Terrorist Attack on September 11, 2001, 19 Essay

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Terrorist Attack

On September 11, 2001, 19 Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four United States commercial airliners travelling from the east coast to California. The hijackers forcibly took control of four planes. Two planes were purposefully crashed into the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City. The third aircraft was flown into the Pentagon building in Washington DC. The fourth plane landed in a Pennsylvania field. All of the people on board the aircrafts were killed. There were 2996 people killed including the hijackers and the airline passengers and the victims on the ground in New York and Washington DC. A total of 836 first responders also died as the result of their efforts to rescue people in the WTC before it collapsed (The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, 2004). According to the U.S. government, 9/11 was an act of war. The United States government, state and local agencies mobilized during the disaster. Victims in New York and Washington DC were taken to area hospitals for medical treatment. As the result of the terrorist attack, the government instituted a series of measures that changed the United States policy towards terrorism and homeland security.

The aftermath of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks left the country in a state of shock. The report on 9/11 details the steps taken by the government during the attack on the WTC and the Pentagon. The attacks caused wide-spread confusion among air traffic controllers and news organizations. During 9/11, the government used radio and television to communicate with people and inform them of the situation. Grisly scenes of the wreckage were replayed in the media. Government and state agencies communicated with each other via radio and walkie talkie. Cell phone and telephone services were impossible; because, the volume of calls disabled communications networks.

Because of the possibility of more 9/11 style attacks, the government immediately invoked SCATANA, Security Control of Air Traffic and Navigation Aids. United States (U.S.) airspace was closed to all aircraft except for military aircraft, and the U.S. border was closed to international travel. Planes that were in flight were ordered to land immediately.

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International planes that were travelling to the United States were forced to land in Mexico or Canada. Because the 9/11 terrorists targeted the White House and the Pentagon, the federal government created a contingency plan for the continuity of government in cases of emergency. In addition, a plan for the evacuation of the top American political leaders was developed and implemented in case of future terrorist attacks (The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, 2004).

On September 11, 2011, the government declared a state of emergency. The United States military and the National Guard were mobilized. The states of CT, NJ, NY, and VA also mobilized resources. The government passed the U.S.A. Patriot Act which allowed law enforcement officials to invade the privacy of citizens suspected of terrorism. The National Security Agency also employed listening devices to eavesdrop on the telephone and email communications of people in the U.S.A. And other countries without a warrant. In addition, The Homeland Security Act was passed in 2002 to protect the United States from terrorism and natural disasters. Because of the Patriot Act, several of the masterminds of the 9/11 terrorist attacks were captured, like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, 2004).

After the first attack in New York, the New York Police Department (NYPD), Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) were mobilized to care for the wounded, conduct search and rescue operations. In New York City, the subway was closed and main roadways were cleared for emergency use. In Washington DC, similar actions were taken to secure the city and the surrounding area. In New York, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) also began search and rescue and firefighting efforts. After the 2nd plane crashed, 2000 NYPD officers rushed to the World Trade Center. In addition, there were numerous port authority officers coordinating efforts with the NYPD and FDNY. In New York City, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) was located at the WTC. Difficulties occurred in New York because the OEM office was destroyed after the second airplane.....

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