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World Trade
Center, Large Part of Pentagon Destroyed in Terrorist Attack Persons missing in Trade Center rubble tops 5,000 126 dead at Pentagon - could rise to 190 | |
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On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, both towers of New York's World Trade Center and a large section of the Pentagon in Washington, DC were destroyed in coordinated attacks launched by as yet unknown terrorists. Latest updates and details on this horrific event and the United State's response to it will be posted here. [For Special Team Coverage, see: World Trade Center Destroyed: America Under Attack] Chronology: All time shown below are approximate Eastern Daylight Times at which the events took place or were reported by the news media quoted. Friday,
September 14, 2001 Also today: Two people believed to have "a history of hijacking" on board a Carnival Cruise Line ship off the coast of Florida were detained by the US Coast Guard.
8:57 am - Interviewed by CNN, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Delaware), confirmed that all persons who had been detained yesterday evening at John F. Kennedy airport had been cleared of involvement in Tuesday's attacks and released from custody. According to Sen. Biden, the incident had been a case of mistaken identity. 4:50 am - Reuters reported that as many as three people were removed from a Los Angeles-bound flight preparing to take off from New York's John F. Kennedy airport by "police in combat gear" late Thursday evening. [See: Police Stormed New York Plane - Witnesses (Reuters)] [Also see: Armed Groups Caught Boarding N.Y. Flights (Washington Post)] 4:00 am - The Defense Department (DoD) reported that both flight recorders from the aircraft that hit the Pentagon had been recovered. In addition, DoD was reported being prepared to call up as many as 50,000 reservists for purposes of "homeland defense." Thursday,
September 13, 2001
Also today: All of over 5,700 employees of federal government agencies housed in the World Trade Center complex were reported safe and accounted for. Employees were evacuated shortly after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the south tower. For details on agencies involved, see: New York agencies regroup after loss of offices (GovExec.com)
11:54 pm - CNN reported that yet another hijacking might have been averted late Thursday afternoon as at least eight people were arrested at New York's Kennedy and LaGuardia airports. Four of those arrested had been challenged while attempting to board a plane at one of the airports on Tuesday, the day of the attacks. One of the men carried false identification and a false pilot's license. Both airports were closed as a result of the incident. [See: 8 arrested at two NYC airports in security crackdown (CNN)] 6:00 pm - Searchers reported that the flight data recorder from United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757, that crashed near Pittsburgh on Tuesday had been found. 5:00 pm - The White House and Capitol building were evacuated after what officials described as a "credible" bomb threat was received. No bomb was found and the White House and Capitol Building were cleared for occupancy by 6:15 pm EDT. [See: Bomb threat forces temporary evacuation of U.S. Capitol (CNN)] 5:00 pm - CNN reported that the network's 1:10 pm story of five firefighters being rescued alive was not true. Fire officials explained that the firefighters who were rescued had fallen down a pile of debris earlier today. 4:30 pm - CNN reported that LaGuardia, JFK and Newark, New York airports were closed after one person carrying a false pilot's license and false identification was arrested at Kennedy. Another seven people were detained and later arrested, including four men who had been seen at a New York airport on Tuesday, the day of the attack. 2:40 pm - CNN reported that rescue efforts at the World Trade Center site were temporarily suspended as fears developed that the 51-story Three World Financial Center, housing American Express, was in danger of collapsing. Rescue efforts were resumed about an hour later. 2:35 pm - Secretary of State Colin Powell confirmed for the first time that Osama bin Laden, believed to be living in Afghanistan and possibly being protected by Afghanistan's Taliban government was a suspect in Tuesday's terrorist attacks. [See: Powell Confirms bin Laden One Suspect in Attacks (Reuters)] 1:10 pm - CNN reported that five firefighters were found alive in the rubble of the fallen World Trade Center towers. According to CNN, the firefighters had been trapped in an SUV. 12:50 pm - A second debris field was found some six miles away from the western Pennsylvania crash site of United Airlines Flight 93. Evidence came to light yesterday that passengers aboard the Boeing 757 may have struggled with the hijackers before it crashed. [See: Debris found six miles from Pennsylvania crash (CNN)] and [Pittsburgh & the Attack on America (About)] 11:00 am - President Bush held a brief press conference at which he referred to Tuesday's attack as, "the first war of the 21st century." "It's a different kind of war," stated the president. "This enemy likes to hide." Declaring the world united in a fight against terrorism, the president concluded that the United States would, "lead the world to victory." [See: Bush: U.S. Fighting New Kind of War but Will Win (Reuters)] 10:35 am - Secretary of Transportation Mineta officially announced the reopening of U.S. airspace to commercial and private aviation. Mineta stated that airports would be allowed to open only after they proved capable of enforcing new security measures announced on Wednesday. [Secretary Mineta's Statement] 10:00 am - New York Mayor Giuliani held a press conference at which he reported 94 bodies had so far been recovered from the World Trade Center site, with 46 of those bodies having been fully identified. The list of persons reported as missing currently stood at 4,763, including persons aboard the two aircraft, according the mayor. [New York City government] 8:30 am - CNN news reported that structural engineers had declared the One Liberty Plaza Building free of major structural damage and safe from collapse. The building had been reported as near collapse on Wednesday. One Liberty Plaza houses the offices of the NASDAQ stock exchange. 8:00 am - CNN news reported that the Department of Transportation was prepared to announce that all U.S. air space would be reopened to commercial and private aviation effective around 11:00 am EDT today. 7:00 am - A preliminary death toll in the World Trade Center attack was set at 82, according to a Reuters report. New York City recovery officials reported ordering 6,000 extra body bags from FEMA. The total number of people thought to have been in the towers at the time of the attack was estimated at 40,000. [See: Hope Fades for Survivors in New York Attack (Reuters)] 7:00 am - CNN reported that passengers on board United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in rural Pennsylvania voted to attack terrorists who had taken over the plane. [See: Passengers voted to attack hijackers (CNN)] 3:09 am - Reuters reported that the FBI had identified 50 people involved in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon: [See: Report: FBI Identifies 50-Strong Team of Attackers (Reuters)] Previous Days:
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