EU Australia Online - News & information from the capital of Europe direct to Australian businesses
«
»

“Nine-eleven” Count-down Is Tense

  • September 9th, 2011
  • Posted by EUEditor

nine-eleven-aircraft.jpegAnxiety attends the count-down to the tenth anniversary of “nine-eleven” – the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001.

WATCHING FOR POSSIBLE NEW ATTACK

Concerns about a celebratory new attack by an Al-Qaeda cell, or similar group, were raised on Friday (9.9.11), when American authorities warned of a “credible threat” of violence.

Citizens were asked to report suspicious activity, President Barack Obama saying the safety watch should be “re-doubled”.

Some information came out about the “specific” information being checked — said to be to do with two or three hire trucks.

The Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, said security was being tightened at sensitive points like bridges, tunnels, and the subway system; ahead of commemorative services on Sunday, and opening of the “nine-eleven” memorial at the World Trade Centre site.

VOICE RECORDINGS

Voice recordings from one of the aircraft hijacked in 2001, and an air traffic control centre, have been released this week; they include the voice of one of the terrorists and relay the confusion and disbelief of the moment.

One  more recording, from the aircraft where passengers resisted, remains in archives and is not being released.

Listen to the voices:  The recording just released has been incorporated into a short compilation by the BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14841749, (9.11.11).

ARRESTS IN GERMANY

In Germany two men are being held by police on suspicion of “planning a serious act of violence”.

They said a German of Lebanese background aged 24, and another man aged 28 from Gaza were picked up, on 8.9.11, after a company reported they had purchased  chemicals from it, suitable for making a bomb.

As well as going through the men’s apartments, the police searched a mosque and an Islamic cultural centre, saying that was because the suspects had spent a lot of time at those places; they were not part of ongoing inquiries.

RECAPITULATION

nine-eleven-towers.jpgOn the morning of 11 September 2011 terrorists organised by the “Islamist” political zealot, Osama Bin Laden, hijacked four airliners on domestic routes in the United States.

One crashed in the state of Pennsylvania  after passengers tried to overpower the hijackers; one crashed into the Pentagon building in Washington, causing extensive damage and loss of life; two struck the towers of the World Trade Centre, bringing them down.

Nearly 3000 people were killed in the attacks.

In May this year an American military team located Bin Laden at a safe house in Pakistan, and he was shot dead during that operation.

 See EUAustralia Online, “Bad day remembered”, 2.5.11.

Reference

BBC News, London, “9/11: US warns of ‘credible’ anniversary threat”, 9.9.11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14848962, (9.9.11).

BBC, London, “Chilling new 9/11 audio released”, 8.9.11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14841749, (9.9.11).

Pictures   Physics911