00:01A quarter of a century after hijacked planes struck New York, Washington and Pennsylvania,
00:07the attacks of 11 September 2001 remain lodged in the American psyche more firmly than almost
00:13any other event of the past 25 years. The 9-11 attacks were carried out by mostly
00:20Saudi hijackers orchestrated by mastermind Osama bin Laden of wealthy Saudi. 19 al-Qaeda
00:27operatives hijacked four airliners on the nearly cloudless autumn day in 2001. Two of the jets
00:33slammed into the World Trade Center's twin towers, causing the iconic 110-storey buildings to collapse.
00:40A third plane struck the Pentagon while a fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after
00:45passengers fought back. Nearly 3,000 people were killed on that world-altering day,
00:51and another 9,400 people died in its aftermath from 9-11 related illnesses.
00:57A ceremony was held at Ground Zero in New York to commemorate the attack's 25th anniversary,
01:03designed to be apolitical with no speeches. Traditionally, moments of silence are held
01:09at key points in the attack timeline. This year, another moment was added to honor
01:13those who died from cancer and other illnesses after being exposed to clouds of toxic dust.
01:19The event led to the US-led global war on terrorism and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
01:25It changed air travel, prompted new surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers,
01:29and generated ongoing debate over the balance between security and freedom.
01:33two are fondamental
01:34and Delaware
Comments