Background

The origins of al-Qaeda can be traced to 1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden traveled to Afghanistan and helped organize Arab mujahideen to resist the Soviets. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1670089.stm]] Under the guidance of Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden became more radical. In 1996, bin Laden issued his first fatwā , calling for American soldiers to leave Saudi Arabia. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20011031024057/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html]]

In a second fatwā in 1998, bin Laden outlined his objections to American foreign policy with respect to Israel, as well as the continued presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War. [[CITE|undefined|http://cbc.ca/world/story/2006/09/07/al-qaeda-tape.html]] Bin Laden used Islamic texts to exhort Muslims to attack Americans until the stated grievances are reversed. Muslim legal scholars"have throughout Islamic history unanimously agreed that the jihad is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries", according to bin Laden. [[CITE|undefined|http://cbc.ca/world/story/2006/09/07/al-qaeda-tape.html]]

Bin Laden, who orchestrated the attacks, initially denied but later admitted involvement.

but he stopped short of admitting responsibility for the attacks.

Shortly before the U.S. presidential election in 2004, in a taped statement, bin Laden publicly acknowledged al-Qaeda's involvement in the attacks on the U.S. and admitted his direct link to the attacks. He said that the attacks were carried out because:

Bin Laden said he had personally directed his followers to attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The journalist Yosri Fouda of the Arabic television channel Al Jazeera reported that, in April 2002, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted his involvement, along with Ramzi bin al-Shibh. [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://aljazeera.com/news/americas/2007/03/200852512026300115.html]] The 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity towards the United States felt by Mohammed, the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, stemmed from his "violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel". Mohammed was also an adviser and financier of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the uncle of Ramzi Yousef, the lead bomber in that attack. [[CITE|undefined|http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/white-house-power-grabs]] [[CITE|undefined|http://businessweek.com/news/2011-04-04/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-terror-indictment-unsealed-dismissed.html]]

Mohammed was arrested on March 1, 2003, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, by Pakistani security officials working with the CIA. He was then held at multiple CIA secret prisons and Guantanamo Bay where he was interrogated and tortured with methods including waterboarding. [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]] During U.S. hearings at Guantanamo Bay in March 2007, Mohammed again confessed his responsibility for the attacks, stating he "was responsible for the 9/11 operation from A to Z" and that his statement was not made under duress. [[CITE|undefined|http://aljazeera.com/news/americas/2007/03/200852512026300115.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]]

In "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, five people are identified as having been completely aware of the operation's details. They are bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Abu Turab al-Urduni, and Mohammed Atef. [[CITE|undefined|http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/notablecases/moussaoui/exhibits/defense/941.pdf]] To date, only peripheral figures have been tried or convicted for the attacks.

On September 26, 2005, the Spanish high court sentenced Abu Dahdah to 27 years in prison for conspiracy on the 9/11 attacks and being a member of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. At the same time, another 17 al-Qaeda members were sentenced to penalties of between six and eleven years. [[CITE|undefined|http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html]] On February 16, 2006, the Spanish Supreme Court reduced the Abu Dahdah penalty to 12 years because it considered that his participation in the conspiracy was not proven. [[CITE|undefined|http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article670596.ece]]

Also, in 2006, Moussaoui, who some originally suspected might have been the assigned 20th hijacker, was convicted for the lesser role of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism and air piracy.

The Hamburg cell in Germany included radical Islamists who eventually came to be key operatives in the 9/11 attacks. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2349195.stm]] Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and Said Bahaji were all members of al-Qaeda's Hamburg cell. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20090816215318/http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch5.htm]]

Osama bin Laden's declaration of a holy war against the United States, and a 1998 fatwā signed by bin Laden and others, calling for the killing of Americans, [[CITE|undefined|http://cbc.ca/world/story/2006/09/07/al-qaeda-tape.html]] are seen by investigators as evidence of his motivation. In bin Laden's November 2002 "Letter to America", he explicitly stated that al-Qaeda's motives for their attacks include:

U.S. support of Israel [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver]]
support for the "attacks against Muslims" in Somalia
support of Philippines against Muslims in the Moro conflict
support for Israeli "aggression" against Muslims in Lebanon
support of Russian "atrocities against Muslims" in Chechnya
pro-American governments in the Middle East (who "act as your agents") being against Muslim interests
support of Indian"oppression against Muslims" in Kashmir
the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20161115012459/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/assessment/2001/09/what_does_osama_bin_laden_want.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2984547.stm]]
the sanctions against Iraq [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver]]

After the attacks, bin Laden and al-Zawahiri released additional video tapes and audio tapes, some of which repeated those reasons for the attacks. Two particularly important publications were bin Laden's 2002 "Letter to America", [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver]] and a 2004 video tape by bin Laden. [[CITE|undefined|http://aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html]]

Bin Laden interpreted Muhammad as having banned the "permanent presence of infidels in Arabia". In 1996, bin Laden issued a fatwā calling for American troops to leave Saudi Arabia. In 1998, al-Qaeda wrote, "for over seven years the United States has been occupying the lands of Islam in the holiest of places, the Arabian Peninsula, plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers, humiliating its people, terrorizing its neighbors, and turning its bases in the Peninsula into a spearhead through which to fight the neighboring Muslim peoples." [[CITE|undefined|http://cbc.ca/world/story/2006/09/07/al-qaeda-tape.html]]

In a December 1999 interview, bin Laden said he felt that Americans were "too near to Mecca", and considered this a provocation to the entire Muslim world. [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/26/afghanistan.terrorism3]] One analysis of suicide terrorism suggested that without U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, al-Qaeda likely would not have been able to get people to commit to suicide missions.

In the 1998 fatwā, al-Qaeda identified the Iraq sanctions as a reason to kill Americans, condemning the "protracted blockade"[[CITE|undefined|http://cbc.ca/world/story/2006/09/07/al-qaeda-tape.html]] among other actions that constitute a declaration of war against "Allah, his messenger, and Muslims."

Bin Laden claimed, in 2004, that the idea of destroying the towers had first occurred to him in 1982, when he witnessed Israel's bombardment of high-rise apartment buildings during the 1982 Lebanon War. Some analysts, including Mearsheimer and Walt, also claim that one motivation for the attacks was U.S. support of Israel. [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/26/afghanistan.terrorism3]] In 2004 and 2010, bin Laden again connected the September 11 attacks with U.S. support of Israel, although most of the letter expressed bin Laden's disdain for President Bush and bin Laden's hope to "destroy and bankrupt" the U.S. ^[666666] [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20161216081625/http://www.haaretz.com/news/bin-laden-attacks-on-u-s-to-go-on-as-long-as-it-supports-israel-1.265770]]

Other motives have been suggested in addition to those stated by bin Laden and al-Qaeda, including western support of Islamic and non-Islamic authoritarian regimes in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan and northern Africa, and the presence of western troops in some of these countries.

The idea for the attacks came from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who first presented it to Osama bin Laden in 1996. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3128802.stm]] At that time, bin Laden and al-Qaeda were in a period of transition, having just relocated back to Afghanistan from Sudan. The 1998 African Embassy bombings and bin Laden's 1998 fatwā marked a turning point, as bin Laden became intent on attacking the United States.

In late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden gave approval for Mohammed to go forward with organizing the plot.

Bin Laden provided leadership and financial support for the plot, and was involved in selecting participants.

In late 1999, a group of men from Hamburg, Germany arrived in Afghanistan, including Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh. [[CITE|undefined|http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/03/news/companies/one-world-trade-center/index.html]] Bin Laden selected these men because they were educated, could speak English, and had experience living in the West. [[CITE|undefined|http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/03/news/companies/one-world-trade-center/index.html]] New recruits were routinely screened for special skills and al-Qaeda leaders consequently discovered that Hani Hanjour already had a commercial pilot's license. [[CITE|undefined|http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/03/news/companies/one-world-trade-center/index.html]] Mohammed later said that he helped the hijackers blend in by teaching them how to order food in restaurants and dress in Western clothing.

Hanjour arrived in San Diego on December 8, 2000, joining Hazmi.

In spring of 2001, the secondary hijackers began arriving in the United States.

In late 1999, al-Qaeda associate Walid bin Attash ("Khallad") contacted Mihdhar, telling him to meet him in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hazmi and Abu Bara al Yemeni would also be in attendance. The NSA intercepted a telephone call mentioning the meeting, Mihdhar, and the name "Nawaf" (Hazmi). While the agency feared that "Something nefarious might be afoot", it took no further action. The CIA had already been alerted by Saudi intelligence to the status of Mihdhar and Hazmi as al-Qaeda members, and a CIA team broke into Mihdhar's Dubai hotel room and discovered that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. While Alec Station alerted intelligence agencies worldwide about this fact, it did not share this information with the FBI. The Malaysian Special Branch observed the January 5, 2000, meeting of the two al-Qaeda members, and informed the CIA that Mihdhar, Hazmi, and Khallad were flying to Bangkok, but the CIA never notified other agencies of this, nor did it ask the State Department to put Mihdhar on its watchlist. An FBI liaison to Alec Station asked permission to inform the FBI of the meeting, but was told that "'This is not a matter for the FBI.'"

By late June, senior counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke and CIA director George Tenet were "convinced that a major series of attacks was about to come", although the CIA believed that the attacks would likely occur in Saudi Arabia or Israel. In early July, Clarke put domestic agencies on "full alert", telling them that "Something really spectacular is going to happen here... soon." He asked the FBI and the State Department to alert the embassies and police departments, and the Defense Department to go to "Threat Condition Delta." Clarke would later write that "Somewhere in CIA there was information that two known al Qaeda terrorists had come into the United States... in [the] FBI there was information that strange things had been going on at flight schools in the United States... They had specific information about individual terrorists... None of that information got to me or the White House."

On July 13, Tom Wilshire, a CIA agent assigned to the FBI's international terrorism division, emailed his superiors at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center (CTC), requesting permission to inform the FBI that Hazmi was in the country and that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. The CIA never responded.

The same day in July, Margarette Gillespie, an FBI analyst working in the CTC, was told to review material about the Malaysia meeting.

Also in July, a Phoenix-based FBI agent sent a message to FBI headquarters, Alec Station, and to FBI agents in New York, alerting them to "the possibility of a coordinated effort by Osama bin Laden to send students to the United States to attend civil aviation universities and colleges." The agent, Kenneth Williams, suggested the need to interview all flight school managers and identify all Arab students seeking flight training. In July, Jordan alerted the U.S. that al-Qaeda was planning an attack on the U.S.; "months later", Jordan notified the U.S. that the attack's codename was "The Big Wedding", and that it involved airplanes.

On August 6, the CIA's Presidential Daily Brief, designated "For the President Only", was entitled "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in U.S." The memo noted that "The FBI information... indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks." [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1670089.stm]]

In mid-August, one Minnesota flight school alerted the FBI to Zacarias Moussaoui, who had asked "suspicious questions." The FBI found that he was a radical who had traveled to Pakistan, and the INS arrested him for overstaying his French visa. Their request to search his laptop was denied by FBI headquarters due to the lack of probable cause.

The failures in intelligence-sharing were attributed to 1995 Justice Department policies limiting intelligence sharing, combined with CIA and NSA reluctance in revealing "sensitive sources and methods" such as tapped phones. Testifying before the 9/11 Commission in April 2004, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft recalled that the "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents." Clarke also wrote that "There were failures in the organizations... failures to get information to the right place at the right time..."

Attacks

Early on the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers took control of four commercial airliners (two Boeing 757 and two Boeing 767) en route to California (three headed to LAX in Los Angeles, and one to SFO in San Francisco) after takeoffs from Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts; Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey; and Washington Dulles International Airport in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Virginia. Large planes with long flights were selected for hijacking because they would be heavily fueled. [[CITE|undefined|http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch7.htm]]

The four flights were:

American Airlines Flight 11: a Boeing 767 aircraft, departed Logan Airport at 7:59 a.m. en route to Los Angeles with a crew of 11 and 76 passengers, not including five hijackers. The hijackers flew the plane into the northern facade of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 a.m.
United Airlines Flight 175: a Boeing 767 aircraft, departed Logan Airport at 8:14 a.m. en route to Los Angeles with a crew of nine and 51 passengers, not including five hijackers. The hijackers flew the plane into the southern facade of the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 9:03 a.m.
American Airlines Flight 77: a Boeing 757 aircraft, departed Washington Dulles International Airport at 8:20 a.m. en route to Los Angeles with a crew of six and 53 passengers, not including five hijackers. The hijackers flew the plane into the western facade of the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, at 9:37 a.m.
United Airlines Flight 93: a Boeing 757 aircraft, departed Newark International Airport at 8:42 a.m. en route to San Francisco, with a crew of seven and 33 passengers, not including four hijackers. As passengers attempted to subdue the hijackers, the aircraft crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m.

Media coverage was extensive during the attacks and aftermath, beginning moments after the first crash into the World Trade Center.

At 8:46 a.m., five hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the northern façade of the World Trade Center's North Tower (1 WTC), and at 9:03 a.m., another five hijackers crashed United Airlines Flight 175 into the southern façade of the South Tower (2 WTC). ^[393] [[CITE|undefined|http://gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc03.pdf]] Five hijackers flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20011031024057/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html]] A fourth flight, United Airlines Flight 93, under the control of four hijackers, crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh, at 10:03 a.m. after the passengers fought the hijackers. Flight 93's target is believed to have been either the Capitol or the White House. [[CITE|undefined|http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch7.htm]] Flight 93's cockpit voice recorder revealed crew and passengers tried to seize control of the plane from the hijackers after learning through phone calls that Flights 11, 77, and 175 had been crashed into buildings that morning. [[CITE|undefined|http://highbeam.com/doc/1P2-351703.html]] Once it became evident to the hijackers that the passengers might regain control of the plane, the hijackers rolled the plane and intentionally crashed it. [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/2006/04/12/text-flight-3-recording]] [[CITE|undefined|http://nps.gov/flni/historyculture/index.htm]]

Some passengers and crew members who called from the aircraft using the cabin airphone service and mobile phones provided details: several hijackers were aboard each plane; they used mace, tear gas, or pepper spray to overcome attendants; and some people aboard had been stabbed. [[CITE|undefined|http://europe.cnn.com/2001/US/09/12/family.reacts/index.html]] Reports indicated hijackers stabbed and killed pilots, flight attendants, and one or more passengers. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20011031024057/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html]] According to the 9/11 Commission's final report, the hijackers had recently purchased multi-function hand tools and assorted Leatherman-type utility knives with locking blades, which were not forbidden to passengers at the time, but were not found among the possessions left behind by the hijackers. [[CITE|undefined|http://9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing7/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-01-27.htm]] [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20011031024057/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html]] A flight attendant on Flight 11, a passenger on Flight 175, and passengers on Flight 93 said the hijackers had bombs, but one of the passengers said he thought the bombs were fake. The FBI found no traces of explosives at the crash sites, and the 9/11 Commission concluded that the bombs were probably fake.

Three buildings in the World Trade Center collapsed due to fire-induced structural failure. [[CITE|undefined|http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-05-01/news/0205010358_1_engineers-jet-fuel]] The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m. after burning for 56 minutes in a fire caused by the impact of United Airlines Flight 175 and the explosion of its fuel. [[CITE|undefined|http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-05-01/news/0205010358_1_engineers-jet-fuel]] The North Tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m. after burning for 102 minutes. [[CITE|undefined|http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-05-01/news/0205010358_1_engineers-jet-fuel]] When the North Tower collapsed, debris fell on the nearby 7 World Trade Center building (7 WTC), damaging it and starting fires. These fires burned for hours, compromising the building's structural integrity, and 7 WTC collapsed at 5:21 p.m. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20011031024057/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html]] The west side of the Pentagon sustained significant damage.

At 9:42 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all civilian aircraft within the continental U.S., and civilian aircraft already in flight were told to land immediately. [[CITE|undefined|http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch1.pdf]] All international civilian aircraft were either turned back or redirected to airports in Canada or Mexico, and were banned from landing on United States territory for three days. [[CITE|undefined|http://biography.com/profiles-of-9-11/about911.jsp]] The attacks created widespread confusion among news organizations and air traffic controllers. Among the unconfirmed and often contradictory news reports aired throughout the day, one of the most prevalent said a car bomb had been detonated at the U.S. State Department's headquarters in Washington, D.C. [[CITE|undefined|http://broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/three-hours-shook-america-chronology-chaos/93600]] Another jet— Delta Air Lines Flight 1989 —was suspected of having been hijacked, but the aircraft responded to controllers and landed safely in Cleveland, Ohio.

In an April 2002 interview, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, who are believed to have organized the attacks, said Flight 93's intended target was the United States Capitol, not the White House. During the planning stage of the attacks, Mohamed Atta, the hijacker and pilot of Flight 11, thought the White House might be too tough a target and sought an assessment from Hani Hanjour (who hijacked and piloted Flight 77). Mohammed said al-Qaeda initially planned to target nuclear installations rather than the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but decided against it, fearing things could "get out of control". [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2244146.stm]] Final decisions on targets, according to Mohammed, were left in the hands of the pilots.

The attacks caused the deaths of 2,996 people and the injuries of more than 6,000 others.

In Arlington County, Virginia, 125 Pentagon workers lost their lives when Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the building.

In New York City, more than 90% of the workers and visitors who died in the towers had been at or above the points of impact.

In the South Tower, one stairwell, Stairwell A, was left intact after Flight 175 hit, allowing 14 people located on the floors of impact (including one man who saw the plane coming at him) and four more from the floors above to escape. New York City 911 operators who received calls from individuals inside the tower were not well informed of the situation as it rapidly unfolded and as a result, told callers not to descend the tower on their own. [[CITE|undefined|http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch9.pdf]] In total 630 people died in that tower, fewer than half the number killed in the North Tower. Casualties in the South Tower were significantly reduced by some occupants deciding to start evacuating as soon as the North Tower was struck. The failure to fully evacuate the South Tower after the first jet crash into the North Tower was described by USA Today as "one of the day's great tragedies". ^[666666]

At least 200 people fell or jumped to their deaths from the burning towers (as exemplified in the photograph The Falling Man ), landing on the streets and rooftops of adjacent buildings hundreds of feet below. Some occupants of each tower above the point of impact made their way toward the roof in hope of helicopter rescue, but the roof access doors were locked. [[CITE|undefined|https://wsj.com/articles/SB1003784754436648720]] No plan existed for helicopter rescues, and the combination of roof equipment and thick smoke and intense heat prevented helicopters from approaching. [[CITE|undefined|http://cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/18/terror/main618174.shtml]] A total of 411 emergency workers died as they tried to rescue people and fight fires. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lost 343 firefighters, including a chaplain and two paramedics. [[CITE|undefined|http://nyfd.com/9_11_wtc.html]] The New York City Police Department (NYPD) lost 23 officers. The Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) lost 37 officers. [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]] Eight emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics from private emergency medical services units were killed. [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]]

Cantor Fitzgerald L.P., an investment bank on the 101st–105th floors of the North Tower, lost 658 employees, considerably more than any other employer. [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]] Marsh Inc., located immediately below Cantor Fitzgerald on floors 93–100, lost 358 employees, [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]] and 175 employees of Aon Corporation were also killed. [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]] The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) estimated that about 17,400 civilians were in the World Trade Center complex at the time of the attacks. Turnstile counts from the Port Authority suggest 14,154 people were typically in the Twin Towers by 8:45 a.m. [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]] Most people below the impact zone safely evacuated the buildings. [[CITE|undefined|http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34440,00.html]]

Weeks after the attack, the death toll was estimated to be over 6,000, more than twice the number of deaths eventually confirmed.

Along with the 110-floor Twin Towers, numerous other buildings at the World Trade Center site were destroyed or badly damaged, including WTC buildings 3 through 7 and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. [[CITE|undefined|http://fema.gov/rebuild/mat/wtcstudy.shtm]] The North Tower, South Tower, the Marriott Hotel (3 WTC), and 7 WTC were completely destroyed. The U.S. Customs House (6 World Trade Center), 4 World Trade Center, 5 World Trade Center, and both pedestrian bridges connecting buildings were severely damaged. The Deutsche Bank Building on 130 Liberty Street was partially damaged and demolished some years later, starting in 2007. [[CITE|undefined|http://commercialobserver.com/2011/02/130-liberty-finally-gone-from-ground-zero]] The two buildings of the World Financial Center also suffered damage.

The Deutsche Bank Building across Liberty Street from the World Trade Center complex was later condemned as uninhabitable because of toxic conditions inside the office tower, and was deconstructed. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1729882.stm]] [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1729882.stm]] The Borough of Manhattan Community College's Fiterman Hall at 30 West Broadway was condemned due to extensive damage in the attacks, and is being rebuilt. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1729882.stm]] Other neighboring buildings (including 90 West Street and the Verizon Building) suffered major damage but have been restored. [[CITE|undefined|https://webcitation.org/5pvOUTccB?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewyork.construction.com%2Fprojects%2FTopProjects04%2FVerizon.asp]] World Financial Center buildings, One Liberty Plaza, the Millenium Hilton, and 90 Church Street had moderate damage and have since been restored. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1729882.stm]] Communications equipment on top of the North Tower was also destroyed, but media stations were quickly able to reroute the signals and resume their broadcasts. [[CITE|undefined|http://fema.gov/rebuild/mat/wtcstudy.shtm]] [[CITE|undefined|http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/terror/20041029-1423-binladentape.html]]

The Pentagon was severely damaged by the impact of American Airlines Flight 77 and ensuing fires, causing one section of the building to collapse.

The New York City Fire Department deployed 200 units (half of the department) to the World Trade Center.

After the first tower collapsed, FDNY commanders issued evacuation warnings.

Aftermath

The aftermath of the 9/11 attack resulted in immediate responses to the event, including domestic reactions, hate crimes, Muslim American responses to the event, international responses to the attack, and military responses to the events.

At 8:32 a.m., FAA officials were notified Flight 11 had been hijacked and they in turn notified the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). NORAD scrambled two F-15s from Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts and they were airborne by 8:53 a.m. [[CITE|undefined|http://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf]] Because of slow and confused communication from FAA officials, NORAD had 9 minutes' notice that Flight 11 had been hijacked, and no notice about any of the other flights before they crashed. [[CITE|undefined|http://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf]] After both of the Twin Towers had already been hit, more fighters were scrambled from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia at 9:30 a.m. [[CITE|undefined|http://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf]] At 10:20 a.m. Vice President Dick Cheney issued orders to shoot down any commercial aircraft that could be positively identified as being hijacked. These instructions were not relayed in time for the fighters to take action. [[CITE|undefined|http://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf]] [[CITE|undefined|http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6363306]] [[CITE|undefined|http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6363306]] [[CITE|undefined|http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6363306]] Some fighters took to the air without live ammunition, knowing that to prevent the hijackers from striking their intended targets, the pilots might have to intercept and crash their fighters into the hijacked planes, possibly ejecting at the last moment. [[CITE|undefined|http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6363306]]

For the first time in U.S. history, SCATANA was invoked, [[CITE|undefined|http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6363306]] thus stranding tens of thousands of passengers across the world. [[CITE|undefined|http://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch10.htm]] The FAA closed American airspace to all international flights, causing about five hundred flights to be turned back or redirected to other countries. Canada received 226 of the diverted flights and launched Operation Yellow Ribbon to deal with the large numbers of grounded planes and stranded passengers. [[CITE|undefined|http://tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2001/01_h152e.htm]]

The 9/11 attacks had immediate effects on the American people.

The deaths of adults in the attacks resulted in over 3,000 children losing a parent.

Following the attacks, President Bush's approval rating soared to 90%.

Many relief funds were immediately set up to assist victims of the attacks, with the task of providing financial assistance to the survivors of the attacks and to the families of victims. By the deadline for victim's compensation on September 11, 2003, 2,833 applications had been received from the families of those who were killed. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20080526032503/http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/09/47109]]

Contingency plans for the continuity of government and the evacuation of leaders were implemented soon after the attacks. [[CITE|undefined|http://9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch10.htm]] Congress was not told that the United States had been under a continuity of government status until February 2002. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20080526032503/http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/09/47109]]

In the largest restructuring of the U.S. government in contemporary history, the United States enacted the Homeland Security Act of 2002, creating the Department of Homeland Security. Congress also passed the USA PATRIOT Act, saying it would help detect and prosecute terrorism and other crimes. [[CITE|undefined|http://lifeandliberty.gov/highlights.htm]] Civil liberties groups have criticized the PATRIOT Act, saying it allows law enforcement to invade the privacy of citizens and that it eliminates judicial oversight of law enforcement and domestic intelligence. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20080526032503/http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/09/47109]] [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20080526032503/http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/09/47109]] In an effort to effectively combat future acts of terrorism, the National Security Agency (NSA) was given broad powers. NSA commenced warrantless surveillance of telecommunications, which was sometimes criticized since it permitted the agency "to eavesdrop on telephone and e-mail communications between the United States and people overseas without a warrant". [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20080526032503/http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/09/47109]] In response to requests by various intelligence agencies, the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court permitted an expansion of powers by the U.S. government in seeking, obtaining, and sharing information on U.S. citizens as well as non-U.S. people from around the world. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20080526032503/http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/09/47109]]

Shortly after the attacks, President Bush made a public appearance at Washington's largest Islamic Center and acknowledged the "incredibly valuable contribution" that millions of American Muslims made to their country and called for them "to be treated with respect."

According to an academic study, people perceived to be Middle Eastern were as likely to be victims of hate crimes as followers of Islam during this time.

Muslim organizations in the United States were swift to condemn the attacks and called "upon Muslim Americans to come forward with their skills and resources to help alleviate the sufferings of the affected people and their families". These organizations included the Islamic Society of North America, American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Circle of North America, and the Shari'a Scholars Association of North America. Along with monetary donations, many Islamic organizations launched blood drives and provided medical assistance, food, and shelter for victims.

The attacks were denounced by mass media and governments worldwide.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368 condemned the attacks, and expressed readiness to take all necessary steps to respond and combat all forms of terrorism in accordance with their Charter. Numerous countries introduced anti-terrorism legislation and froze bank accounts they suspected of al-Qaeda ties. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies in a number of countries arrested alleged terrorists. ^[666666] ^[666666]

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the United States.

Tens of thousands of people attempted to flee Afghanistan following the attacks, fearing a response by the United States.

The U.S. set up the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to hold inmates they defined as "illegal enemy combatants". The legitimacy of these detentions has been questioned by the European Union and human rights organizations. ^[666666] ^[666666] [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]]

On September 25, 2001, Iran's fifth president, Mohammad Khatami meeting British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said: "Iran fully understands the feelings of the Americans about the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11." He said although the American administrations had been at best indifferent about terrorist operations in Iran (since 1979), the Iranians instead felt differently and had expressed their sympathetic feelings with bereaved Americans in the tragic incidents in the two cities. He also stated that "Nations should not be punished in place of terrorists." [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]] According to Radio Farda's website, when the attacks' news was released, some Iranian citizens gathered in front of the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran, which serves as the protecting power of the United States in Iran (US interests protecting office in Iran), to express their sympathy and some of them lit candles as a symbol of mourning. This piece of news at Radio Farda's website also states that in 2011, on the anniversary of the attacks, United States Department of State, published a post at its blog, in which the Department thanked Iranian people for their sympathy and stated that they would never forget Iranian people's kindness on those harsh days. [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]] After the attacks, both the President [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]] [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]] and the Supreme Leader of Iran, condemned the attacks. The BBC and Time magazine published reports on holding candlelit vigils for the victims by Iranian citizens at their websites. [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]] [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]] According to Politico Magazine , following the attacks, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, "suspended the usual 'Death to America' chants at Friday prayers" temporarily. [[CITE|undefined|http://politico.com/magazine/story/2013/11/a-failure-to-communicate-100052]]

At 2:40 p.m. in the afternoon of September 11, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was issuing rapid orders to his aides to look for evidence of Iraqi involvement. According to notes taken by senior policy official Stephen Cambone, Rumsfeld asked for, "Best info fast. Judge whether good enough hit S.H." (Saddam Hussein) "at same time. Not only UBL" (Osama bin Laden). [[CITE|undefined|https://theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,906911,00.html]] Cambone's notes quoted Rumsfeld as saying, "Need to move swiftly – Near term target needs – go massive – sweep it all up. Things related and not." [[CITE|undefined|http://cbsnews.com/stories/2002/09/04/september11/main520830.shtml]] [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]] In a meeting at Camp David on September 15 the Bush administration rejected the idea of attacking Iraq in response to 9/11. [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]] Nonetheless, they later invaded the country with allies, citing "Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism". [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]] At the time, as many as 7 in 10 Americans believed the Iraqi president played a role in the 9/11 attacks. [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]] Three years later, Bush conceded that he had not. [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]]

The NATO council declared the attacks on the United States were an attack on all NATO nations which satisfied Article 5 of the NATO charter. This marked the first invocation of Article 5, which had been written during the Cold War with an attack by the Soviet Union in mind. [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]] Australian Prime Minister John Howard who was in Washington D.C. during the attacks invoked Article IV of the ANZUS treaty. [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]] The Bush administration announced a War on Terror, with the stated goals of bringing bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice and preventing the emergence of other terrorist networks. [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]] These goals would be accomplished by imposing economic and military sanctions against states harboring terrorists, and increasing global surveillance and intelligence sharing. [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]]

On September 14, 2001, the U.S. Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists. Still in effect, it grants the President the authority to use all "necessary and appropriate force" against those whom he determined "planned, authorized, committed or aided" the September 11 attacks, or who harbored said persons or groups. [[CITE|undefined|http://telegraph.co.uk/news/3685099/Alleged-911-mastermind-wants-to-confess-to-plot.html]]

On October 7, 2001, the War in Afghanistan began when U.S. and British forces initiated aerial bombing campaigns targeting Taliban and al-Qaeda camps, then later invaded Afghanistan with ground troops of the Special Forces. [[CITE|undefined|http://globalsecurity.org/military/ops/enduring-freedom-ops.htm]] This eventually led to the overthrow of the Taliban rule of Afghanistan with the Fall of Kandahar on December 7, 2001, by U.S. led coalition forces. [[CITE|undefined|http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl32758.pdf]] Conflict in Afghanistan between the Taliban insurgency and the Afghan forces backed by NATO Resolute Support Mission is ongoing. The Philippines and Indonesia, among other nations with their own internal conflicts with Islamic terrorism, also increased their military readiness. ^[666666]

The military forces of the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran cooperated with each other to overthrow the Taliban regime which had had conflicts with the government of Iran. [[CITE|undefined|http://politico.com/magazine/story/2013/11/a-failure-to-communicate-100052]] Iran's Quds Force helped US forces and Afghan rebels in the 2001 uprising in Herat. [[CITE|undefined|http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-06-09-iran-taliban_x.htm]] [[CITE|undefined|http://spongobongo.com/her9940.htm]]

Effects

Hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic debris containing more than 2,500 contaminants, including known carcinogens, were spread across Lower Manhattan due to the collapse of the Twin Towers.

Health effects extended to residents, students, and office workers of Lower Manhattan and nearby Chinatown. [[CITE|undefined|http://sierraclub.org/groundzero]] Several deaths have been linked to the toxic dust, and the victims' names were included in the World Trade Center memorial. [[CITE|undefined|http://cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/28/national/main4049362.shtml]] Approximately 18,000 people have been estimated to have developed illnesses as a result of the toxic dust. [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14738140]] There is also scientific speculation that exposure to various toxic products in the air may have negative effects on fetal development. A notable children's environmental health center is currently analyzing the children whose mothers were pregnant during the WTC collapse, and were living or working nearby. ^[666666] A study of rescue workers released in April 2010 found that all those studied had impaired lung functions, and that 30–40% were reporting little or no improvement in persistent symptoms that started within the first year of the attack.

Years after the attacks, legal disputes over the costs of illnesses related to the attacks were still in the court system.

The United States Congress passed the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act on December 22, 2010, and President Barack Obama signed the act into law on January 2, 2011. It allocated $4.2 billion to create the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides testing and treatment for people suffering from long-term health problems related to the 9/11 attacks. [[CITE|undefined|http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-22/politics/911.bill_1_first-responders-funding-votes-house-members?_s=PM%3APOLITICS]] The WTC Health Program replaced preexisting 9/11-related health programs such as the Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program and the WTC Environmental Health Center program.

The attacks had a significant economic impact on United States and world markets.

In New York City, about 430,000 job-months and $2.8 billion dollars in wages were lost in the first three months after the attacks.

Also hurt were small businesses in Lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center, 18,000 of which were destroyed or displaced, resulting in lost jobs and their consequent wages. Assistance was provided by Small Business Administration loans, federal government Community Development Block Grants, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. [[CITE|undefined|https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL31617.pdf]] Some 31,900,000 square feet (2,960,000 m 2) of Lower Manhattan office space was damaged or destroyed. [[CITE|undefined|http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/white-house-power-grabs]] Many wondered whether these jobs would return, and if the damaged tax base would recover. [[CITE|undefined|http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/white-house-power-grabs]] Studies of the economic effects of 9/11 show the Manhattan office real-estate market and office employment were less affected than first feared, because of the financial services industry's need for face-to-face interaction. [[CITE|undefined|http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/white-house-power-grabs]] [[CITE|undefined|http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/white-house-power-grabs]]

North American air space was closed for several days after the attacks and air travel decreased upon its reopening, leading to a nearly 20% cutback in air travel capacity, and exacerbating financial problems in the struggling U.S. airline industry. [[CITE|undefined|http://businessweek.com/news/2011-04-04/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-terror-indictment-unsealed-dismissed.html]]

The September 11 attacks also led to the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, [[CITE|undefined|http://businessweek.com/news/2011-04-04/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-terror-indictment-unsealed-dismissed.html]] as well as additional homeland security spending, totaling at least $5 trillion. [[CITE|undefined|http://businessweek.com/news/2011-04-04/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-terror-indictment-unsealed-dismissed.html]]

The impact of 9/11 extends beyond geopolitics into society and culture in general.

The culture of America succeeding the attacks is noted for heightened security and an increased demand thereof, as well as paranoia and anxiety regarding future terrorist attacks that includes most of the nation. Psychologists have also confirmed that there has been an increased amount of national anxiety in commercial air travel. [[CITE|undefined|http://businessweek.com/news/2011-04-04/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-terror-indictment-unsealed-dismissed.html]]

As a result of the attacks, many governments across the world passed legislation to combat terrorism. [[CITE|undefined|http://businessweek.com/news/2011-04-04/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-terror-indictment-unsealed-dismissed.html]] In Germany, where several of the 9/11 terrorists had resided and taken advantage of that country's liberal asylum policies, two major anti-terrorism packages were enacted. The first removed legal loopholes that permitted terrorists to live and raise money in Germany. The second addressed the effectiveness and communication of intelligence and law enforcement. [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]] Canada passed the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act, that nation's first anti-terrorism law. [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]] The United Kingdom passed the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]] New Zealand enacted the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]]

In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security was created by the Homeland Security Act to coordinate domestic anti-terrorism efforts. The USA Patriot Act gave the federal government greater powers, including the authority to detain foreign terror suspects for a week without charge, to monitor telephone communications, e-mail, and Internet use by terror suspects, and to prosecute suspected terrorists without time restrictions. The FAA ordered that airplane cockpits be reinforced to prevent terrorists gaining control of planes, and assigned sky marshals to flights. Further, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act made the federal government, rather than airports, responsible for airport security. The law created the Transportation Security Administration to inspect passengers and luggage, causing long delays and concern over passenger privacy. After suspected abuses of the USA Patriot Act were brought to light in June 2013 with articles about collection of American call records by the NSA and the PRISM program (see 2013 mass surveillance disclosures), Representative Jim Sensenbrenner, Republican of Wisconsin, who introduced the Patriot Act in 2001, said that the National Security Agency overstepped its bounds. [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]]

Investigations

Immediately after the attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation started PENTTBOM, the largest criminal inquiry in the history of the United States. At its height, more than half of the FBI's agents worked on the investigation and followed a half-million leads. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20101010030053/http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/9-11-investigation/9-11-investigation]] The FBI concluded that there was "clear and irrefutable" evidence linking al-Qaeda and bin Laden to the attacks. [[CITE|undefined|http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,436061,00.html]]

The FBI was quickly able to identify the hijackers, including leader Mohamed Atta, when his luggage was discovered at Boston's Logan Airport.

By midday, the U.S. National Security Agency and German intelligence agencies had intercepted communications pointing to Osama bin Laden.

Authorities in the United States and Britain also obtained electronic intercepts, including telephone conversations and electronic bank transfers, which indicate that Mohammed Atef, a bin Laden deputy, was a key figure in the planning of the 9/11 attacks. Intercepts were also obtained that revealed conversations that took place days before September 11 between bin Laden and an associate in Pakistan. In those conversations, the two referred to "an incident that would take place in America on, or around, September 11" and they discussed potential repercussions. In another conversation with an associate in Afghanistan, bin Laden discussed the "scale and effects of a forthcoming operation." These conversations did not specifically mention the World Trade Center or Pentagon, or other specifics. [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]]

The Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) conducted an internal review of the agency's pre-9/11 performance and was harshly critical of senior CIA officials for not doing everything possible to confront terrorism. He criticized their failure to stop two of the 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, as they entered the United States and their failure to share information on the two men with the FBI. [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]] In May 2007, senators from both major U.S. political parties drafted legislation to make the review public. One of the backers, Senator Ron Wyden said, "The American people have a right to know what the Central Intelligence Agency was doing in those critical months before 9/11." [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]]

In February 2002, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence formed a joint inquiry into the performance of the U.S. Intelligence Community. [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]] Their 832 page report released in December 2002 [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]] detailed failings of the FBI and CIA to use available information, including about terrorists the CIA knew were in the United States, in order to disrupt the plots. [[CITE|undefined|https://books.google.com/books?id=-nj4RLdHCU0C&pg=PA223]] The joint inquiry developed its information about possible involvement of Saudi Arabian government officials from non-classified sources. [[CITE|undefined|https://web.archive.org/web/20140903123631/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/08/12/199122_senate-intelligence-panel-could.html?rh=1]] Nevertheless, the Bush administration demanded 28 related pages remain classified. [[CITE|undefined|https://books.google.com/books?id=-nj4RLdHCU0C&pg=PA223]] In December 2002, the inquiry's chair Bob Graham (D-FL) revealed in an interview that there was "evidence that there were foreign governments involved in facilitating the activities of at least some of the terrorists in the United States." [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]] September 11 victim families were frustrated by the unanswered questions and redacted material from the Congressional inquiry and demanded an independent commission. [[CITE|undefined|https://books.google.com/books?id=-nj4RLdHCU0C&pg=PA223]] September 11 victim families, [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]] members of congress [[CITE|undefined|http://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23269437]] [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]] and the Saudi Arabian government are still seeking release of the documents. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]] [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]] In June 2016, CIA chief John Brennan says that he believes 28 redacted pages of a congressional inquiry into 9/11 will soon be made public, and that they will prove that the government of Saudi Arabia had no involvement in the September 11 attacks. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]]

In September 2016, the Congress passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act that would allow relatives of victims of the September 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for its government's alleged role in the attacks. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]] [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]] [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]]

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission), chaired by Thomas Kean and Lee H. Hamilton, was formed in late 2002 to prepare a thorough account of the circumstances surrounding the attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]] On July 22, 2004, the Commission issued the 9/11 Commission Report . The report detailed the events of 9/11, found the attacks were carried out by members of al-Qaeda, and examined how security and intelligence agencies were inadequately coordinated to prevent the attacks. Formed from an independent bipartisan group of mostly former Senators, Representatives, and Governors, the commissioners explained, "We believe the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management". [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]] The Commission made numerous recommendations on how to prevent future attacks, and in 2011 was dismayed that several of its recommendations had yet to be implemented. [[CITE|undefined|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6452573.stm]]

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigated the collapses of the Twin Towers and 7 WTC. The investigations examined why the buildings collapsed and what fire protection measures were in place, and evaluated how fire protection systems might be improved in future construction. The investigation into the collapse of 1 WTC and 2 WTC was concluded in October 2005 and that of 7 WTC was completed in August 2008.

NIST found that the fireproofing on the Twin Towers' steel infrastructures was blown off by the initial impact of the planes and that, had this not occurred, the towers likely would have remained standing.

The director of the original investigation stated that, "the towers really did amazingly well.

Rebuilding

On the day of the attacks, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani stated: "We will rebuild.

The damaged section of the Pentagon was rebuilt and occupied within a year of the attacks.

On the World Trade Center site, three more office towers are expected to be built one block east of where the original towers stood.

Memorials

In the days immediately following the attacks, many memorials and vigils were held around the world, and photographs of the dead and missing were posted around Ground Zero. A witness described being unable to "get away from faces of innocent victims who were killed. Their pictures are everywhere, on phone booths, street lights, walls of subway stations. Everything reminded me of a huge funeral, people quiet and sad, but also very nice. Before, New York gave me a cold feeling; now people were reaching out to help each other." [[CITE|undefined|http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html]]

One of the first memorials was the Tribute in Light , an installation of 88 searchlights at the footprints of the World Trade Center towers. [[CITE|undefined|http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html]] In New York City, the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition was held to design an appropriate memorial on the site. [[CITE|undefined|http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html]] The winning design, Reflecting Absence , was selected in August 2006, and consists of a pair of reflecting pools in the footprints of the towers, surrounded by a list of the victims' names in an underground memorial space. [[CITE|undefined|http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html]] The memorial was completed on September 11, 2011; [[CITE|undefined|http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html]] a museum also opened on site on May 21, 2014. [[CITE|undefined|http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html]]

In Arlington County, The Pentagon Memorial was completed and opened to the public on the seventh anniversary of the attacks in 2008. [[CITE|undefined|http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/spain-jails-18-alqaeda-operatives/2005/09/27/1127586828047.html]] [[CITE|undefined|http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article670596.ece]] It consists of a landscaped park with 184 benches facing the Pentagon. When the Pentagon was repaired in 2001–2002, a private chapel and indoor memorial were included, located at the spot where Flight 77 crashed into the building. [[CITE|undefined|http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article670596.ece]]

In Shanksville, a concrete and glass visitor center was opened on September 10, 2015, [[CITE|undefined|https://nps.gov/flni/learn/historyculture/sources-and-detailed-information.htm]] situated on a hill overlooking the crash site and the white marble Wall of Names.

On every anniversary, in New York City, the names of the victims who died there are read out against a background of somber music.