9/11 20th anniversary – Fireman Peter Gancy’s radio transmission remembered as 60 Minutes Special recalls heroic FDNY

HOW MANY VICTIMS REMAIN UNIDENTIFIED AT GROUND ZERO?

There are still 1106 victims - 40 percent of the total death toll - whose remains have not been accounted for.

The announcement was welcomed as good news for two families struck by the 2001 disaster but also highlighted the ongoing battle to identify the  at the World Trade Center (WTC). 

The fight to identify all victims at the WTC has become the largest and most complex forensic investigation in the history of the United States, led by Mark Desire, assistant director of the OCME Department of Forensic Biology and manager of the World Trade Center DNA Identification Team.

Desire, who was himself injured in the attack, is the longest-serving person on the team of ten, which works 24/7 on the WTC project, as well as New York City’s missing person cases. 

FBI 9/11 DOCUMENTS SHOW SAUDI EMBASSY OFFICIAL WAS 'FACILITATOR'

A newly declassified FBI document has revealed how a Saudi embassy official was a "facilitator" for the al-Qaeda hijackers in the 9/11 attacks.

The memo was published late on Saturday evening - a week after President Joe Biden  to the public for the first time. 

The  from April 4, 2016 details a 2015 interview with an official who worked at the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles. 

He was found to be an al-Qaeda "facilitator" by the FBI after admitting he allowed two of the hijackers to use his apartment and help them travel around LA.

Investigators believe the Saudi official provided "significant logistic support" to Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Midhar, who took part in the .

Read the .

WHAT IS 'REMEMBERING ABSENCE'?

The memorial “Reflecting Absence" sits outside the 9/11 museum in an eight-acre park in .

It consists of two reflecting pools with waterfalls rushing down where the Twin Towers once rose into the sky.

The names of all 2,996 victims are engraved on the 152 bronze panels surrounding the pools.

They are arranged by where individuals were on the day of the attacks, so coworkers and people on the same flight are remembered together.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FROM THE 9/11 ATTACKS?

As of 2021, 60 percent of the people who died on 9/11 have been identified, the  happening right before the 20th anniversary.

Dorothy Morgan, of Hempstead, New York, and a man whose name has been withheld at the family's request  on September 7, 2021.

9/11 WIDOW RECOUNTS FALL CALL FROM HUSBAND ON FLIGHT 93

THE widow of one of the heroes aboard Flight 93 on 9/11 has recalled her husband's final words to her from the hijacked 757 before he led a band of passengers in a fight to take back control of the plane.

Deena Burnett-Bailey had been making breakfast for her three young daughters in San Ramon, California on the morning of , when she looked up at the TV to see that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

Any relief Deena had about her husband being alive quickly evaporated when he told her: "I'm on  and our plane has been hijacked.

"The hijackers are trying to get into the cockpit, they've already knifed a guy. I need you to call the authorities."

Tom then abruptly hung up.

Read our exclusive story here.

HOW MANY VICTIMS REMAIN UNIDENTIFIED AT GROUND ZERO?

There are still 1106 victims – 40 percent of the total death toll – whose remains have not been accounted for.

The announcement was welcomed as good news for two families struck by the 2001 disaster but also highlighted the ongoing battle to identify the  at the World Trade Center (WTC). 

The fight to identify all victims at the WTC has become the largest and most complex forensic investigation in the history of the United States, led by Mark Desire, assistant director of the OCME Department of Forensic Biology and manager of the World Trade Center DNA Identification Team.

Desire, who was himself injured in the attack, is the longest-serving person on the team of ten, which works 24/7 on the WTC project, as well as New York City’s missing person cases. 

WHAT IS THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS ON 9/11?

The 9/11 terror attacks occurred 20 years ago. Here is a timeline of the day:

• 5:45am – Hijackers get through security in Portland, Maine and board American Airlines Flight 11 that was scheduled to fly to Boston.
• 7:59am – American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Boston to Los Angeles. The plane is carrying 76 passengers, 11 crew and five hijackers.
• 8:15am – United Airlines Flight 175, carrying 51 passengers, nine crew and five hijackers, takes off from Boston to Los Angeles.
• 8:20am -American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Washington, DC. The plane is carrying 53 passengers, six crew and five hijackers.
• 8:42am – United Airlines Flight 93 takes off from Newark. The plane is carrying 33 passengers, seven crew and four hijackers. The flight was bound to San Francisco.
• 8:46am – Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
• 9:03am – Flight 175 hits the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
• 9:36am – Vice President Dick Cheney is evacuated by Secret Service agents to an undisclosed location.
• 9:37am – Flight 77 hits the Pentagon building in Washington, DC.
• 9:45am – The US Capitol and White House are both evacuated.
• 9:59am – The South Tower was the first to collapse after burning for around 56 minutes.
• 10:03am – United Airlines flight 93 crashes into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The passengers and crew got together and stormed the cockpit of the hijacked plane. All passengers on board are killed.
• 10:28am – The North Towercollapses.
• 8:30pm – President George W. Bush addresses the US from the White House regarding the attacks. Almost 3,000 Americans died in the .

'YOUR COURAGE GIVES US COURAGE'

Biden and his wife remember the lives lost 20 years ago.

The President's 9/11 tweet read: "We honor those lives lost on Flight 93 on that dark day in history 20 years ago.

"No matter how much time has passed, these commemorations bring everything painfully back for their loved ones."

TRUMP VISITS NEW YORK POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS

Saturday afternoon, former President Donald Trump visited a police precinct and a fire station in Manhattan to greet officers.

Trump was absent at the memorial ceremony at Ground Zero Saturday morning, but it was previously reported he would visit the site later in the day on September 11.

In Manhattan, the former president was pictured smiling and shaking hands as he surprised NYPD and FDNY.

“We’re not supposed to say it, but I’ll say it. We love the Blue,” he told the crowd.

AL-QAEDA GROUP POSTS UNNERVING DOCUMENTARY GLOATING ABOUT 9/11 ATTACKS

The propaganda video has been shared as American marked 20 years since 3,000 people were slaughtered after  smashed into the Twins Towers in New York and the Pentagon, Washington DC. 

The 60-minute video appears to show a pro-Al-Qaeda media group claiming the  takeover of Afghanistan as a victory for the murderous terror group. 

Rita Katz, of the global terrorist monitoring group Site Intel, said: “The video uses clips from Taliban media, showing its fighters.

“Yet another signal of the importance of the Taliban in the global jihadist movement’s narrative since 9/11, and how the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan is also al-Qaeda’s victory.”

BIDEN COMPLIMENTS GEORGE W. BUSH’S SPEECH

President Biden praised former President Bush’s speech on Saturday afternoon in Shanksville, PA.

“I thought that President Bush made a really good speech today, a genuinely good speech about who we are,” Biden said. “The core of who we are is not divided.”

In his remarks, Bush called for unity, pleading for peace and cooperation in the modern American age.

“In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks, I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people,” Bush said to the crowd.

But today, he said, every disagreement is a “clash of cultures.”

Bush also spent time thanking US troops for their service.

“You have shielded your fellow citizens from danger,” Bush said. “You have defended the beliefs of your country and advanced the rights of the downtrodden.”

FAMILY MEMBERS READ NAMES OF 9/11 VICTIMS

First Lady Jill Biden was seen wiping tears from her eyes as family members of 9/11 victims read the names of those lost in the attacks.

The ceremony at Ground Zero began memorial efforts for the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack.

Almost 3,000 people lost their lives between the attacks at the Pentagon, World Trade Center and the Twin Towers.

The breakdown of the deaths include:

• 2,763 civilians at the World Trade Center
• 189 people at the Pentagon
• 44 people on Flight 93

Along with almost 3,000 deaths, another 25,000 were injured as a result.

WHAT DID TRUMP SAY IN HIS VIDEO ABOUT 9/11?

In a 90-second video, Trump sent a message of support for 9/11 victims’ families. He also used his screentime to take a swipe at Joe Biden.

“For the great people of our country this is a very sad day,” Trump said in the video which was shared online. “September 11 represents great sorrow for our country.”

“Many things were displayed that day, including most importantly the bravery of our police, fire, and first responders of every kind, the job they did was truly unbelievable,” said Trump. “We love them and we thank them.”

He then turned his attention to taking aim at Biden and his handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“It is also a sad time for the way our war on those that did such harm to our country ended last week, the loss of 13 great warriors and the many more who were wounded, should never have happened,” Trump said in the video.

“It was caused by bad planning, incredible weakness, and leaders who truly didn’t understand what was happening. This is the 20th year of this war, and should have been a year of victory and honor, and strength.”

HAMILTON STAR CHRISTOPHER JACKSON SINGS AT 9/11 CEREMONY

Christopher Jackson, who played the first US president George Washington in the Broadway musical Hamilton, performed on Saturday morning at Ground Zero.

Jackson performed the song You’ll Never Be Alone as many victims’ family members wiped away tears in the audience.

WHEN DID THE FREEDOM TOWER OPEN?

The Freedom Tower, which stands on the original World Trade Center site, opened in November 2014.

The centerpiece is One World Trade Center which now rises even higher than the Twin Towers at 1,776 feet tall.

It is the tallest building in the United States and Western Hemisphere.

WHAT IS ‘REMEMBERING ABSENCE’?

The memorial “Reflecting Absence” sits outside the 9/11 museum in an eight-acre park in .

It consists of two reflecting pools with waterfalls rushing down where the Twin Towers once rose into the sky.

The names of all 2,996 victims are engraved on the 152 bronze panels surrounding the pools.

They are arranged by where individuals were on the day of the attacks, so coworkers and people on the same flight are remembered together.

THE QUEEN EXTENDS ROYAL FAMILY’S THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO AMERICANS ON SEPTEMBER 11

On the 20th anniversary of America’s darkest day, the 95-year-old monarch posted a message extending her support to the US president.

“As we mark the 20th anniversary of the terrible attacks on September 11, 2001, my thoughts and prayers – and those of my family and entire nation – remain with the victims, survivors and families affected, as well as the first responders and rescue workers called to duty,” the Queen wrote.

She continued, writing, “As we honour those from many nations, faiths and backgrounds who lost their lives, we also pay tribute to the resilience and determinations of the communities who joined together to rebuild.”

A special changing of the guard ceremony took place at Windsor Castle on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the atrocity.

WHAT DID TRUMP SAY IN HIS VIDEO ABOUT 9/11?

In a 90-second video, Trump sent a message of support for 9/11 victims’ families. He also used his screentime to take a swipe at Joe Biden.

“For the great people of our country this is a very sad day,” Trump said in the video which was shared online. “September 11 represents great sorrow for our country.”

“Many things were displayed that day, including most importantly the bravery of our police, fire, and first responders of every kind, the job they did was truly unbelievable,” said Trump. “We love them and we thank them.”

He then turned his attention to taking aim at Biden and his handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“It is also a sad time for the way our war on those that did such harm to our country ended last week, the loss of 13 great warriors and the many more who were wounded, should never have happened,” Trump said in the video.

“It was caused by bad planning, incredible weakness, and leaders who truly didn’t understand what was happening. This is the 20th year of this war, and should have been a year of victory and honor, and strength.”

FAMILIES MOURN FIRST RESPONDERS WHO DIED AFTER ATTACK

The brother of Detective Luis Alvarez, who died from 9/11-related cancer 15 years after the attacks, has warned that New Yorkers were breathing deadly toxins from Ground Zero for months after Twin Towers fell.

Phil Alvarez, a former cop and now Director of Outreach and Education for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) Claims, told The Sun that “people will continue to get sick” decades after the atrocity.

Luis, or “Lou” as his family called him, was a man of few words – but when it came to getting justice for first responders exposed to the hazardous debris, he was vocal and took the issue to lawmakers in .

His activism resulted in the “Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act” (2019) which extended the VCF permanently.

Luis died 15 days after the bill was passed by , leaving behind his wife and three sons, now aged 18, 21, and 29.

Luis’ unit was sent to Ground Zero on the afternoon of , and he “went right on the pile” as the rescue mission rapidly changed into a recovery operation after the deadly al-Qaeda strike.

GEORGE W. BUSH SPEAKS AT SHANKSVILLE, PA MEMORIAL SITE

Former President George W. Bush addressed the crowd in Shanksville on Saturday morning.

In his remarks, Bush, who was president on September 11, 2001, said that Americans can best memorialize those lost in the attacks twenty years ago by standing together in unity.

He said that violent extremists at home and abroad are both in opposition to American ideals, and should be addressed similarly.

“In their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit,” Bush said.

“It is our continuing duty to confront them,” he concluded.

FAMILY MEMBERS READ NAMES OF 9/11 VICTIMS

First Lady Jill Biden was seen wiping tears from her eyes as family members of 9/11 victims read the names of those lost in the attacks.

The ceremony at Ground Zero began memorial efforts for the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack.

Almost 3,000 people lost their lives between the attacks at the Pentagon, World Trade Center and the Twin Towers.

The breakdown of the deaths include:

• 2,763 civilians at the World Trade Center
• 189 people at the Pentagon
• 44 people on Flight 93

Along with almost 3,000 deaths, another 25,000 were injured as a result.

WHEN DID THE FREEDOM TOWER OPEN?

The Freedom Tower, which stands on the original World Trade Center site, opened in November 2014.

The centerpiece is One World Trade Center which now rises even higher than the Twin Towers at 1,776 feet tall.

It is the tallest building in the United States and Western Hemisphere.

'YOUR COURAGE GIVES US COURAGE'

Biden and his wife remember the lives lost 20 years ago.

The President’s 9/11 tweet read: “We honor those lives lost on Flight 93 on that dark day in history 20 years ago.

“No matter how much time has passed, these commemorations bring everything painfully back for their loved ones.”

WHAT IS THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS ON 9/11?

The 9/11 terror attacks occurred 20 years ago. Here is a timeline of the day:

• 5:45am – Hijackers get through security in Portland, Maine and board American Airlines Flight 11 that was scheduled to fly to Boston.
• 7:59am – American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Boston to Los Angeles. The plane is carrying 76 passengers, 11 crew and five hijackers.
• 8:15am – United Airlines Flight 175, carrying 51 passengers, nine crew and five hijackers, takes off from Boston to Los Angeles.
• 8:20am -American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Washington, DC. The plane is carrying 53 passengers, six crew and five hijackers.
• 8:42am – United Airlines Flight 93 takes off from Newark. The plane is carrying 33 passengers, seven crew and four hijackers. The flight was bound to San Francisco.
• 8:46am – Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
• 9:03am – Flight 175 hits the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
• 9:36am – Vice President Dick Cheney is evacuated by Secret Service agents to an undisclosed location.
• 9:37am – Flight 77 hits the Pentagon building in Washington, DC.
• 9:45am – The US Capitol and White House are both evacuated.
• 9:59am – The South Tower was the first to collapse after burning for around 56 minutes.
• 10:03am – United Airlines flight 93 crashes into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The passengers and crew got together and stormed the cockpit of the hijacked plane. All passengers on board are killed.
• 10:28am – The North Towercollapses.
• 8:30pm – President George W. Bush addresses the US from the White House regarding the attacks. Almost 3,000 Americans died in the .

FAMILIES MOURN FIRST RESPONDERS WHO DIED AFTER ATTACK

The brother of Detective Luis Alvarez, who died from 9/11-related cancer 15 years after the attacks, has warned that New Yorkers were breathing deadly toxins from Ground Zero for months after Twin Towers fell.

Phil Alvarez, a former cop and now Director of Outreach and Education for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) Claims, told The Sun that “people will continue to get sick” decades after the atrocity.

Luis, or “Lou” as his family called him, was a man of few words – but when it came to getting justice for first responders exposed to the hazardous debris, he was vocal and took the issue to lawmakers in .

His activism resulted in the “Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act” (2019) which extended the VCF permanently.

Luis died 15 days after the bill was passed by , leaving behind his wife and three sons, now aged 18, 21, and 29.

Luis’ unit was sent to Ground Zero on the afternoon of , and he “went right on the pile” as the rescue mission rapidly changed into a recovery operation after the deadly al-Qaeda strike.