Sixth 9/11 Anniversary.

[Stewart]

I know these forums are largely populated by anti-American, liberal, lefty types, and silly tweenagers banging on about conspiracy theories, but in the real world today is the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, an attack which for people of my age is the single most shocking event I have witnessed.

2974 innocent people were murdered at their place of work, and the sight of people jumping from the windows of the World Trade Centre towers, to their death, will haunt me and everyone else who witnessed it for a very long time.

Thought it was worth marking the anniversary with a thread.

I remember the whole thing unfolding, I was decorating at the time, there was a radio on in the background, and the first reports came in - 'a plane has crashed into a building in New York' nothing more than that. Didn't sound like the single most important terrorist attack in history was unfolding. Then the reports started to get more detailed, suddenly it was a passenger liner that had hit the WTC, and we all went to a TV.

Over the next few hours the footage of the 2nd plane hitting the towers was played for the first time, the terrible sight of people jumping from the towers, the collapse of the first tower, and then the second. It was sickening, and obviously you knew that when the dust had settled, the world was going to be changed - America would obviously now pursue the people behind it, and whatever government had aided them in the planning and execution.

6 years on, war in Afghanistan, war in Iraq, the Madrid train bombings, 7/7... all of these events are a continuation of the conflict that was (as far as your average American is concerned) started 11th September 2001.

As soon as 9/11 was confirmed as a terrorist attack, you knew the world had changed. And for me that’s why 9/11 is the single most dramatic and shocking event I have witnessed.

So thoughts at the time? Memories of the attacks as the news came in? Reaction to what has happened since?

[Splash]

I was in a bar in Leeds, being interviewed for Rhythm magazine. It was surreal, to say the least.

[pollaxe]

I vividly remember staying up until 5 a.m. the following morning watching the footage on Sky News. I had an American girlfriend at the time and we were wandering around Gloucester on the day of the attack. At first I thought it was a light aircraft but wandering by a tv shop it became clear that this was something much, much bigger.

I don't subscribe to the majority of conspiracy theories about it and it feels longer than six years ago that it happened. I suppose it was our 'JFK moment' for those of us lucky enough not to be directly involved or personally affected by something that's almost unimaginably horrible.

[Theo]

I was in a Human Biology class at college - the tech came in with the news, and then they and the teacher went off to get a television. The scale of what had happened didn't dawn on me until I saw the footage of the buildings collapsing.

[iranu]

I remember it well. I was at work when someone had reported a radio station saying a plane had hit the world trade center. My immediate assumption was it was a small light aircraft and asked what type of plane. I couldn't believe it when someone said a 737. We didn't have the internet on (our) PCs then so nipped off to see what was going on. Got a live feed to see both towers burning. Very shocking.

I have a friend of mine who witnessed the second plane hit. His accounts are really quite something.

You also have to remember that the WTC was first attacked in 1993.

[cavemandave]

cant believe that its now six years since 9/11....6 years since britan followed bush into a war that looks like it has no end in sight.

[mycarsavw]

I was on a hill trying to fix my broken down Bug with the radio tuned to BBC News - chilling stuff.

Has anyone else seen The Falling Man - really interesting documentary.

[IBM]

Working in Leeds. Watching it on the live feed from as many different news sights as possible. Just remember thinking it was like watching some special effects blockbuster....and when the towers came down, wooooaaaaaaahhhhh.

My fiance was in L.A. at the time and I spent the next eight hours trying to get through to her, even though she was on the other side of the country. Scary stuff.

[Kezzer]

I was at home, I remember turning the TV on and it seemed the news was on every channel. They were filming the towers live the minute it happened, then the second crash happened live on the news which was pretty crazy. They were even filming the people jumping out of the building live on the news.

Crazy that it's 6 years though, I remember it like it was yesterday.

[Guy]

I was either year 8 or 9, after school getting picked up hearing about it on the radio, then coming home and seeing the horrific images and videos on the news.

Still hasnt really sunk in that it was 6 years ago.

[DR]

I was at an abit press event in London - I remember getting an SMS and literally walking over and turning the TV on - it was surreal the room changed - from people laughing and having a good time to suddenly the shock and horror.

I have relatives who have been impacted by this tragic terrorist act - and my thoughts are with the families of the people who lost their lives, as well as those who have in the fight back from America - IRAQ, Afganistan as well as other operations which we don't know about.

[Dareos]

Well, far from being Anti-American, I am pretty much pro-american and actually want to live there. I am very much with Bill Hicks on the political front though, but i prefer the american way of life to the UK style.

It was a shocking event to say the least, i was fitting a starter motor to my car the day it happened, and was actually returning the old one and getting the new one when someone burst into the shop and announced it. 10 mins later i was glued to the screen, but even so unable to imagine the terror of the people trapped within, or those at home left wondering if their families and friends were at work in that building.

I also knew someone from Everquest that worked in the Pentagon, it was a relief to see him check in online a couple of days later, and he couldn't go into detail about what happened, but it was a pretty horrific experience for him to say the least.

Being so far removed from it all doesn't help at times though, and people here got very complacent and all, because it was America, it wasn't here, yet in the middle of the G8 summit London was bombed, again with people i know and most of you will know involved. Who doesn't know someone working in central London? It certainly brought things home to most of the UK.

The worst for me though,was the Glasgow Airport bombing, on a day where I was expecting my mother to fly out to visit my brothers in the States. Thankfully she was actually due to fly out the next day and the moment of panic I had was just that, a moment.

As far as the war is concerned, i'm afraid i do not know enough to have an opinion as to whether it was justified or not, the spin doctors have done their work so damn well that it is impossible to have a clear and concise view of events and the reasons for them. Bush can continue to claim its a war on terror and others can claim its a war for oil, i really do not know anymore.

What i do know, is that the few moments of terror and the loss that we in the west have experienced, is nothing compared to the terror and hardship and loss of the people ruled by these dictators and religious fanatics in the middle east and other places. Thankfully here in the west there will never be a Tianamon Square (excuse my spelling, building a computer here and dont have time to check everything) or another atrocity committed like that against us, no matter whether Labour, Tory, Republican or Democrats are in power.

Theres a lot wrong with our countries, and a lot of people in positions of terrifying power out there, and i certainly wouldnt rule against another event like the destruction of the Twin Towers, but I do hope that the current measures are enough to prevent such a tragedy.

Serious posting over, normal service shall resume shortly

[beanbandit]

I was in work when someone came back from lunch saying a plane had crashed into a building. So decided to put the radio on, then things started to become clear, i remember thinking, that this event will change things for a long time to come.

What bought it closer to home was the fact that the directors son worked in one of the towers. Not nice siting at work waiting for some form of contact. His girlfriend managed to phone through saying that she was ok (also worked in WTC, her day off) but had not heard from him. Finally he managed to get a message through saying he was fine, he had been at a customer site. I know the director went through hell that day, the look of relief on his face said it all.

6 years on, war in Afghanistan, war in Iraq, the Madrid train bombings, 7/7... all of these events are a continuation of the conflict that was (as far as your average American is concerned) started 11th September 2001.

Being honest it was only a matter of time before there was an attack on the US mainland. One failed attempt on the WTC a few years before should have been a big enough warning to tighten their security. Bin Laden had been attacking US targets, including a suicide attack on a US frigate, but this one event was enough to shock the world into action.

Question is. 6 years on, are we any safer? Are things worse?

[JPreston]

...
As far as the war is concerned, i'm afraid i do not know enough to have an opinion as to whether it was justified or not, the spin doctors have done their work so damn well that it is impossible to have a clear and concise view of events and the reasons for them. Bush can continue to claim its a war on terror and others can claim its a war for oil, i really do not know anymore....

It's simple really. Oceania is at war with Eastasia. Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia

I was on study leave for one of my prof exams, so was at home when I happened to turn on the TV in the afternoon. I texted "Turn the TV on - any channel" to everyone in my work Nokia 5110 and stood in the middle of the living room staring at the screen for probably the following two hours.

[Funkstar]

I was working for a media company in Aberdeen. On our way back from lunch and stoppen in reception to watch the Sky News that was always playing. Eventually went up stairs to the office but ended up through in another department where they has set up multiple TVs with different news networks (Sky, BBC and CNN i can remember). Also remember i kept trying to find more details on sews sites, the only one i could get a reliable connetion to was Slashdot, non of the broadcasters coule handle the load put on them.

[icanhazburger]

I was at home, had tv on when news flashes came through, dont think my mobile had ever been so busy with people texting.

as well as those who have in the fight back from America - IRAQ

Sorry, but what has 9/11 and Iraq got to do with each other?