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This September 11, 2001 in the USA(in the West simply 9/11) is considered the bloodiest in all of world history. The most covered media event of all time.

10 years ago, three planes flown by terrorists crashed into the Pentagon building, located near Washington, and into the 110-story skyscrapers of the World War II. shopping center(WTC) in New York, causing their collapse. Terrorist attacks killed 2,977 citizens from 92 countries.

According to the official version, responsibility for these attacks lies with the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. Subsequently official version the incident was criticized by a number of journalists, scientists and witnesses to the tragedy.

Independent investigations were carried out, some of which were dismissed documentaries. According to one version, the attack on the Twin Towers was only a diversionary maneuver, and the customers should be looked for not among Afghan terrorists or in the lair of Osama bin Laden, but much closer - in the circle of the US President.

The events of September 11, 2001 developed like this. At approximately the same time, terrorists hijacked 4 airliners some time after takeoff.

1. Statue of Liberty. Manhattan is shrouded in smoke from the collapse of the World Trade Center skyscrapers. Photo taken September 15, 2001. (Photo by Dan Loh | AP):

At 08:45 am first The Boeing 767-200 crashed into the North Tower of the 110-story World Trade Center skyscrapers at approximately 94-98 floors. 18 minutes later at 9:03 second plane The Boeing 767-200 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center approximately at the 77-85 floor level.

2. “One second before.” Second plane approaches the South Tower of the World Trade Center, New York, 9:02, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Sean Adair | Reuters):

3. Second plane Boeing 767-200 Flight 175 crashes into the World Trade Center South Tower on floors 77-85, 9:03 a.m., September 11, 2001. (Photo by Sean Adair | Reuters):

4. On board the 175th flight there were 56 passengers (including 5 terrorists) and 9 crew members. (Photo by Spencer Platt | Getty Images):

5. Almost 35 tons of aviation fuel explodes on impact. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):

6. Hole in the North Tower of the World Trade Center where the first one crashed, New York, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):

After the capture, some passengers were able to report what was happening using satellite phones. According to their reports, the terrorists used bladed weapons (possibly knives), as a result of which several flight attendants and crew members were killed.

7. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center after 2 airliners crashed into them. Ahead - Empire State Building, New York, Tuesday, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Marty Lederhandler | AP):

8. Satellite view of the burning skyscrapers of the World Trade Center in New York, 9:30, September 11, 2001. (USGS Photo | AP):

9. People on the top floors of skyscrapers. They are trapped by fire on the lower floors where the planes crashed. (Photo by Jose Jimenez | Primera Hora | Getty Images):

10. At least 200 of those trapped on the upper floors of the World Trade Center towers jumped down, preferring such a death to death by fire. (Photo by Jose Jimenez | Primera Hora | Getty Images):

11. Their fall was observed by numerous witnesses. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):

12. Some tried to get to the roofs of the towers, hoping for evacuation by helicopters, but the evacuation did not take place: the smoke and heat from the fire made it impossible to use helicopters. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):

13. Third plane American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757-200, crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. This is a photo from a surveillance camera. (AP Photo):

14. Fire in the Pentagon building after it crashed. 125 people in the building and 60 passengers on board the Boeing died. (Photo by Will Morris | AP):

16. Part of the Pentagon building collapsed. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque | Reuters):

18. The target of the 4th plane The Boeing 757-200 may have been the Capitol. According to the Flight 93 voice recorder transcript, the plane's crew and passengers attempted to regain control of the airliner after learning from cell phones that other hijacked planes had crashed into the World Trade Center towers. It is likely that the terrorists, losing the fight, decided to send the plane into the ground, where it crashed. The Boeing crashed into a field in southwestern Pennsylvania near Shanksville at 10:03 am. (Photo by Jason Cohn | Reuters):

19. The site of the crash of the 4th plane in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, near the city of Shanksville. (FBI Photo | AP):

20. But we return to the burning skyscrapers of the World Trade Center. The main events took place there. (Photo by Mario Tama | Getty Images):

According to the official version, about an hour after the airliners crashed into the skyscrapers, buildings began to collapse as a result of fire and melting of supporting steel structures by burning aviation fuel.

The official version has been criticized by many experts who believe that the use of aviation fuel to melt 200,000 tons of steel (the amount of steel in one Tower) is an amazing discovery.

Other theories They doubt that the nature of the collapse of the WTC towers corresponds to that which could have been caused by aircraft hits and fires. It is argued that the destruction of the towers is more like a controlled demolition. It has also been suggested that the attacks of September 11, 2001 were planned and carried out not by the al-Qaeda organization, but by American intelligence agencies.

International opinion, according to a survey conducted in 17 countries, gives this picture. Overall, 46% of respondents place the main responsibility on al-Qaeda, 15% on the US government, 7% on Israel, and another 7% name other culprits. We won't go deeper into this topic. Those interested in these events can find materials on the Internet.

21. 56 minutes after South Tower the second plane crashed at 9:59 am it begins to collapse, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Gulnara Samoilova | AP):

22. (Photo by Richard Drew | AP):

23. Collapse of the 110-story South Tower World Trade Center. View from the street, September 9, 2001. (Photo by Doug Kanter | AFP | Getty Images):

24. As in from dust and debris. (Photo by Gulnara Samoilova | AP):

25. 102 minutes after North Tower the first plane crashed at 10:28 am it begins to collapse, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Diane Bondareff | AP):

26. (Photo by Primera Hora | Getty Images):

27. Collapse of the 110-story World Trade Center skyscrapers, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Greg Semendinger | AP):

28. A total of 2,606 people died at the World Trade Center. (Photo by Shannon Stapleton | Reuters):

29. 1366 people on the upper floors died North Tower World Trade Center, many of whom died when the plane collided with the tower, and the rest due to fire and collapse. IN South Tower At least 600 people died on the upper floors. At least 200 of those trapped on the upper floors of the towers jumped down and died. (Photo by Greg Semendinger | AP):

30. On the streets of New York during the destruction of the World Trade Center towers, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Suzanne Plunkett | AP):

31. Clouds of smoke, dust and debris spread throughout Manhattan. (Photo by Ray Stubblebine | Reuters):

32. (Photo by Gulnara Samoilova | AP):

33. (Photo by Gulnara Samoilova | AP):

34. (Photo by Daniel Shanken | AP):

35. The fire killed 341 firefighters, 60 police officers, and 8 ambulance workers. (Photo by Mario Tama | Getty Images):

36. In total, about 18 people were able to leave the impact zone in the South Tower and escape. (Photo by Gulnara Samiolava | AP):

In New York, more than 1,600 bodies were identified, but about 1,100 people could not be identified. It was reported that “about 10,000 fragments of bones and tissues were found at the site of the tragedy, which is incomparable with the number of victims.”

38. The streets of Manhattan after the collapse of the “twin” World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Boudicon One | AP):

39. At the site of the former 110-story World Trade Center, September 15, 2001. (Reuters Photo):

40. The landing gear of one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center buildings, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Shannon Stapleton | Reuters):

41. Search for possible survivors of the World Trade Center "twin" crash, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Matt Moyer | AP):

42. Fire still burning at the site of the former World Trade Center, September 12, 2001, one day after. (Photo by Baldwin | AP):

45. In addition to the destruction of the two 110-story WTC towers, other buildings were seriously damaged or destroyed. As a result of skyscraper collapses, about 1.5 kilometers of New York subway lines were damaged. AP Photo):

46. ​​Rescue workers work underground in the collapsed World Trade Center, September 14, 2011. (Photo by U.S. Navy | Reuters):

The events that took place caused chaos throughout the United States. All commercial flights were canceled and aircraft landing in the United States was prohibited. Planes arriving from other countries were diverted back to their departure airports or diverted to airports in Canada and Mexico. Over major cities US Air Force fighters were patrolling.

47. Ruins of the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. (Photo by Doug Kanter | AFP | Getty Images):

The victims of September 11, 2001 were 2,977 people (not including 19 terrorists): 246 passengers and crew members of aircraft, 2,606 people in New York, in the World Trade Center buildings and on the ground, 125 in the Pentagon building. Citizens of the United States and 91 other countries were killed, including 96 citizens of Russia and the CIS.

When the World Trade Center skyscrapers were destroyed, about 16,000 people were saved who were in the towers below the plane's impact zone. Most of them survived, having been evacuated before the buildings were destroyed.

A memorial complex was erected on the site of the collapsed twin towers. The complex is currently undergoing reconstruction, which is planned to be completed by 2012.

On September 11, 2001, a series of terrorist attacks were carried out in the United States, which resulted in the death of 2,977 people. According to the official version, the destructive attacks were carried out by members of the Al-Qaeda group*, but there are facts that can refute the generally accepted point of view.

Quick version

The official version of what happened is as follows. Early in the morning of September 11, 2001, four Boeing passenger planes were hijacked in the air by Arab terrorists. The hijackers were armed only with box cutters and gas canisters. Two aircraft attacked the twin towers of the World Trade Center, located in the southern part of Manhattan, the third plane was sent to the Pentagon building, the fourth did not reach the Capitol and crashed in the middle of a field in Pennsylvania.

This version was formed literally a few days after the tragedy and the American government never changed it. Such hasty conclusions suggest that Washington was preparing for this in advance.

We have already encountered a situation where the White House “knew for sure” that Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction, Muammar Gaddafi was sponsoring international terrorism, and Bashar Assad was using chemical weapons.

None of these accusations were ever confirmed. However, these suspicions became the pretext for the use of armed forces sanctioned by the US authorities in Iraq, Libya and Syria. It is expected that after the events of September 11, the Americans intensified military operations in Afghanistan.

Immediately after the explosions, the head of Al Qaeda* Osama bin Laden declared his non-involvement in the terrorist attacks. Unusual behavior for a man who always gladly took responsibility for terrorist attacks that were carried out with his participation. Later, bin Laden still admitted to involvement in the events of September 11, however, as some argue, he was only a person similar to the leader of Al Qaeda*.

Strange destruction

Probably not everyone knows that during the attack on New York, three buildings of the World Trade Center (WTC) collapsed. In addition to the well-known twin towers No. 1 and No. 2, there was also skyscraper No. 7. The government commission created to investigate the events of September 11 chose to remain silent about this fact. House number 7 is a 47-story high-rise building, noticeably inferior in height to its twin brothers.

In particular, it housed the New York branch of the CIA headquarters. This building escaped the plane's hit, but by 5 p.m. it had collapsed in the same pattern as the Twin Towers.

According to authorities, the cause of the building's collapse was burning fragments that fell on it from collapsing skyscrapers, as well as the ensuing fire. However, much closer to the towers were the WTC buildings numbered 3, 4, 5 and 6, and they all survived. Maybe there was another reason for the fall of the 7th house?

As for the twin towers, researchers are still concerned with a curious question: why did not only the upper floors of the building collapse, but also the lower ones? The official version is inexorable: when the building was destroyed, the top took the rest of it with it.

However, here too a problem arises. Parts of the tower’s structure did not fall in different directions, but folded straight under the base, like a house of cards.

The designers of the World Trade Center unanimously declare that when constructing high-rise buildings, the possible impact of an airplane on them was taken into account, as is the case with all skyscrapers. If a catastrophic scenario does occur, they say it cannot lead to devastating consequences of this magnitude.

The footage of the disaster clearly shows that the planes crash into the buildings in completely different ways: the airliner “entered” the northern tower directly in the center, and the southern one at an acute angle, cutting off the edge of the high-rise. At the same time, the destruction of the towers was surprisingly uniform and symmetrical, as in a prepared explosion. And then something strange happens: the southern tower, less damaged by the explosion, collapses first, and only half an hour later the northern tower, where the consequences of the disaster should have been more impressive, falls.

Experts analyzed the video of the collapse of the towers and almost unanimously stated that this is how industrial demolition of buildings occurs. And indeed, if you carefully watch the slow-motion footage of the disaster, you can see how blast waves run across the entire height of the building at equal distances - as if a pre-placed charge had detonated.

Here are two more facts that will make you think. Shortly before the terrorist attack, the floors into which the planes subsequently flew were closed for repairs. And a few weeks before the tragedy, the owner of the twin towers, Larry Silverstein, insured them for $3 billion, and insurance against terrorist attacks was prescribed as a separate clause.

Selective fire

If you believe the official findings, then in a monstrous fire, hundreds of thousands of tons of steel structures melted, and hundreds of tons of concrete were ground into dust.

Is it possible that ignited aviation kerosene, the combustion temperature of which is less than 1000°C, will cause hardened steel, which melts at no less than 2000°C, to “quiver”? In this case, a critical loss of strength occurred in 50 massive load-bearing beams at once, which is only possible if the fuel was evenly spilled over all areas of the floor.

The explosions left passengers on both Boeings with charred and unidentifiable body parts. Meanwhile, the passport of Mohammed Atta, one of the plane hijackers, which became one of the main pieces of evidence in favor of the guilt of Al Qaeda*, turned out to be completely unharmed. According to the commission, the document miraculously survived a powerful explosion, fell out of the plane and landed safely near the building.

The US government was in such a hurry to come to the desired conclusion that it was not even going to pay attention to such incidents. Further - more.

The investigative commission announced the identification of some of the passengers and crew members of the aircraft using “DNA residues.” And this is after the fire virtually completely destroyed the hull of the airliner, made of high-temperature-resistant aircraft aluminum.

It is curious that despite the “remnants of DNA” being fantastically preserved, the black boxes were considered completely destroyed by fire. Looking at this, one can only believe that the fire acted selectively, completely not guided by the laws of the physical world.

Without a trace

The third hijacked Boeing, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the Pentagon, according to official data. In order to inflict the most significant damage to the building and people, the terrorists sent the plane along the lowest possible trajectory. It is known that the height of the Boeing 757 is 13 meters, the Pentagon is 24 meters.

Based on this, the final kilometers of the airliner's flight had to take place at an altitude of only a few meters above the ground, which is an almost impossible task for pilots who have just completed express courses.

Moreover, such a maneuver was completely unjustified, since, according to many experts, it would not have led to such damage as with a fall at an angle. It would be difficult for even an inexperienced pilot to miss in this case, given the impressive area of ​​the Pentagon - 117,363 sq.m. It turns out that the terrorists, who carefully planned the terrorist attack, chose a more difficult and less effective path.

However, the main incident is ahead. Independent researchers who studied photographs of the disaster were alarmed by the fact that the Boeing, when it hit the building, did not leave any traces of its wings. Their wreckage was not found nearby. Moreover, inside the destroyed section of the building there were no hints of aircraft fragments. According to official findings, they were all destroyed powerful explosion and fire, which is very doubtful.

All of the above facts suggest another reason for the destruction in the Pentagon - a planned explosion. But if we assume that the Boeing 757 did not crash into the Pentagon, where did the plane itself disappear with the passengers and crew of this ill-fated flight?

As for the fourth Boeing, which did not reach the Capitol and fell in the fields of Pennsylvania, there are fewer questions about it. However, there are still inconsistencies. Authorities claim that the cause of death was an impact with the ground, but they could not find any significant number of fragments of the plane at the alleged crash site. Eyewitnesses say that the debris was scattered for many kilometers. According to researchers who do not share the official point of view, the airliner could have been shot down in the air by a missile fired from a fighter.

The official version says: passengers, having contacted their relatives by mobile phones, learned that two planes had already crashed into buildings in Manhattan and decided to prevent the hijackers’ plans. It was as a result of the struggle that ensued on board that the plane lost its course and went into a steep dive. However, experts say that the ability to use cellular communications in flight appeared only in 2005.

Avoid discrepancies

Everything about this story is alarming, including the behavior of senior American officials. Thus, President George Bush for a long time ignored the invitation to speak before Congress, but when he agreed to the meeting, he set conditions that at first glance defied logical explanation. He insisted on limiting the conversation to no more than an hour and requiring Vice President Dick Cheney to be invited to the event. At the request of the head of the White House, only two people were to be present from the commission investigating the tragedy.

After lengthy debates, it was finally possible to agree on the participation of 10 commission members and remove the time limit. During the meeting, everyone expected to hear from the president comprehensive, and most importantly, reliable information about what happened, but everything turned out to be much more complicated. Bush did not allow videotaping, audio recording, or even shorthand recording of the meeting. In addition, Bush and Cheney refused to take an oath that could assure listeners of the veracity of what they said.

In April 2004, the performance finally took place. However, to this day it is unknown what Bush and Cheney told the congressmen. Many people point out the absurdity of this situation. It looks like this if one witness agreed to speak in court only in the presence of another witness. Why is this necessary? Probably in order to avoid inconsistency in testifying.

The world is increasingly convinced every year that the terrorist attacks were planned by US intelligence agencies to justify the actions of the US military in the Middle East. But it is premature to draw final conclusions. For now, we can say with certainty only the following: if the US authorities did not carry out the terrorist attacks themselves, then at least they did not interfere with their planning.

*Al-Qaeda is a terrorist group banned on the territory of the Russian Federation

Ten years ago, 19 men trained by Al Qaeda carried out a coordinated terrorist attack on the United States. It took several years to develop the plan for the terrorist attack. Terrorists simultaneously captured 4 large passenger aircraft with the intention of using them to destroy the most famous landmarks of the United States, taking as many lives as possible. Three planes reached their targets, the fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. In one day, these acts of mass murder killed about 3,000 people from 57 countries. Of these, more than 400 died - firefighters, police and ambulance crews. This event received the maximum coverage in the entire history of the media, and even ten years later it is difficult to look at these photographs. The attacks and the response to them have greatly shaped the world we live in today, which is why it is important to look at these photographs and remember what happened that day. This post is the second of three on the September 11 terrorist attacks.

1. View of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan covered in clouds of smoke and dust from Jersey City, New Jersey, September 15, 2001. (AP Photo/Dan Loh)

2. Smoke pours from a hole in the wall and from the upper floors of the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York after the collision of American Airlines Flight 11. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

3. United Airlines Flight 175 moments before impact with the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The north tower is already on fire. (Reuters/Sean Adair)

4. Explosion in the south tower during the collision of United Airlines Flight 175 in New York, September 11, 2001. The plane crashed into the building at a speed of 945 km/h. (Reuters/Sean Adair)

5. Airplane collision with the south tower of the World Trade Center. There were 56 passengers on board (including 5 hijackers). (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

6. The explosion of 3800 liters of fuel remaining on board the plane during a collision with the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York. (AP Photo/Ernesto Mora)

7. Two women, holding each other, look at the World Trade Center buildings burning after a terrorist attack. (AP Photo/Ernesto Mora)

8. The Twin Towers are visible behind the Empire State Building. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)

9. A cloud of smoke from the World Trade Center buildings in lower Manhattan. Photo from a USGS satellite flying over the area around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. (AP Photo/USGS)

10. People hanging from the windows of the North Tower of the World Trade Center after the attack. (Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty Images)

11. A man jumps to his death from the north tower of the World Trade Center filled with smoke and flames. (Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty Images)

12. A man jumps from the upper floors of the burning north tower of the World Trade Center. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

13. A man jumps from the north tower of the World Trade Center. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

14. A Pentagon surveillance camera captured the explosion that resulted from the collision with a hijacked American Airlines plane with 58 passengers and six crew on board on September 11, 2001. (AP Photo)

15. Flames and smoke erupt from the Pentagon building after the explosion. (AP Photo/Will Morris)

17. Medics treat victims near the Pentagon after a hijacked airliner crashed into the southwest corner of the building. (Reuters/U.S. Navy Photo/Journalist 1st Class Mark D. Faram)

19. Smoke pours from the World Trade Center towers after two hijacked planes crashed into them during the terrorist attack on New York. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

20. At 9:59 a.m. on September 11, 2001, 56 minutes after the impact, the south tower of the World Trade Center begins to collapse. (AP Photo/Gulnara Samoilova)

21. The South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses, and the rubble buries the surrounding streets. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

22. Police officers and pedestrians run for cover during a terrorist attack in New York. (Doug Kanter/AFP/Getty Images)

23. People covered in dust walk through the rubble near the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Gulnara Samoilova)

24. Maru Stahl of Somerset, Pennsylvania, shows a photo he took of the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93. The plane crashed near Shanksville, and Stahl, hearing the explosion, headed to the crash site and took a photo before rescuers cordoned off the area. The plane crashed in Pennsylvania shortly after the attacks on New York. (Reuters/Jason Cohn)

25. Aerial photograph of the crash site of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, taken by the FBI on September 12, 2001. The Boeing 757 was flying from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco when it made a sharp turn near Cleveland and crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. 44 people died. The plane was one of four that were part of the 9/11 attack plan and the only one that failed to reach its target. (AP Photo/FBI)

26. Firefighters and rescue workers investigate the crash site of Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Tribune-Democrat/David Lloyd)

27. At 10:28 a.m. on September 11, 2001, 102 minutes after the plane struck, the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York collapses. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff)

28. Collapse of the World Trade Center tower on September 11, 2001 in New York. (Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty Images)

29. A New York Police Department photo shows ash and smoke billowing across Manhattan as the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapses. (AP Photo/NYPD, Det. Greg Semendinger)

30. Dust, smoke and debris fill the air as the World Trade Center tower falls on September 11, 2001 in New York. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

31. Dust, smoke and ash envelop neighboring buildings after the fall of both World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001 in New York. (AP Photo/NYPD, Det. Greg Semendinger)

32. People are leaving the collapsed towers to escape the smoke and dust. As a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York, both 110-story towers of the World Trade Center collapsed. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett)

33. The North Tower of the World Trade Center turns into a cloud of dust and debris half an hour after the fall of the South Tower on September 11, 2001. The photo was taken from Jersey City, New Jersey, across the Hudson River. (Reuters/Ray Stubblebine)

34. People make their way through the rubble near the ruins of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 in New York. (AP Photo/Gulnara Samoilova)

35. A priest helps people after the fall of the World Trade Center towers in New York on September 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Gulnara Samoilova)

36. People cover their faces from the dust as they cross the Brooklyn Bridge to get away from the cloud of dust and smoke that covered Manhattan after the terrorist attacks. (AP Photo/Daniel Shanken)

37. People on the street near the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

38. A sheriff's deputy treats a woman injured during the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York. (AP Photo/Gulnara Samiolava)

39. A man sobs as he watches the World Trade Center tower fall in New York on September 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Shawn Baldwin)

40. A firefighter rests on a bench in lower Manhattan while working at the site of the fall of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Matt Moyer)

41. Construction debris and ashes from the fall of the World Trade Center towers as a result of the terrorist attack fill the streets of Manhattan, turning the city into a picture of the Apocalypse. Buildings collapsed, burying thousands of people in the rubble. (AP Photo/Boudicon One)

42. A fireman calls rescuers to help clear the wreckage of the World Trade Center. The photo was taken on September 15, 2001. (Reuters/U.S. Navy/Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres)

43. The chassis of one of the hijacked planes lies on the street next to the destroyed buildings of the World Trade Center in New York, September 11, 2001. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

44. Firefighters search for survivors under the rubble of the Twin Towers after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. (AP Photo/Matt Moyer)

45. Light barely breaks through the clouds of smoke and ash at the site of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. (AP Photo/Baldwin)

46. ​​New York firefighters extinguish building 7 of the World Trade Center, destroyed along with the Twin Towers during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

47. A group of firefighters near the ruins of the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York, September 11, 2001. (Reuters/Peter Morgan)

48. Debris covers the tracks in the New York City Subway tunnel on lines 1 and 9 at the Cortlandt Street Station under the World Trade Center. New York City transportation officials said the damage was so severe that more than one mile of tunnel had to be rebuilt. (AP Photo/New York City Transit)

49. Rescuers carry out a search and rescue operation for victims as they descend into the rubble of the World Trade Center on Friday, September 14, 2001. (Reuters/U.S. Navy/Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson)

50. A man stands in the ruins of the World Trade Center towers and tries to call survivors, asking if anyone needs help. (Doug Kanter/AFP/Getty Images)

On September 11, 2001, three planes flown by terrorists crashed into the skyscrapers of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York and the Pentagon building. The fourth crashed in Pennsylvania. The attacks killed those in the buildings and on the hijacked planes. In addition, the disaster claimed the lives of firefighters and police officers, thanks to whose efforts it was possible to save about 30 thousand people. On weekdays, over 55 thousand people worked at the World Trade Center; the daily number of visitors and tourists reached 150 thousand. On July 15, 2002, the search for the remains of victims of the terrorist attacks was officially completed.

On August 20, 2002, the first official list of those killed in New York as a result of the World Trade Center collapse was published. It includes 2,819 people from 80 countries, including three Russians. A total of 157 people were killed on the two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center skyscrapers. 343 firefighters died. 1,102 people were identified by relatives or using DNA analysis. According to statistics, of the ten people who died in New York, eight were men; the average age of the dead was forty years. These were predominantly knowledge workers, from software developers to bank employees and insurance workers. Many were at the peak of their careers. About ten people were executives, founders or presidents of companies. At least 59 people served as vice presidents. Of the identified victims, fifteen were under twenty-one years of age, including three three-year-old children.

As a result of the terrorist attack in Washington, when a plane crashed into the Pentagon building, 184 people were killed: 120 employees and 64 passengers and crew members. 44 people died on a plane that was hijacked by terrorists but crashed in Pennsylvania before reaching Washington. The total number of deaths was more than three thousand people, about six thousand were injured. On September 12, 2001, US President George W. Bush made a televised address to the nation in connection with the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. He said he had ordered the use of the “full intelligence and law enforcement resources” of the United States to find and punish the perpetrators of the attacks. The head of the White House said that the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks carried out an “act of mass murder.” According to him, terrorists sought to create chaos in America, but they failed to do so.

On September 15, the US President, in his weekly radio address to the country, said that the US was planning a “comprehensive offensive” against terrorism. The US is planning a "broad and sustained campaign to defend our country and destroy the evil of terrorism." George W. Bush warned Americans that they would need patience because the coming “conflict will not be short,” as well as determination because “the conflict will not be easy.” Bush called the terrorists' actions "barbaric." He said that the United States will work together with other countries of the world, including Russia, India, and Pakistan, to punish the perpetrators and organizers of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.