September 11, 2001 in the skyscrapers of the World shopping center(WTC) in New York and the Pentagon crashed three planes controlled by terrorists. The fourth crashed in Pennsylvania. As a result of the attacks, those who were in the buildings and in the hijacked aircraft were killed. In addition, the disaster claimed the lives of firefighters and police, thanks to the efforts of which about 30,000 people were saved. Over 55,000 people worked at the WTC on weekdays, and the daily number of visitors and tourists reached 150,000. On July 15, 2002, work was officially completed to search for the remains of the victims of the attacks.
On August 20, 2002, the first official list of those who died in New York as a result of the collapse of the World Trade Center was published. It includes 2819 people from 80 countries of the world, including three Russians. The two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center skyscrapers killed a total of 157 people. 343 firefighters died. Identified by relatives or by DNA analysis of 1102 people. According to statistics, out of ten people who died in New York, eight were men, the average age of the dead was forty years. Mostly these were employees engaged in mental work: from developers software to bank employees and employees of insurance firms. Many were at the peak of their careers. About ten people were executives, founders or presidents of companies. At least 59 people have served as vice presidents. Of the identified victims, fifteen were under the age of twenty-one, including three three-year-old children.
As a result of the terrorist attack in Washington, when the plane crashed into the Pentagon building, 184 people were killed: 120 employees and 64 passengers and crew members. 44 people died on a plane that was hijacked by terrorists, but, before reaching Washington, crashed in Pennsylvania. The total number of deaths was more than three thousand people, about six thousand were injured. On September 12, 2001, US President George W. Bush delivered a televised address to the nation in connection with the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. He stated that he ordered the use of "all intelligence and law enforcement resources" of the United States to find and punish the organizers of the attacks. The head of the White House said that the perpetrators of the attacks carried out "an act of mass murder." According to him, the terrorists sought to create chaos in America, but they failed to do so.
On September 15, the President of the United States, in a weekly radio address to the country, said that the United States plans to launch a "comprehensive offensive" against terrorism. The US is planning a "wide and long campaign to defend our country and destroy the evil of terrorism." George W. Bush warned Americans that they will need patience because the coming "conflict will not be short" and decisiveness because "the conflict will not be easy." Bush called the actions of the terrorists "barbaric." He stated that the US will work with other countries of the world, including Russia, India, Pakistan, to punish the perpetrators and organizers of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the most terrible and daring terrorist attack in the history of the United States and the whole world. In the United States on Monday, mourning ceremonies will be held in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington. On this day, six minutes of silence will be announced.
Al-Qaeda militants seized four passenger aircraft and two of them were sent to the towers of the World Trade Center, the other two to the Pentagon, and also to the White House or the Capitol. All aircraft reached their targets, except for the last one. The fourth hijacked plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The attack killed 2,977 people, including 343 firefighters and 60 policemen. In addition to the Americans, citizens of another 92 states died. 2753 lives were claimed by the attack in New York, 184 in the Pentagon and 40 in Pennsylvania.
19 terrorists were also killed in the attacks, 15 of them were citizens Saudi Arabia, two - United Arab Emirates as well as Egypt and Lebanon.
The exact figure of the damage caused by the attacks is still unknown. In September 2006, the then head of the White House, George W. Bush, announced that the damage from the September 11, 2001 attacks for the United States amounted to the lowest estimate of $ 500 billion.
In November 2002, America created a special independent commission to investigate the September 11 attacks. Two years later, she published the final report on the investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy, which contained 600 pages. Experts acknowledged that suicide bombers took advantage of serious "administrative failures" in the work of US authorities and intelligence.
Zacarias Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan origin, was the only person convicted in the case of terrorist attacks in the United States. He was arrested in August 2001 after he graduated flight school in Oklahoma and trained on a Boeing 747 simulator in Minnesota. In the spring of 2005, the court found Moussaoui guilty of intending to commit a terrorist attack, which on that tragic day was supposed to be the fifth in a row. The Frenchman admitted that on the personal instructions of Osama bin Laden, he had to seize the plane and send it to the White House. In May 2006, a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, sentenced Moussaoui to life in prison.
In 2002 and 2003, police arrested six other people suspected of involvement in the attacks. They spent several years in CIA prisons, and in 2006 they were taken to a camp at an American base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In early 2008, the US Department of Defense charged six prisoners with murder and war crimes as part of its investigation into the 9/11 attacks.
The investigation brought charges against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who, according to the authorities, was a central figure in the preparation of the attacks. Organizational support for the terrorists was provided by Ramzi Binalshiba (Ramzi bin al-Shiba) from Yemen. Mohammed al-Qahtani, according to the investigation, on September 11, 2001, was supposed to become the 20th hijacker of four American aircraft. Mustafa Ahmed Khavsavi, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Walid bin Attache were also accused of plotting the attack. In 2008, the charges against al-Qahtani were dropped.
In January 2009, the new US President Barack Obama promised to close, ordering the suspension of the military prosecutor's office. The military department had to drop the accusations of terrorists. Nevertheless, as you know, Obama's promise remained unfulfilled - Congress did not approve his plans. Therefore, already in the spring of 2011, he ordered the resumption of military courts against terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay.
In May 2011, the US Military Attorney's Office again charged five suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, with involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks. And a year later, they were formally charged by a military tribunal with conspiracy, attacking civilians, intentionally causing physical harm, murder, violating the laws of war, causing destruction, hijacking and terrorism. All five remained silent at the trial.
In July 2014, a military court at Guantanamo concluded that Ramzi Binalshiba's trial should be held separately - military doctors found a "serious mental illness" in the Yemeni. To date, hearings on the case of those accused of involvement in the organization of the terrorist attack are ongoing.
Last spring, New York District Judge George Daniels ruled in absentia, ordering Tehran to pay $7.5 billion to the relatives and other members of the people who died at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The judge also determined that the authorities of the Islamic Republic must pay another three billion to insurers who covered property damage. Earlier, the judge ruled that since Tehran could not prove its non-participation in assisting the organizers of the terrorist attack, therefore, the authorities of this country bear a share of responsibility for the damage caused.
The US Congress in September 2016 passed a law that allows the heirs of the victims of the September 11 attacks to sue - most of the terrorists were holders of passports of this particular country. In early October last year, an American woman who lost her husband during a terrorist attack filed the first lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, and in the spring of this year, relatives of the victims in the United States filed a class action lawsuit against Riyadh. Later, dozens of insurance companies filed a lawsuit against two banks in the kingdom, as well as firms associated with the Osama bin Laden family - the amount of the claim amounted to more than $ 4 billion. Saudi Arabia, in turn, appealed to the federal court in Manhattan to dismiss 25 lawsuits. According to the authorities of the country, the plaintiffs have no evidence of the involvement of Riyadh or organizations associated with it in the 9/11 attack.
In 2011, on the site of the destroyed twin towers in New York, the World Trade Center Memorial appeared, which consists of two square fountain pools located right at the bases of the former twin towers. Streams of water cascade along the inner walls of these pools, which go into square holes located at the bottom of the fountains. The names of 2983 victims of the terrorist attacks are carved on bronze slabs that lined the parapets of buildings.
Since 2002, September 11 has been celebrated in the United States as Patriot Day, since 2009 this date has also been referred to as the nationwide Day of Service and Remembrance.
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This September 11, 2001 in the USA(in the West, simply 9/11) is considered the bloodiest in all of world history. The most media-covered event of all time.
10 years ago, three terrorist-controlled planes crashed into the Pentagon near Washington DC and into the 110-story skyscrapers of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York, causing them to collapse. As a result of terrorist attacks, 2,977 citizens from 92 countries died.
By official version, the terrorist organization al-Qaeda is responsible for these attacks. Subsequently official version what happened was criticized by a number of journalists, scientists and witnesses of the tragedy.
Independent investigations were carried out, some of which were documented. According to one version, the attack on the twin towers was just a distraction, and customers should be sought not among Afghan terrorists and not in Osama bin Laden's lair, but much closer - surrounded by the US president.
The events of September 11, 2001 unfolded as follows. At about the same time, terrorists hijacked 4 airliners some time after departure.
1. Statue of Liberty. Manhattan is shrouded in smoke from the collapse of the World Trade Center skyscrapers. The photo was taken on September 15, 2001. (Photo by Dan Loh | AP):
At 08:45 am first Boeing 767-200 crashed into the North Tower of the 110-story skyscrapers of the World Trade Center approximately at the level of 94-98 floors. 18 minutes later at 9:03 second plane Boeing 767-200 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center approximately at the level of 77-85 floors.
2. "A second before." The second plane approaches the South Tower of the World Trade Center, New York, 9:02, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Sean Adair | Reuters):
3. Second plane Boeing 767-200 Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at the level of 77-85 floors, 9:03, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Sean Adair | Reuters):
4. There were 56 passengers (including 5 terrorists) and 9 crew members on board the 175th flight. (Photo by Spencer Platt | Getty Images):
5. Nearly 35 tons of aviation fuel explodes on impact. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):
6. A hole in the North Tower of the World Trade Center in the place where the first one crashed, New York, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):
After the capture, some passengers were able to report on satellite phones about what was happening. According to them, the terrorists used edged weapons (probably knives), as a result of which several flight attendants and crew members were killed.
7. The twin towers of the World Trade Center after 2 airliners crashed into them. Ahead - Empire State Building, New York, Tuesday, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Marty Lederhandler | AP):
8. Satellite view of the burning skyscrapers of the World Trade Center in New York, 9:30, September 11, 2001. (Photo by USGS | AP):
9. People on the top floors of skyscrapers. They are locked in fire on the lower floors where the planes crashed. (Photo by Jose Jimenez | Primera Hora | Getty Images):
10. At least 200 people trapped on the top floors of the towers of the World Trade Center jumped down, preferring such death to death by fire. (Photo by Jose Jimenez | Primera Hora | Getty Images):
11. Their fall was observed by numerous witnesses. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):
12. Some tried to get out on the roofs of the towers, in the hope of evacuation by helicopters, but the evacuation did not take place: the smoke and heat from the fire made it impossible to use helicopters. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):
13. Third plane Boeing 757-200 American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 am. This is a picture from a surveillance camera. (AP Photo):
14. Fire in the Pentagon building, after crashing into it. 125 people in the building and 60 passengers aboard the Boeing were killed. (Photo by Will Morris | AP):
16. Part of the Pentagon building collapsed. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque | Reuters):
18. Aim of the 4th aircraft Boeing 757-200 may have been the Capitol. According to Flight 93 voice recorder transcripts, the flight crew and passengers attempted to regain control of the airliner after learning from mobile phones that other hijacked planes had crashed into the World Trade Center towers. It is likely that the terrorists, who were losing the fight, decided to send the plane into the ground, where the crash occurred. The Boeing crashed into a field in southwestern Pennsylvania near Shanksville at 10:03 am. (Photo by Jason Cohn | Reuters):
19. The crash site of the 4th aircraft in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, near the city of Shanksville. (Photo FBI | AP):
20. But back to the burning skyscrapers of the World Trade Center. The main events unfolded there. (Photo by Mario Tama | Getty Images):
According to the official version, about an hour after the skyscrapers crashed into the skyscrapers, buildings collapsed as a result of fire and melting of the supporting steel structures by burning aviation fuel.
The official version has been criticized by many experts who believe that the use of aviation fuel to melt 200,000 tons of steel (the amount of steel in one Tower) is an amazing discovery.
Other theories call into question that the nature of the collapse of the WTC towers corresponds to that which could be caused by aircraft hits and fires. The destruction of the towers is said to be more like controlled demolition. It has also been suggested that the September 11, 2001 attacks were not planned and carried out by al-Qaeda, but by US intelligence agencies.
International opinion, according to a survey conducted in 17 countries, paints such a picture. Overall, 46% of those polled place the main responsibility on al-Qaeda, 15% on the US government, 7% on Israel, and another 7% name other perpetrators. We will not delve into this topic. Those interested in these events can find materials on the net.
21. 56 minutes after south tower the second plane crashed at 9:59 am it starts to break down, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Gulnara Samoilova | AP):
22. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):
23. Collapse of the 110-story South Tower World Trade Center. View from the street, September 9, 2001. (Photo by Doug Kanter | AFP | Getty Images):
24. As in from dust and debris. (Photo by Gulnara Samoilova | AP):
25. 102 minutes after north tower the first plane crashed at 10:28 am it starts to break down, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Diane Bondareff | AP):
26. (Photo by Primera Hora | Getty Images):
27. The collapse of the 110-story skyscrapers of the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Greg Semendinger | AP):
28. A total of 2,606 people died at the World Trade Center. (Photo by Shannon Stapleton | Reuters):
29. 1366 people who were on the upper floors died north tower WTC, many of whom died when the plane collided with the tower, and the rest - due to fire and collapse. IN south tower at least 600 people died on the upper floors. At least 200 people trapped on the upper floors of the towers jumped down and crashed. (Photo by Greg Semendinger | AP):
30. On the streets of New York during the destruction of the WTC towers, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Suzanne Plunkett | AP):
31. Clouds of smoke, dust and debris spread throughout Manhattan. (Photo by Ray Stubblebine | Reuters):
32. (Photo by Gulnara Samoilova | AP):
33. (Photo by Gulnara Samoilova | AP):
34. (Photo by Daniel Shanken | AP):
35. 341 firefighters, 60 police officers, and 8 ambulance workers died in the fire. (Photo by Mario Tama | Getty Images):
36. In total, about 18 people were able to leave the hit zone in the South Tower and escape. (Photo by Gulnara Samiolava | AP):
More than 1,600 bodies were identified in New York, but about 1,100 people could not be identified. It was reported that "about 10,000 fragments of bones and tissues were found at the site of the tragedy, which is incomparable with the number of dead."
38. The streets of Manhattan after the collapse of the "twins" of the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Boudicon One | AP):
39. On the site of the former 110-story World Trade Center, September 15, 2001. (Photo by Reuters):
40. The landing gear of one of the planes that crashed into the WTC buildings, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Shannon Stapleton | Reuters):
41. Search for possible survivors of the collapse of the "twins" of the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Matt Moyer | AP):
42. The fire is still blazing at the site of the former WTC, September 12, 2001, a day after. (Photo by Baldwin | AP):
45. In addition to the destruction of the two 110-story towers of the World Trade Center, other buildings were seriously damaged or destroyed. As a result of the collapse of skyscrapers, about 1.5 kilometers of New York subway lines were damaged. Photo AP):
46. Rescuers work in the underground facilities of the collapsed World Trade Center, September 14, 2011. (Photo by U.S. Navy | Reuters):
The ongoing events have caused chaos throughout the United States. All commercial flights were canceled, landing of aircraft in the United States was prohibited. Aircraft arriving from other countries were diverted back to their departure airports, or were directed to airports in Canada and Mexico. Above major cities The United States was patrolled by Air Force fighter jets.
47. The ruins of the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Doug Kanter | AFP | Getty Images):
On September 11, 2001, 2,977 people (not including 19 terrorists) became victims: 246 passengers and crew members of aircraft, 2,606 people - in New York, in the WTC buildings and on the ground, 125 - in the Pentagon building. Citizens of the United States and 91 other countries died, including 96 citizens of Russia and the CIS.
When the skyscrapers of the World Trade Center were destroyed, about 16,000 people were saved, who were in the towers below the impact zone of the aircraft. Most of them survived, being evacuated before the destruction of buildings.
On the site of the collapsed twin towers erected memorial Complex. Currently, the complex is being reconstructed, which is planned to be completed by 2012.
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Having received no support in Congress, the head of state in early March 2011 ordered the resumption of military trials against suspected terrorists held in Guantanamo Bay prison.
In early April 2011, US Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed that defendant Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other defendants in the 9/11 case would not face trial. civil court United States, and in front of a special military commission at the Guantanamo Bay base.
On May 31, 2011, the US Military Attorney's Office again charged five suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, with involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
On May 5, 2012, a military tribunal formally charged five suspects with involvement in organizing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the United States. They are accused of organizing a conspiracy, attacking civilians, intentionally causing physical harm, murder, violating the laws of war, causing destruction, hijacking and terrorism.
All five defendants refused to answer whether they plead guilty.
New York District Judge George Daniels ruled in absentia that Iran must pay $7.5 billion to the relatives and other members of those who died at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The judge determined that the Iranian authorities must pay another three billion to insurers who covered property damage and other material losses. Earlier, Judge Daniels ruled that Tehran was unable to prove its non-involvement in assisting the organizers of the attack, and therefore the Iranian authorities bear a share of responsibility for the damage caused during it.
On the site of the destroyed Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2011 was the World Trade Center Memorial. It consists of two square pools-fountains, located right at the bases of the former twin towers, along the inner walls of which water streams cascade down, leaving into square holes located at the bottom of each of the pools.
The names of the 2,983 victims of the attacks (including the six who died in the 1993 World Trade Center attack) are carved on the bronze slabs that line the parapets of both fountains.
Was opened new complex World Trade Center. It is the fourth tallest skyscraper in the world - its height is 541 meters. Construction began in April 2006 on the corner of a 65,000-square-meter site where the twin towers of the demolished mall used to stand.
Celebrated in the United States as Patriot Day, since 2009, after the approval of Act 111-13 of the General Law of the United States, this date is also referred to as the nationwide Day of Service and Remembrance.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
There is a beautiful theory that centuries - like certain historical periods - rarely fit into the rigid framework allocated to them in the calendar. So, for example, the 19th century began only after the end of the Napoleonic wars, and ended on July 28, 1914, on the day the First World War began, which launched a number of events that determined the course of the next, 20th century.
If we follow this logic, then the new 21st century began on September 11, 2001 with a series of terrorist attacks committed by the Islamic radical organization Al-Qaeda in the United States.
Until that moment, the collective West was still on the laurels of the winner in the Cold War, its hegemony seemed undeniable, and its military and political power seemed unshakable. It seemed that Fukuyama's prophecy had come true and history finally stopped. However, the events of September 11, 2001 dispelled these illusions. The fall of the Twin Towers in New York was broadcast live by television companies around the world. The picture on the TV screen seemed so unreal that it looked more like the shooting of another Hollywood blockbuster about the end of the world.
The September 11th terrorist attack was a real shock to the United States. The terrorists were able to strike at the main symbols of America: its money and military power - the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Despite the huge defense budget and all the might of the American intelligence services, it turned out that the United States was completely unprepared for such an attack. On September 11, 2001, confusion and panic reigned in the high offices of Washington.
For America, the events of September 11, 2001 became the second Pearl Harbor, the most powerful country in the world simply could not leave such a slap in the face unanswered. A few days later, Al-Qaeda was announced as the organizer of the attacks, which was the reason for the start of the operation in Afghanistan. In 2003, American troops invaded Iraq, accusing Saddam Hussein of supporting the terrorists.
Analyzing all subsequent events, we can say that the world today lives in a geopolitical reality, which is a consequence of the explosions that sounded on September 11, 2001.
Despite the fact that more than fifteen years have passed since the tragedy, a huge number of people around the world believe that we still do not know the whole truth about September 11th. This also applies to the number of victims of the attack, and its participants, and the role of American special services in these events.
Naturally, an official investigation was carried out, which recognized Osama bin Laden as the organizer of the attacks, but its results are still the objects of harsh criticism to this day. Moreover, the events of September 11, 2001 have become a favorite topic of numerous conspiracy theories. Even today they claim that there were no Arab terrorists, and the World Trade Center explosions were prepared by American intelligence services and the world behind the scenes.
So what really happened in the US on September 11, 2001? How many people died during the terrorist attack? And why does the official version of events not suit the conspiracy theorists?
Official version of events
According to the official version, a group of terrorists managed to capture four passenger airliners that were heading to California from different airports. In total, 19 criminals boarded the planes, fifteen of whom were citizens of Saudi Arabia, two more were from the OAU, one person was from Egypt, and another was from Lebanon. Several more members of the terrorist group were unable to enter the United States.
To capture airliners, the terrorists used the simplest edged weapons, most likely stationery or penknives, as well as gas cartridges. In addition, they threatened to blow up the planes, although it was just a bluff - they did not have any explosive devices. We know little about the dramatic tragedy that played out that day in the sky, only what passengers who managed to use satellite or mobile phones. It is known that as a result of clashes with criminals, several flight attendants, passengers, and at least one of the pilots were killed.
The terrorists were well prepared for the attack, each of the groups included at least one person who had passed special courses in aircraft control.
At 0846 local time, Boeing 767-200 N334AA collided with the north side of the World Trade Center (WTC-1) tower. The blow fell on the site of the building at the level of 94 to 98 floors. After a fire that lasted about 100 minutes, the north tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.
The second of the hijacked aircraft, a Boeing 767-200 with tail number N612UA, crashed into south tower WTC at 9.02 at the level of 78-85 floors. The fire lasted about 50 minutes and at 9.56 the building collapsed.
According to the investigation, at the time of the attack, there were approximately 16,000 people in the WTC buildings. The vast majority of them survived, as they were evacuated before the collapse began. To date, it is believed that 2977 people (not including terrorists) died as a result of the attacks. This list included 246 passengers and crew members of the hijacked aircraft, as well as 2,606 people who were in or near the WTC buildings. The attack on the Pentagon resulted in the death of 125 people. The vast majority of the victims are Americans, but among the dead are citizens of another 91 countries.
Most of the victims were in the north tower of the World Trade Center. Here, 1,366 people died in an explosion caused by a plane crashing into a building, followed by a fire and collapse. In the south tower a large number of people fell into a deadly trap on the upper floors of the building, from which units managed to get out. Many of the unfortunates preferred to jump down rather than burn alive. Because of the fire and smoke, it was not possible to carry out the evacuation of people from the roof by helicopters.
During the attacks, a large number of firefighters, policemen, and other emergency personnel were killed, their total number exceeds 400 people. These people worked really selflessly. Many police and firefighters from other regions of the country took vacations and traveled to New York to help their colleagues.
Of the total number of dead, only 1670 bodies were identified, more than a thousand bodies are still nameless.
The beginning of an unprecedented terrorist attack led to real chaos throughout the United States. All commercial flights were canceled and planes in the air were diverted or landed at airports in Mexico or Canada. In large numbers, there were reports of new terrorist attacks, which later turned out to be false. Fighters from the US Air Force and the National Guard took to the skies.
The American Emergency Alert System, which was developed in 1997 to alert the population in the event of large-scale natural disasters, major terrorist attacks, or the outbreak of war, was put on high alert. However, no one turned to the people. The US government went into emergency mode, the country's national leaders were hastily evacuated.
Just a few days after the attacks, the FBI has already released the names of the terrorists, as well as their basic data. The luggage of one of the participants in the attack was never loaded onto the plane and fell into the hands of the investigation. In it, law enforcement officers found records that shed light on the organization of the terrorist attack and its participants. Soon, American intelligence agencies announced that al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, was behind the organization of the September 11 attacks. The intelligence services of other countries came to a similar conclusion: Great Britain and Germany.
Bin Laden initially denied his involvement in the events, but already in 2004 he admitted that he personally led the terrorist attack, and his closest associate, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, directly controlled the hijackers.
For bin Laden, this was not the first attack against America. In 1998, he organized bombings of American embassies in African countries.
The main reasons for organizing the attacks were the support of the Americans for Israel, as well as the war against Iraq in 1990. In turn, American President Bush Jr., shortly after the tragic events, said that terrorists attacked the United States because they hate American freedom and democracy.
The international reaction to the bloody events of September 11 was expected: the world community, with rare and absolutely marginal exceptions, condemned them. The exception was the Palestinians, who, without hiding their joy, celebrated the massacre of infidels. Iraq has said that America is reaping the rewards of its crimes, and there have been reports of a demonstration by Chinese students ostensibly in support of the attacks. Most world leaders expressed their absolute support for the United States. Russian President Putin, in a telephone conversation with Bush, offered to help investigate the crime. The attacks were officially condemned in the Middle East.
About a month later, American troops at the head of an international coalition invaded Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden's headquarters were at that time. Within a few months, the Taliban regime was defeated, and a pro-Western government came to power in the country. In the months following 9/11, arrests of people suspected of having links with al-Qaeda took place around the world.
In 2003, the United States and its allies launched a second war against Iraq, accusing its leadership of participating in the September 11 events, as well as of manufacturing and storing weapons of mass destruction.
This is the official version of the 9/11 attacks and the events that followed. However, it does not suit everyone. There are many alternative versions, whose supporters include not only obvious outcasts, but also highly respected people, including well-known scientists, journalists, and public figures.
Conspiracy theory
The events of September 11 were a real shock to American society. Many simply could not understand how a small group of terrorists could conceive and successfully carry out such a large-scale attack against a country with the most powerful intelligence services in the world.
Soon a conspiracy hypothesis appeared that in fact there were no terrorists, and the explosions and hijackings were staged by the US authorities in order to solve their geopolitical and financial problems. It can be added that today the events of September 11, 2001 have become a favorite topic of conspiracy theorists, pushing into the background even such "eternal classics" as the landing of Americans on the moon or the government's cover-up of aliens in Area 51.
Controlled drift theory. Conspiracy theorists believe that the WTC towers collapsed not due to collisions with aircraft, but as a result of the detonation of some explosives that were previously planted in them. Proponents of this theory argue that the construction of the twin towers was so strong that the impact of the aircraft and the subsequent fire could not have caused them to collapse. The combustion temperature of aviation fuel is about 1 thousand degrees Celsius, which is not enough to melt the supporting metal structures.
Adherents of this theory claim that thermite was planted in the building (sometimes they talk about the mysterious nanothermite or superthermite), which burned through the supporting structures of the World Trade Center. However, this hypothesis is not supported by any material evidence.
However, official American experts say otherwise. Indeed, aviation kerosene cannot melt steel, but the high combustion temperature can significantly weaken it. Already at 600 °C, the metal becomes half as strong, and if the flame temperature reaches 980 °C, then about 10% of the steel strength remains. In addition, from high temperature it begins to expand, breaking the surrounding concrete.
So the action of two factors at once - high temperature and ramming - is quite enough for the collapse of even such a huge building as the World Trade Center.
Pentagon. Conspiracy theorists also claim that no plane crashed into the Pentagon at all, and the building was destroyed as a result of a missile strike that was inflicted by the US military itself. To prove this theory, photographs of the building are usually cited, in which the destruction zone is much smaller than the wingspan of the Boeing 757. Conspiracy theorists believe that another proof of their correctness is the absence of aircraft wreckage (engines, landing gear, fuselage parts) in the photographs.
Indeed, the destruction zone of the building looks much smaller than a huge passenger liner. However, experts who studied the crash site said that the plane cut off one wing on impact with the ground, and the second on the supporting column of the building. The Boeing fuselage directly crashed into the building itself.
In addition, the very moment of the plane's impact on the Pentagon was seen by many witnesses; parts of the landing gear, engines and fuselage of the liner were found at the crash site. As well as numerous remains of passengers and black boxes of the aircraft. After Flight 77 was hijacked, many of the passengers were able to use their mobile phones to tell their families that their plane had been hijacked by terrorists. However, conspiracy theorists believe that the calls were fabricated by the secret services.
Flight 93. Another popular topic for conspiracy theorists, which concerns the events of September 11, is the fate of the fourth airliner hijacked by terrorists. According to the official version, the criminals planned to send it to the Capitol, but the passengers rebelled and tried to neutralize the hijackers. A struggle ensued, as a result of which the plane crashed. Fans of conspiracy theories believe that all this is not true, and in fact the liner was shot down by a combat fighter.
The main evidence for this theory is the large spread of the wreckage of the liner at the crash site. According to conspiracy theorists, this only happens if the plane is shot down by a missile.
Several witnesses claimed that almost immediately after the crash of Flight 93, an unusual white aircraft was seen over the crash site. This information gave rise to conspiracy theorists to talk about another evidence of a downing. passenger liner military aircraft. Later, on several resources, there were reports that the FBI officers allegedly put pressure on the witnesses of the incident, forcing them to remain silent.
In fact, such a white plane really was. On that tragic day, a commercial Dassault Falcon 20, owned by one of the corporations, flew near the crash site. He was contacted and asked to inspect the Boeing crash site from the air, which was done. Falcon descended to a height of 460 meters and his crew saw a black funnel in the ground, from which smoke poured. Noting its coordinates, Falcon returned to its original route.
Without portholes. Another point under discussion regarding the events of 09/11/2001 is an interview with a certain Mark Birnbach. He told reporters that the plane that crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center had no windows. From this statement, conspiracy lovers immediately concluded that instead of the passenger liner of Flight 175, the cunning military used tanker planes filled to capacity with fuel to ram the buildings of the shopping center.
However, this fake is especially easy to disprove, because on the Internet you can easily find photos of the wreckage of the aircraft, in which the windows are clearly visible. And in the case of using tanker aircraft, a reasonable question immediately arises, what happened to the hundreds of passengers flying on four liners?
The above lists only the main questions regarding the tragedy of September 11, which do not allow conspiracy theorists to sleep. In fact, there are many more. However, answers have already been found to them, moreover, they were given by officials or representatives of special services, and professional experts working in different fields: civil engineers, pilots, firefighters, explosives experts, forensic experts.
However, that's not even the point. It seems highly unlikely that anyone at all would be able to fake events similar to what happened on 9/11 in America. Imagine how many people needed to be involved in such a dramatization? And then how to make them all keep their mouths shut?
Our world is too big, complex and “messy” for any serious conspiracy to have any chance of success. So, as the smartest monk from Ockham once said: "Do not multiply entities unnecessarily."
