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The '''Islamic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001''' occurred when [[al Qaeda]] [[Islam|Islamic extremists]] hijacked four transcontinental airliners and used them to strike targets in the [[United States]]; two aircraft destroyed the twin towers of the [[World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]]; the third crashed into a portion of the [[Pentagon]] in Washington, D.C.; and the fourth aircraft - in which the hijackers are believed to have targeted the White House or the Capitol Building - crashed into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers fought back to re-take control.

The '''Islamic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001''' occurred when [[al Qaeda]] [[Islam|Islamic extremists]] hijacked four transcontinental airliners and used them to strike targets in the [[United States]]; two aircraft destroyed the twin towers of the [[World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]]; the third crashed into a portion of the [[Pentagon]] in Washington, D.C.; and the fourth aircraft - in which the hijackers are believed to have targeted the White House or the Capitol Building - crashed into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers fought back to re-take control.

There was also plans for a fifth attack in England targeting either Parliament or Big Ben, although because of time zone differences, London found out about the attacks from 9/11 and made sure to lock down the airports and eventually apprehend the ones intending to conduct the attacks.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/06/11/uk.attacks/index.html Big Ben 'was September 11 target'], ''CNN'', June 12, 2002</ref>

There were also plans for a fifth attack in England targeting either Parliament or Big Ben, although because of time zone differences, London found out about the attacks from 9/11 and made sure to lock down the airports and eventually apprehend the ones intending to conduct the attacks.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/06/11/uk.attacks/index.html Big Ben 'was September 11 target'], ''CNN'', June 12, 2002</ref>

The sheer audacity of the attack and the heavy loss of life that resulted from it caused the U.S. government to declare a [[War on Terror]] with the determination to hunt down terrorists worldwide; within two months of September 11, [[Afghanistan]] was completely occupied by Coalition forces, driving the ruling Islamo-fascist [[Taliban]] from power and causing the head of [[al Qaeda]] and the man who personally approved the attacks - [[Osama bin Laden]] - to flee into hiding before being killed in [[Pakistan]] in 2011, some 10 years after the attack.

The sheer audacity of the attack and the heavy loss of life that resulted from it caused the U.S. government to declare a [[War on Terror]] with the determination to hunt down terrorists worldwide; within two months of September 11, [[Afghanistan]] was completely occupied by Coalition forces, driving the ruling Islamo-fascist [[Taliban]] from power and causing the head of [[al Qaeda]] and the man who personally approved the attacks - [[Osama bin Laden]] - to flee into hiding before being killed in [[Pakistan]] in 2011, some 10 years after the attack.

At 8:25 AM Boston air traffic controllers heard a strange voice from Flight 11: "We have some planes. Just stay quiet, and you will be OK. We are returning to the airport." The plane then headed south toward New York City; at 8:46 AM the plane crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center between the 93rd and 99th floors. Sixteen minutes later, at 9:03 AM, Flight 175 crashed into the south tower - at a greater speed and more oblique angle - between the 77th and 85th floors.

At 8:25 AM Boston air traffic controllers heard a strange voice from Flight 11: "We have some planes. Just stay quiet, and you will be OK. We are returning to the airport." The plane then headed south toward New York City; at 8:46 AM the plane crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center between the 93rd and 99th floors. Sixteen minutes later, at 9:03 AM, Flight 175 crashed into the south tower - at a greater speed and more oblique angle - between the 77th and 85th floors.

The impact of the crashes took out any hope of getting to victims and survivors on the affected floors and the floors above; many people desperate to get away from the smoke and fire jumped to their deaths. Both towers were designed to survive the impact of a 1960s-era jet, but the Boeing 767 was larger and carried more fuel; it was determined later that the heat from the burning fuel weakened the central steel structure and supports. At 9:59 AM the south tower collapsed; the upper floors had lost support in the damaged area and fell in a chain reaction - pancake style - to the ground. At 10:28 AM the north tower fell in a similar manner. The death toll was around 2,750, including more than 300 firefighters and 100 police officers and other rescue workers.

The impact of the crashes took out any hope of getting to victims and survivors on the affected floors and the floors above; many people desperate to get away from the smoke and fire jumped to their deaths. Both towers were designed to survive the impact of a 1960s-era jet, but the Boeing 767 was larger and carried more fuel; it was determined later that the heat from the burning fuel weakened the central steel structure and supports. At 9:59 AM the south tower collapsed; the upper floors had lost support in the damaged area and fell in a chain reaction - pancake style - to the ground. At 10:28 AM the north tower fell in a similar manner. The death toll was around 2,750, including more than 300 firefighters, 100 police officers, and other rescue workers.

The building at 7 World Trade Center, commonly abbreviated as WTC7, also collapsed in the attacks not long after. This collapse is frequently cited in various [[9/11 conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories]].

The building at 7 World Trade Center, commonly abbreviated as WTC7, also collapsed in the attacks not long after. This collapse is frequently cited in various [[9/11 conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories]].

===Washington, D.C.===

===Washington, D.C.===

[[American Airlines Flight 77]], a Boeing 757-200, left Dulles at 8:20 AM, carrying 6 crew and 58 passengers on a flight to Los Angeles. Forty minutes later the aircraft had turned back toward Washington; at 9:37 it crashed at high-speed into the west side of the Pentagon, killing a total of 184 people. Despite being built of reinforced concrete, the aircraft was able to penetrate to the third concentric ring of the building.

[[American Airlines Flight 77]], a Boeing 757-200, left Dulles at 8:20 AM, carrying 6 crew and 58 passengers on a flight to Los Angeles. Forty minutes later the aircraft had turned back toward Washington; at 9:37 it crashed at high speed into the west side of the Pentagon, killing a total of 184 people. Despite being built of reinforced concrete, the aircraft was able to penetrate the third concentric ring of the building.

===Shanksville, Pennsylvania===

===Shanksville, Pennsylvania===

[[United Airlines Flight 93]], a Boeing 757-200, left Newark at 8:40 AM, with a destination of San Francisco. Unlike the other planes which had four hijackers each, Flight 93 had three; it also had passengers who, through onboard phone calls, learned of the previous hijackings and crashes and determined to wrest control of the aircraft back from the terrorists. Turned towards Washington, the plane ended up crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 AM, the only one of the aircraft which failed to reach its target. Among the recorded conversations between the passengers and phone operators was the phrase "Let's roll" by Todd Beamer, made just before he set down his phone and took action with the other passengers involved; Beamer's last phrase would become a rallying cry in the coming war on Islamic terrorism.

[[United Airlines Flight 93]], a Boeing 757-200, left Newark at 8:40 AM, with a destination of San Francisco. Unlike the other planes which had four hijackers each, Flight 93 had three; it also had passengers who, through onboard phone calls, learned of the previous hijackings and crashes and determined to wrest control of the aircraft back from the terrorists. Turned towards Washington, the plane ended up crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 AM, the only one of the aircraft that failed to reach its target. Among the recorded conversations between the passengers and phone operators was the phrase "Let's roll" by Todd Beamer, made just before he set down his phone and took action with the other passengers involved; Beamer's last phrase would become a rallying cry in the coming war on Islamic terrorism.

===Ground Casualties===

===Ground Casualties===