The 9/11 attack took place on 11th September 2001, and today, even after more than two decades have passed, conspiracy theories regarding it continue to arise. So, to bust out as many theories as possible and give a clearer image of what happened that day and the days that preceded it, here are 27 facts about 9/11 still hidden.
Attack on the North Tower of the World Trade Center
The harrowing events of the 9/11 attack started early in the morning, with American Airlines Flight 11 being hijacked by five hijackers and crashing into the North Tower at 8:46 am. The plane had taken off from Logan International Airport in Boston. It was going to land at Los Angeles International Airport in California but within 15 minutes of take-off, the hijackers took control of the aircraft and flew the plane towards the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Time between the first FAA call and the attack on the North Tower
The NEADS was given a call by the FAA regarding the American Airlines Flight 11 hijacking at 8:37. Within 10 minutes, the NEADS got another call telling them that the flight had now crashed into the North Tower. There was little to no time for NEADS to take control of the situation because it takes some time to get the air fighters ready and into the air, but by the time the air fighters were air borne, the hit at the North Tower had already taken place.
Attack on the South Tower of the World Trade Center
Within a few minutes, at 9:03 am, United Airlines Flight 175 flew into the South Tower, creating havoc. This plane had also taken off from Logan International Airport in Boston and was going to travel to Los Angeles International Airport in California but was hijacked and taken to New York City.
The Twin Towers could not withstand the attack
Although tall and mighty, the Twin Towers could not withstand the two plane attacks on it as the steel beams warped and the buildings collapsed, killing almost everyone who was inside them. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology report, the Twin Towers collapsed because the planes managed to damage the support columns of the Twin Towers. They also caught fire, whose temperature went as far as 1000C in some of the areas completely destroying both the towers.
The Pentagon goes down
According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, the American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked by terrorists who crashed the plane into The Pentagon. The plane crashed into the E Ring of the building, which was at the first deck level, and then went into the corridor between the C Ring and B Ring, destroying everything in between.
Passengers fight back
After terrorists hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, passengers decided to take control of the situation, with the plane crashing just outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a little far from the terrorist’s targeted building.
Collapse of the 7 World Trade Center
The 7 World Trade Center was a 47-story skyscraper close to the Twin Towers. It housed major offices such as that of the Department of Defense and the CIA and collapsed within hours of the Twin Towers. The reason behind its collapse was not another plane crash. In fact, it was not even targeted by the terrorists. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the 7 World Trade Center collapsed due to the uncontrolled fires in its vicinity, which lasted for around 7 hours.
Major Media Outlets were a part of 9/11
While it has not been confirmed till date whether major media outlets were in on the 9/11 attack, there have been incidents that have led conspiracy theorists to believe so. BBC’s Jane Stanley announced to the world in a live report regarding the 7 World Trade Center’s Collapse while it was still standing strong behind her in the live footage. This made it seem as if the major media outlets already knew what was going to happen.
President George Washington Bush finds out about the attacks
President George W. Bush was at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota early in the morning of September 11. He was informed about the tragic events that were taking place in his ear by Andrew Card, his Chief of Staff.
After some while, the President addressed the 9/11 attacks from the Oval Office by saying, “Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.” Through his speech, President George W. Bush showed his solidarity with his people and tried to support them in every way possible.
Vice-President Dick Cheney passed orders which never made it to the fighter pilots
Vice President Dick Cheney shared inside details of the 9/11 in his best selling autobiography. He shared that he had made specific orders to take down any commercial plane which was thought to have been hijacked after the attack on the Twin Towers. However, due to all the chaos surrounding the attacks, his orders never made it to the fighter pilots and no such action was taken.
Thousands killed due to the attack
While the exact number was never confirmed, it is estimated thar 2,977 people excluding the 19 terrorists passed away due to the 9/11 attack. It was estimated that 2753 people lost their lives that day at the World Trade Center. 343 of these people were firefighters who were trying to help others but lost their lives in the process. The number of people who died at the Pentagon were relatively less and were estimated to be 184 due to the lesser damage that was caused. Another 40 were killed in the plane crash which took place near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The formation of Ground Zero
On 15 September 2001, 4 days after the attacks on the Twin Towers, smoke continued to arise. This resulted in the site being called Ground Zero, as there was nothing left except debris and rubble from the plane crashes and fire.
Cleanup at Ground Zero
The cleanup and recovery at Ground Zero required approximately eight months and the rescue and recovery teams had to work around the clock. Moreover, the remnants of other buildings located in the WTC were also demolished during this time.
In late May, the final piece of steel was taken away ceremonially, marking the end of the cleanup process.
Immediate economical and financial impact of the attack
Soon after the 9/11 attack, the US economy took a major hit as the stock markets immediately went down with every sector being economically damaged for the time being. Insurance companies had to suffer a great deal because of all the damages that had taken place. Airlines were not doing that well either especially since 4 planes got hijacked on the very same day.
The long term impact of 9/11 on the economy
In the long run, the economy of the US did not really get affected by the terrorist attack on September 11 as according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the gross GDP of the country increased by 1.4% in the final quarter of the year 2001. This was due to the support of the federal government who did not back down after the attack.
Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda’s Role in 9/11
Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, is seen as the key figure behind the 9/11 attacks, while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed served as the operational planner.
Khalid is responsible for coming up with the idea to use hijacked planes as weapons to strike the United States. Al-Qaeda backed this plan by providing the people, money, and support needed to execute the operation. Mohammed Atta was then chosen to lead the operation, and along with 18 other terrorists, most of whom were from Saudi Arabia, moved to the US. Some of these terrorists even got trained to fly planes.
All of these 19 hijackers died during the attacks. Moreover, the US forces killed Bin Laden in 2011, and they caught Mohammed in 2003.
Capture of Osama Bin Laden
US intelligence found one of Osama bin Laden’s close couriers’s name around 2007, suspecting this person might be helping to hide or support the terrorist.
The analysts successfully traced this courier to a huge, heavily guarded compound located in Abbottabad, about 35 miles north of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
On May 2, 2011, the US Special Forces carried out a raid on the compound in Abbottabad, where they successfully killed Bin Laden, who had been the most wanted terrorist worldwide. The entire operation took just 40 minutes, with Bin Laden being located and killed within nine minutes by the SEAL Team Six.
Health Impact
The Twin Towers destruction led to the surrounding area, one of the most crowded places on Earth, becoming covered in rubble, ash, and toxic particles. The Ground Zero and the 7 World Trade Center’s fires exposed many first responders to harmful, cancer-causing smoke. This led to them experiencing various health problems that mainly affected their breathing. The most common issues were grouped and called the “WTC Cough Syndrome,” a chronic sinus infection with asthma- or bronchitis-like symptoms that was often made worse by acid reflux disease.
As time went on, people living, working, and studying in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan started reporting various physical and mental health issues. It’s estimated that approximately 400,000 people suffered from exposure to toxic products, physical injury risks, and emotionally and physically challenging conditions due to the 9/11 attacks.
The Creation of the Zadroga Act
President Barack Obama greenlit the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in 2010. This law was created to fill gaps in care for those affected by the 9/11 attacks. It’s named after James Zadroga, a New York City police detective who spent over 450 hours working at Ground Zero. Sadly, he developed black lung disease and passed away in 2006 at just 34 years old.
The Zadroga Act established the World Trade Center Health Program, run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to provide treatment and monitoring for the survivors. By 2023, more than 5,700 people in the program had died from illnesses related to 9/11. This number was far greater than the nearly 3,000 who died in the attacks themselves.
New Security Measures Developed by the US
After 9/11, no major foreign terrorist attacks happened on US soil as several new security efforts were put in place. The US created important new agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, the National Counterterrorism Center and the Directorate of National Intelligence. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies also received significantly more resources to help prevent future threats.
Moreover, the United States introduced new security measures to rebuild trust in air travel. It also developed advanced military and intelligence tools to stop many plots and locate terrorist leaders, including Osama bin Laden, in 2011. US military and intelligence agencies also formed and strengthened counterterrorism partnerships around the world, and this led them to achieve much more through collaboration than they could have alone.
Anthrax Letters
Just a week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, unknown letters that were laced with poisonous anthrax spores started showing up at congressional offices and media companies. These letters were even sent to Senators Patrick Leahy and Tom Daschle and resulted in the death of five people. Additionally, a total of 17 other people got infected.
On August 6, 2008, federal prosecutors named Bruce Ivins as the only person responsible, based on DNA evidence that linked him to an anthrax vial in his lab. The FBI officially closed the case on February 19, 2010.
9/11 Memorial and Museum
In order to honor the brave lives that were lost that day and in the coming days, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum was opened in the World Trade Center in New York. The museum also tells the story of the events that took place that day through artifacts and media.
Flight 93 memorial
Forty passengers were on board on Flight 93 on September 11. The plane had been hijacked and was going to attack the US Capitol but was unable to due to the passengers trying to take back the control of the plane and crashing it in a field. Today, that field is called the Flight 93 memorial for visitors to visit and admire the strong souls that played a part in saving the US Capitol from attack.
The effect of 9/11 on Muslims
Muslims were among the many people who suffered in the 9/11 attacks, which were carried out by hijackers from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The aftermath of 9/11 brought physical attacks, emotional harm, and discrimination towards Muslims. This created a harmful environment for American Muslims. While most Americans did not believe that Islam itself was bad, there were enough voices spreading hatred, misinformation, and misunderstandings to create a strong message: Muslims were not to be trusted. This led to widespread unease and changes in the lives of many American Muslims.
The Pentagon is up and running
After almost one year of the attack, the Pentagon was up and running on August 15, 2002. The parts of the building that had been demolished were rebuild and occupied once again.
Larry Silverstein gets a huge payout
Owing to the destruction of buildings 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the World Trade Center, Larry Silverstein filed for insurance. He managed to get a $4.55 billion insurance payout.
The Military is always monitoring the US skies
Since the 9/11 attack, the US has become more vigilant. The military has an eye on the US skies day and night along with the FAA to make sure that such an event never repeats. Previously, the country’s air defence system would keep an eye on the skies to protect it from any attack from the outside but now, they keep an eye on every plane. The 9/11 was an eye-opener for the US air defence teaching them that the attack could take place from within the country as well.
