On September 11, 2001, four commercial airliners were hijacked in the United States. Two were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third struck the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers.
By the end of the day, 2,977 innocent people had been killed, making 9/11 one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in modern history.
But the story of September 11 did not begin that morning.
This documentary traces the events that led to 9/11 — from the Soviet-Afghan War and the emergence of al-Qaeda to Osama bin Laden’s growing hostility toward the United States, earlier attacks on American targets, and the years of planning behind the September 11 operation.
We also examine what U.S. intelligence knew before the attacks, the warning signs that appeared in the months leading up to September 2001, why those pieces of information were not connected in time, and how the hijackers were able to exploit an aviation security system designed for a very different kind of threat.
Finally, we follow the timeline of September 11 itself — from the first impact at the World Trade Center to the attack on the Pentagon, the collapse of the Twin Towers, and the extraordinary courage of the passengers and crew aboard Flight 93 who chose to fight back.
And we look at what came afterward: the war in Afghanistan, sweeping changes to aviation and national security, the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and the lasting consequences of a single day that changed the world.
This documentary is presented for historical and educational purposes, with respect for the victims, survivors, families, first responders, and all those affected by the attacks of September 11, 2001.
ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE & IMAGE CREDITS
With sincere appreciation to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for making this historical archival footage publicly available.
NIST FOIA Release 09-42, Release 14
Richard Peskin Collection
Source: 911datasets.org
Public Domain
9/11 Remembrance Ceremony Photos
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Photos by Tia Dufour
Public Domain — U.S. Government Work
Maps & Flight Path Diagrams
The 9/11 Commission Report
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
Public Domain — U.S. Government Work
Photo: Staff Sgt. Joshua R. M. Dewberry / U.S. Air Force
Public Domain — U.S. Government Work
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