New York is on high alert over a security warning

 

9/11 anniversary: US marks 10 years since attacks

 

The US has started to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Security is tight following warnings of a possible al-Qaeda attack.

 

The US embassy in Afghanistan has begun the ceremonies, with events due later in the sites where four hijacked planes struck, killing nearly 3,000 people. An official memorial to those who died is to be unveiled at the site of the World Trade Center, whose twin towers were destroyed in the attacks.

 

Metal barriers have been erected on roads near the World Trade Center, while police in New York and Washington are stopping and searching large vehicles entering bridges and tunnels. The CIA received a warning last week that al-Qaeda may have sent attackers, some of them possibly US citizens, to bomb one of the cities. The warning was described by officials as "credible but unconfirmed".

 

President Barack Obama has said the US remains vigilant against terrorism. As in previous anniversaries, the names of all the victims will be read out at the New York event. There will be pauses for silence at the exact times when two airliners smashed into the World Trade Center's twin towers, the third was crashed into the Pentagon and the fourth was forced into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, by passengers who fought with the hijackers.

 

New York's National September 11 Memorial, to be unveiled later on Sunday, features two reflecting pools, each almost an acre in size, in the footprints of twin towers. The names of those who died on 9/11, as well as the six people killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, are inscribed on the edge of the pools.

 

In the Afghan capital, Kabul, the US flag was lowered to half-mast to remember those who died 10 years ago, as well as those who have died since. US forces were sent to Afghanistan to oust the Taleban from power after they had given sanctuary to al-Qaeda.

 

President Obama is due to travel to all three sites for the commemorations, part of a weekend of events to mark the anniversary. Speaking on Saturday, he said the US was stronger 10 years on from the attacks. "As a resilient nation, we will carry on," he told Americans in his weekly address. "Thanks to the tireless efforts of our military personnel and our intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security professionals, there should be no doubt: today, America is stronger and al-Qaeda is on the path to defeat," President Obama said. "Yes we face a determined foe, and make no mistake - they will keep trying to hit us again. But as we are showing again this weekend, we remain vigilant," he added.

 

President Obama will be joined in New York by George W Bush, who was president at the time of the attacks. Speaking in Shanksville on Saturday at the unveiling of a memorial to the 40 victims of flight United 93, Mr Bush said "the United States will never forget".

 

He lauded the passengers and crew of the flight, saying they launched "the first counter-offensive in the war on terror". In an interview with National Geographic he said the events of that day had changed his presidency dramatically. "I went from being a president that was primarily focused on domestic issues, to a wartime president. Something I never anticipated nor something I ever wanted to be."

 

Also on Saturday, firefighters from around the world attended a memorial service in New York's St Patrick's Cathedral to honour the 343 firefighters who died on 9/11 while rescuing people from the World Trade Center towers.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14869230

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2AlrxeWfD4]Freedom Tower Construction 2011 - YouTube[/ame]

Never Forget

RIP to all of the victims.

My heart is with those who lost their lives in the attacks and their families :heart:

Been watching the memorial on TV all day.

I'm watching my tv and there's footage of the people at the surroundings of the buildings when the planes crashed. Really shocking. My thoughts are with NYC citizens and all the people who where there at the moment. God bless you.

Every year since I try not to allow myself to get consumed by all the media coverage and replays of the live news broadcasts from that day... it just brings it all back. Not that I want to forget, because I can never forget... but it was such a raw emotion, sadness filled my whole being in those days following... I just don't like to feel like that anymore. But this year, I guess because its 10 years... I felt consumed. I watched a few specials and tv docu's and allowed myself to cry again as I did that fateful day. Probably even more than I did 10 years ago to be honest... :(

 

The memorial looks beautiful on tv.. the massive reflective pools of water in the footprints of where the towers once stood.... its breathtaking. I can only imagine what it looks like in person....

 

Tomorrow the memorial opens to the public in a controlled setting. You have to reserve tickets (no purchase) but a donation is encourage to the preservation of the memorial... I'll be going in two weeks... hopefully the weather cooperates and I can share pictures if anyone is interested....

 

My city is a great one... I :heart: New York... we are a city of survivors. New Yorkers always shine their brightest in their darkest of hours. :heart:

 

 

May the 2, 753 lost souls at the WTC REST IN PEACE

^nicely put.

 

I still remember the day so vividly. I can't get over that it all has happened. Looking at the memorial it looks really great. I'd love to get to visit it sometime.

 

I also tried to see if the lights are on. Normally I can see them, but w/ the weather and haziness I couldn't see them.

 

 

I think it's days like these that we should spend more time putting aside our differences and be just human beings united as one. I mean from 9/11 not only did you have so many people die from the attacks but the after effects, whether it be the wars, or people attacking muslims within the US or whatever. When you think about it in the simplest terms it's so stupid to kill each other over such trivial things. If anything should be "defeated" from all of this it is extremism to which makes the killing of civilians acceptable. I'm not just talking about the terrorists from the attacks, but also governments in general too. I really feel if we stopped fighting against each other and worked together the human race could accomplish so much.

 

(maybe i'm just being naiive, but I sometimes wonder where peoples common sense is when they have such hatred towards others to want to kill people over stupid things like an invisible man in the sky)

double post.

I remember every detail about 9/11, from when I woke up to watching the footage from the attacks. It is beyond-words heartbreaking. I always find myself searching YouTube for videos of the event as it happened and each video, while the exact same, shock my heart that it happened.

 

God Bless everyone affected.