Public Agenda Special Edition: Terrorism

Introduction

Overview

Public Opinion

Sources and Resources

Perspectives

Fact File

Other Issues

Hijacked Planes Slam Into New York, D.C. Sites
In what President Bush described as "an apparent act of terrorism," two hijacked planes slammed into the World Trade Center in New York Tuesday morning and both of the towering buildings collapsed. Within an hour, the Pentagon was in flames after another hijacked aircraft crashed on a helicopter landing pad nearby. Another hijacked plane crashed near Pittsburgh. The number of injuries and deaths are sketchy, but authorities say it could easily reach into the thousands. The first crash came at 8:50 a.m., when a large aircraft, possibly a Boeing 767 that had been hijacked from Boston, hit Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. A second plane hit Tower 2 at about 9:05 a.m. Smoke and flames billowed from the buildings before they both collapsed. After the World Trade Center towers were hit, Bush called the incident "a national tragedy and an apparent act of terrorism against our country." All planes were grounded across the country by the Federal Aviation Administration, and New York City was placed on full terrorism alert, with officials shutting down all bridges and tunnels leading into Manhattan. In Washington, D.C., all government buildings, including the White House, were evacuated. More than 40,000 people worked in the World Trade Center, which was the target of a terrorist bombing in 1993 that killed six people and injured more than 1,000 others. According to an ABC News poll, nearly nine in 10 Americans say they're worried about the possibility of more major terrorist attacks in this country, and more than nine in 10 Americans support military action against any groups or nations found to be responsible. More than 80 percent also support U.S. military action against countries that assist or shelter terrorists. Additional context on terrorism is available in our issue guide on America's Global Role. The polling information in that issue guide comes from before the attack.

Public Opinion: Three-quarters of Americans say they are concerned about a terrorist attack in the United States, and people are divided on whether the federal government is doing enough to prevent an attack
Public Opinion: Very few Americans say the number of terrorist acts will decrease in the next century
Public Opinion: Americans are more likely to fear nuclear attack from terrorists than from a domestic terrorist, and most say international terrorists are a major threat
Fact File: Terrorist organizations

These resources may be helpful in finding out more information:

Terrorism Research Center: comprehensive site with analysis, profiles and links
U.S. State Department
Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
List of tallest buildings in U.S.
World's famous skyscrapers