4. The Pearl Harbor of the 21st century
9:59
A.M
THE
SOUTH TOWER OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER COLLAPSES
At
9:59 a.m., the south tower of the World Trade Center, which had been damaged by
United Airlines Flight 175, collapsed with a deafening roar.
Smoke
billowed across the city, filled with crushed concrete. TV viewers initially
thought it was another explosion, but when the wind cleared, they realized what
had happened because the south tower was no longer there. At 10:00 a.m., the
fire commander ordered all firefighters to leave the North Tower.
10:03
A.M
UNITED
AIRLINES FLIGHT 93
At
around 10:03 a.m., terrorists were unable to carry out their target due to a
passenger revolt. Passengers attempted to enter the cockpit, resulting in the
crash of United Airlines Flight 93 at 583 miles per hour in Shanksville,
southeast of Pittsburgh, Somerset, Pennsylvania. Everyone on board perished. It
was later revealed that its intended target was the Capitol building in
Washington.
At
10:10 a.m., part of the Pentagon collapsed, and the UN headquarters in New York
were closed. President Bush also authorized the Vice President to engage
aircraft if necessary. The PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) did not
claim responsibility for the attack.
10:28
A.M
THE
NORTH TOWER OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER COLLAPSED
At
10:28 a.m., the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed due to the
damage caused by American Airlines Flight 11, releasing a large cloud of dust
that engulfed the city, causing severe damage to many surrounding buildings.
At
10:35 a.m., Air Force One landed with President Bush at Barksdale Air Force
Base in Bossier, Louisiana.
At
10:41 a.m., President Bush received information about the plane crash in
Somerset County.
At
10:43 a.m., CNN reported on the evacuation of people in Washington, New York,
and the mayor of New York ordered the evacuation of lower Manhattan.
At
10:50 a.m., word spread that part of the Pentagon had collapsed, leading to the
cancellation of the primary election in New York.
Meanwhile,
at 11:16 a.m., American Airlines confirmed that it had lost two of its
aircraft, and at 11:53 a.m., United Airlines confirmed that it had lost two of
its aircraft.
At
12:04 p.m., Los Angeles International Airport, the expected destination for
flights 11, 77, and 175, was closed. Also, at 12:15 p.m., Flight 93's expected
destination, San Francisco International Airport, was closed.
At
1:04 p.m., President Bush addressed the media from Barksdale Air Force Base in
Bossier, Louisiana. He said, "Freedom itself was attacked this morning by
a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended... United States will hunt down
and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts." He was then taken
to a military bunker in Offutt, Nebraska.
At
1:27 p.m., the mayor of Washington, D.C., declared a state of emergency.
At
4:00 p.m., Federal Intelligence identified Osama bin Laden as the mastermind of
the attack.
The
7th World Trade Center collapsed at around 5:20 p.m., and no casualties were
reported as everyone there had been evacuated.
President
Bush arrived at the White House at 6:54 p.m., and a search for those trapped in
the rubble began around 7:00 p.m.
At
8:00 p.m., President Bush addressed the nation from the White House. He said,
"Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under
attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. Terrorist attacks
can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the
foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel
of American resolve. The search is underway for those who are behind these evil
acts... we will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these
acts and those who harbor them." He concluded his speech.
At
9:00 p.m., President Bush convened a Security Council meeting to discuss
whether Osama bin Laden was behind the attack and whether the Taliban in
Afghanistan and Al Qaeda were involved. "Tell the Taliban we're finished
with them," Bush said.
Before
going to bed that night, President Bush wrote in his diary: "The Pearl
Harbor of the 21st century took place today."
Leo Kasun Sapumohotti
Zone Director
Zone B1
Leo District 306 A1
