15 years after 9/11: the US remembers

[webfact]

15 years after 9/11: the US remembers

 

 

NEW YORK: -- New York, Washington and Pennsylvania have fallen silent to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US.

 

Almost 3,000 people died after four passenger planes were hijacked by Al Qaeda militants.

 

The first targets hit were the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York. The North building burned for over an hour and a half, the South for some 56 minutes.

 

Both then collapsed to the ground in a matter of seconds, irrevocably changing the political and actual landscape in the US and creating what is now referred to as Ground Zero.

 

A further commercial aircraft was flown into the Pentagon near Washington, while passengers brought the fourth down over Pennsylvania. Memorial services have been held across the US in honour of those who lost their lives.

 

President Barack Obama vowed the government would keep doing everything in its power to protect the nation.

 

“Perhaps, most of all, we stay true to the spirit of this day by defending not only our country but also our ideals,” he later told the loved ones of those who died.

 

“Fifteen years into this fight the threat has evolved. Groups like Al-Qaeda, like ISIL know that they will never be able to defeat a nation as great, as strong as America, so, instead they try to terrorise in the hopes that they can stoke enough fear that we turn on each other.”

 

Nineteen Al Qaeda hijackers died in the attacks, which led the then-US President George W Bush to declare a war on terror. This in turn led to the deployment of US troops in Afghanistan, where there is still a reduced military presence today.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-09-12

[webfact]

White House campaign casts a shadow over 9/11 anniversary

By JENNIFER PELTZ and VERENA DOBNIK

 

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. marked the 15th anniversary of 9/11 with the solemn roll call of the dead Sunday but couldn't keep the presidential campaign from intruding on what is traditionally a politics-free moment of remembrance.

 

Hillary Clinton left about 90 minutes into the ground zero ceremony after feeling "overheated," her campaign said. Video showed her knees buckling as three people helped the 68-year-old Democrat into a van in the muggy, 80-degree heat. Later in the day, she said she was "feeling great" as she walked to a vehicle. Clinton's doctor on Sunday afternoon diagnosed her with pneumonia and she was advised to rest.

 

Donald Trump, who has repeatedly questioned whether Clinton is physically fit to be president, was also at the ceremony for a time and left after she did. Asked about the incident, the Republican nominee said only: "I don't know anything about it."

 

The episode cast a political shadow over an event that has tried to keep the focus on remembrance by inviting politicians but barring them from speaking. The two candidates had followed the custom of suspending all TV ads for the day.

 

The politics of the moment weren't entirely absent from the ceremony, where some victims' relatives pleaded for the nation to look past its differences, expressed hopes for peace or called on the next commander-in-chief to ensure the country's safety.

 

Joseph Quinn, who lost his brother, Jimmy, appealed to Americans to regain the sense of unity that welled up after the terror attacks.

 

"I know, in our current political environment, it may feel we're divided. Don't believe it," said Quinn, who added that he served in the military in Iraq after Sept. 11. "Engage with your community. ... Be the connection we all desperately need."

 

Nearly 3,000 people died when terrorists slammed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 11, 2001.

 

Organizers estimated 8,000 people gathered Sunday at the lower Manhattan spot where the twin towers once stood. They listened to the nearly four-hour recitation of the names of those killed.

 

"It doesn't get easier. The grief never goes away. You don't move forward — it always stays with you," Tom Acquaviva, who lost his son, Paul.

 

For Dorothy Esposito, the passage of 15 years feels "like 15 seconds." Her son, Frankie, was killed.

 

About 1,000 people gathered for a name-reading observance in Shanksville. At a Pentagon ceremony, President Barack Obama praised military members and others who have helped the U.S. fight terrorism, urged Americans not to let their enemies divide them and called the country's diversity one of its greatest strengths.

 

"We stay true to the spirit of this day by defending not only our country, but also our ideals," he told hundreds of service members, survivors and victims' relatives.

 

In New York, some victims' relatives said their loss had inspired them to help others.

 

Jerry D'Amadeo said he worked this summer with children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where 26 children and adults were massacred in 2012.

 

"Sometimes the bad things in our lives put us on a path to where we should be," said D'Amadeo, who was 10 when he lost his father, Vincent.

 

James Johnson was at ground zero for the first time since he last worked on the rescue and recovery efforts in early 2002, when he was a New York police officer. The 9/11 museum and memorial plaza, three skyscrapers and an architecturally audacious transit hub have been built on land that was a disaster zone when he last saw it.

 

"I've got mixed emotions, but I'm still kind of numb," said Johnson, now a police chief in Forest City, Pennsylvania. "I think everyone needs closure, and this is my time to have closure."

 

Cathy Cava, on the other hand, has attended all 15 anniversary ceremonies since she lost her sister, Grace Susca Galante.

 

"I believe most of her spirit, or at least some of her spirit, is here," Cava said. "I have to think that way."

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Lerer, Tom Hays, Michael Balsamo and Deepti Hajela contributed to this report. 

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-12

[Ulysses G.]

It is too bad that Americans have become so divided since that day. This presidential campaign is REALLY ugly!

[Boon Mee]

Never Forget:

 

[yogi100]

It was terrible to actually see it taking place before our eyes. I also remember the sickening spectacle of Muslims dancing in the street celebrating the event in the weeks that followed. I can't imagine the followers of any other religion behaving in such a disgusting and repulsive manner. That was so sickening and liberals vilify those of us who have not forgotten nor forgiven and have few feelings but hatred for them.

[Boon Mee]

 

President George W. Bush's Remarks At Ground Zero September 14, 2001

[Ulysses G.]

59 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

It was terrible to actually see it taking place before our eyes. I also remember the sickening spectacle of Muslims dancing in the street celebrating the event in the weeks that followed. I can't imagine the followers of any other religion behaving in such a disgusting and repulsive manner. That was so sickening and liberals vilify those of us who have not forgotten nor forgiven and have few feelings but hatred for them.

 

 

Dancing in the streets and laughing. 

[Boon Mee]

1 minute ago, Ulysses G. said:

 

 

Dancing in the streets and laughing. 

 

 

[NongKhaiKid]

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

It was terrible to actually see it taking place before our eyes. I also remember the sickening spectacle of Muslims dancing in the street celebrating the event in the weeks that followed. I can't imagine the followers of any other religion behaving in such a disgusting and repulsive manner. That was so sickening and liberals vilify those of us who have not forgotten nor forgiven and have few feelings but hatred for them.

I know what you mean so I hope this isn't off topic but remember when red shirts on stage cheered a bombing that killed men, women and children in a market I think ?

I'm presuming the reds claimed to be Buddhists but it's sick, sad when people revel in the death of others.

[Boon Mee]

 

The Freedom Tower built after the attack casts its shadow over the memorial:

[derator01]

Another off topic post has been removed from view and a member is on a posting holiday.  Similar posts will result in the same action.  Stay on topic and show respect.

 

P.S. And NO conspiracy theory posts, please.  There are plenty of sites out there for that, ours is not one of them.

[Boon Mee]

 

Why we fight.

 

[craigt3365]

Those are images I'll never forget.  I was at ground zero the next week.  The first day anybody other than officials were allowed in.  It was unreal.  Met with my customer and we went to lunch nearby, and drank.  Couldn't work.  Everything was down.

[Estrada]

3 hours ago, yogi100 said:

It was terrible to actually see it taking place before our eyes. I also remember the sickening spectacle of Muslims dancing in the street celebrating the event in the weeks that followed. I can't imagine the followers of any other religion behaving in such a disgusting and repulsive manner. That was so sickening and liberals vilify those of us who have not forgotten nor forgiven and have few feelings but hatred for them.

This is not true, there is no video of Muslims celebrating 9/11. The story came from anti-Islamic hate mongers who posted a video of Palestinians celebrating the invasion of Kuwait in 1991 which was 10 years before 9/11. As for you not being able to imagine any other religion behaving in such a disgusting manner you only have to look at the American Catholics who gave the keys of New York and several other cities to wanted Irish Republican Army terrorist leaders who were responsible for numerous bomb attacks and murders in the UK. They also paraded them through New York as heros! Irish Americans in particular funded the IRA Catholic terrorists and supplied arms via Libya. This funding only ended after the Libyans put a bomb on the Pan Am flight that blew up over Lockerbie. As the Bible says "As you sow, so shall you reap". The predominately Christian US funded and trained Osma Bin Laden's terrorists in Pakistan to fight the Russians. As a result the US created Al Qaeda and gave rise to ISIS. Had the US not funded and created Osama's terrorist brigade the twin towers would never have been taken down and the World would be a much safer place.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Estrada

[Ulysses G.]

7 minutes ago, Estrada said:

This is not true, there is no video of Muslims celebrating 9/11.

 

Nonsense. Your version is not true. CNN aired the footage of Palestinians laughing and celebrating and the video is still on YouTube. Snopes has verified it as a FACT.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Ulysses G.

[Boon Mee]

6 minutes ago, Estrada said:

This is not true, there is no video of Muslims celebrating 9/11. 

Afraid you're mistaken:

 

 

Many more examples if you're interested...

[Scotwight]

4 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

 

Nonsense. Your version is not true. CNN aired the footage of Palestinians laughing and celebrating and the video is still on YouTube. Snopes has verified it as a FACT.

A group of Palestinians were filmed celebrating in the street in celebration of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the deaths of Americans. Fox News reported that in Ein el-Hilweh, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, revelers fired weapons in the air, with similar celebratory gunfire heard at the Rashidiyeh camp near the southern city of Tyre as well.[23] The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) condemned the attacks and attempted to censure and discredit broadcasts and other news reports,[23] with many newspapers, magazines, websites and wire services running photographs

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_September_11_attacks

[Ulysses G.]

I do not understand why apologist's for radical Islam deny events that there is so much evidence for. It teaches one to investigate these claims carefully.

 

[Rancid]

Remember watching it live on TV, was a tragic event. Can't help suspect all those involved have never been brought to justice, would be nice to see it so.

[Boon Mee]

Palestinians celebrating the fall of the twin towers on 911

[Scott]

An off-topic post and reply have been removed.

[Mosha]

Yesterday TV showed 102 minutes that changed America. It was witness testimonials, and videos. When it got to the point of showing the jumpers, I had to change channels. It was worse than watching it live in the UK. I was on a rest day. I called into work after the 1st tower was hit, I said you won't believe what's happened.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[Boon Mee]

FLASHBACK VIDEO=> DONALD TRUMP at GROUND ZERO of WORLD TRADE CENTER after 9-11 Attacks

 

 

On September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorists attacked New York City.
The Muslim killers flew planes into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center killing 2,606 innocent Americans.

Donald Trump visited Ground Zero after the attacks.

 

New York remembers Donald Trump’s support for the city.

 

[Mosha]

I thought he went on 7/11, or that's what he said during the primaries.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[Prbkk]

Of course it was an attack on America but it shouldn't be forgotten that several hundred of those killed were from more than 50 other countries. Nor should it go UN-noted that people are still dying from this event: police, fire fighters, medics, rescue volunteers....with various cancers and nasty lung diseases because of what they did.

[IMA_FARANG]

I was working as a civilian communications technician for the U.S. Navy in Crete, Greece at the time it happened.

I was on a break from a rotating shift schedule, so I was not at work when it happened.

The planes flying into he twin towers were shown on CNN so that is how i first heard about it on Greek television coverage

What I did not see on CNN was what happened when I went back to the Greek airbase where I worked the next day for my normal shift work.

That was the Anti-Aircraft missles set up at the end of the runway for our "protection" by Nato (Greece is a Nato partner nation).

The really Ironic part is that those missses were a Russian made Anti-Aircraft missle system, which were set up by Nato to protect a group of American Navy personnel stationed on a Greek Air Force base.

That missle system was something the Greeks had bought from the Ukraine when the Russians left it behind when the Russian troops left the Ukraine  bases a few years earlier.

Life is strange, isn't it?

That is where I was and what I saw at the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2016 by IMA_FARANG

[PTC]

5 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Afraid you're mistaken:

 

 

Many more examples if you're interested...

 

These are the ones in Jersey right? The ones Deplorable Donald saw from his office window.

 

Trump’s outrageous claim that ‘thousands’ of New Jersey Muslims celebrated the 9/11 attacks

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/11/22/donald-trumps-outrageous-claim-that-thousands-of-new-jersey-muslims-celebrated-the-911-attacks/

 

Or was it when he visited a 7/11 for a Big Bite and this became... 

 

Trump Says He ‘Helped a Little Bit’ With Ground Zero Clean-Up

http://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-says-he-helped-a-little-bit-with-ground-zero-clean-up/

[Boon Mee]

American Airlines Flight 77 the third flight hijacked that morning hit the Pentagon.

 

[sgtsabai]

A terrible attack that we will never know the whole truth and nothing but the truth about. The bravery shown that day was over the top and no matter how one feels or believes, those people that responded deserve have to have the utmost respect and health care. The Trump isn't one. Too bad the Republicans in Congress don't feel that way. In the long run Bin Laden won. America is no longer "the land of the free", our Constitution has been destroyed by 2 successive presidents, the people remain scared, as the government wants them to, under constant surveillance, the police are a paramilitary force that act like an occupying army and our money, economy and lives along with millions of lives in the mid-east have been wasted for nothing.

[thaihome]

3 hours ago, Mosha said:

Yesterday TV showed 102 minutes that changed America. It was witness testimonials, and videos. When it got to the point of showing the jumpers, I had to change channels. It was worse than watching it live in the UK. I was on a rest day. I called into work after the 1st tower was hit, I said you won't believe what's happened.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk
 

 

The 9/11 attacks were a horrific attack on the US, but they did not "change America". What changed America was the reaction to the attacks. Rather then a special forces operation against a rural area in a sovereign nation to get the sponsors of the attacks, a full scale regime changing invasion was done, followed 2 years later with another regime changing invasion of a sovereign nation that had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. All to further the personal agenda of a few political leaders that used them in a cynical way for their own political advancement,  that we are all paying for( on many levels)  today.  

 

Oh, and by the way, how did we get Osama bin Laden? With a special forces attack in a suburban area of a sovereign nation, 10 years later. 

TH