September 11

September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on America

Introduction:

In 2001, the 11th of September four, American Airlines and United Airlines flights aircrafts crashed into the separate points in different States of America. Thousands of people were killed and hundreds injurred. It were civilians, personal workers and officials.

Main body:

The attacks started with the hijacking of four commercial airliners. With jet fuel capacities of nearly 24,000 U.S. gallons (91,000 litres) per aircraf, the aircraft were turned into flying incendiary bombs. At the height of NNew York’s morning rush hour American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Later News cameras captured the horrifying view of another passenger jet, United Airlines Flight 175, crashing into the south tower of the Trade Center causing a devastating explosion. It had left Boston for Los Angeles carrying 65 passengers and crew. The FBI announced that planes were hijacked. At that time In Florida President Bush was reading to children in a classroom wwhen his chief of staff whispered news of the attacks into his ear. Rescue workers and firefighters rushed to the foot of the World Trade Center as the upper floors blazed. On an ordinary day, up to 50,000 people would bbe working in the Trade Center. About 9.37 American Airlines Flight 77, carrying 64 people from Washington to Los Angeles, crashed into the Pentagon in Washington. The nerve centre of the US military burst into flames and a section of the five-sided structure collapsed. After that the White House and The Capitol were evacuated. The south tower of the World Trade Center suddenly collapsed sending a massive pall of smoke across Manhattan. Many emergency workers and firefighters were crushed, as well all those who could not get out of the tower. Later United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. . The crash in Pennsylvania is believed to have resulted from the hijackers either deliberately crashing the aircraft oor losing control of it as they fought with the passengers. About 10.30 the north tower of the World Trade Center collapsed as well, adding to the devastation and loss of life. The southern part of Manhattan Island was covered in a thick layer of debris and dust. After all Washington DC Mayor Anthony Williams declared a state of emergency in the US federal capital.

It is clear that the catastrophe was not an accident. According to official US GGovernment sources, the September 11th attacks were consistent with the mission statement of Al-Qaeda. The group’s involvement in the bombing of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania is widely suspected, and Al-Qaeda had declared responsibility for the 2000 USS Cole attack in Yemen.

The fatalities of this terror act were in the thousands: 265 on the four planes; 2,595, including 343 New York City firefighters, 60 police officers and 125 civilians and military personnel at the Pentagon. Many who worked for firms located in the crash zone were killed instantly. Those on the floors above were already doomed, their escape routes cut off by fire. People faced with a desperate situation of smoke and burning heat from the jet fuel, an estimated 200 people jumped to their deaths from the burning towers At least 2,986 people were killed in total. Also there was and huge material damage: four metro stations were destroyed or badly damaged. In total, on Manhattan Island, 25 buildings were damaged. Communications equipment such as broadcast radio, television and two way radio antenna towers were damaged beyond repair. In Arlington, a portion of the Pentagon was severely damaged by fire and one section of the building collapsed.

Conclusion:

President BBush addressed the nation on TV and hinted at a strong US response against the „terrorists who committed th ese acts and those who harbour them“. President Bush said: “Today our fellow citizens, our freedom, our way of life came under attack”