B-25&767 Hit WTC,3 Planes Hit Pentagon, Bomb Near WhiteHouse,PittsBHit,Who Coordinated?,10000Die

AP, Financial Times, CBS Market Watch, BBC, NBC TV, Reuters, IDG, Nando, Hoosier Times ^ | September 11, 2001 | AP Staff,Reuters, BBC Staff, Financial Times Staff, Jon Friedman, Beth Gardiner

[t-shirt]

Markets slump after Trade Center blast Aircraft crash into World Trade Center, Pentagon

By Vince Heaney, FTMarketWatch 4:52:00 PM BST Sep 11, 2001

LONDON (FTMW) -Markets slumped to fresh year lows in the wake of what President Bush called "apparent terrorist" attacks.

Two planes crashed into the world Trade Center in New York causing the collapse of both towers of the building. Three planes are reported to have crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, causing part of the building to collapse.

The director of the World Trade Center said that up to 10,000 people could have been in each tower.

The White House, Pentagon and other key government buildings were evacuated, all flights in the U.S. have been grounded, and all incoming flights have been diverted to Canada.

The FTSE 100 [UK:1805550] slumped 5.7 percent to 4,746 and the FTSE TechMARK index [UK:1859502] finished 4.6 percent lower at 1,278.9. See pan-European markets report See London's volume movers at a glance <

Crude oil prices surged in the wake of the disaster, with October Brent Crude prices trading at $30.69 a barrel, up more than $3 a barrel. Oil majors were among the FTSE gainers, with BP [UK:BPA] up 4.9 percent and Shell [UK:SHEL] up 2.2 percent.

The only other FTSE gainer was aerospace and defence firm BAe Systems [UK:BA] which gained 4.7 percent.

Insurers plunged on the London market. CGNU [UK:CGNU] fell 9.9 percent, Royal Sun Alliance [UK:RSA] dropped 15.2 percent and Prudential [UK:PRU] slid 12.4 percent.

British Airways [UK:BAY] was another sharp decliner off 21 percent, with news of the grounding of all flights in the U.S. Airports operator BAA [UK:BAA] lost 16.4 percent.

Hotels and leisure group Hilton [UK:HG] dropped 21 percent.

Currency markets also saw wild swings in the wake of the U.S. attacks. Sterling reached a 6-month high against the dollar around 1.4690, and recently traded at 1.4630. The dollar spiked sharply against the euro, reaching a high around 0.9090, up from 0.8975 before the blast.

Gold surged in the wake of the news, rising $16 an ounce to $287 an ounce in London.

The New York stock exchange delayed the market open indefinitely. Sky News reported that Canary Wharf in London was also being evacuated, but Canary Wharf Group [UK:CWG] told FTMarketWatch the building was not being evacuated, but remained on standby. Canary Wharf shares fell 8 percent.

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Sept. 11, 2001

`Apparent' terrorism strikes hit U.S.

By Jon Friedman,

CBS.MarketWatch.com

4:39:00 PM BST Sep 11, 2001

NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Apparent terrorist attacks leveled the World Trade Center in New York and rocked the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., Tuesday morning, causing pandemonium and terror in the nation's political and financial centers.

Both towers at the World Trade Center collapsed after two hijacked commercial jets crashed into the upper stories. In addition, part of the Pentagon building was said to have collapsed. The Associated Press reported there was a car bombing at the State Department in Washington.

President George W. Bush called the attack on the World Trade Center an "apparent" act of terrorism.

"Today, we've had a national tragedy," Bush said, addressing the nation from Sarasota, Fla., where he had been scheduled to deliver a speech about education.

A catastrophic series of events unfolded at about 8:45 a.m., Eastern. First, two airplanes struck Tower One of the World Trade Center and smoke billowed out of the top floors of the building, a business center and popular tourist attraction.

Then, approximately an hour later, Washington, D.C., was under attack in what was feared to be another act of terrorism.

Trading at the New York Stock Exchange was suspended.

Reports circulated at about 9:43 a.m. that the White House was evacuated. Fires broke out at the Pentagon and on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

The apparently well-coordinated attack on the World Trade Center occurred at rush hour as New Yorkers made their way to work in the Wall Street financial district in lower Manhattan.

In Brooklyn Heights, Dena Driver, an eyewitness to the collapse, held the hand of her 16-month-old son Liam and told CBS.MarketWatch.com: "I heard a loud crash, and you could see the building sinking, and everyone started crying.

"People were running in all directions. People with family in the buildings were there and crying," Driver said, speaking from a location just across the East River.

"In five minutes, you couldn't even see Manhattan," Driver said. "Smoke and ash were everywhere in Brooklyn Heights."

All airports around the U.S. were ordered closed by federal authorities and airline flights were halted nationwide. Further, international flights scheduled to land in New York and Washington were diverted to Canadian cities.

"Everybody's panicking," an eyewitness in New York shouted on a CNN broadcast not long after the tragedy occurred, underscoring the terror and confusion throughout the morning.

There were unconfirmed media reports that there were 1,000 injuries caused by the World Trade Center event.

The media reported that one of the airplanes was an American Airlines aircraft, a Boeing 767, whose flight originated from Boston.

The tragedy shattered a typically busy day in New York, which was gearing up for a mayoral primary election between Republican and Democratic candidates. The primaries were called off in the wake of the crisis

The FBI is reportedly investigating one or more possible hijacking cases Speculation was rampant that the New York Stock Exchange had been evacuated, potentially throwing into jeopardy the status of trading for the session. Calls placed to the main telephone number of the World Trade Center were not answered immediately after the news broke.

"Terrorism against our nation will not stand," President Bush said, calling for a moment of silence. He said he would call on the "full resources" of the U.S.

The disasters were the most devastating in the U.S. since a federal building was exploded in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people. On Feb. 26, 1993, a bomb exploded in the basement garage of the World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring 1,000 more.

Jon Friedman is media editor for CBS.MarketWatch.com in New York.

Plane attacks leave New York paralyzed, U.S. shocked

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BY MARC FERRANTI, IDG NEWS SERVICE (September 11, 2001)

In what President George W. Bush called an "apparent terrorist attack," two airplanes flew into the twin towers of New York City's World Trade Center just before 9 a.m.

today, leading to loss of life, paralyzing city ground and air traffic and halting trading on stock exchanges. The attack led the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to close all U.S. airports.

"Today we've had a national tragedy; two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country," Bush said in remarks broadcast after the incident.

Immediately after the explosions, officials at the Nasdaq Stock Market and New York Stock Exchange said they would suspend trading. By about 10:30 a.m., both of the twin towers of the World Trade Center had collapsed.

In addition, an explosion -- another apparent plane attack, according to media reports -- occurred at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, right after the World Trade Center incidents. Both the Pentagon and the White House were evacuated, as were buildings throughout major cities in the U.S.

No reports of the number of deaths or injuries were announced within the first hour of the attacks, though local eyewitnesses speaking on radio and television said they had seen bodies on the ground in the World Trade Center area.

One of the planes that flew into the World Trade Center was a Boeing 767 that had taken off from Boston and then was hijacked, according to media reports. Reports also said the plane was an American Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles.

"I've ordered that the full resources of the federal government go to help the victims and their families and to conduct a full-scale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who have committed this act. Terrorism against this nation will not stand," Bush said in his remarks.

Major Internet news sites slowed to a crawl or became inaccessible. Telephone communication also became sluggish.

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NBC TV News Has Reported 10,000 likely dead.

Afghan opposition leader injured in suicide bombing attack

By KATHY GANNON,AP

KABUL, Afghanistan (September 10, 2001 10:01 a.m. EDT) - The military chief of forces fighting Afghanistan's ruling Taliban was unconscious and in serious condition with head injuries Monday after a suicide bombing attack, his brother said.

Ahmed Shah Massood, 48, underwent emergency surgery at a hospital in Tajikistan after two men posing as journalists detonated a bomb that may have been hidden in a television camera. The blast Sunday in northern Afghanistan killed both bombers and one of Massood's spokesmen, said Bismillah Khan, another Massood spokesman.

The loss of Massood would devastate the opposition, already a fractured collection of groups who fought each other when they ruled much of Afghanistan for four years until the Taliban took control in September 1996. Their deposed government still holds Afghanistan's seat in the United Nations and operates embassies in several capitals of the world.

The Taliban, a hard-line Islamic militia, currently rules roughly 95 percent of the country, with Massood's alliance in control of the remaining 5 percent, mostly in the north.

Kahn accused the Taliban of sending the suicide bombers into Massood's territory. Taliban officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The opposition originally had said Massood only suffered leg wounds; however, Ahmed Wali, Massood's brother and the opposition's ambassador in Britain, said the injuries were more serious.

"The doctor says it will be 10 or 12 hours before we know" whether he will survive, Wali told The Associated Press by telephone. "His condition is stabilizing, but he is still unconscious. All we can do is rely on the doctors."

Wali said the veteran Afghan commander was flown immediately to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, following the explosion. Massood met briefly with several of his commanders before being operated upon, Wali said. He has been unconscious since the surgery.

The most serious injuries were head wounds caused by shrapnel. Massood also suffered wounds to his leg and hands.

Since the suicide bombing Sunday afternoon, there have been conflicting reports about the extent of Massood's injuries, with the Russian news agency Itar-Tass reporting his death.

According to Wali, the suicide bombers were traveling on Belgian passports, with a multiple Pakistani visa issued by the Pakistan embassy in London.

"The whole thing was organized by Pakistanis and some Arab circles, that was for sure," Wali said.

According Khan, the explosion happened soon after the interview began on Sunday around 4 p.m. at Massood's base in Khodja Bahauddin in northern Afghanistan's Takhar province.

In addition to both bombers, the blast killed spokesman Azim Suhail, Khan said. Khan was reached by satellite telephone from Kabul, the Afghan capital, which is ruled by the Taliban.

The two bombers were welcomed into opposition territory as journalists. They first conducted interviews with opposition soldiers in Shomali, about 30 miles north of Kabul, then were taken to meet Massood, Khan said.

The bomb was either hidden in the camera or concealed around the waist of one of the bombers, said Mehrab Mastan, the opposition's ambassador in Paris, who spoke to AP by telephone.

Mastan said the interview was conducted in the office of Suhail, the spokesman. The two journalists and Suhail were sitting at one end of the room, with Massood several feet away.

Massood is the military head of the anti-Taliban alliance, whose political leader is ousted president Burhanuddin Rabbani. He was Rabbani's defense chief during his rule of most of Afghanistan from 1992 until 1996, when the Taliban took power.

He has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sending foreign fighters to the front line, particularly guerrillas from Arab countries and neighboring Pakistan. The Taliban have denied the accusation.

[freedomnews]

From Fox News, the World Trade Center heard there was going to be a war but did not know it was going to be on U.S. soil. The investigation has found out that the terriorist were trained to plow our machines into U.S. soil.

[Devereaux]

You are right about not being too quick to place blame. There are home grown, non-Islamic wackos cheering this. Check out Posse Comitatus.

[Hugh Akston]

I heard that report, but that is a DIFFERENT flight than flight 93.

Brit Hume reported that flight 93 was, according to intelligence sources, targetting Camp David, although it did not reach Camp David.

KDKA is reporting that a flight from Pittsburgh to either Dulles or Reagan has been hijacked and is unaccounted for.

[phothus]

there are perhaps a handful of terrorist organizations that would have the resources to execute something like this. It makes for a very small list. Those that do have this power are certainly supported by their resident governments, Sudan, Afghanistan, etc.

[Middle Man]

Yet Jewish acquaintances of mine across the spectrum -- Orthodox, Reform, you name it -- voted for Bill (and by extension Hillary) in both elections and have never held them accountable for their statements and actions vis-a-vis sympathy for the Palestinians. They still adore Bill and Hillary.

[freedomnews]

At 9:30 AM, Fox News said the White House received a threatening phone call.

That was the start of the terriorist movement.

According to the Alex Jones Show, three states in the last hour, have declared Marshall Law.

[gcruse]

What is it about airplane hijacking that makes it undoable by terrorist groups, Mike? If anything, it is the perfect weapon for suicide-seeking Jihads. No nation state is required.

[Devereaux]

According to the Alex Jones Show, three states in the last hour, have declared Marshall Law.

The term is "Martial Law".

[Constantine XIII]

Afghanistan needed more parking lots anyway...glass parking lots...

[CommiesOut]

All we need is more pro-israeli politics.

I hope you're safe.

[madrussian]

I haven't seen this question asked: did the hijackers make the pilots steer right into the WTC towers, or did they have their own pilots. Or is it simple enough to take over controls without much training? I don't believe a pilot would be directing his plane that way, even with the knife at his throat.

What do you think?

[t-shirt]

Plane Crashes Into World Trade Center September 11, 2001 8:56 am EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A plane crashed into one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center Tuesday, witnesses said.

http://www.iwon.com/home/news/news_article/0,11746,63926|top|09-11-2001::09:07|reuters,00.html

[Okies love Dubya 2]

What are you doing--copying and pasting this all over FR? You are nothing but a coward, as I have yet to see you defend your statement to us. Go over and cheer with the Palestinians--they probably miss you.

[madrussian]

Do you remember people stating as a fact that Putin ordered explosion of apartement buildings in Moscow? Using the same logic, Ariel Sharon ordered these terrorist acts.

When people compare these terrorists acts to Pearl Harbor, they forget that in Pearl Harbor it was the two superpowers against each other, while here it Israel vs. Arabs.

[madrussian]

Weren't those towers supposed to withstand a plane crashing into them?

[t-shirt]

Ok guys I got one fact wrong in my title. I was trying to post several stories to include the maximum amout of information.

All the stories are sourced.

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Assault on the United States Reuters

6:51 a.m. Sep. 11, 2001 PDT

NEW YORK -- Two planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York as office workers began work Tuesday morning, causing huge explosions, eyewitnesses said. TV reports said several people were killed.

A plane also crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., about 45 minutes later.

President Bush called it an "apparent terrorist attack," and ordered a full-scale investigation. A Palestinian group claimed responsibility, Abu Dhabi television said.

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46694,00.html

[Hicynth]

You're not paying attention Brian. President Bush DID address the nation this morning within minutes of the planes crashing into the WTC.

[wooden nickel]

You don't know what the hell you're talking about!!!!!! The planning for this attack did not happen yesterday. This is a least two years of planning to put this together. That is why you don't hold Clinton accountable. And you probably voted for the SOB too.

[t-shirt]

International markets tumble

World Trade Towers collapse after terrorist attack

By Martin Cej & Jeffry Bartash, CBS.MarketWatch.com

5:35:00 PM BST Sep 11, 2001

NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - International stock markets plunged Tuesday and oil soared past $30 a barrel after terrorist attacks in New York collapsed the World Trade Center towers and set the Pentagon in Washington D.C. aflame. U.S. stock trading was closed, while markets in London, Frankfurt, Paris, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Toronto and elsewhere slumped in the wake of the attacks. The U.S. dollar fell against the yen, euro and other currencies, and gold soared over $290 an ounce.

"I'm not thinking of buying or selling anything, and I'm not even in New York," said Stephen Gauthier, a fund manager at the Montreal offices of Pictet & Co., a Swiss fund management firm with about $70 billion in assets.

"It is far too early to talk about the financial implications," Gauthier said. "People are talking about the death toll and not about finance. What we are seeing in the price of gold and oil is to be expected."

Both Trade Center towers collapsed Tuesday morning after a single two-engine plane slammed into one tower, then, about half an hour later, a second plane ploughed into the neighboring tower. Televised pictures clearly showed that at least one plane hit the Trade Center on purpose. Minutes later, an explosion also occurred at the Pentagon. (See full story, posted above on this thread.)

President Bush, reacting after the explosions, indicated it was an apparent terrorist attack. He said the U.S. would launch a full-scale investigation and track down the perpetrators.

No one was available to comment at the NYSE, which is located several blocks away from the Trade Center. The Nasdaq stock market was also closed.

The Federal Reserve said it was prepared to inject liquidity into the monetary system.

Stocks plunge overseas

International markets tumbled after the attacks. Frankfurt's DAX 30 dropped 9 percent in late trade to 4,257. In Paris, the CAC 40 [FR:1804546] fell 7.4 percent to 4,060 while Neuer Markt [DE:1809455] slumped 7.8 percent to 837.5.

London's FTSE 100 [UK:1805550] shed 5.7 percent to 4,746. Stockholm's benchmark OEX index plunged 7.5 percent, the Amsterdam AEX index fell 7 percent to 449 and Milan's MIB 30 dropped 7.8 percent.

In Canada, the Toronto Stock Exchange 300 Composite Index [CA:TSE300] plunged 295.90 points, or 4 percent, to7,048.80 before trading was halted.

Brent crude rose $3.20, or 12 percent, to $30.65 a barrel on the International Petroleum Exchange. Read more on commodity markets.

The U.S. dollar fell to 120.09 yen from 120.97 yen, and the euro rose against the dollar to 0.9040 euro from 0.8981 euro. The Canadian dollar rose to 63.89 U.S. cents from 63.78 U.S. cents yesterday.

Yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU: news, chart, profile) ended the session down less than a point at 9,605.51 after swinging between losses of more than 50 points and gains of 50 points. The Dow Average plunged 235 points Friday to its lowest close since early April. Alcoa, Boeing, Eastman Kodak, International Paper and MacDonald's led decliners, while SBC Communications, General Motors, Merck & Co., Philip Morris and Microsoft led gainers.

The Nasdaq Composite ($COMPQ: news, chart, profile), considered the world's technology benchmark rose 7.7 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,695 with networking stocks ($NWX: news, chart, profile) and chipmakers ($SOX: news, chart, profile) among the few falling groups. The Nasdaq 100 Index ($NDX: news, chart, profile) rose 11 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,365.

Among the broader measures, the S&P 500 Index ($SPX: news, chart, profile) gained 0.6 percent to 1,093 and the Russell 2000 Index ($RUT: news, chart, profile) slipped 1 percent.

Martin Cej is global markets editor for CBS.MarketWatch.com in San Francisco. Jeffry Bartash is a reporter for CBS.MarketWatch.com in Washington.