5. Introduction September 11, 2001 in the United States. Four airline passenger planes were hijacked by 19 Al- Qaeda terrorists. Two of the four planes targeted the World Trade Center in New York City, New York. The planes intentionally hit the Twin Towers killing everyone aboard those airlines. Both of the Towers collapsed in the matter of two hours and completely annihilated and damaged buildings nearby. The third plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Near Washington D.C. the fourth plane was targeted for the White House but the passengers aboard the plane fought the hijackers to take back control of the plane, which turned the direction of the plane where it crashed in a remote Pennsylvania field, everyone on that plane was killed on impact. Thousands of people died on that tragic day in America.
6. Background Information Who: 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists: Khalid al- Midhar, Nawaf al- Hazmi, Mohamed Atta, Marwan al- Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, Hani Hanjour, Ramzi Yousef, Omar Abdel Rahman, Saudi Hezbollah, Ahmed Ressam, Usama Bin Ladin, Mohammed Atef, Zacarias Moussaoui, Mullah Omar. American Citizens and the heroes: NYPD, FDNY, paramedics and the U.S. Military. What: The damages do to the attacks cost the United States between $400,000 and 500,000. The Al-Qaeda spent around $30 million dollars while in preparation of the operation. The total number of fatalities was 2,819 lives. 343 firefighters and paramedics lives were taken. 23 NYPD officers were killed. 1,402 employees from the first tower lost their lives and 614 lost their lives in the second tower. 22 troops were killed during Operation Enduring Freedom. 1,717 families got no remains of their loved ones. 1,609 people lost a spouse or partner and 3,501 kids lost a parent. 274 FDNY retirements in the year 2001 and 661 FDNY in the year 2002.
7. Background Information Continued When:September 11, 2001 was the date this event took place. 7:59 am American Airlines flight 11 takes off from Boston’s Logan Airport. At 8:13 am was the last official communication between the flight 11 and the ground controls and the plane is hijacked about this time. At 8:14 am United Airlines flight 175 takes off from Logan Airport. 8:20 am, flight 11 begins to get off course. Also at 8:20 am American Airlines flight 77 takes off from Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport. 8:42 am United Airlines flight 93 takes off from Newark Airport. At 8:43 am United airlines flight 175 is hijacked. 8:46:26 am American Airlines flight 11 crashes into the North tower of the World Trade Center. 8:50 am United Airlines flight 175 heads towards New York City. At 8:55 am President Bush is notified about the crash of flight 11. 9:02:54 am United Airlines flight 175 crashes into the South tower of the World Trade Center. 9:06 am President Bush is notified about the second crash.
8. Background Information Continued 9:16 am United Airlines flight 93 is hijacked. 9:17 am The Federal Aviation Administration closes all New York airports down. 9:29 President Bush informs Booker Elementary of the terrorist attacks. 9:30 am President Bush speaks to Sarasota Florida of the terrorist attacks. 9:38 am American Airlines flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon. 9:40 the Federal Aviation Administration stops all flights in the United States airports. 9:45 am the White House evacuates. 9:57 am President Bush leaves Florida. 10:05 am the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses. 10:10 am a portion of the Pentagon collapses. 10:10 am United Airlines flight 93 crashes into a Pennsylvania field Southeast of Pittsburg. 10:28 am the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapses. 1:27 pm a state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington D.C.
9. Background Information Continued Where: Where: 9-11 took place in New York City, NY where the World Trade Center was located. In Shanksville, PN, United Airlines flight 93 crashed into the field. In Arlington, VA, American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. It all took place on American soil, and affected the entire country. Why: Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and the other Muslims wanted the U.S. troops to leave their holy lands. When the troops did not leave their holy lands upon their request, the plot of the 9-11 attack began under Bin Laden. He worked with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to plan the attack. They started planning the attack in 1996 in order to choose their attackers and get them trained.
10. Question The 9-11 attacks could not have been prevented despite the fact that the Director of Central Intelligence Counterterrorist Center warned the president of the United States in December of 1998 that Al-Qaeda was planning an attack on the U.S. There was no way of knowing when Al-Qaeda was planning to attack the U.S. The attacks were so well thought up, that the United States could not have known what was going to happen or when.
11. Group opinion The 9-11 attacks could not have been prevented because the United States would not have been able to stop four hijacked planes with innocent people on them. Americans should not discriminate against people because it would bring up other conflicts, so all airplane passengers were treated equally.
12. Conclusion The 9-11 attacks on the United States were a tragedy, but we do not think it could have been prevented. No matter how much time we had to prepare for the attacks, there was no way of knowing where or when the attacks were going to take place. All we knew was that Al-Queda was going to attack the U.S. by hijacking commercial airline flights.
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14. National Commision on Terriost Attacks Upon the Untied States. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch5.htm>.
15. 102 Minutes that changed america. History Channel, n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://www.history.com/interactives/witness-to-911#/nyu-dorms/>.
