NEW YORK: 12th anniversary of Nine Eleven attacked, as memorial ceremonies will be held in different cities including the one at Ground Zero in New York.
Nine Eleven in the year 2001 was the black day in the US history when almost 3,000 people were killed in the gory attacks at the Pentagon, the World Trade Center and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
September 11 attacks/Nine eleven attack:
The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th, or 9/11]) were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks launched by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda upon the United States in New York City and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
Four passenger airliners were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists so they could be flown into buildings in suicide attacks. Two of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. Within two hours, both towers collapsed with debris and the resulting fires causing partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the WTC complex, as well as major damage to ten other large surrounding structures. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon (the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense), leading to a partial collapse in its western side. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was targeted at Washington, D.C.,[2] but crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after its passengers tried to overcome the hijackers. In total, almost 3,000 people died in the attacks, including the 227 civilians and 19 hijackers aboard the four planes. It also was the deadliest incident for firefighters in the history of the United States.
Suspicion quickly fell on al-Qaeda. Although the group’s leader, Osama bin Laden, initially denied any involvement, in 2004 he claimed responsibility for the attacks.[1] Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives for the attacks. The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, which had harbored al-Qaeda. Many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. Having evaded capture for years, bin Laden was located and killed by U.S. forces in May 2011.
The destruction of the Twin Towers and other properties caused serious damage to the economy of Lower Manhattan and had a significant effect on global markets. Cleanup of the World Trade Center site was completed in May 2002, and the Pentagon was repaired within a year. Numerous memorials have been constructed, including the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, the Pentagon Memorial, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. After a lengthy delay, the 1,776-foot-tall (541 m) One World Trade Center was completed at the World Trade Center site in New York City in 2013.
Access to the area surrounding the World Trade Center will be limited Wednesday for the annual commemoration of the 9/11 attacks. US high officials and the bereaved families will attend the ceremony.
The event at the National September 11 Memorial plaza for the family members of the nearly 3,000 victims will begin at 8:46 a.m. with a moment of silence in recognition of the moment when the first airplane struck the North Tower. The ceremony will conclude at 12:30 p.m.
White House also will observe a moment of silence today. US President Barack Obama also will attend a special ceremony to be held in Pentagon.
