The World Trade Center (Twin Towers) are no longer. Two planes allegedly hijacked and forced to slam into the skyscrappers this morning. This is the chronology of events taken from CNN:
11:26 a.m.: United Airlines reports that United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, has crashed in Pennsylvania. The airline also says that it is "deeply concerned" about United Flight 175 that departed from Washington's Dulles International Airport.
11:18 a.m.: American Airlines reports it has lost two aircraft. American Flight 11, a Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Washington's Dulles Airport to Los Angeles, had 58 passengers and six crew members aboard.
11:16 a.m.: CNN reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing bioterrorism teams to respond to the incidents in a precautionary move. The preparation is not based on any known bioterrorism threat.
11:02 a.m.: New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani urges citizens to stay at home and orders an evacuation of the area south of Canal Street.
10:54 a.m.: Israel evacuates all diplomatic missions.
10:53 a.m.: New York's primary elections scheduled for today are postponed.
10.48 a.m.: Police confirm the crash of a large plane in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
10.46 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cuts short his trip to Latin America to return to the United States.
10:45 a.m.: All federal office buildings in Washington are evacuated.
10:30 a.m.: The north tower of the World Trade Center collapses from the top down as if it were being peeled apart with a tremendous array of debris and smoke.
10:24 a.m.: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that all inbound transatlantic aircraft flying into the United States are being diverted to Canada.
10:22 a.m.: In Washington, the State and Justice departments are evacuated, along with the World Bank.
10:13 a.m.: The United Nations building evacuates, including 4,700 people from the headquarters building and 7,000 total from UNICEF and U.N. development programs.
10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.
10:08 a.m.: Secret Service agents armed with automatic rifles are deployed into Lafayette Park across from the White House.
10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building.
9:51 a.m.: The FAA halts all flight operations at U.S. airports, the first time in U.S. history that air traffic nationwide has been halted.
9:45 a.m.: The White House evacuates.
9:43 a.m.: An aircraft crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.
9:39 a.m. President Bush is to convene a national security meeting immediately upon his return to Washington. The president has spoken with Vice President Dick Cheney and New York Gov. George Pataki.
9:35 a.m.: New York City Port Authority orders all bridges and tunnels in the New York City area closed.
9:06 a.m.: A second plane, apparently a passenger jet, crashes into the second World Trade Center tower and explodes. Both buildings are burning.
8:48 a.m: A large plane, possibly a hijacked airliner, crashes into one of the World Trade Center towers, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire.
The most impressive thing about this is that whoever is responsible was able to achieve something seemingly impossible... they shut the air travel in the U.S. down. One thing, please do not compare this act of cowardice to Pearl Harbor. Pearl Habor was a military base attacked by another countries' military. The crashing of hijacked planes to the sides of civilian buildings is an act of cowardice, attacking defenseless people is not heroic at all. I hope that they quarter whomever is responsible for these actions.
[link]
