The day that Al Qaeda launched a simultaneous attack on the heart of the United States, with two planes that brought down the twin towers in New York, another that hit the Pentagon in Washington and a fourth that fell in Pennsylvania
On September 11, 2001, at around 8 a.m., 19 Al Qaeda jihadists hijacked four passenger planes to carry out attacks that changed the course of history.
The terrorists, mostly from Saudi Arabia, targeted the economic, military and political symbols of the most powerful country in the world.
Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center en New York and a third against the PentagonNear Washington D.C.
Un Fourth plane possibly targeted Capitol, seat of Congress, or the White House, but after the heroic intervention of its passengers it crashed in a rural area of Shanksville, in Pennsylvania. That day, in less than two hours, The Twin Towers were reduced to a pile of dust and incandescent steel, a portion The Pentagon's headquarters was also severely damaged.
Was the America's darkest day.
2977 people died and 25 thousand were injured. Thousands continued to suffer the consequences even years after the attacks.
Here's what happened minute by minute:
7:59: The American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 with 92 people on board, takes off from Boston Logan International Airport for Los Angeles. Among the passengers are five terrorists: the Egyptian Mohammed Atta, the ringleader of the attack, and Saudis Abdulaziz al-Omari, Waleed al-Shehri, Wail al-Shehri, and Satam al-Suqami.
08: 14: El United Airlines Flight 175A Boeing 767 carrying 65 people takes off from Boston Logan International Airport bound for Los Angeles. On board are five hijackers: two Emiratis, Marwan al-Shehhi and Fayez Banihammad, and three Saudis, Hamza al-Ghamdi, Ahmed al-Ghamdi and Mohand al-Shehri.
08: 21: El American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 with 64 people on board, takes off from Washington DC's Dulles International Airport bound for Los Angeles. On board are five Saudi jihadists: Hani Hanjour, Khalid al-Mihdhar, Majed Moqed and Salem and Nawaf al-Hazmi.
08: 41: El United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 with 44 people on board, takes off from Newark International Airport in New Jersey bound for San Francisco. On board are four hijackers: Ziad Jarrah, Ahmed al-Nami, Ahmed al-Haznawi and Saeed al-Ghamdi.
08:46: Impact against the north tower
American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 790 km/h, opening a huge gap between the 93rd and 99th floors of the building, which are left in flames. A thick column of smoke rises from the upper floors of the skyscraper.
09:03: Impact against the south tower
United Airlines Flight 175 crashes at 870 km/h between the 77th and 85th floors, causing a massive explosion. The impact is broadcast live on television.
09:05: Bush is informed
George W. Bush, elected president eight months earlier, begins reading a story to children at an Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida, when his chief of staff whispers in his ear: “A second plane hit the other tower. The United States is under attack.”
09:25: Airspace closure
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is banning all aircraft from taking off within the country.
09:30: The president speaks
Bush announces at Florida school that he must return to Washington immediately due to “an apparent terrorist attack.”
09:37: Attack on the Pentagon
American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the west side of the Pentagon.
09:42: All planes
The FAA orders all commercial flights flying over the United States to land as soon as possible.
09:59: The south tower collapses
The south tower of the WTC (World Trade Center) collapses in 10 seconds, amid a deluge of fire, steel and dust. The collapse is so severe that DNA traces of hundreds of victims have never been found.
10:03: United Flight 93 crashes in Pennsylvania
United Airlines Flight 93 traveling from Newark to San Francisco crashes into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, with 44 people on board, including four jihadists. Some passengers, informed by cell phone of what was happening in New York, fought against the terrorists who had hijacked the plane and prevented it from crashing into Congress, the Pentagon or the White House in Washington DC.
10:28: The north tower collapses
The North Tower of the WTC collapses 102 minutes after being attacked. A huge cloud of dust covers the entire south of Manhattan.
13:04: The president is evacuated
George W. Bush, evacuated to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, puts the armed forces on “high alert” and promises to “pursue and punish the cowards responsible” for the attacks. The president is then transferred to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska (centre) before returning to the White House at 19pm.
20:30: Presidential speech
George W. Bush addresses Americans from the Oval Office of the White House and denounces “despicable, evil terrorist acts.” He promises to find those responsible and assures that The United States “will not differentiate between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”
I have never understood how it was possible that such an attack could have taken place and that the US security agencies did not know that it was going to be carried out by Muslim assassins.
It seems that there were no pro-Palestinian, pro-Iranian or pro-Islamist demonstrations yesterday.
What a pity, some correct relationships could have been made between the supported and the story.