9/11 Attacks

9/11 Attacks

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OnSeptember11,2001,19militantsassociatedwiththeIslamicextremistgroupalQaeda
hijackedfourairlinersandcarriedoutsuicideattacksagainsttargetsintheUnitedStates.Twoof
theplaneswereflownintothetowersoftheWorldTradeCenterinNewYorkCity,athirdplane
hitthePentagonjustoutsideWashington,D.C.,andthefourthplanecrashedinafieldin
Pennsylvania.Oftenreferredtoas9/11,theattacksresultedinextensivedeathanddestruction,
triggeringmajorU.S.initiativestocombatterrorismanddefiningthepresidencyofGeorgeW.
Bush.Over3,000peoplewerekilledduringtheattacksinNewYorkCityandWashington,D.C.,
includingmorethan400policeofficersandfirefighters.

OnSeptember11,2001,at8:45a.m.onaclearTuesdaymorning,anAmericanAirlinesBoeing
767loadedwith20,000gallonsofjetfuelcrashedintothenorthtoweroftheWorldTrade
CenterinNewYorkCity.Theimpactleftagaping,burningholenearthe80thfloorofthe110
storyskyscraper,instantlykillinghundredsofpeopleandtrappinghundredsmoreinhigher
floors.Astheevacuationofthetoweranditstwingotunderway,televisioncameras
broadcastedliveimagesofwhatinitiallyappearedtobeafreakaccident.Then,18minutes
afterthefirstplanehit,asecondBoeing767UnitedAirlinesFlight175appearedoutofthe
sky,turnedsharplytowardtheWorldTradeCenterandslicedintothesouthtowernearthe
60thfloor.Thecollisioncausedamassiveexplosionthatshoweredburningdebrisover
surroundingbuildingsandthestreetsbelow.Americawasunderattack.

DIDYOUKNOW?
September11,2001,wasthedeadliestdayinhistoryforNewYorkCityfirefighters:343werekilled.

TheattackerswereIslamicterroristsfromSaudiArabiaandseveralotherArabnations.
ReportedlyfinancedbySaudifugitiveOsamabinLadensalQaedaterroristorganization,they
wereallegedlyactinginretaliationforAmericassupportofIsrael,itsinvolvementinthePersian
GulfWaranditscontinuedmilitarypresenceintheMiddleEast.Someoftheterroristshadlived
intheUnitedStatesformorethanayearandhadtakenflyinglessonsatAmericancommercial
flightschools.OthershadslippedintothecountryinthemonthsbeforeSeptember11andacted
asthemuscleintheoperation.The19terroristseasilysmuggledboxcuttersandknivesthrough
securityatthreeEastCoastairportsandboardedfourflightsboundforCalifornia,chosenbecause
theplaneswereloadedwithfuelforthelongtranscontinentaljourney.Soonaftertakeoff,the
terroristscommandeeredthefourplanesandtookthecontrols,transformingordinarycommuter
jetsintoguidedmissiles.
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 9/11 Attacks

AsmillionswatchedtheeventsunfoldinginNewYork,AmericanAirlinesFlight77circledover
downtownWashington,D.C.,andslammedintothewestsideofthePentagonmilitary
headquartersat9:45a.m.JetfuelfromtheBoeing757causedadevastatinginfernothatledto
thestructuralcollapseofaportionofthegiantconcretebuilding.Alltold,125militarypersonnel
andcivilianswerekilledinthePentagon,alongwithall64peopleaboardtheairliner.

Lessthan15minutesaftertheterroristsstruckthenervecenteroftheU.S.military,thehorror
inNewYorktookacatastrophicturnfortheworsewhenthesouthtoweroftheWorldTrade
Centercollapsedinamassivecloudofdustandsmoke.Thestructuralsteeloftheskyscraper,
builttowithstandwindsinexcessof200milesperhourandalargeconventionalfire,could
notwithstandthetremendousheatgeneratedbytheburningjetfuel.At10:30a.m.,theother
TradeCentertowercollapsed.Closeto3,000peoplediedintheWorldTradeCenterandits
vicinity,includingastaggering343firefightersandparamedics,23NewYorkCitypolice
officersand37PortAuthoritypoliceofficerswhowerestrugglingtocompleteanevacuation
ofthebuildingsandsavetheofficeworkerstrappedonhigherfloors.Onlysixpeopleinthe
WorldTradeCentertowersatthetimeoftheircollapsesurvived.Almost10,000otherswere
treatedforinjuries,manysevere.

Meanwhile,afourthCaliforniaboundplaneUnitedFlight93washijackedabout40minutes
afterleavingNewarkInternationalAirportinNewJersey.Becausetheplanehadbeendelayed
intakingoff,passengersonboardlearnedofeventsinNewYorkandWashingtonviacell
phoneandAirfonecallstotheground.Knowingthattheaircraftwasnotreturningtoan
airportasthehijackersclaimed,agroupofpassengersandflightattendantsplannedan
insurrection.Oneofthepassengers,ThomasBurnettJr.,toldhiswifeoverthephonethatI
knowwereallgoingtodie.Theresthreeofuswhoaregoingtodosomethingaboutit.Ilove
you,honey.AnotherpassengerToddBeamerwasheardsayingAreyouguysready?Lets
rolloveranopenline.SandyBradshaw,aflightattendant,calledherhusbandandexplained
thatshehadslippedintoagalleyandwasfillingpitcherswithboilingwater.Herlastwordsto
himwereEveryonesrunningtofirstclass.Ivegottogo.Bye.

Thepassengersfoughtthefourhijackersandaresuspectedtohaveattackedthecockpitwith
afireextinguisher.Theplanethenflippedoverandspedtowardthegroundatupwardsof500
milesperhour,crashinginaruralfieldinwesternPennsylvaniaat10:10a.m.All45people
aboardwerekilled.Itsintendedtargetisnotknown,buttheoriesincludetheWhiteHouse,the
U.S.Capitol,theCampDavidpresidentialretreatinMarylandoroneofseveralnuclearpower
plantsalongtheeasternseaboard.
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Article: Copyright 2010 History.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
 9/11 Attacks

At7p.m.,PresidentGeorgeW.Bush,whohadspentthedaybeingshuttledaroundthe
countrybecauseofsecurityconcerns,returnedtotheWhiteHouse.At9p.m.,hedelivereda
televisedaddressfromtheOvalOffice,declaring,Terroristattackscanshakethefoundations
ofourbiggestbuildings,buttheycannottouchthefoundationofAmerica.Theseactsshatter
steel,buttheycannotdentthesteelofAmericanresolve.InareferencetotheeventualU.S.
militaryresponsehedeclared,Wewillmakenodistinctionbetweentheterroristswho
committedtheseactsandthosewhoharborthem.

OperationEnduringFreedom,theAmericanledinternationalefforttoousttheTalibanregime
inAfghanistananddestroyOsamabinLadensterroristnetworkbasedthere,beganon
October7.Withintwomonths,U.S.forceshadeffectivelyremovedtheTalibanfrom
operationalpower,butthewarcontinued,asU.S.andcoalitionforcesattemptedtodefeata
TalibaninsurgencycampaignbasedinneighboringPakistan.OsamabinLaden,themastermind
behindtheSeptember11thattacks,remainedatlargeuntilMay2,2011,whenhewasfinally
trackeddownandkilledbyU.S.forcesatahideoutinAbbottabad,Pakistan.InJune2011,
PresidentBarackObamaannouncedthebeginningoflargescaletroopwithdrawalsfrom
Afghanistan.

2016 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Article: Copyright 2010 History.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.