add weight to the U.S account of who was responsible for the attacks. In a 2004 video, apparently acknowledging responsibility for the attacks, bin Laden states that he was motivated by the 1982 Lebanon War, for which he held the U.S. partially responsible. 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 holy war was to, "[bleed] America to the point of bankruptcy."<ref>Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech. Aljazeera (November 11, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</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 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity towards the United States felt by Khalid Shaikh 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." The same motivation has been imputed to the two pilots who flew into the WTC: Mohamed Atta was described by Ralph Bodenstein—who traveled, worked and talked with him—as "most imbued actually about... U.S. protection of these Israeli politics in the region." Marwan al-Shehhi 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.
According to counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke, internal political conflicts within the Muslim world are the primary causal factors for the attacks of 9/11. Specifically, bin Laden and other residents of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, among other countries of the Middle East, believe that the vast majority of governments in the Middle East are apostate governments.<ref name="Clarke">Clarke, Richard (2004). Against All Enemies. New York: Free Press, 122-124. ISBN 0743260244.</ref> That is, these governments' collective religiosity does not meet bin Laden's standard of Muslim piety. The primary reason that bin Laden gives for this assertion is that none of these governments is a caliphate. Inspired by the Egyptian theologian and writer Sayyid Qutb, bin Laden believes that it is his duty as a Muslim to establish a caliphate in the Middle East.<ref name="Clarke">Clarke, Richard (2004). Against All Enemies. New York: Free Press, 131-132. ISBN 0743260244.</ref>
Arising directly from these beliefs, bin Laden designed a strategy of attacking the United States in order to establish this caliphate. Terming the United States as the "Far Enemy," bin Laden designed the attacks of 9/11 to cause the U.S. to increase its military and cultural presence in the Middle East.<ref>Bergen, Peter (2006). The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader. New York: Free Press, 229. ISBN 0743278917.</ref> Bin Laden believes that once Muslim citizens of the Middle East confront the evils of a non-Muslim government, one that is not a caliphate, a popular social and political movement will catalyze around the desire for very conservative and zealous Muslim governments in the Middle East.<ref>Bergen, Peter (2006). The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader. New York: Free Press, 233-235. ISBN 0743278917.</ref>
According to Michale Doran, this goal is further demonstrated by bin Laden's use of the term "spectacular" as a noun when talking about the attacks of 9/11. For example, "This spectacular will greatly anger America." He hoped these attacks would provoke a visceral emotional response from the government and citizens of the United States. In so doing, he was attempting to ensure that Muslim citizens in the Middle East would react as violently as possible to an increase in U.S. involvement in their region.<ref>Doran, Michael Scott (2005). Understanding the War on Terror. New York: Norton, 72-75. ISBN 0876093470.</ref>
Other potential attacks
Mohammed Afroze was convicted in India in 2005 after confessing to being involved in planning an attack on the Palace of Westminster in London and Tower Bridge. The attack 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. His lawyer claimed that the confession was obtained through torture.<ref>"London 9/11 plotter jailed", The Times, London, July 23, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.</ref><ref>"Tower Bridge 9/11 plotter jailed", The Guardian, July 23, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.</ref>
In February 2006, President George W. Bush stated that al-Qaeda had initially planned to crash a plane into the tallest building in the western United States, the Library Tower in Los Angeles, on the same day. However, this attack was postponed by bin Laden, and subsequently foiled.<ref>"Al Qaeda Tried to Outsource L.A. Skyscraper Terror Plot", ABC News, February 9, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
The U.S. government initially claimed that the White House and Air Force One were also targeted, although the source and nature of these threats was not disclosed.<ref>"Bush calls attacks 'acts of war'", BBC News, September 12, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> President Bush flew on Air Force One to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, and then flew to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, before returning to Washington. After criticism that Bush did not return immediately to Washington, the White House claimed the next day that a terrorist threat, "using code words," had been phoned in against Air Force One. White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer quoted the caller as saying, "Air Force One is a target." The White House later backed away from this claim after no evidence of the phone call was found.<ref>"White House Drops Claim of Threat to Bush", Washington Post, September 27, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
Reactions
International reaction
The attacks had major global political ramifications. They were denounced by mainstream media and governments worldwide, with the headline of France's Le Monde newspaper summing up the international mood of sympathy: "We Are All Americans" (Nous sommes tous Américains).<ref>International Reaction. September11News.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> The German reaction was profound and remains so, five years later, in 2006.<ref>9/11: Five Years Later. World View of Attacks Varied. In Europe. Ruth Ciesinger. San Francisco Chronicle (20060910). Retrieved on 20061104.</ref> The most publicized exception was that some Palestinians celebrated jubilantly upon hearing about 9/11.<ref>Mixed response from Arab World. BBC News.</ref> Less publicized are the public demonstrations of enthusiasm for the attacks conducted by Chinese students in mainland China during the night after the attacks.<ref>9/11: Five Years Later. World View of Attacks Varied. In the Far East. Jehangir S. Pocha. San Francisco Chronicle (20060910). Retrieved on 20061104.</ref>
Approximately one month after the attacks, the United States led a broad coalition of international forces in the removal of the oppressive Taliban regime for harboring the al-Qaeda organization.<ref>Remarks by the President to the United Nations General Assembly. USUN Press Release #162. United Nations (November 10, 2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> The Pakistani authorities moved decisively to align themselves with the United States in a war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Pakistan provided the U.S. 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 U.S.<ref>Khan, Aamer Ahmed (May 4, 2005). Pakistan and the 'key al-Qaeda' man. BBC. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
Numerous countries, including the UK, India, Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, China, Canada, Russia, Pakistan, Jordan, Mauritius, Uganda and Zimbabwe introduced "anti-terrorism" legislation<ref>Hamilton, Stuart (August 18-24, 2002). September 11th, the Internet, and the effects on information provision in Libraries (pdf). 68th IFLA Council and Conference. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> and froze the bank accounts<ref>G8 counter-terrorism cooperation since September 11th backgrounder. Site Internet du Sommet du G8 d'Evian. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.</ref> of businesses and individuals they suspected of having al-Qaeda ties.
Law enforcement and intelligence agencies in a number of countries, including Italy, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines arrested people they labeled terrorist suspects for the stated purpose of breaking up militant cells around the world.<ref>Walsh, Courtney C (March 7, 2002). Italian police explore Al Qaeda links in cyanide plot. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref><ref>SE Asia unites to smash militant cells. CNN (May 8, 2002). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> In the U.S., this aroused some controversy, as critics such as the Bill of Rights Defense Committee argued that traditional restrictions on federal surveillance (e.g. COINTELPRO's monitoring of public meetings) were "dismantled" by the USA PATRIOT Act;<ref>Talanian, Nancy (2002). A Guide to Provisions of the USA Patriot Act and Federal Executive Orders that threaten civil liberties (pdf). Bill of Rights Defense Committee. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> civil liberty organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Liberty argued that certain civil rights protections were also being circumvented.<ref>Reform the Patriot Act -- Don't Expand It!. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.</ref><ref>Liberty - Protecting Civil Liberties Promoting Human Rights : Terrorism. Liberty. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.</ref>
The United States set up a detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to hold what they termed "illegal enemy combatants". The legitimacy of these detentions has been questioned by, among others, member states of the European Union, the Organization of American States, and Amnesty International.
- Further information: Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
In the United Kingdom outrage swelled in the media over a Civil Servant's attempt to capitalize on the tragedy. Jo Moore, then serving Minister Stephen Byers, sent an email to staff suggesting that it would be a good time to publish anything that may prove unpopular in the hope that it would be overshadowed by events in the U.S. This political storm became known as the Bury Bad News Scandal.
Public response
The 9/11 attacks had immediate and overwhelming effects upon the United States population. Gratitude toward uniformed public-safety workers (dubbed "first responders"), 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. Blood donations also saw a surge in the weeks after 9/11.<ref>Glynn, Simone A (May 7, 2003). Effect of a National Disaster on Blood Supply and Safety: The September 11 Experience. Journal of the American Medical Association. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
There were some incidents of harassment and hate crimes against Middle Easterners and other, "Middle Eastern-looking" people, particularly Sikhs, due to the fact that Sikh males usually wear turbans, which are stereotypically associated with Muslims in the United States. At least nine people were murdered within the United States as a result. Balbir Singh Sodhi, one of the first victims of this phenomenon, was fatally shot on September 15. He, like others, was a Sikh who was mistaken for a Muslim.<ref>Hate crime reports up in wake of terrorist attacks. CNN (September 17, 2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, George W. Bush's job approval rating soared to 86%.<ref>Benedetto, Richard and Patrick O'Driscoll. "Poll finds a united nation", USA Today, September 16, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref> On September 20, 2001, the president spoke before the nation and a joint session of the United States Congress, 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 New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani won him high praise nationally and in New York.<ref>Pooley, Eric. Mayor of the World. Time 2001 Person of the Year. Time. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
Conspiracy theories
Various conspiracy theories have emerged that question the mainstream account of the attacks. Conspiracy theorists have said the collapse of the World Trade Center was caused by planted explosives. Some say a commercial airliner did not crash into the Pentagon, and that United Airlines Flight 93 was shot down. Most conspiracy theories say individuals in the government of the United States knew of the impending attacks and let them happen, or actually planned the attacks. While conspiracy theories about Jewish or Israeli involvement are "a core part of the belief system of anti-Semites and millions of others around the world"<ref>Five Years Later, Anti-Semitic 9/11 Conspiracy Theories Live On. Press Release - Anti-Semitism: International. Anti-Defamation League (2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-14.</ref>, in the United States a minority of conspiracy theorists say there was Israeli or Jewish involvement in the attacks.
U.S. Government response
Rescue, recovery, and compensation
Within hours of the attack, a massive search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched, which included over 350 search and rescue dogs.<ref>PICTURE GALLERY: The World Trade Center's Heroic Rescue Dogs. Canine Nation (September 15, 2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-18.</ref> Initially, only a handful of wounded people were found at the site, and in the weeks that followed it became evident that there were no survivors to be found.
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. All of these platforms were closed on May 30, 2002.
Many relief funds were immediately set up to assist victims of the attacks, with the task of providing financial assistance to the survivors and the families of victims. At the deadline for victim's compensation, September 11 2003, 2,833 applications were received from the families of those massacred.<ref>Barrett, Devlin (December 23, 2003). 9/11 Fund Deadline Passes. CBS News. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
The War on Terrorism
In the aftermath of the attacks, many U.S. citizens held the view that the attacks had "changed the world forever." The Bush administration declared a war on terrorism, 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 overthrow of the oppressive Taliban rule from Afghanistan, 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 Philippines and Indonesia, countries that have their own internal conflicts with Islamic extremist terrorism.
Because the attacks on the United States were judged to be within the parameters of its charter, NATO declared that Article 5 of the NATO agreement was satisfied on September 12, 2001, making the US war on terror the first time since its inception that NATO would actually participate in a "hot" war.<ref>Statement by the North Atlantic Council. NATO (September 15, 2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
Domestic response
Within the United States, Congress passed and President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, creating the Department of Homeland Security, representing the largest restructuring of the U.S. government in contemporary history. Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act, stating that it would help detect and prosecute terrorism and other crimes. Civil liberties groups have criticized the PATRIOT Act, saying that it allows law enforcement to invade the privacy of citizens and eliminates judicial oversight of law-enforcement and domestic intelligence gathering. The Bush Administration also invoked 9/11 as the reason to initiate a secret National Security Agency operation, "to eavesdrop on telephone and e-mail communications between the United States and people overseas without a warrant."<ref>VandeHei, Jim; Dan Eggen (January 5, 2006). Cheney Cites Justifications For Domestic Eavesdropping. Washington Post. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
Following the attacks, 80,000 Arab and Muslim immigrants were fingerprinted and registered under the Alien Registration Act 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."<ref>Authorization for Use of Military Force. Public Law 107-40 [S. J. RES. 23]. U.S. Congress (September 18, 2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>
Investigations
Collapse of the World Trade Center
Three buildings in the World Trade Center Complex collapsed due to structural failure on the day of the attack. The south tower (2 WTC) fell at approximately 9:59 a.m., after burning for 56 minutes in a fire caused by the impact of United Airlines Flight 175 at 9:03 a.m. The north tower (1 WTC) fell at 10:28 a.m., after burning approximately 102 minutes in a fire caused by the impact of American Airlines Flight 11 at 8:46 a.m. A third building, 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC) collapsed at 5:20 p.m., after being heavily damaged by debris from the Twin Towers when they fell and subsequent fires.<ref name="911-ch9">National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (2004). “Chapter 9”, 9/11 Commission Report. Government Printing Office.</ref><ref>Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. National Institute of Standards and Technology (August 30, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-16.</ref> Numerous adjacent buildings to the complex also had substantial damage and fires and had to be demolished. The Deutsche Bank Building is the only remaining large structure that suffered damage and fires at ground zero that has yet to be fully demolished, though this is expected to be completed by mid 2007.<ref>Animation Details Deutsche Bank Demolition Plans. Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (November 28, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-09-16.</ref>
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 Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The goals of this investigation, completed on April 6, 2005, 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 in which 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' steel 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. 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 emergency escape for people above the impact zones. NIST stated that the final report on the collapse of 7 WTC will appear in a separate report.<ref>Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster. National Institute of Standards and Technology (October 26, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.</ref>