September 11, 2001

The date of September 11, 2001, is largely recognized for a series of violent attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon [Page 1147]in Washington, D.C. The events of “9/11,” as it is often referred to, have changed the overall makeup of global and international relationships in virtually every segment of political, economic, and civil society. Moreover, a latent effect of 9/11 has created a greater global awareness of the intersection between religion and violence. On the surface, the attacks appeared to be driven by radical “Islamic fundamentalism;” yet a closer examination would hold that 9/11 was a mere instance of a particular form of religious extremism and was neither exclusive to nor representative of the larger Muslim community.

On that day, a total of 19 men hijacked four commercial airliners and rerouted them toward the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and the White House. The first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, bound for Los Angeles, departed from Boston's Logan International Airport at 7:59 a.m. After irregular communication between Flight 11 and Boston Center occurred, including a phone call from a flight attendant alerting American Airlines of a stabbing on board the plane, Boston Center notified Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts and the Northeastern Air Defense Sector of the possible hijacking. Despite the scrambling of two F-15 fighter jets from Otis Air Force Base, Flight 11 was not intercepted, and at 8:46 a.m., it crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

The second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, also bound for Los Angeles, departed from Boston's Logan International Airport at 8:14 a.m. At 8:52 a.m., United Airlines received a call from a Flight 175 attendant confirming that their plane had been hijacked, both pilots killed, and a flight attendant stabbed. At 8:58 a.m., Flight 175 flew off path toward New York City, where it crashed at 9:03 a.m. into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

At 8:20 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77, again bound for Los Angeles, departed from Washington Dulles International Airport. Within 25 minutes of its departure, Flight 77 flew off course over Ohio, returning toward Washington D.C. At 9:37 a.m., Flight 77 crashed into a western portion of the Pentagon.

Just prior to the impact from American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, United Airlines Flight 93 departed from Newark International Airport at 8:42 a.m. After a series of communications between Flight 93 passengers and their relatives on the ground, there was some speculation that these passengers might have known about the other three hijackings and may have acted on this information by trying to take control of their flight. Given this, it is believed that some of these passengers stormed the cockpit to divert the plane from crashing into the U.S. Capitol. The hijackers lost control of the aircraft, and Flight 93 crashed at 10:03 a.m. just outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

In the end, a total of 3,017 people died and an estimated 6,300 others were injured in the attacks. In New York City, the overall physical damage, inclusive of immediate and subsequent destruction, consisted of damage to six World Trade Center buildings, a Marriot Hotel, a Greek Orthodox Church, and a Deutsche Bank, and collateral damage to the surrounding buildings. In Arlington, Virginia, a portion of the west side of the Pentagon was destroyed.

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