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World Trade Towers and Pentagon Attacked
The World Trade Towers in new york were crashed into by 2 planes, one on each tower, 18 minutes apart. Nobody really knows who did it, but the planes were big ones. Normally I wouldn't consider posting this on Slashdot, but I'm making an exception this time because I can't get news through any of the conventional websites, and I assume I'm not alone. Update We're having server problems. Sorry. Updated info, both towers havecollapsed, pentagon hit by 3rd plane. Part of it has collapsed.
apologies to cnn for ripping this off their site:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- What appeared to be two passenger planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan on Tuesday, leaving both towers in flames.
About 18 minutes after the first plane hit the northern tower, a second plane slammed into the southern tower, erupting into a huge fireball. The harrowing images were caught in live video.
Live pictures showed a gaping hole on the side of the northern building, several stories down from the top. Black smoke was billowing from at least two sides.
The second crash hit the second tower several stories lower than the first in a huge burst of flame.
Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, was in an office near the World Trade Center towers at the time of the first crash. He witnessed the crash.
"It was a jet, looked like a two-engine jet," Murtagh said. "It looked like maybe a 737."
Murtagh said he saw the plane "teetering back and forth, wingtip to wingtip" before the plane smashed into the side of the building.
Jeanne Yurman witnessed the explosion that followed the crash.
"At first it was like leaflets," she said, describing the debris that fell to the ground. "There was tons of debris and it continues to fall out."
Yurman said she did not see the plane.
--
Rare Window - free your photos
Ok this is what I know:
8:55 one Plane or missile hits tower
9:05 secone 727 Passanger plane hits tower
Eye witnessess are pretty sure the first one was a plane, but some believe they saw a missile.
2nd crash caught on tape because news crews came to cover 1st crash.
Not sure if it is navigational error or deliberate attacks.
All I know, and could be erronous - everything is the first hour into an event like this
the washington post has a photo
Well, take it for what it is worth, but the Today Show is claiming that both planes were hijacked. Like Taco said, the only size of the planes being reported is 'big'. But if they really were hijacked, that usually implies they were pretty good sized planes.
visit my free wallpaper collection, wp.erasei.com
This is the story at BBC.
I hope you all enjoy. The BBC ususaly is better at reporting anyway.
bash-2.04$
bash-2.04$yes "Don't you hate dialup connections?"| write USERNAME
I was going over the Williamsburg bridge this morning...at that time, I saw that the first tower was on fire. I saw the clock at the Essex/Delancey station, it was about 3 of 9.
When I got to work in DUMBO, I saw that the other tower was on fire.
This is insanity.
see http://www.canoe.ca to see the hole in the WTA!
They've got some footage at the BBC... Its the only thing I can access so far
e wsid_1537000/1537469.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk /hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1537000/1537469. stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/n
The second plane was shown crashing in. From the outline of the plane in the video, it was a Boeing 737 or 727. Midsized twin-engine jet, full of fuel.
Reports are confirmed of one hijacking; they are also sure that they were both planes.
I'm thanking God that my father didn't have any business in NY today. I'm also praying that none of my family were around there.
Planes Crash Into World Trade Center
NEW YORK - An aircraft crashed into the upper floors of one of the World Trade Center towers Tuesday morning, and black smoke poured out of two gaping holes, witnesses said. Shortly afterward a second explosion rocked the other tower.
There was no immediate word on injuries or fatalities in the disaster, which happened shortly before 9 a.m.
The plane was coming in low and ... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
Large holes were visible in two sides of the 110-story building, one of landmark twin towers.
There was no immediate word on injuries or fatalities in the twin disasters, which happened shortly before 9 a.m. and then right around 9 a.m.
The towers were struck by bombers in February 1993.
"The plane was coming in low and ... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
Large holes were visible in sides of the 110-story buildings, landmark twin towers.
The tops of the twin towers were obscured by the smoke.
Thousands of pieces of what appeared to be office paper came drifting over Brooklyn, about three miles from the tower, one witness said.
The center bombingon Feb. 26, 1993, killing six people and injured more than 1,000 others.
In 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25, a twin-engine bomber, crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building in dense fog.
Here are some more pictures, obtained from Sky News - scary stuff...
http://www.gimbo.org.uk/
According to CNN, The Pentagon and the Washington Mall were also hit!
This is definitely a carefully planned deliberate attack by some large terrorist organization!
My journal has hot
N.Y., D.C. attacked
... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - Two planes crashed into the upper floors of both World
Trade Center towers minutes apart Tuesday in what the President Bush said
was an apparent terrorist attack, blasting fiery, gaping holes in the 110-story
buildings. There was no immediate word on deaths or injuries.
Within the hour, an aircraft crashed on a helicopter landing pad near the
Pentagon, and the West Wing of the White House was evacuated amid threats
of terrorism.
The president ordered a full-scale investigation to "hunt down the folks who
committed this act."
One of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center had been hijacked
after takeoff from Boston, a U.S. official said, citing a transmission from the
plane.
All planes were grounded across the country by the Federal Aviation
Administration. All bridges and tunnels into Manhattan were closed down.
The twin disaster at the World Trade Center happened shortly before 9 a.m.
and then right around 9 a.m.
Heavy black smoke billowed into the sky above the gaping holes in the side of
the 110-story twin towers, one of New York City's most famous landmarks, and
debris rained down upon the street, one of the city's busiest work areas. When
the second plane hit, a fireball of flame and smoke erupted, leaving a huge
hole in the glass and steel tower.
People ran down the stairs in panic and fled the building. Thousands of pieces
of what appeared to be office paper came drifting over Brooklyn, about three
miles away.
"Today we've had a national tragedy," Bush said in Sarasota, Fla. "Two
airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist
attack on our country." He said he would be returning immediately to
Washington.
Ira Furber, former National Transportation Safety Board spokesman,
discounted the likelihood of accident.
"I don't think this is an accident," he said on CNN. "You've got incredibly good
visibility. No pilot is going to be relying on navigational equipment."
"It's just not possible in the daytime," he added. "A second occurrence is just
beyond belief."
Terrorist bombers struck the World Trade Center in February 1993, killing six
people and injuring more than 1,000 others.
Several subway lines were immediately shut down Tuesday. Trading on Wall
Street was suspended.
"The plane was coming in low and
Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
"I was watching TV and heard a sonic boom," Jeanne Yurman told CNN. "The
side of the World Trade Center exploded. Debris is falling like leaflets. I hear
ambulances. The northern tower seems to be on fire."
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the
agency is pursuing reports that one or both of the planes were hijacked and
that the crashes may have been the result of a suicide mission.
"It certainly doesn't look like an accident," said a second government official,
also speaking on condition of anonymity.
In 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25, a twin-engine bomber, crashed into the 79th
floor of the Empire State Building in dense fog.
In Florida, Bush was reading to children in a classroom at 9:05 a.m. when his
chief of staff, Andrew Card, whispered into his ear. The president briefly turned
somber before he resumed reading. He addressed the tragedy about a
half-hour later.
From KFWB News (AM, Los Angeles)
... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
http://kfwb.com/news/nat/n091101.html
Car bomb explodes near State Department building
Unconfirmed report: part of Pentagon building collapses after explosion
Large plane crashes in western Pennsylvania, unconfirmed report
Unconfirmed reports: Another hijacked plane in the air in the East Coast
New York: both World Trade Center towers collapsed after attacks
All emergency operation centers activated in California
All international flights headed to Washington and New York have been diverted to Canada
All federal buildings in Washington D.C. are closed down -- Capitol Hill, Justice Department, State Department, White House, and other buildings
Military planes patrolling airspace above Manhattan -- told to shoot down any planes that don't leave area, unconfirmed report
Nationally, all takeoffs have been suspended
LAPD on tactical alert
Explosion at Old Executive Office Building next to White House
George W. Bush: "An apparent terrorist attack."
One of the planes was American Airlines Flight 11, 767 jetliner headed from Boston to Los Angeles, unconfirmed reports
(KFWB) 9.11.01, 7:44a -- In what the federal government is considering a terrorist attack, a number of apparent terrorist attacks took place in Washington, D.C. and in New York.
Two planes crashed into the upper floors of both World Trade Center towers in New York this morning at 6am Pacific time. Black smoke is pouring out of gaping holes which were blown into the two towers from the impact and subsequent explosions.
One of the two towers at the World Trade Center collapsed about an hour after the attack. There were eyewitness reports of people jumping and falling out of the upper floors of the towers.
Meantime in Washington D.C., the White House and the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and all other federal buildings have been evacuated and closed down. There are reports that an aircraft crashed on a helicopter landing pad near the Pentagon within an hour after the first attack in New York. There is also a fire at the State Department building.
The Federal Aviation Administration has shut down all aircraft takeoffs nationwide amid reports that at least one plane was hijacked for the attack.
Military planes are patrolling a no-fly zone above Manhattan, where there are orders to divert or shoot down any plane above downtown New York.
President George W. Bush said that the crashes were "an apparent terrorist attack on our country." The president has cleared his day's schedule and is heading back to Washington D.C. to meet with advisors. Bush says there will be a "full scale investigation to hunt down and find those folks who have committed this act."
In New York, two planes crashed about 18 minutes apart -- one crashed around the 80th floor of one tower, the other crashed at around the 60th floor of another tower.
The planes are described as jet airliners.
CNN and the AP are reporting that one of the planes may have been a hijacked American Airlines flight, a Boeing 767 jetliner, from Boston.
A large amount of dark smoke is billowing out of the remaining tower. Debris is falling out of the upper floors of the tower and onto the streets below.
There are major evacuations in the area. KFWB's Erin Kotecki reports that a friend in one of the towers told her by phone that the World Trade Center is being evacuated, and described the scene as "chaos."
"Flood of folks escaping downtown Manhattan," an eyewitness reports. Emergency crews are having trouble reaching the disaster area.
The New York stock exchange was evacuated and trading is not expected to take place. A number of financial businesses are located in the towers.
"The plane was coming in low and
More to come on this breaking story.
Can see it billowing smoke from the office
windows. We heard a second large explosion around 10:30. Don't know what it was yet.
One guy here was outside when the plane hit
the Pentagon, he heard the plane's engine, saw
the fireball. We had debris coming down in the
courtyard here from the explosion. Have a couple
people from the company over at the Pentagon, but
everyone's accounted for now.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,3-2001314412, 00.html
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11 2001 AP
An aircraft about to fly into the World Trade Center in New York
America hit by terrorists
In a horrific sequence of destruction, terrorists crashed two aircraft into the World Trade Center and knocked down the twin 110-story towers this morning. Explosions have also reportedly rocked the US Defense Department and the State Department, spreading fear across the nation.
Another hijacked aircraft is on its way to Washington, DC. A fifth aircraft has also reportedly crashed just south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
US fighter pilots are patrolling the skies over Washington.
President George W. Bush has ordered a full-scale investigation to "hunt down the folks who committed this act".
One of the planes that crashed into the Trade Center was American Airlines Flight 11, hijacked after take-off from Boston en route to Los Angeles, American Airlines said.
It is believed that another hijacked airplane is still on its way to Washington, DC.
The planes blasted fiery, gaping holes in the upper floors of the twin towers. The southern tower collapsed with a roar about an hour later.
"This is perhaps the most audacious terrorist attack that's ever taken place in the world," said Chris Yates, an aviation expert at Jane's Transport in London. "It takes a logistics operation from the terror group involved that is second to none. Only a very small handful of terror groups is on that list. ... I would name at the top of the list Osama bin Laden."
All airplanes were grounded across the country by the Federal Aviation Administration. All bridges and tunnels into Manhattan were closed down.
The twin disaster at the World Trade Center happened shortly before 9 a.m. (1300 GMT) and then right around 9 a.m.
Heavy black smoke billowed into the sky above the gaping holes in the side of the twin towers, one of New York City's most famous landmarks, and debris rained down upon the street, one of the city's busiest work areas. When the second plane hit, a fireball of flame and smoke erupted, leaving a huge hole in the glass and steel tower.
John Axisa, who was getting off a commuter train to the World Trade Center, said he saw "bodies falling out" of the building. He said he ran outside, and watched people jump out of the first building, and then there was a second explosion, and he felt heat on the back of neck.
Within the hour of the New York attacks, an aircraft crashed on a helicopter landing pad near the Pentagon and a car bomb exploded outside the State Department. The White House and all government buildings have been evacuated amid threats of terrorism.
"Today we've had a national tragedy," Mr Bush said in Florida. "Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country." He said he would be returning immediately to Washington.
Terrorist bombers struck the World Trade Center in February 1993, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) was initially reported as claiming responsibility for the attacks. But a DFLP spokesman has denied these reports.
All flights in America have been grounded and flights are being diverted to Canada.
The London Stock Exchange and Canary Wharf have been evacuated.
Tony Blair, speaking at the TUC conference in Brighton, said: "I know that you would join with me in sending the deepest condolences to President Bush and the American people on behalf of the British people after these terrible events.
"This mass terrorism is the new evil in our world today it is perpetrated by fanatics. We, the democratic societies of the world are going to have to come together to fight it together."
Two planes have smashed into the World Trade Centre towers in New York and a third into the Pentagon in what is being described as the worst terrorist attack in history.
Both the 1,360-ft towers have now collapsed. More than 50,000 people work in the complex.
There are also reports of an explosion at Capitol Hill and of a fourth hijacked aircraft heading towards Washington.
A separate fire forced the evacuation of the White House.
Reports are coming in that another large plane has crashed south of Pittsburgh.
Hijack
It is reported two United Airlines passenger planes were hijacked shortly before the first plane struck the Trade Centre in Manhattan.
One was thought to be a 737 capable of carrying more than 100 passengers. The other was confirmed as an American flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles. A Boeing 767 can carry up to 269 people.
A third plane has slammed into the Pentagon just outside Washington DC parts of the complex collapsed after fire engulfed the building. Much of the complex is in flames.
Gaping hole
The first plane smashed into the top stories of one of the Trade Centre's towers, leaving two gaping holes in the side.
Minutes later another aircraft approached, turned in the air and crashed into the lower storeys of the second tower - the footage was seen live on TV stations around the world.
The second explosion engulfed several floors.
A person who answered the phone on the trading floor at interdealer-broker Cantor Fitzgerald, located near the top of the World Trade Center, said: "We're f***ing dying," then hung up. There was screaming and yelling in the background. A follow up call was not answered.
"This has got to be one of the most horrendous terrorist attacks perhaps ever perpetrated," terrorism expert Chris Yates told Sky News.
Flights grounded
At least 1,000 people have been reported injured. The 110-storey towers are in lower Manhattan.
All flights to the US have been diverted to Canada. All flights in the US have been grounded. Telephone lines to New York are all down.
President Bush was in Florida at the time of the attacks but is now returning to Washington.
More follows .
Last Modified: 15:44 UK, Tuesday September 11, 2001
http://www.krmg.com/features/091101worldtradeattac k.html
All major downtown cities are being evacuated. All federal buildings across the country are also being cleared. The president is heading toward a secret destination with a squadron of fighter jets as an escort.
Both Trade Center buildings have totally collapsed. A plan has hit the pentagon building.
The FAA is reporting that SEVERAL planes are unaccounted for. No word on how many of those might be hijacked or their destination, although one Trans-atlantic flight is reportedly headed for Washington,DC. As a result, fighter jets are currently flying cover over the city as everyone evacuates.
No other word so far.
Natural != (nontoxic || beneficial)
Although FAA has grounded all flights, many (**) are past the point of no return coming from Europe (Schiphol, DeGaulle, Heathrow, et al), South America, or Asia... while others (=) have turned back.
_ tracker_home.xsl
Trackable here, with maps, direction, and air speed:
http://www.flightexplorer.com/FastTrack.asp
Track a random flight, or select one of particular interest.
Reports just gathered on random flights:
Continental express #4804 from GWB Intercon to Jackson Inter ETA 14:42 UTC
** American #14 from Brussels to JFK, ETA 18:28 UTC
American Airlines #2401 Dallas to Phoenix ETA 14:40 UTC
** United #26 Schiphol to Newark ETA 18:22 UTC
Delta #368 Seattle to Seattle ETA 14:34 UTC, turned back
** Air France #378 De Gaulle to Philadelphia ETA 16:17 UTC
** American #936 Simon Bolivar to Miami ETA 15:38 UTC
Northwest #1019 George Bush to Memphis ETA 14:54 UTC
Southwest airlines Kansas city to Will Rogers ETA 14:18 UTC
Southwest airlines Indianapolis to Albuquerque ETA 14:44 UTC
** Telford Aviation #106 Heathrow to General Edward Lawrence ETA 17:42 UTC
** Continental #37 Dusseldorf to Newark ETA 18:08 UTC
= Chataqua #4758 Gatwick to Orlando, has turned back
** Northwest Airlines #12 Tokyo Intl to Detroit ETA 19:14 UTC
Northwest Airlines #1843 Buffalo to Minneapolis ETA 15:13 UTC
** American #83 Frankfurt to Chicago ETA 18:33
= Delta #127 Barajas to JFK at 16:32 , has turned north
** Virgin Atlantic #27 Gatwick to Orlando ETA 18:32
= Delta #11 Gatwick to Atlanta ETA 19:33 UTC, now turned west
Flight International Jacksonville, Jacksonville circling.
** Delta #1852 Schiphol to GWBush ETA 18:14 UTC
** American Eagle #622 Frankfurt to Dallas ETA 19:53 UTC
Air Canada #993 from Toronto, turned back to Toronto
= Delta #1581 Heathrow to ? now turned north to Toronto ETA 14:17 UTC
= Unknown #LU Gatwick to BWI at 19:33 UTC, now turned back Northeast
= US Air #2296 Luis Munoz to Philadelphia ETA 16:06 UTC, now turned back south
Note that some flights may not have sufficient fuel to turn back or divert -- perhaps those from the Far East, Africa, or the Middle East are the most likely to need to land in the US.
Other options:
http://www.trip.com/trs/trip/flighttracker/flight
GS http://www.unblinking.com/
By FT.com staff - Sep 11 2001 15:35:23
US President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that the full resources of the US would be used to "hunt down" the perpetrators of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.
The immediate assumption was that a Middle Eastern group must be responsible for an attack of this magitude and complexity. Palestinian militants made an immediate claim of responsibility. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestinian, a militant splinter group, issued a statement of responsibility to a TV station in Abu Dhabai.
Analysts said the claim should be treated with caution. The DFLP has no history of terrorist attacks outside Israel and the occupied territories. The group was founded in 1969 when it split from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and opposes the Middle East peace process.
The group conducted numerous small bombings and minor assaults, and some more spectacular operations in Israel during the 1970s, concentrating on Israeli targets. Since 1988 it has been limited to border raids around Israel.
Phil Butterworth-Hayes, the civil aviation editor with the Janes information group, said that aircraft attacks such as those on the WTC were very difficult to stop.
"The whole civil aviation system works on trust. In America,security systems are the responsibility of the Federal Aviation Administration. The first thing the FAA are going to have to do is completely rethink some of the security systems they have in place at the moment," Mr Butterworth-Hayes said.
"Terrorists are always one step ahead of the institutions that really need protection. Once you defeat one aspect of terrorism, you have to battle against something else," he said.
© Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2001.
Pittsburgh flight is confirmed as United flight 93, 757 plane. 911 cellphone call from the plane points at hijacking.
United's site just has a press release, but I think they said flight 93 was from Newark to San Fransisco.
I know the area where it crashed, and it's just where the allegheny mountains begin, _nothing but trees_, so obviously they didn't acheive what they were aiming for.
There are still planes unaccounted for by airlines.
What a mess.
First plane had 81 passengers and 11 crewmembers. Second plane had 58 passengers and a crew of 6.
NewsMax
World Net Daily
Chicago Sun Times
Druge Report
I don't feel like making any comments... None are necessary. Here are the last few news sites I can find that aren't flooded offline.
All news outlets on the Internet are shut down due to massive surge in traffic, so I am summarizing from reports collected via television, as well as friends in CNN , New York, and Boston. The best source for news is probably television broadcast, or your local city's newspaper website.
Around 8:00 AM, two planes smashed into one each of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, not more than twenty minutes apart. One of the airplanes was confirmed to be an American Airlines flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles, which was hijacked and diverted. The other was also a hijacked American Airlines flight, this has not been confirmed.
Around 9:00 AM, the south tower of the WTC collapsed. People were seen jumping out of the 101-story building's topmost floors. At about 9:30, the second tower also collapsed. Both towers of the World Trade Center have been utterly destroyed.
At about the same time, a plane also crashed into the Pentagon building in Washington DC. That plane was also a hijacked passenger airliner. Another passenger airliner (United Airlines flight 93, enroute to San Francisco) has crashed in Pennsylvania, which may also have been hijacked. Car bombs have been reported at the US Capitol and the State Department.
The White House, State Department, Treasury, and Pentagon have all been evacuated. Manhattan island has been quarantined and Wall Street has suspended trading. Canary Wharf in London, The Sears Tower, Chicago Board of Trade, and John Hancock Center in Chicago, the John Hancock and Prudential Towers in Boston, and CNN Center in Atlanta have all been evacuated/locked down. Major downtown centers in cities across the United States are also being evacuated. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has grounded *all* flights in the USA.
Don't blame me - I voted for Howard Dean. http://dean2004.blogspot.com
CNN.com has dropped all of their advertising and replaced their main webpage with a short bulletted listing of the incidents and status so far under the headline "AMERICA UNDER ATTACK", and the single link on their main page takes you to another advertisement free page with the fully info so far (http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/11/worldtrade.crash /index.html).
It's absolutely amazing that these attacks managed to get pulled off, and it really redefines the word "terrorism".
All I know about Bush is I had a good job when Clinton was president.
We are turning our business into an emergency blood donation center for the red cross. I ask that anyone who has a business that has a large amount of free space to donate it as an emergency center for the ARC to setup at.
If you cannot do that please just go and donate blood. It is desperately needed.
Prospecting Stinks. Stop Wasting Time on Cold Calling.
IS reporting that " The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine initially took responsibility, but later an official from the organization denied any involvement. Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat condemned the attacks.
A U.S. official said there had been no advance warning of an attack. "It's clear that this is terrorist-related, we're not sure who is responsible," the official said.
Israel evacuated all its missions around the world. Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer hinted that the attack was carried out by Islamic terrorists, saying that "the threat of radical Islam is the central threat to the free world because its goal is to destroy everything connected to the values of western democracies."
Ben-Eliezer, who cancelled a scheduled trip to the U.S. which was to begin Wednesday, confirmed that an Israeli rescue team was being sent to the U.S. to help with the rescue operation.
Three weeks ago, arch-terrorist Osama Ben Laden warned that he would carry out an unprecedented attack on American interests because of their support for Israel. "
and that palestinians on the west bank are celebrating our tragedy: palestinians celebrate
Palestinians in West Bank celebrate attacks on U.S.
By Amos Harel, Ha'aretz Correspondent and Agencies
Palestinians across the West Bank on Tuesday celebrated the series of aircraft attacks on New York and Washington. There were scenes of celebration in the West Bank cities of Nablus, Tul Karm, Bethlehem and the Balata refugee camp.
While Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat condemned the attacks which levelled the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and struck the Pentagon in Washington, hundreds of Palestinians distributed sweets in Nablus.
"I feel I am in a dream. I never believed that one day the United States would come to pay a price for its support to Israel," said Mustafa, a 24-year-old Palestinian gunman.
Several dozen Palestinian youths gathered in East Jerusalem to celebrate as well, honking out wedding tunes on their car horns. "We are so happy that America was hit. America is against us in supporting Israel," Suleiman, one of the demonstrators, said.
In Nablus, motorists honked their horns and gunmen fired into the air from assault rifles to cheer on the attacks which unfolded in the space of a few hours.
I live in Fort Greene, Brooklyn; just a few blocks from both the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. The lower Manhattan skyline is visible from the end of my block and most of the route to Manhattan.
This morning a little after 9 am I heard a bang. I later learned that this was the second plane hitting the South tower.
I got a call from my mother in Chicago who wanted to warn me that 'the World Trade Center is under attack by planes.' I turned on the radio as President Bush acknowledged an 'apparent terrorist attack.' Immediately, I got off the line, grabbed my camera and my girlfriend's Walkman, and hopped on my bicycle.
The plume of smoke, an immense black ribbon stretching toward Manhattan, was visible the entire route down Flatbush Avenue, which terminates at the Manhattan Bridge. This same roadway then becomes Canal Street after reaching Manhattan.
I tried to take the pedestrian walkway over the Manhattan Bridge, but it seemed at the time that the police weren't going to allow me to pass. So I went to the next best vantage point.
So I rode into DUMBO; Down Underneath the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, to the park in between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. Buildings obstructed the World Trade Center itself until I reached that point.
Link to map of my vantage point (my spot between the bridges marked with a red +):7 3.9943&size=m&s=25
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=40.7042&lon=-
As I came out from under the Manhattan Bridge, I was moved to revulsion at the sight of the gutted twin behemoths. Several floors of the buildings seemed to have been reduced to black girders, consumed by flame as gouts of black smoke spouted from their interiors. Still too large to fall, or so I thought.
There were fewer than 50 people watching with me, similarly aghast. They opened their car doors and played their radios as loud as they could.
I watched and shot video from this vantage point as the reports came in: Another plane hit the Pentagon. A plane was missing in Pennsylvania. Another DC Police plane was unaccounted for. I watched reviling at the horror as objects fell from the cracked and fuming edifice.
The city seemed uncharacteristically quiet. Sirens could be heard over the East River in Manhattan, and occasionally an escorted emergency vehicle or two would cross the Bridges toward Manhattan.
And then the South tower collapsed.
It started at the break about 3/4 of the way up the building, the black smoke overcome by white, milky dust. I thought merely the top of the building would fall off, but the entire length of the building splintered open, shattering and unfolding like an explosion at a crystal chandelier factory.
A solid, white pea-soup fog enveloped downtown. I could only see the very tip of the North Tower's antenna.
Incredulously, I tried to imagine New York with only one World Trade Tower. Skylines would have to be revised. The remaining tower would be an icon of American resolve and determination over adversity. Musing this kept me from considering the real losses.
And then the North tower vaporized, unfolding in a shattering parasol of black, then white dust.
I felt growing dread about my proximity to a remaining landmark, the Brooklyn Bridge, so I unlocked my bike and started home. Nothing more to see.
It was then I noticed the refugees- throngs of people pouring over the walkways of the bridges above me. Streams of pedestrians walking FDR Drive, the highway running along Manhattan's East side. I even spot a few police trucks headed North on FDR, trailing eddies of debris and dust behind them.
F-16 fighter jets prowl the sky on high, while Police helicopters and boats trawl the lower strata. All powerless; unable to change the condition of the city; only manage the aftermath.
I deftly ride my bicycle home, streets gridlocked in car traffic. The police on the streets in Brooklyn are evidently reserves; I spot several uniformed *school* policewomen standing on corners, directing traffic.
The city is closed south of Canal street. The bridges and tunnels are closed. The subways are closed. Every payphone I can see is in use. Storefronts are shuttering. Now I am safe at home, but I fear for my girlfriend.
She works in Times Square in a relatively high-profile building. I had several messages from her on my return. Amazingly, I am able to get through to her in the office and she informs me that her office has closed. She is walking to a coworker's apartment 29 blocks away. I don't know when we can... er, UPDATE: She's made it to her coworker's apartment without incident. No word yet on when she can cross over the East River to our home in Brooklyn, but she's safe for now. So friends and family- we're OK!
I still don't know what to make of all this- it seems like a movie.
Snickersnee3: Build your own 3-watt Luxeon Star headlamp from scratch