Fire at WTC and White House

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Terrorists struck the United States Tuesday morning in harrowing, widespread attacks that included at least three commercial jet crashes into significant buildings.

• In the first attack, a plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan shortly before 9 a.m., followed by another plane into the second tower about 20 minutes later. Both towers later collapsed.

• About an hour later, a plane crashed into the Pentagon, part of which later collapsed.

• American Airlines told CNN that it lost two planes, both en route to Los Angeles: American Flight 11 from Boston with 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard was lost. This is believed, but not confirmed, to have been one of the planes that crashed into the trade center. ... American Flight 77, a Boeing 757 from Washington Dulles airport to Los Angeles with 58 passengers and six crew is unaccounted for. The jet that crashed into the Pentagon may have been this one, but that is still unknown.

• United Airlines lost two planes: United Airlines Flight 93 airliner headed from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, crashed near Somerset, Pennsylvania -- police said initial reports indicated no survivors. ... United confirmed the crash of Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles with 56 passengers and seven crew aboard. It's possible, but not confirmed, that this is the second plane that hit the World Trade Center.

• The Pentagon, the White House, the State Department, the Justice Department, the Capitol, the CIA and all other government buildings in Washington are evacuated.

• President Bush calls the crashes "apparent terrorist attacks" and "a national tragedy." Later in the day, Bush issues a statement from Barksdale AFB near Shreveport, Louisiana. "Make no mistake: The United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."

• In the first-ever national ground stop of aircraft, all flights nationwide have been stopped at their departure airports.

• International flights had been diverted to Canada; FAA says later, however, that 22 U.S.-bound international flights would be allowed to land.

• Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, said in reaction to the news of the terror attacks that "we want to tell the American children that Afghanistan feels your pain and we hope that the courts find justice."

• In New York, more than 10,000 rescue personnel rushed to the scene. Lower Manhattan is being completely evacuated.

• Israel has evacuated all its missions around the world.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta was evacuated. CDC was preparing bioterrorism teams in case they become necessary.

• Philadelphia landmarks were also evacuated.

• In Chicago, the Sears Tower was evacuated; United Nations in New York evacuated.

• The New York Port Authority said it had closed all bridges and tunnels into the city.

• U.S. stock markets were closed after the New York attacks.

• NATO sent home all non-essential personnel from its Brussels, Belgium, headquarters.

• The Immigration and Naturalization Service has put the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada on highest state of alert.

• Los Angeles International Airport has been evacuated.

• All Disney parks in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California have been closed.

• FEMA implements plan established for such events: FBI leads investigation, Justice Dept. heads crisis management.

Well, I'm living quite near New York (in fact, planes are diverted to here!) and they are even evacuating buldings in Montréal! (volontary based I think)...

(Quite near is a 7h drive)

I know they closed the CN Tower in Toronto, and closed all airports..

This is quite a mess.

Originally posted by April I can't believe it! This is the worst thing that has happened in my life... I am afraid of what is going to happen now!

When I learned the news, I couldn't believe it myself. It was too huge to be true. When I saw the first images, I went in shock.

I went to New York City only one time. I stayed at the Marriott Financial Center Hotel, which is located RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET of the (former) Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. At the time I didn't go on the roof of the towers because it was too cloudy. I took pictures of the towers, and when I went for a cruise on what I believe is the East River, I took a shot of the whole World Trade Center, and I can clearly see on it the Building #7 (a 47-story office building) which collapsed in the early evening. That scares me off a little because there are TWO buildings which are located IN BETWEEN the former Twin Towers and the former Building #7. So it's fair to say that the two others were badly damaged and could collapse as well.

Before doing my Law degree, I did a Political Science degree and I already planned on specializing in American Policies and American Foreign Policies & National Security nd Strategic questions. So I always had a special interest for these questions, and for history in general.

When I learned the news, it reminded me, in a glimpse, of Pearl Harbour. A whole bunch of people tored off their innocence with sheer violence. And that was scared me off: when Pearl Harbour happened, the United States entered the Second World War.

Yesterday, it was September 11th. When the Second World War was declared, it was September 11th 1939. Is this out of pure coincidence?

In my view, we should fear what might come next. What happened yesterday had to be anticipated from an historic point of view, because a lot of questions that weren't resolved by the Second War have been boiling for many years, just like many questions that weren't resolved after the First War originated the Second War.

Although we do not know yet who perpetrated these acts of terror, it is fair to say that it is a group of people that hate very much the United States of America, what they do, what they believe in and what they represent. Like many other wars in the past, RELIGION may be at the heart of what happened.

Globalization has its side effects. In the past, people from different countries could live very different lives without being much in contact with each other. Globalization, not only of the markets but especially of communications, forced people from many different cultures and religions to look at each other in the eyes. I think this is where we are now.

We may have come to this point where the world's inhabitants' system of values are facing each other like never before.

I'm hoping that, to a certain extent (although I do not like myself any religion and feel that religion, ANY of them, has only caused pain in the past), it will be "live and let live". But I'm afraid it won't be the case for everyone.

It might be the end of innocence, again.

Seb.

Here's what MOBY, who lives in New York, lived the event:

World Trade Center9/11/2001 - New York City

I just woke up to the sound of an explosion and people screaming. So I ran to my roof to see both buildings of the World Trade Center on fire and now I can't stop shaking and my apartment smells like smoke. What has happened. I don't know what to say. What has happened? Oh god.

Update9/11/2001 - New York City

Oh god. When I wrote the earlier update the world trade towers were still standing and now they're not. Oh god. Everyone I know in New York is sobbing. Who has done this? How can anyone ever justify taking a single life? The world is going to be different now. I'm sorry, but I don't know what to write.

Update9/11/2001 - New York City

For those of you who are wondering if I'm ok. Yes, physically I'm ok. Emotionally I don't know. They were there this morning and now they're gone. I really just don't know. I don't think that anyone living outside of New York can really understand what it's like here. 40,000 people worked in those buildings. 40,000 people with family and friends. 40,000 people. And all the rescue workers. I think I need to sleep. I don't want to wake up to more screaming.

By the way, of all the World Leaders, I think the best statement came from Tony Blair.

He showed great leadership.

Originally posted by Jason St.John Tony Blair's statement was one of the best. Same with president Bush, considering that speeches aren't one of his strong points. The people singing God Bless America, and another group singing the national anthem, was absolutely the most touching & beautiful thing I've ever seen.

May I say that I really miss President Clinton right now?

Actually, you can make words say what you want in those case, the original (real) quatrains were:

LXXXVII. Ennosigee feu du centre de terre, Fera trembler autour de cité neuue Deux grâds rochers long têps feront la guerre, Puis Arethuse rougira nouueau fleuue.

XCVII. Cinq & quarante degrez ciel bruslera Feu approcher de la grand cité neuue Instant grand flamme esparse sautera Quand on voudra des Normans faire preuue.

If you want to translate them to english, this is what I found:

At forty-five degrees, the sky will burn, Fire approaches the great new city, Immediately a huge, scattered flame leaps up When they want to have verification from the Norman (Century VI, Quatrain 97)

Earth-shaking fire from the center of the earth. will cause the towers around the New City to shake, Two great rocks for a long time will make war, And then Arethusa will color a new river red. (Century 1, Quatrain 87)

Now, if you believe in this, you might want to think it's true, but I rembember you this is technically the wrong century! And I find the english translation to be a little too explicit!