Having received no support from Congress, the head of state in early March 2011 ordered the reopening of military trials against terrorist suspects held in Guantanamo Bay.
In early April 2011, US Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed that the accused Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other defendants in the 9/11 case would not be brought before a US civilian court, but before a special military commission based at Guantanamo.
On May 31, 2011, the US military prosecutor's office again brought charges of involvement in organizing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on five suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
On May 5, 2012, a military tribunal officially accused five suspects of involvement in the organization of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the United States. They are accused of organizing a conspiracy, attacking civilians, deliberately causing physical harm, murder, violation of the laws of war, causing destruction, hijacking and terrorism.
All five of the defendants refused to answer whether they pleaded guilty.
Federal District Judge George Daniels of New York issued a court decision in absentia, according to which Iran must pay $ 7.5 billion to relatives and other representatives of those killed in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon building. 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 could not prove its innocence in providing assistance to the organizers of the terrorist attack, in connection with which the Iranian authorities bear a share of responsibility for the damage caused during it.
The site of the destroyed Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2011 was the World Trade Center Memorial. It consists of two square fountain pools located right in the foundations of the former twin towers, along interior walls which cascade streams of water going 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 into the bronze slabs lining 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 a destroyed shopping center had previously stood.
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
TBILISI, 11 Sep - Sputnik. The largest in the history of mankind terrorist act was committed in the United States exactly fifteen years ago.
On September 11, 2001, suicide bombers of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization hijacked four passenger planes in the United States, aiming two of them at the symbol of business New York - the World Trade Center towers, and the other two at the Pentagon and, presumably, the White House or the Capitol. All planes, except the last one, reached their targets. The fourth hijacked plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
There are also 19 terrorists who died in the attacks, 15 of them were citizens Saudi Arabia, two - United United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt and one from Lebanon.
Chronology
At 8:46 am (hereinafter local time), an American Airlines Boeing 767 en route from Boston to Los Angeles crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC) on Manhattan Island in New York between the 93rd and 99th floors. There were 81 passengers on board (including five terrorists) and 11 crew members.
At 9:03 am, a United Airlines Boeing 767, en route from Boston to Los Angeles, crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center between 77 and 85 floors. There were 56 passengers and nine crew members on board.
At 9:37 am, an American Airlines Boeing 757 en route from Washington to Los Angeles crashed into the Pentagon. There were 58 passengers and six crew members on board.
At 10:03 a United Airlines Boeing 757, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, crashed into a field in southwestern Pennsylvania, near Shanksville, 200 kilometers from Washington. There were 37 passengers and seven crew members on board.
As a result of the strongest fire at 9:59 am, the South Tower collapsed, and at 10:28 am - the North Tower of the WTC.
At 18:16, the 47-storey building of the World Trade Center complex, located in the immediate vicinity of the WTC towers, collapsed.
The exact figure of the damage caused by the 9/11 attacks is unknown. In September 2006, US President George W. Bush announced that the damage from the September 11, 2001 attacks for the United States was at the lowest estimate of $ 500 billion.
Investigation and search for those responsible
On November 27, 2002, an independent commission to investigate the September 11 attacks (9/11 Commission) was established in the United States. On July 22, 2004, the commission published the final report on the investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy. One of the main findings of the 600-page document was the recognition that the perpetrators of the attacks took advantage of "deep administrative failures" in the work of the US government.
The only defendant in the United States in the terrorist attack case is a French citizen of Moroccan origin, Zacarias Moussaoui. He was arrested in August 2001 after graduating from flight school in Oklahoma and training on a Boeing 747 simulator in Minnesota. In April 2005, Moussaoui was found guilty of intent to commit a terrorist attack, which was to become the fifth in a series of tragic events of September 11, 2001. On the personal instructions of Osama bin Laden, he was supposed to hijack the plane and ram the White House in Washington - the terrorist himself stated this at the trial. In May 2006, the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, where the trial took place, Zacarias Moussaoui was sentenced to life in prison.
Six other suspects of involvement in the attacks were arrested in 2002 and 2003, spent several years in CIA prisons, and in 2006 were taken to a camp at a US base in Guantanamo, Cuba.
In February 2008, the US Department of Defense indicted six inmates on murder and war crimes charges as part of an investigation into the 9/11 attacks.
Charges were brought against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who, according to the 9/11 Commission report, is the central figure in the preparation of the 9/11 attacks in the United States; a native of Yemen, Ramzi Binalshiba (another spelling of Ramzi bin al-Sheba), who provided organizational support to terrorists and transferred money to them; Mohammed al-Qahtani, who, according to the investigation, on September 11, 2001, was to become another, the 20th hijacker of four American planes; as well as Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Mustafa Ahmed Hawsawi (another spelling of Mustafa Ahmad Hausawi) and Walid bin Attash.
In May 2008, the Pentagon dropped the charges against Mohammed al-Qahtani.
After President Barack Obama ordered the suspension of all activities of the military prosecutor's office at Guantanamo prison in January 2009 and promised to close the institution, the military department had to drop the charges. However, this promise of the president remained unfulfilled.
Having received no support from Congress, the head of state in early March 2011 ordered the reopening of military trials against terrorist suspects held in Guantanamo Bay.
In early April 2011, US Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed that the accused Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other defendants in the 9/11 case would not be brought before a US civilian court, but before a special military commission based at Guantanamo.
On May 31, 2011, the US military prosecutor's office again brought charges of involvement in organizing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on five suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
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, deliberately causing physical harm, murder, violation of the laws of war, causing destruction, hijacking and terrorism.
All five of the defendants refused to answer whether they pleaded guilty.
In July 2014, a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay ruled that the trial of one of the five accused of involvement in the terrorist attack - Ramzi Binalshibh - should be held separately due to the conclusion of military doctors that he had a "serious mental illness."
Hearings in the case of those accused of involvement in organizing the terrorist attack are continuing.
Iran's responsibility
In March 2016, New York Federal District Judge George Daniels issued a court order in absentia, according to which Iran must pay $ 7.5 billion to relatives and other representatives of those killed at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon building. 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 could not prove its innocence in providing assistance to the organizers of the terrorist attack, in connection with which the Iranian authorities bear a share of responsibility for the damage caused during it.
Memorial and New World Trade Center
On the site of the destroyed Twin Towers in New York, the World Trade Center Memorial was unveiled on September 11, 2011. It consists of two square fountain pools located right in the foundations of the former twin towers, along the inner walls of which streams of water cascade down 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 into the bronze slabs lining the parapets of both fountains.
© photo: Sputnik / Vladimir Fedorenko
Explosion site of the World Trade Center in New York. Archive photo
In November 2014, a new World Trade Center complex was opened. 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 a destroyed shopping center had previously stood.
Since 2002, September 11 is 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.
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the most terrible and daring terrorist attack in the history of the United States and the whole world. Mourning ceremonies will be held in the United States on Monday to commemorate the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Six minutes of silence will be announced on this day.
Fighters of the terrorist organization "Al-Qaeda" hijacked four passenger planes and sent two of them to the towers of the World Trade Center, two others to the Pentagon, as well as the White House or the Capitol. All planes, except the last one, reached their targets. The fourth hijacked plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The terrorist attack killed 2,977 people, including 343 firefighters and 60 police officers. In addition to the Americans, citizens of another 92 states were killed. 2753 lives were claimed by the attack in New York, 184 in the Pentagon and 40 in Pennsylvania.
There are also 19 terrorists who died in the attacks, 15 of them were citizens of Saudi Arabia, two were from the United Arab Emirates, as well as from Egypt and Lebanon.
The exact figure of the damage caused by the terrorist 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 was at the lowest estimate of $ 500 billion.
In November 2002, a special independent commission was created in America 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 admitted that suicide bombers took advantage of serious "administrative failures" in the work of the US authorities and intelligence.
The only person convicted in the case of terrorist attacks in the United States was Zacarias Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan origin. He was arrested in August 2001 after graduating from flight school in Oklahoma and training 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 was to hijack the plane and send it to the White House. In May 2006, Moussaoui was sentenced to life in prison by a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.
In 2002 and 2003, the police arrested six other people suspected of involvement in the attacks. They spent several years in CIA prisons, and in 2006 were taken to a camp at an American base in Guantanamo, Cuba. In early 2008, the US Department of Defense indicted six inmates on murder and war crimes charges as part of an investigation into the 9/11 attacks.
The investigation has brought charges against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who, according to the authorities, was the central figure in the preparation of the attacks. Ramzi Binalshiba (Ramzi bin al-Sheba) from Yemen provided organizational support to the terrorists. Mohammed al-Qahtani, according to the investigation, on September 11, 2001 was to become the 20th hijacker of four American planes. Mustafa Ahmed Khavsavi, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Walid bin Attash were also accused of preparing the attack. In 2008, the charges against al-Qahtani were dropped.
In January 2009, the new US President, Barack Obama, pledged to shut down, ordering the suspension of the military prosecutor's office. The military department had to drop terrorist charges. Nevertheless, as you know, Obama's promise remained unfulfilled - Congress did not approve of his plans. Therefore, in the spring of 2011, he ordered the reopening of military trials against the terrorists held at Guantanamo.
In May 2011, the US military prosecutor's office again brought charges of involvement in organizing the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on five suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. A year later, a military tribunal officially charged them with organizing a conspiracy, attacking civilians, intentionally causing physical harm, murder, violation of the laws of war, causing destruction, hijacking an aircraft and terrorism. All five remained silent at the trial.
In July 2014, a military court at Guantanamo made a conclusion that the trial of Ramzi Binalshibh should be conducted separately - military doctors discovered that the Yemeni had a "serious mental illness." To date, hearings on the case of those accused of involvement in organizing the terrorist attack are continuing.
Last spring, New York Federal District Judge George Daniels issued a court ruling in absentia, according to which Tehran must pay $ 7.5 billion to relatives and other representatives of persons who died at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon building. 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 innocence in providing assistance to 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 9/11 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 in 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 family of Osama bin Laden - 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 claims. According to the country's authorities, the plaintiffs have no evidence of the involvement of Riyadh or related organizations in the 9/11 attack.
In 2011, on the site of the destroyed twin towers in New York, the World Trade Center Memorial was built, which consists of two square fountain pools located right in the foundations of the former twin towers. Streams of water cascade down the inner walls of these pools and go into square holes located at the bottom of the fountains. The names of 2,983 victims of the terrorist attacks are carved on bronze slabs lining the parapets of the structures.
Since 2002, September 11 in the United States has been celebrated as Patriot Day; since 2009, this date has also been referred to as the nationwide Day of Service and Remembrance.
There is a beautiful theory that centuries - like certain historical periods - rarely fit into the rigid frames given 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 of the outbreak of the First World War, which launched a whole series 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 acts committed by the Islamic radical organization Al-Qaeda in the United States.
Up to this point, the collective West was still on the laurels of the victor in the Cold War, its hegemony seemed undeniable, and its military and political power unshakable. It seemed that Fukuyama's prophecy had come true, and the story 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 the next Hollywood blockbuster about the end of the world.
The September 11 attack was a real shock for the United States. 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 absolutely unprepared for such an attack. On September 11, 2001, confusion and panic reigned in the high offices of Washington.
For America, the events of 9/11/2001 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 declared the organizer of the attacks, which was the reason for the start of the operation in Afghanistan. In 2003, US troops invaded Iraq, accusing Saddam Hussein of the support he allegedly provided to 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 9/11. This also applies to the number of victims of the attack, and its participants, and the role of the 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 explosions of the WTC were prepared by the American special services and the world behind the scenes.
So what really happened in the US on September 11, 2001? How many people died in 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, which were heading to California from different airports. In total, 19 criminals boarded the planes, fifteen of whom had Saudi Arabian citizenship, two more were from the OAU, one person was from Egypt, and one more was from Lebanon. Several more members of the terrorist group were unable to enter the United States.
To hijack the airliners, the terrorists used the simplest edged weapons, most likely stationery or pocket knives, as well as gas canisters. In addition, they threatened to blow up the planes, although it was just a bluff - they had no explosive devices. We know little about the dramatic tragedy that played out in the sky that day, 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 completed special courses in aircraft control.
At 8.46 local time, a Boeing 767-200 aircraft numbered N334AA collided with the north side of the World Trade Center Tower (WTC-1). The blow fell on a section of the building at the level of 94 to 98 floors. After a fire that lasted for about 100 minutes, the north tower of the WTC collapsed.
The second of the hijacked aircraft, a Boeing 767-200 with tail number N612UA, crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center at 09.02 at 78-85 floors. The fire lasted for about 50 minutes and at 9.56 the building collapsed.
According to the investigation, at the time of the start of the attack, there were approximately 16,000 people in the buildings of the WTC. The overwhelming majority of them survived, as they were evacuated before the collapse began. Today, it is believed that 2,977 people (not including terrorists) have 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 buildings of the World Trade Center. The attack on the Pentagon resulted in the death of 125 people. The overwhelming majority of the victims are Americans, but among the dead are citizens of another 91 countries.
Most victims were in the north tower of the WTC. Here, in an explosion caused by a collision of an aircraft with a building, the subsequent fire and collapse killed 1,366 people. In the south tower, a large number of people fell into a death trap on the upper floors of the building, from which only a few managed to get out. Many of the unfortunate people preferred to jump down rather than burn to death. Due to the fire and smoke, it was not possible to evacuate people from the roof by helicopters.
During the attacks, a large number of firefighters, police officers and other employees died emergency services, their total number exceeds 400 people. These people worked really selflessly. Many police officers and firefighters from other parts of the country took holidays and traveled to New York to help their colleagues.
Of the total number of the dead, only 1,670 bodies were identified, more than a thousand bodies are still unnamed.
The start of an unprecedented terrorist attack led to chaos throughout the United States. All commercial flights were canceled, and aircraft in the air were sent back or landed at airports in Mexico or Canada. In large numbers, there were reports of new terrorist attacks, which subsequently proved to be false. US Air Force and National Guard fighters were raised into the sky.
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 addressed the people. The US government went into emergency mode, and the country's national leaders were hastily evacuated.
Only a few days after the attacks, the FBI has already announced the names of the terrorists, as well as their basic data. The luggage of one of the attackers was never loaded onto the plane and ended up in 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 services announced that Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, was behind the organization of the 9/11 attacks. The intelligence services of other countries: Great Britain and Germany came to a similar conclusion.
Bin Laden initially denied his involvement in the events, but in 2004 he admitted that he personally directed 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 at 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 the 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 international 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 said America was reaping the fruits of its crimes, and there was also a report of a demonstration by Chinese students, ostensibly in support of the attacks. Most of the 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 as well.
Approximately months later, American troops led the 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, suspected al-Qaeda ties have been detained around the world.
In 2003, the United States and its allies launched a second war against Iraq, accusing its leadership of participating in the events of September 11, as well as the manufacture and storage of weapons of mass destruction.
This is the official version of the September 11 attacks, as well as the events that followed. However, it does not suit everyone. There are many alternative versions, whose supporters include not only obvious marginals, but also highly respected people, including famous scientists, journalists, and public figures.
Conspiracy theory
The events of 9/11 came as a real shock to American society. Many simply wondered 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 there was a conspiracy hypothesis that in fact there were no terrorists, and the bombings and hijackings were rigged 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, overshadowing even such "eternal classics" as the American landing 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 because of collisions with planes, but as a result of the detonation of some explosives that were previously laid in them. Proponents of this theory argue that the structure of the twin towers was so strong that an aircraft impact and subsequent fire could not cause them to collapse. The combustion temperature of aviation fuel is about 1,000 degrees Celsius, which is not enough to melt the supporting metal structures.
The adherents of this theory argue that a termite was planted in the building (sometimes they speak of a mysterious nanothermite or superthermite), which burned through the supporting structures of the WTC. True, this hypothesis is not supported by any material evidence.
However, official American experts state 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 strength of steel remains. In addition, from the high temperature, it begins to expand, breaking the concrete surrounding it.
So the action of two factors at once - high temperature and ramming impact - is quite enough to collapse even such a huge building like the World Trade Center.
Pentagon... Fans of the conspiracy theory also argue that the Pentagon did not crash at all, and the building was destroyed due to a missile strike, which was inflicted by the American military. In support of this theory, photographs of a building are usually cited, in which the destruction zone is much smaller than the wingspan of a 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 collapse 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 when it hit the ground, and the other on the structural column of the building. The very same structure crashed directly into the Boeing fuselage.
In addition, the very moment of the plane hitting the Pentagon was seen by many witnesses; parts of the landing gear, engines and fuselage of the airliner were found at the crash site. As well as numerous remains of passengers and black boxes of the plane. After the hijacking of Flight 77, many of the passengers were able to use their mobile phones and inform their relatives that their plane was hijacked by terrorists. However, the conspiracy theorists believe that the calls were fabricated by the special services.
Flight 93... Another popular topic for conspiracy theorists regarding the events of 9/11 is the fate of the fourth airliner, hijacked by terrorists. According to the official version, the criminals planned to send him to the Capitol, but the passengers mutinied and tried to neutralize the hijackers. A struggle ensued, as a result of which the plane fell. 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 of this theory is the large scatter 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 stated that almost immediately after the crash of Flight 93, an unusual white plane was seen over the crash site. This information gave rise to conspiracy theorists to talk about another piece of evidence of the shooting down. passenger liner military aircraft. Later, reports appeared on several resources that the FBI officers allegedly put pressure on the witnesses of the incident, forcing them to remain silent.
In fact, there really was such a white plane. 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 survey the Boeing crash site from the air, which was done. The Falcon descended to an altitude of 460 meters and its crew saw a black crater in the ground, from which smoke was pouring. Having noted its coordinates, Falcon returned to its previous route.
Without portholes... Another discussed point concerning the events of September 11, 2001 is an interview with a certain Mark Birnbach. He told reporters that the plane that crashed into the south tower of the WTC had no windows. From this statement, the conspiracy lovers immediately concluded that instead of the passenger liner of Flight 175, the cunning military used refueling aircraft to ram the buildings of the shopping center to the eyeballs.
However, this fake is especially easy to refute, because on the Internet you can easily find photographs of aircraft wreckage, on which the windows are clearly visible. And even 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 of them. However, answers to them have already been found, and they were given by officials or representatives of the special services, and by professional experts working in different fields: civil engineers, pilots, firefighters, explosives technicians, criminologists.
However, this is not even the point. It seems highly unlikely that anyone can even stage events similar to those of 9/11 in America. Imagine how many people needed to be involved in such a performance? And then how to make them all hold their tongues?
Our world is too big, complex and “bardachy” for any serious conspiracy to have a chance of success. So, as the smartest monk from Occam once said: "Do not multiply entities unnecessarily."
On September 11, 2001, one of the worst terrorist attacks in the history of mankind took place in the United States. 2977 people became victims of the terrorist attack on September 11, 24 more people are still missing. According to the official version, the attack was organized by Al-Qaeda. 19 terrorists, divided into 4 groups, hijacked 4 scheduled airliners. One of them was sent to the Pentagon building, the second fell in the state of Pennsylvania, and two others, as you know, crashed into the World Trade Center towers.
The official cause of the September 11 tragedy is still criticized both by journalists and numerous supporters of the "conspiracy theory", and by witnesses of the terrorist attack. In particular, video footage of the collapse of the Twin Towers suggests that the buildings collapsed as a result of controlled demolition. Thus, the supporters of the "conspiracy theory" argue that the 9/11 attack was carried out by the US government. Disputes on this matter are still ongoing.
World trade center
According to Nils Harrit of the University of Copenhagen's Department of Chemistry, Jeffrey Frarer of the Physics and Astronomy Department of Brigham Young University and his colleague Stephen Jones, traces of "termite" and "nanotermite" - explosives used to make demolition of dilapidated buildings. However, this version of scientists was heavily criticized. First, it does not have any scientific evidenceand secondly, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NITS) claims that a lot of "termite" is needed to demolish the World Trade Center, but later scientists said that the supporting beams of the twin towers were damaged by "superthermite". Finally, thirdly, the samples of beams that the scientists examined could be cut off with contaminated tools, for example, an acetylene torch, which left traces of "termite".
Even if the claim about the controlled demolition of the World Trade Center is false or false, how then is the rate of destruction of the building to be explained? The National Institute of Standards and Technology claims that as a result of the blow passenger aircraft and the subsequent explosion of its fuel weakened the steel beams. Their version is based on the assumption that as a result of the rapid combustion of fuel, the steel beams weakened, as a result of which the upper plates collapsed onto the lower ones, and due to the force of gravity, the lower plates collapsed. Conspiracy theorists responded by saying that neither before nor after 9/11 did not a single tower collapse in a fire. NITS countered that not a single tower had been attacked by a passenger plane before. However, the official version does not explain why both towers of the World Trade Center collapsed at a tremendous speed, and numerous witnesses to the tragedy said that they heard several explosions in buildings before the collapse.
Thus, the reasons for the collapse of the World Trade Center during the September 11 terrorist attack are still unknown and raise a lot of questions that neither the official version nor the assumptions of the supporters of the "conspiracy theory" can answer, since both of them have their own shortcomings and inconsistencies ...
Pennsylvania plane crash
One of the planes hijacked by terrorists is known to have crashed in an open field in Pennsylvania near the village of Shanksville. The crashed Flight 93 was the only hijacked plane to miss its destination. According to the official version, the passengers of the plane mutinied, as a result of which there was a struggle between them and the terrorists, which subsequently led to the plane crash.
According to another version, the plane was deliberately shot down by the US Air Force. Theologian David Griffin and software engineer Jim Hoffman, in particular, assert this. According to them, some of the heavy parts of the plane, for example, engines, were found several kilometers from the crash site, indicating that the plane was blown up in the air. However, this version was later refuted, stating that large fragments of the aircraft, including engines, were in the immediate vicinity of the crash site. Nonetheless, locals indeed, the remains of an aircraft were found even at a distance of more than 8 kilometers from the crash site, but in this case we are talking about light materials, for example, scraps of insulation.
In addition, the version about the bombing of the plane looks ridiculous. If Flight 93 were indeed shot down by the US Air Force, it would only be in order to prevent another terrorist attack, but against the background of the assumption of a controlled demolition of the World Trade Center, such actions of the American government are, at least, illogical.
Pentagon
Another mystery of the 9/11 attacks is the attack on the Pentagon building. According to the official version, a passenger plane crashed into the building of the US Department of Defense. However, some argue that there was no plane, and that the Pentagon itself was hit by a cruise missile launched by American intelligence services. As proof of their words, they cite the dimensions of the hole in the wall of the building, which were too small to speak of an attack by an aircraft.
The wreckage of Boeing found near the Pentagon speaks in favor of the official version: landing gear, nose cone and seats from the cockpit. In addition, the testimony of witnesses who personally saw the plane before it hit the Pentagon testifies in favor of the official version. However, proponents of the alternative theory argue that all evidence was fabricated.
Motives
Whoever orchestrated the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaeda or the US government, each had their own motives and benefits.
Al-Qaeda, for example, called the 9/11 attack a revenge for the aggressive US foreign policy towards Islamic countries.
The possible motives of the United States seem much more interesting and justified. After the events of September 11, for the first time in history, Article 5 of the NATO treaty was activated, which allows military action in the event of an attack on one or more countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. For example, the terrorist attack was the beginning of the so-called "War on Terrorism", which justified the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In addition, precisely because of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, the National Security Act and the Patriotic Act were adopted, which significantly curtail the rights and freedoms of ordinary American citizens. Ordinarily, the US government would have faced civil protests when passing such laws, but the 9/11 attack created a favorable public opinion about the measures taken to protect against the attacks. Thus, the adopted acts allowed law enforcement agencies to invade the privacy of citizens, and the US National Security Agency justified the events of 9/11 for the beginning of a secret operation to wiretap ordinary Americans. In fact, the US government used the 9/11 attack in order to "cap out" the citizens of their own country.
There are other motives that explain the version of US involvement in the September 11 terrorist attack. For example, in the documentary "Zeitgeist" American director Peter Joseph claims that the declared "War on Terror" allowed the investment fund "Carlyle Group" (Carlyle Group) to make a huge fortune in the supply of weapons. The director of the film "Fahrenheit 9/11" Michael Moore, according to whom, one of the largest investors in the company was the family of Osama bin Laden. An interesting fact, earlier the elder and his son George W. Bush, as well as former US Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci and former US Secretary of State James Baker worked for the Carlisle Group.
The controversy over who was actually involved in the September 11 terrorist attack continues to this day. Supporters of the "conspiracy theory" blame the US government for everything, finding more and more evidence of this. In turn, the authorities try not to enter into polemics, preferring to refer to the official version of the events of those days. In the words of both, there are both rational explanations for what happened, and obvious inconsistencies, and sometimes frankly delusional assumptions. In any case, whatever goals were pursued by the true organizers of the September 11 terrorist attack, they clearly did not cost the lives of those almost 3 thousand people who became victims of someone else's hatred or ambitions.
