Monica Vo

Jay Prior

English III

25 April 2019

9/11

On September 9th, 2001, American Airlines flight 11, collided into the World Trade

Center’s north tower in New York City, immediately killing hundreds of people while trapping

hundreds more in the 110 story skyscraper. Around 20 minutes later, a United Airline plane flew

into the south tower. Both towers were in flames, tons of black smoke filled the air above New

York City within seconds of the attack. Debris covered the streets of New York and the

neighboring buildings, many attempted to escape the collapsing buildings by jumping out of the

towers. Two more planes had crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and into a field in

Pennsylvania, killing all 40 passengers onboard. Meanwhile, both World Trade Centers had

collapsed in New York City. The 9/11 attack had impacted America as a whole greatly, we

remember the events of that tragic day, as well as honor the victims and heroism of first

responders.

A group called Al-Qaeda hijacked 4 airplanes with the intentions of carrying out suicide

attacks against the United States. Al-Qaeda was organized by the Saudi Arabian fugitive Osama

Bin Laden. In the 9/11 Attacks article, many said Laden had sent many terrorists to live in the

United States for over a year to learn and take flying lessons at American flight schools. On the

other hand, Laden had sent more fugitives to America a couple of months before 9/11 and they

were used as a backup in the operation. A total of 19 terrorists pulled off the attack, by killing the
pilots of the planes and smuggling weapons pass security. The terrorists hijacked 4 planes total

killing everyone on board of the planes. Turning 9/11 into the deadliest day in New York history.

The motivation for the 9/11 attacks was released in Al-Qaeda’s “Letter to America”

video stating that he attacked America because the U.S. supported Israel, who has been in a

constant battle with Saudi, also supported Israeli aggression against Muslims in Lebanon, and

support Indians oppressed against Muslims in Kashmir (Habeck.) Laden also states in his “letter

to America” video that “for over seven years the United States has been occupying the lands of

Islam in the holiest of places, the Arabian Peninsula, plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers,

humiliating its people, terrorizing its neighbors, and turning its bases in the Peninsula into a

spearhead through which to fight the neighboring Muslim peoples” Laden had thought attacking

the United States would force America to withdraw their troops in Saudi and he also believed

that he had the upper hand by showing what America what he was capable of after the 9/11

attack.

Al-Qaeda managed to orchestrate and carry out these attacks by planning very far ahead.

In the History article 9/11 Attacks. Laden had sent many terrorists to live in the United States to

learn and take flight lessons at an American flight school. While others came into America

months before the 9/11 attack and were assigned as a backup in the operation. 19 of the terrorists

managed to easily smuggle knives and box cutters through security at 3 airports on the east coast.

Soon after the airplanes took off, the terrorists took over 4 planes, some killing the pilots, others

just threatening passengers and pilots with the knives they smuggled on the plane. The first 2

planes left a huge burning hole near the 80th floor of the World Trade Centers, instantly killing

hundreds of people and trapping hundreds on the floors below. The third plane hit the Pentagon,

the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defence, the plane crashed into the building forcing
the building to collapse. Killing 125 military personnel and civilians were killed in the Pentagon

all 64 passengers on board of flight 757 were killed as well. 40 minutes after the attack on the

Pentagon, hijackers took over flight 93 and explaining what was happening to the passengers, 3

brave passengers tried to overthrow the cockpit but instead sent the plane spiraling down into a

field in western Pennsylvania, and all 44 passengers were killed.

After 9/11 many things had changed, the way we view middle eastern people, labeling

them all as terrorists, also greatly improving airport security and the items passenger could bring

on planes, and also the illness linked to the attacks, including respiratory and digestive diseases,

cancers, as well as post-traumatic stress disorders had emerged nearly two decades later.
 Work Cited

Habeck, Mary. “What Does Al Qaeda Want?” Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy, 6 Mar. 2012,
foreignpolicy.com/2012/03/06/what-does-al-qaeda-want/.

Freedman, Daniel. “What Really Led To 9/11.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 19 June 2013,
www.forbes.com/2010/09/08/september-11-al-qaeda-government-opinions-columnists-daniel-
freedman.html#37bc001a5f87.

Editors, History.com. “9/11 Attacks.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 17 Feb. 2010,
www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks. Commented [1]: Works Cited entries should be listed in
alphabetical order.