I understand this is a touchy subject for some people, but I feel it's necessary to remember 9/11 and all the people who were lost.
10 years ago today, four passenger jets were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. 2 of the flights (American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175) were intentionally crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Both of the towers collapsed within two hours.
Another jet (American Airlines Flight 77) was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
The fourth jet (United Airlines Flight 93) crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after the passengers attempted to take control of the flight before it could reach the hijacker's intended target in Washington DC.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks.
Suspicion quickly fell on al-Qaeda, and in 2004, the group's leader Osama bin Laden, who had initially denied involvement, claimed responsibility for the attacks. Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives for the attacks. The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, who had harbored al-Qaeda members. Many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. In May 2011, after years at large, bin Laden was found and killed.
The destruction caused serious damage to the economy of Lower Manhattan. Cleanup of the World Trade Center site was completed in May 2002. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is scheduled to open on September 11, 2011. Adjacent to the memorial, the 1,776 feet (541 m) One World Trade Center is estimated for completion by 2013. The Pentagon was repaired within a year, and the Pentagon Memorial opened, adjacent to the building, in 2008. Ground was broken for the Flight 93 National Memorial in November 2009, and the memorial was formally dedicated on September 10, 2011.
This is a video of the plane crashing into the Pentagon. The plane crashes at about 1:25, but it goes by quickly.
Pentagon Crash View #1
This is another view of the plane crashing into the Pentagon. This time the plane crashes about 25 seconds into the video.
Pentagon Crash View #2
There were a total of 2,996 deaths, including the 19 hijackers and 2,977 victims. The victims included 246 on the four planes (from which there were no survivors), 2,606 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon. All the deaths in the attacks were civilians, except for 55 military personnel killed at the Pentagon.
