1979- Soviet forces invade Afghanistan. The
national, communist government has been under threat of civil war and open rebellion after
taking extremely harsh measures against political opponents, religious figures, and intellectual
elites. The Khalq faction had been attempting to completely reform Afghanistan as quickly as
possible, discarding old Islamic traditions and angering powerful landowners with the
cancellation of farmer's debts. However, it was the assault on traditional Islamic
values that triggered an open revolt, and the Soviets feared what might happen
if the pro-communist government collapsed. Osama Bin Laden, the son of wealthy
Saudi Arabian elites, heads for the country to fight against the Communist
invaders. He sees the war as a holy one, pitting faithful Muslims against the atheist
Communists. Bin Laden proved adept at organizing various mujahideen groups and was instrumental
in resisting Soviet occupation forces. The United States and various partners funnel
money and weapons into Afghanistan via Pakistan. However, despite concern by various military
and political figures, there is little to no oversight of where financial and military aid
goes, with little thought given to what group might be left in power after the end of the
war, and how they might view the United States and its allies if they won. While there has never
been evidence of direct aid to Bin Laden and his extremist fighters, accountability is so low
that it's impossible to rule the possibility out. And it seems the US looked favorably
upon the up-and-coming international pariah, with papers allegedly writing very positive
articles about him during this time. 1988- Bin Laden and other Afghan and Arab
leaders come to loggerheads over the role of Arabs within the resistance movement.
Abdullah Azzam, head of Maktab al-Khidamat, later known as the Afghan Service Bureau, insists
that Arab volunteers be integrated into Afghan militias. Bin Laden disagrees, and wishes to keep
his Arab fighters separate from Afghan nationals. He also wishes to pursue a more military role.
The split leads to the creation of al-Qaeda, with the goal of quote- lifting the word
of God, to make his religion victorious. Al Qaeda remains a secret for now, and
it's believed that it was officially formed after a meeting of senior leaders from the
Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Abdullah Azzam himself, and Bin Laden. It's agreed that the
group will pair Bin Laden's financial wealth with the skill and expertise of the
Egyptian Islamic Jihadists to continue a global jihad after the defeat of
the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. 1989- The Soviets withdraw from Afghanistan,
prompting Bin Laden to return home to Saudi Arabia as a jihadist hero. He enjoys great
influence and fame, and continues working for his family's construction business while
leading opposition to the Saudi monarchy. Bin Laden attempts to use his al-Qaeda fighters to
overthrow the pro-Soviet Yemeni Socialist Party in South Yemen but is stopped by the Saudi
government. He also tries to prevent Yemen from unifying by assassinating political leaders
in the YSP, but is once again stopped by Saudi leadership. This only deepens the wedge
between the Saudi monarchy and Bin Laden. Back in Afghanistan, Bin Laden's hope for a
unified Afghanistan is slowly disintegrating as internal fighting amongst various Afghan
factions heats up. In March of that year, he leads 800 Arab fighters in the Battle of
Jalalabad, during which the Afghan interim government sought to overthrow the Soviet-backed
national government. Bin Laden's poor leadership however leads to the death of many of his own
men and failure to secure strategic objectives. 1990- Bin Laden finds an unlikely partner in
General Shahnawaz Tanai, a hardcore communist who wishes to overthrow the Afghan government led
by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, whom Bin Laden disagrees with ideologically. Bin Laden agrees to
fund the coup attempt by bribing many Afghan army officials, but the coup ultimately fails. Instead,
he turns to the Pakistani government and requests that they file a motion of no confidence against
Bhutto's government, to which they disagree. Later that year, Saddam Hussein invaded
Kuwait. This is a direct risk to Saudi Arabia, as the nation is ill-prepared to defend itself
from Iraqi belligerence. Saddam Hussein is looking to rebuild his country economically
after a disastrous war with Iran, and Saudi Arabia is the next logical stepping stone to
that goal. With its abundant and developed oil fields and weak national military, the Saudi
monarchy feared that it was next in line. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia meets with
US Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, who offers direct US military assistance in
exchange for more influence in the region. King Fahd agrees, prompting Bin Laden to seek a
meeting of his own with the monarch along with the Saudi Defense Minister. Bin Laden requests
that the king reject American military aid, seeing it as an affront to Islamic religious and
cultural values. Instead, he offers to defend Saudi Arabia with his Arab legion. King Fahd
presses Bin Laden, asking him how he would defend Saudi Arabia from Iraq's chemical and biological
arsenal. Bin Laden responds that they will use faith to defend themselves. King Fahd instead
opts to take the Americans up on their offer. Bin Laden immediately voices opposition to the
pending arrival of American troops. He denounces the Saudi government and claims that the Quran
prohibits non-Muslims from setting foot on the Arabian penninsula. Islam's holiest shrines, Mecca
and Medina, should be defended only by faithful Muslims, not foreign infidels. Bin Laden pressures
Saudi Islamic leaders to issue a fatwa a against the government's decision to allow US forces
to deploy on their soil, but they refuse. On the other side of the world, on 8th November
1990, FBI agents raid the home of El Sayyid Nosair in New Jersey. He is directly linked to
al-Qaeda, and the raid reveals vast amounts of evidence detailing planning and preparation for
terrorist attacks against American targets. This was the first discovered terrorist plot
of al-Qaeda outside of the Arab world. 1991- Bin Laden's continued denouncement of
the Saudi government leads to him being placed on house arrest. When this fails to deter
him, he is finally exiled from his home. At this point, Bin Laden is officially under US
surveillance, which utilizes local operatives, telephone intercepts, and collaborators
to monitor Bin Laden's movements. Bin Laden moves to Afghanistan under exile. 1992- Bin Laden relocates to Sudan, where he
starts up a variety of legal businesses including a tannery, two farms, and a road construction
company. The Sudanese government, in a show of Islamic solidarity, allows Muslims to immigrate
into the country without a visa. Thousands of former mujahideen take the opportunity,
opening the door for Bin Laden to move many of his forces to Sudan. He even pays for 480 veteran
fighters to move from Afghanistan to Sudan after Saudi Arabia pressures Pakistan to remove the
mujahideen from its shared border with Pakistan. Bin Laden's economic investments in Sudan
earns him many further supporters within the Sudanese people. Bin Laden sinks large
amounts of money into infrastructure, agriculture, and various businesses, and
even works as an official agent in Sudan for the British firm Hunting Surveys. Bin
Laden hires many of his old fighters to build roads in Sudan, and is generous
with the poor people of his new home. The United States government has
followed Bin Laden's move to Sudan but refused to allow intelligence
agents to act inside the country. This is a move that will come
to haunt the United States. Later that year, on December 29th, a bomb explodes
in a hotel in Aden, Yemen, where US troops had recently been staying. The Americans were on
their way to a humanitarian mission in Somalia, and were no longer present when the bomb
detonated. Two Austrian tourists are killed, and two Yemeni Muslim militants caught in the
blast are arrested for the attack. US intelligence will later allege that this is the first
terrorist attack directly sponsored by Bin Laden. 1993- On February 26th, a massive
explosion rocked the parking garage under the World Trade Center. The blast
came from a truck packed with explosives, and was meant to send a message as the buildings
were seen as a symbol of American greed and corruption. The blast creates a massive crater
and kills six people, injuring up to a thousand. FBI investigators find a piece of
vehicle wreckage that is so damaged, it indicates it must have been either the source
of the explosion or very close to it. From the wreckage they pull a vehicle identification
number, which they trace to a rented van reported stolen the day before. Islamic fundamentalist
Mohammad Salameh had rented the vehicle, and on March 4th he is arrested by FBI Swat
when he attempts to get his $400 deposit back. The ongoing investigation reveals direct links
to Bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Three more suspects are arrested: Nidal Ayyad, Mahmoud Abouhalima, and
Ahmed Ajaj. Investigators also discover a storage locker loaded with dangerous chemicals, and enough
cyanide gas to kills thousands of people. Plots to destroy various other landmarks, including the UN
building, the Holland and Lincoln tunnels, and the Federal Plaza in New York are also uncovered. The
leader of the attack, Ramzi Yousef, remains on the run, and plans to simultaneously bomb a dozen US
international flights are discovered and foiled. 1994- Following an intelligence trail
started from the 1993 investigation of the World Trade Center bombing, FBI
agents storm a warehouse in New York, catching several al-Qaeda connected terrorists as
they are assembling various bombs. Meanwhile, US intelligence believes that Bin Laden is financing
three terrorist training camps in North Sudan. Due to Bin Laden's continued opposition
to the Saudi monarchy and support for extremist movements, the government revokes Bin
Laden's Saudi citizenship and freezes his assets inside Saudi Arabia. King Fahd also pressures
his family to cut off his $7 million-a-year stipend. The United States declares Sudan
an official sponsor of terrorism. As the Islamist political leader Hassan al-Turabi loses
influence though, support for Bin Laden in the country wavers and Sudan seeks closer ties with
the US- which it will refuse to grant until 2000. 1995 Ramzi Yousef, leader of the 1993 World Trade
Center bombing plot, is captured by US operatives in Pakistan. In Sudan, growing discomfort over Bin
Laden's extremism and a failed plot to assassinate the Egyptian president by an al-Qaeda backed
group leads to secret talks between the Sudanese and the Saudis. The Sudanese wish to expel Bin
Laden, but the Saudis refuse to accept him back. At the same time, CIA officer Billy Waugh
tracks down Bin Laden inside of Sudan. He plans an operation to seize Bin Laden
and extradite him to the United States, but is not granted authorization- the
United States still lacks solid evidence linking Bin Laden to various terror
attacks, meaning he does not have a legal basis for prosecution. There is still no
indictment against Bin Laden in any country. Bin Laden meanwhile is growing restless in
Sudan, fearing his life is in danger. He's already avoided one assassination attempt which
he believes was planned by either the Egyptians or the Saudis, likely financed by the CIA.
He has recently penned an open letter to King Fahd in Saudi Arabia, calling for a guerilla
campaign to remove US troops from Saudi soil. As the Americans are there by invitation,
King Fahd naturally dismisses the letter. A bombing of a Saudi National Guard training
center in Riyadh leads to the deaths of five Americans and two Indian nationals. Bin Laden
denies involvement but praises the attack. When the perpetrators are later discovered,
they admit to having been influenced by Bin Laden- though this confession was under heavy
coercion, it's not unrealistic to expect that the attack against the US-operated center was
not heavily influenced by Bin Laden's virulent anti-US propaganda. The men are executed
by beheading in Riyadh's main square. 1996- Under international pressure from both the
United States and Saudi Arabia, Sudan officially expels Bin Laden. Sudan wishes to grow closer ties
to the United States, and hopes the move will open up diplomatic channels long blocked by a history
of hostilities. Bin Laden is allowed to choose his destination as long as the country is willing
to accept him, and he moves to Afghanistan. Bin Laden is forced to liquidate all of
his businesses and equipment in Sudan, losing between $20 million and $300 million
in total. African intelligence sources will later claim that the expulsion gave Bin Laden
no choice but to turn to terrorism full-time, an assertion that western intelligence quickly
dismissed. Bin Laden arrives in Jalalabad with 300 Afghan Arabs, who join him as part of his
burgeoning terror network. In Afghanistan, Bin Laden forms close ties with the founder
of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar. This relationship will be instrumental in
the growth of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. President Bill Clinton meanwhile signs a
secret order that will officially launch America's war against the al-Qaeda terror
network. There is still no solid evidence linking Bin Laden directly to al-Qaeda's
various terror attacks, but President Clinton's order authorizes the CIA to use any
means necessary to destroy his terror network. Shortly after the CIA receives secret
authorization to pursue al-Qaeda and destroy it, on June 25th a large truck packed with explosives
parks next to Building #131 of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. The facility is being used
as living quarters for US and coalition partners assigned to Operation Southern Watch,
a no-fly zone operation instituted against Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein from launching
further attacks against minority groups. Building #131 houses members of the US Air Force's
4404th Wing, pilots and support personnel from a deployed rescue and fighter squadron. 19
American airmen are killed and almost 500 coalition partners and civilians are wounded.
Initially, al-Qaeda was blamed for the attack, but later it'll be discovered that a
Saudi Shiite group was responsible, with funding from Iran. Iran will be ordered
to pay over $800 million in restitution to the victims by the United States in 2020. However,
initial suspicion is that Bin Laden helped plot the attack, turning the heat up on the man
quickly becoming America's enemy number one. In order to bolster the legal case against Bin
Laden and authorize his capture or elimination, the United States assembles a grand jury in secret
to begin a formal criminal investigation against Bin Laden. That same month, Bin Laden issues a
Declaration of Jihad via a London-based newspaper, in which he outlines al-Qaeda's goals: drive
US and partner non-arab forces from the Arabian Penninsula, overthrow the Saudi monarchy, liberate
Muslim holy sites across arab lands, and support Islamic revolutionary efforts both at home and as
far abroad as the Philippines. Bin Laden implores Saudi citizens to strike at the Americans
currently in the Persian Gulf. Interestingly, though, the fatwa against America is focused
on its military forces and political leaders, Bin Laden does not publicly advocate
for the targeting of American civilians. Three months later, Bin Laden is interviewed for
a British documentary. He uses the opportunity to address the United States directly.
Bin Laden promises that if the United States and its Western allies do not
remove themselves from the Middle East, he will wage an Islamic holy war against
them. Bin Laden punctuates his threats by touting his success in the jihad against
Soviet occupation forces in Afghanistan. 1997- CNN airs an interview with Bin Laden,
where he accuses the United States of turning Saudi Arabia into an American colony. President
George Bush Sr. had promised the Saudi monarchy that US forces would leave Saudi Arabia
once Iraq had been neutralized. However, by choosing to leave Saddam in power, the United
States must act to contain his aggression against minority populations in Iraq. Saudi Arabia
continues to grant the United States permission to remain within its kingdom, prompting Bin
Laden to once again call for the removal of the monarchy whom he has seen as abdicating their
duty as Muslims and becoming American puppets. In July, rumors circulate that the United
States has financed a multinational mercenary force numbering as many as 1,000. Its goal
is either the arrest or killing of Bin Laden, and witnesses claim to have seen 11
black Land Cruisers and 2 helicopters crossing into the Afghan city of Khost. These
allegations remain rumors and unsubstantiated. Meanwhile, Bin Laden is using his deepening
relationship with the Taliban government to expand al-Qaeda's footprint in Afghanistan.
Cut off from much of his fortune, Bin Laden raises money from friendly sources who once
financed Afghanistan's efforts against the Soviet occupation. Pakistan's intelligence services
also help finance Bin Laden's growing network of training camps for mujahideen fighters,
many of which are immediately radicalized. To move personnel and equipment around, Bin
Laden takes over Ariana Afghan Airlines, a national Afghan airline. He utilizes the
private airline to ferry Islamic militants, weapons, cash, and opium from the United
Arab Emirates to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ever the opportunist, Bin Laden reaches out
to international arms smuggler Viktor Bout, a former Soviet translator who quickly became
one of the biggest arms smugglers in the world. Bout helps Bin Laden operate his airline, which
the CIA describes as a “terrorist taxi service.” 1998- Libya issues the first interpol arrest
warrant for Bin Laden, along with three of his associates. Libya is charging Bin
Laden in the death of Silvan Becker, a German intelligence agent working in
counter-terrorism, along with his wife while in Libya on March 10th, 1994. Soon
after, the secret grand jury appointed by the United States indicts Bin Laden on
charges of conspiracy to attack defense utilities in the United States. The indictment
also names Bin Laden as the head of al-Qaeda, and alleges that he is a major financial
backer for islamic extremists worldwide. Bin Laden issues the first fatwa calling
for the killing of American civilians. It’s delivered via joint declaration
with the Islamic Group, Al Jihad, the Jihad Movement in Bangladesh,
and the Jamaat ul Ulema e Pakistan, who join together under the banner of the World
Islamic Front. Bin Laden's proclamation calling for the killing of US civilians breaks from Sunni
tradition, forbidding the targeting of civilians. Acting off intelligence investigating the
growing presence of Islamic extremists in the Yugoslav war, a joint US-Albanian raid results
in the arrest of two men believed to be employed directly by Bin Laden. The CIA retrieves many
documents and computer gear. Subsequently, US and Albanian forces conduct another raid two
weeks later, this time arresting two Egyptian nationals believed to be linked to Bin Laden. The
men are handed over to Egyptian counterterrorism officials. The Egyptian people were outraged
a year earlier during the Luxor massacre, when terrorists killed two armed guards
at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut and trapped 58 foreign tourists. They then used
machetes to kill and mutilate the civilians before finally being caught. It's believed Bin
Laden helped influence or finance the attack. An Egyptian Jihad group sends
the United States a warning, claiming they will soon deliver a message
which quote- we hope they read with care, because we will write it, with God's
help, in a language they will understand. President Bill Clinton's closest advisors convene
to meet with the president. They warn President Clinton that Bin Laden is actively seeking to
gain access to weapons of mass destruction and chemical weapons, with American military and
civilian targets as the final goal. There is significant concern over the weak state of
Russian and Pakistani nuclear security- years later after the invasion of Afghanistan by
the United States, it'll be discovered that the Pakistani nuclear security service has been
deeply penetrated by terrorist sympathizers. Explosions rock the American embassies in Kenya
and Tanzania. The attack in Kenya kills 213, 12 of which are Americans, while
injuring over 4500. The bomb in Tanzania kills 11 and injures 85, but
no Americans die. Two weeks later, the United States launches a massive cruise
missile attack against al-Qaeda linked terrorist training camps in Afghanistan as retaliation.
The attack misses Bin Laden by a few hours. America also targets a pharmaceutical plant in
Khartoum, Sudan. The US believes that the plant is being used to produce chemical weapons for
Bin Laden, but the claim remains unsubstantiated. Later, the US admitted that it had no hard
evidence Bin Laden was linked to the plant, though later financial documents would
show Bin Laden was engaged in business with the Military Industrial Corporation-
a company run by the Sudanese government. An Arabic newspaper claims that
Bin Laden has successfully acquired nuclear weapons from former Soviet
Central Asian republics. However, the claims are completely unsubstantiated,
and Western intelligence is very skeptical. In November, Bin Laden is indicted by a federal
grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on charges
of murder of US nationals outside of the United States, conspiracy to murder US nationals
outside the United States, and attacks on a federal facility resulting in death.
The United States presents the Taliban government with evidence ranging from testimony
from former al-Qaeda members and satellite phone records showing Bin Laden was in contact with
the perpetrators of the bombings. However, the Taliban decides not to extradite
Bin Laden, citing that the US does not have enough evidence and further, that
a non-Muslim court cannot try Muslims. 1999- The US Attorney's office files the
most complete indictment to date against Bin Laden and 11 others. The indictment
specifically names al-Qaeda as a tool of Bin Laden's terror network, and charges it
with conspiracy to murder American citizens. The CIA along with Pakistani military intelligence
assemble a team of 60 Pakistani commandos with the goal of infiltrating Afghanistan and
capturing or killing Bin Laden. However, the plan is aborted due to a coup d’eat
launched by the Pakistani military, which succeeds in ousting the president
and installing a military government. Meanwhile, the CIA finances various
groups inside of Afghanistan, charging them with killing or capturing Bin
Laden. However, so far they have had no success, but the pressure has limited Bin Laden's ability
to freely travel within or outside of Afghanistan. 2000- A group of foreign fighters, hired by
the CIA, launches an RPG at a vehicle convoy housing Bin Laden. The RPG misses the vehicle
Bin Laden is riding in and he makes his escape. There is serious concern amongst US intelligence
that Bin Laden is planning a major operation against the United States, but leads are proving
difficult to find or follow. Unbeknownst to US intelligence, al-Qaeda operatives have
already infiltrated the United States and begun preparing for the attack on the World
Trade Center, scheduled for September 11th, 2001. The attack aims to exploit huge
vulnerabilities in US airline security, and be launched in unison in order
to gain the element of surprise. September 11th, 2001- 5:45 AM- Hijackers Mohamed Atta and Abdul Aziz
al-Omari pass through the security checkpoint at Portland International Jetport in Maine.
The two board a commuter flight to Boston Logan International Airport, from which they
will board American Airlines Flight 11. Three other conspirators will join them in Boston
before boarding their flight. Of the group, three of the men are flagged by the FAA's
computer passenger screening system, alerting airport screeners to conduct more
thorough checks. However, FAA procedures call for the men's luggage to be screened for
explosives, of which none are discovered. 7:30 AM (approximate)- Five hijackers who will
board American Airlines Flight 77 pass through the west security checkpoint at Washington
Dulles International Airport. Three of the men, Nawaf al-Hazmi, Khalid al-Mihdar, and
Majed Moqed all set off metal detectors, but security officers are unable to find the
hidden knives the men are carrying. At the time, knives with blades shorter than 4 inches were
permissible on board American flights. All five of the hijackers of Flight 77 are also flagged
by the FAA's system for additional screening, but again, security personnel are only
tasked with screening for explosives. The men's luggage is held until they are aboard the
aircraft, and no further screening is conducted. 7:59 AM – American Airlines Flight 11 takes
off from Boston Logan International Airport, loaded with 76 passengers, five
hijackers, and 11 crew members. All four planes hijacked are loaded with fuel
for a cross-continental trip to California 8:15 AM- Flight 175 departs Boston, headed for Los Angeles. The flight
includes nine crew, 51 passengers, and five hijackers. The plane is loaded with
76,000 pounds of fuel and departs 14 minutes late. Simultaneously, aboard Flight 11,
the hijackers enact their plot, taking control of the aircraft and turning it
northwest, then changing course south directly towards New York City. The men use pepper spray
and knives to subdue the crew and passengers. 8:19 AM- Aboard Flight 11, the first casualty of
the 9/11 attacks is a man by the name of Daniel M. Lewin. He had served four years with the Israeli
army, and it's believed that he attempted to stop the hijacking. One of the hijackers however is
seated directly behind him and fatally stabs him. Flight attendant Betty Ann Ong aboard
Flight 11 contacts American Airlines via an inflight phone and alerts them
to the hijacking. She informs ground personnel that she can't contact the
cockpit, later it will be presumed that both pilots were killed. Ong remains on the
phone with ground personnel for 25 minutes. 8:20 AM- American Airlines Flight 77, flying
from Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles takes off. It’s carrying six crew
members, 53 passengers, and five hijackers (https://timeline.911memorial.org/#Timeline/2/ImageEntry/529/null). 8:21 AM- Flight 11's hijackers turn off the
plane's transponders. American Airlines is already contacting its operations center in
Texas and making contact with federal officials. 8:24 AM- Aboard Flight 11, hijacker
Mohamed Atta accidentally presses the wrong button and instead of broadcasting a
message to the passengers aboard the plane, broadcasts directly to air traffic control
and nearby aircraft. The message further alerts personnel on the ground to the ongoing
attack. Pilot of Flight 175, Victor J. Saracini, picks up the transmission and informs the FAA-
unaware that soon his plane too will be hijacked. 8:30 AM- World Trade Center staff, employees,
and visitors have begun to arrive in numbers. Hundreds of personnel are preparing for the
pending work day. The massive complex includes the famous Twin Towers, hubs of finance,
along with a hotel, four office buildings, a shopping mall, restaurants, a public
plaza, and major transportation hub. The planned activities for the day include a Risk
Waters Group financial technology conference, a National Association for Business
Economics conference, an evening dance performance in the outdoor plaza, and a Peace
Corps information session scheduled for 6 pm. 8:32 AM – Flight attendant Madeline Amy Sweeney
aboard Flight 11 has been attempting to contact personnel on the ground unsuccessfully when
she finally makes contact with a friend, a manager at Boston Logan International Airport.
For the next 12 minutes, she relays key details on the hijacking to ground personnel,
including a description of the attackers. 8:37 AM- After picking up
Mohamed Atta's transmission, Boston's air traffic control contacts the US Air
Force's NorthEastern Air Defense Sector in Rome, New York. The Air Force quickly mobilizes Air
National Guard jets at Ottis Air Force Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and tasks them
with locating and then following Flight 11. 8:42 AM- Flight 93 experiences a major delay
and takes off much later than anticipated by the hijackers. The flight is headed for San
Francisco, and was supposed to take off at the same time as the other planes in order to
prevent anyone from getting wind of the plot. The delay will directly lead to the failure of
Flight 93's hijackers. As it climbs into the sky, Flight 93 is carrying seven crew,
33 passengers, and four hijackers. Simultaneously, Flight 175 is hijacked above
northwest New Jersey, 60 miles northwest of New York City. The plane turns southwest
briefly before turning back northeast. Flight 11 is already descending into New York. 8:46 AM- Flight 11 is piloted straight into
the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The plane hits the tower across floors 93 and 99,
instantly killing all aboard the aircraft along with hundreds inside of the tower. The impact
also severs all three emergency stairwells, trapping hundreds more above the impact
site. Many of those people will have no choice but to jump to their deaths to avoid
the flames that begin to consume the tower. Lower Manhattan resident
Susanna Kopchains captures the aftermath of the crash on home video tape An emergency response is immediately launched,
though the responders believe this to be a freak accident and are unaware that it is
a planned attack, and a second plane will soon be arriving. Witnessing the crash from
14 blocks north of the World Trade Center, Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer directs
the New York City Fire Department to issue a second alarm. Minutes later, while en
route to the scene, he orders a third alarm, mobilizing 23 engine and ladder companies, 12
chiefs, and 10 specialized units to all respond. The Port Authority Police Department
mobilizes, and calls on units from other posts to respond to the World Trade Center
to begin evacuation and rescue efforts. 8:50 AM- US President George W. Bush is visiting
an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida, when he's alerted that a plane has hit the North
Tower. He is assured that it was an accident 8:51 AM- Flight 77 is
hijacked above southern Ohio, turning southeast. The transponder is turned off. 8:55 AM- South Tower is declared
secure, and a public announcement by a Port Authority fire safety employee
reassures people that the building is safe and that anyone in the middle of evacuating
should return to their offices. The tragic announcement ensures that many more
victims will become trapped later. George Mironis, who is an office
manager for Dai Ichi Kangyo bank, takes a photo of the debris raining down
from above him and falling past his window on the 48th floor of the North Tower. He then
evacuates successfully down the stairwell. On the 35th floor of the South Tower, Port
Authority employee David Bobbitt takes this photo of the World Trade Center Plaza as debris
from the North Tower rains down from above 8:59 AM- The Port Authority Police
Department orders the evacuation of both towers. A minute later they will order the evacuation of all civilians from the
entire World Trade Center complex. In the north tower, evacuees are pouring
down the stairwells. Firefighters have cut open vending machines and are handing out water.
The injured are being brought down the stairs by volunteers and emergency personnel. Many from
the upper floors are severely burned and won't survive their injuries. One survivor would
later recall passing firefighters climbing past him on the 40th floor, awestruck at
their determination to climb as high as the 80th floor to reach survivors. He
has no idea that many of those rescue workers were climbing to their deaths
when the building ultimately collapsed. Survivors above the impact site are being
forced to make a horrible decision. They cannot be reached by emergency personnel as
the crashed plane has completely severed all stairwells to them. The burning jet fuel
and debris are reaching temperatures hot enough to melt the structure of the building
itself. They are faced with the choice of burning to death or jumping out of one of the
windows. Many choose to jump, none survive. 9:00 AM- Aboard Flight 175, passengers
Garnet Ace Bailey, Peter Burton Hanson, and Brian David Sweeney have called
family members to let them know of the hijacking. Brian David Sweeney leaves
the following voicemail for his wife. 9:02 AM- An evacuation message is broadcast
in the South Tower, though it does not make it seem as if the evacuation is mandatory.
Instead, occupants are told that if the situation warrants it, they should start an
orderly evacuation. Many opt to, others don't. 9:03 AM- United Airlines Flight 175 is flown
into the World Trade Center by its hijackers (https://timeline.911memorial.org/#Timeline/2/ImageEntry/525/null).
The plane hits the tower through floors 77 through 85, instantly killing all
passengers and an unknown number of people inside the building. Thanks to various evacuation
prompts though, the casualties are less than those on the North Tower. The impact severs all elevator
cables and two out of three stairwells. Once more, many are trapped above the impact site,
prompting more workers to jump to their deaths. It's estimated that as many as 200 people
choose to jump rather than face the raging fires. An ABC Live news chopper captures the
moment of impact from Flight 175 as it strikes the South Tower. The live footage shocks
Americans and a live audience around the world, who up until this point believed that the
North Tower crash was a freak accident. 9:05 AM- President Bush is preparing to read a
book to the assembled elementary students when an aide informs him, quote- “A second plane hit
the second tower. America is under attack.” Later, the President would state that he chose to
continue reading the book to the students in order not to alarm them. After excusing himself
from the reading lesson, the president is moved to a nearby classroom, which is converted
into a temporary communications center. 9:08 AM- The FAA bans all takeoff nationwide for
any flight going to or through New York airspace. 9:09 AM- US Air Force F-15s, initially
dispatched to locate Flight 11 are finally informed that the plane has
crashed into the World Trade Center. The planes are released from their
holding pattern over Long Island. 9:13 AM- The F-15s leave Long Island
airspace and are headed for Manhattan, with orders to engage and destroy any
aircraft that might pose a threat to civilians below. Civilian traffic is warned
not to deviate from assigned flight paths. 9:17 AM- CBS News correspondent Jim Stewart is the first to name Osama Bin Laden
as a suspect in the attacks. 9:19 AM- United 93 is currently over
central Pennsylvania. United Airlines flight dispatcher Ed Ballinger begins sending
warning text messages to all United flights, cautioning them about cockpit intrusions and
that two aircraft have already been hijacked and have collided with the World Trade Center.
However, as he is sending this message to 16 different flights, the message does not
reach United 93 for another four minutes. 9:24 AM- An occupant of the South Tower
either jumps or falls when attempting to climb down. They hit firefighter Danny Suhr, killing them both. Rescue personnel notice
that fewer people are jumping from the South Tower than the North Tower, likely due
to the early warning that they received. 9:25 AM- USAF F-15s establish an
air patrol pattern over Manhattan. 9:26 AM- The FAA grounds all
aircraft across the United States. At the same time, Flight 93's pilot, Jason Dahl, confirms receipt of the message
warning about the hijacked aircraft. 9:28 AM- Hijackers aboard Flight 93
storm the cockpit and overpower the pilots before killing them.
The struggle is overheard by flight controllers in Cleveland
as it's broadcast over the radio. 9:29 AM- President Bush makes
the first public statement on the attacks from the elementary
school he is currently visiting. 9:32 AM- Flight controllers at Dulles
International Airport make radar contact with Flight 77, observing that it is tracking
eastbound at a very high rate of speed. 9:33 AM- Reagan National Airport contacts the
Secret Service operations center at the White House and informs them that Flight 77 is heading
straight for them and not communicating with ground control. The Secret Service begins
to evacuate the White House when they are notified that the plane has changed directions and
is instead approaching Reagan National Airport. 9:35 AM- The President's motorcade heads for
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, where Air Force One is waiting. Meanwhile, Flight 93 changes course from its
filed flight path and begins to fly eastwards. At the White House, news that flight 77 had once more changed course prompts the Secret
Service to evacuate the Vice-President. 9:36 AM- Cleveland advises the FAA Command Center
it is still tracking Flight 93 and inquires if the military has launched interceptor aircraft. Air
National Guard pilots Lt. General Marc Sasseville and Heather Penney have rushed to waiting F-16s
and taken off in pursuit of Flight 93. Believing it too would be used to attack civilians on
the ground, the F-16s are in hot pursuit- but there has not been enough time to arm them.
Sasseville and Penney decide that if need be, they will physically crash their own F-16s
into the passenger jet and force it down. 9:37:46 AM- Flight 77 crashes into
the west side of the Pentagon at 530 mph (853 km/h). The section of Pentagon impacted
has recently undergone renovation and is thus, largely empty. Only 125 personnel inside
the Pentagon are killed, along with all 64 aboard the aircraft. The crash is captured
by a security camera on a nearby checkpoint. 9:39 AM- Aboard Flight 93, hijacker
Ziad Jarrah presses the wrong button and accidentally transmits a warning to
the passengers to remain seated over radio. 9:40 AM- Associated Press photographer Richard
Drew captures an image that will soon become a ghoulish symbol of the terror attacks on the World
Trade Center. Photographing the upper floors of the North Tower, Drew captures 12 photos of a
man falling to his death, referred to only as 'The Falling Man.' To date, attempts to positively
identify the anonymous victim have been fruitless. 9:42 AM- As the situation at the Pentagon
is becoming more widely understood, Senior FAA traffic manager Ben Sliney issues
the execution order for SCATANA- or Plan for the Security Control of Air Traffic and Air
Navigation Aids. This is a national preparedness plan meant to be issued only under case of dire
national emergency, grounding all air traffic in the United States and shutting off American air
space to any incoming aircraft. It includes plans to be executed by the Department of Defense, the
FAA, and the Federal Communications Commission. September 11th would be the only time that this
plan has ever been implemented in its entirety, the other times being only partial
implementations under exercise conditions. 9:43 AM- The White House and Capital
building are both fully evacuated and closed. 9:45 AM- United States air space is shut
down. Civilian aircraft are barred from taking off and all civilian traffic is ordered
to immediately land at the nearest airport that can accommodate them. All incoming international
flights are diverted to either Canada or Mexico, with exceptions for aircraft dangerously low on
fuel. Canada follows suit and accepts incoming international flights redirected from the
US, but shuts down its air space as well in order to help protect northern American cities and
potential targets. The US and Canadian Air Forces immediately begin to launch combat air patrols
in accordance with joint preparedness plans. 9:51 AM Chief Orio Palmer and Fire
Marshal Ronald Bucca reach the 78th floor of the South Tower. They report
pockets of fire and scattered bodies, but no survivors. Both men will lose
their lives when the tower collapses. 9:52 AM The National Security Agency intercepts
a phone call between a known associate of Osama bin Laden and someone in the Republic of Georgia.
The caller is located in Afghanistan and states that he's heard the good news, finishing with the
revelation that a fourth target would soon be hit. The NSA immediately contacts the US Air Force,
with suspicions that Flight 93 is also going to be used in an attack confirmed. With the World
Trade Center hit twice, and now the Pentagon, it's believed that Flight 93's target will be
either the Capitol building or the White House. 9:55 AM- Air Force One departs from
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. The plane circles for 40 minutes
as an ultimate destination is discussed. If an attempt on the President's life
is forthcoming, he is safest aboard the aircraft which is directly linked to all parts
of government and the Department of Defense. 9:57 AM- Passengers aboard Flight 93 have
been corralled to the rear of the plane by the hijackers. Prior to this, they have been
in contact with friends and family on the ground, learning of the attacks on the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon. The passengers and crew take a vote, and
decide that in order to spare more civilian deaths and foil the terrorist's
plans, they will fight the hijackers. A struggle ensues, recorded on the cockpit voice recorder and later recovered
from the plane's black box. 9:59 AM- The South Tower collapses 56 minutes
after being impacted. The collapse is captured live and broadcast to audiences around the world,
with some fearing that yet another aircraft has struck the tower. Nobody inside of the tower
survives the collapse, including dozens of rescue workers. There is confusion in the aftermath as
massive clouds of dust sweep over lower Manhattan, with many fearing an additional attack. Due
to the unique construction of the World Trade Center towers, the floors collapse in
on themselves in a pancake-like fashion, pulling the entire tower down the moment floors
underneath the impact site begin to buckle. The steel supporting the impact site has been
weakened by fire fed by tens of thousands of gallons of jet fuel. The softened
steel eventually collapses in on itself, causing 25 stories to fall 12 feet onto the
next floor below the impact zone. That floor inevitably collapses from the incredible strain,
leading to a rapid pancake effect where each floor below the next is trying to hold up the weight
of every floor above it coming down on top of it. Victim 0001 of the September 11th
attacks will be Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscian Chaplain supporting the fire
department. He is struck by falling debris while in the lobby of the North Tower and dies
instantly of blunt force trauma to the head. 10:00 AM- FDNY Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer,
who is currently inside the North Tower, orders via radio the immediate evacuation
of all emergency personnel from the tower. Various factors ensure that only a portion of the
emergency responders hear the order to evacuate. Some are told by others who've received the
radio call, while others never hear it at all. 10:01 AM- FAA Command Center advises
FAA headquarters that another aircraft has spotted Flight 93 waving its wings
dramatically. Inside the hijacked aircraft, the passengers are launching a vicious
counterattack against the hijackers, and the desperate pilot is trying to subdue the
passengers as they make their way to the cockpit. 10:02 AM- The Presidential Emergency Operations
Center receives confirmation from the Secret Service of an inbound aircraft heading towards
Washington- this is Flight 93. The Vice President is informed that the only defense against the
hijacked plane is a pair of F-16s cruising on afterburner towards the rogue plane, and without
any armaments, the pilots have resolved themselves to crashing their fighters into the plane
to bring it down. However, it's unknown if the F-16s will reach Flight 93 before it reaches
Washington and delivers another devastating blow. 10:03:11 AM- Flight 93 crashes into the
Pennsylvania countryside outside of Shanksville. Cockpit recording confirms that passengers had
successfully neutralized three of the hijackers, and were now attempting to break their way into
the cockpit. The pilots decide to crash the plane before the passengers can take control,
failing in their jihad. The passengers of Flight 93 successfully end the September 11th
terror plot before it can claim more victims, just 18 minutes flight time from
the terrorist's intended targets. 10:07 AM- Due to poor communications,
the North Eastern Air Defense Sector, which has a pair of fighters loitering over
Washington, finally learns of the hijacking of Flight 93- four minutes after it's confirmed to
have crashed. In the aftermath of 9/11, a focus on vastly improved communications and awareness will
fall on the US military in its duty to patrol and defend North American airspace. The terror attack
has shown a weakness in quickly responding to threats from within, as opposed to an expected
threat from outside of American airspace. 10:10 AM- The National Military Command
Center moves the entire US military into Threat Condition Delta. All across the globe
US forces- most of which are still unaware of the attacks in the homeland- scramble in
preparation for immediate combat action against an unknown enemy. US diplomats scramble
to message various nations who might see the sudden move to a combat-ready posture as a
direct threat to their own national security. 10:13 AM- The United Nations complex is evacuated. 10:15 AM- Vice President Cheney, still
unaware Flight 93 has crashed, authorizes US fighters to engage any inbound aircraft
if they believed it to have been hijacked. 10:28 AM- In the same fashion as the South Tower,
the North Tower collapses. Unlike the South Tower, 16 personnel inside the building are later
rescued. The collapse destroys the Marriot Hotel at the base of the two towers, and
causes 7 World Trade Center to begin to burn. 10:30 AM- US Air Force F-15s and F-16s
patrol the skies over Washington D.C. and New York City. They have orders to
immediately shoot down any aircraft that do not comply with radio instructions. Later, a
radar contact feared to be a hijacked aircraft is revealed to be a medevac helicopter
on its way to the Pentagon impact site. The September 11th attack would result in
the death of 2,977 victims, with up to 25,000 injured. In the years to come, the United States
would launch a campaign of retribution against the al-Qaeda network and Osama Bin Laden, who
surprised by the ferocity of the US response is forced into a life of hiding until his death
in a US raid on May 2nd, 2011. Al-Qaeda as a network would be systematically dismantled by
US and allied forces, in a clandestine war that would span from the deserts of Afghanistan
to western Europe, and the South China Sea. Today, al-Qaeda is a shadow of its former self. It
has found temporary refuge inside an Afghanistan once more controlled by the Taliban, but
even there it's not safe- as evidenced by the elimination of its senior most leader,
Ayman al-Zawahiri, at the hands of the CIA. The organization is struggling to rebuild
financially after two decades of persecution by the United States, but is suffering from
not just a catastrophic loss of finances, but also of leadership given that most of its
veteran cadre have been systematically eliminated by Western forces. Despite an end to the wars
in Afghanistan and Iraq, a vengeful United States continues to put pressure on al-Qaeda,
determined to drive the group into extinction. Now get the rest of the story with
What Happened Immediately After 9/11, or click this other video instead!
