Timeline 9/11, by BBC

Timeline: 9/11
Manhattan skyline after the attacks

Key events in the growing number of conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks.

MARCH 1962

Operation Northwoods: A proposal is drafted by military planners, exploring options for generating support for US action against Cuba.

These ideas included simulated terrorist actions by the American government. Another suggestion was the shooting down of an unmanned drone masquerading as a civilian airliner.

The plans were sent to the US defense secretary for approval, but were never implemented.

Link to the memo posted on George Washington University website

More than 40 years on, the two concepts - that of false-flag terrorist operations against civilians, and of using a drone aircraft to simulate a civilian plane - have led to conspiracy theories claiming that the US government was capable of using the same tactics on 9/11.

JANUARY 2000

The first two 9/11 hijackers arrive in the United States via Los Angeles international airport.


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Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar were already suspected of involvement in al-Qaeda terrorist activities by the CIA, which had been monitoring their movement abroad.

But the CIA does not inform the FBI, so the two terrorists do not appear on the terrorist Watchlist - and as they have valid visas are allowed in the country.

Al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar settle in San Diego where they live openly, using their real names in official documents. One is listed in the local phone book.

They start lessons at a local flying school, but are soon rejected because of their poor English.

In August 2001, the CIA finally warns the FBI that al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar may be in the United States, but by then the two terrorists have long gone from San Diego and cannot be traced.

9/11 sceptics have expressed doubts about the official account of how the two Al Qaeda operatives were able to live undetected for so long.

SEPTEMBER 2000

An American think tank, the Project for the New American Century, publishes a report called Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century.

Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century

The report advocates the transformation of the US military, making it better able to support their aspiration for an active, internationalist US foreign policy.

But, the authors acknowledge: "the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event - like a new Pearl Harbour".

This line has attracted the attention of critics, who argue that 9/11 may have been an attempt to produce the "Pearl Harbour" effect.

However, PNAC report does not advocate a catastrophic act, it merely predicts the possible consequences of one.

Among the reports signatories, Paul Wolfowitz who later became number two at the Pentagon, and Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who went on to become chief of staff to Vice President Cheney.

11 SEPTEMBER, 2001

According to the official account, four commercial aircraft were hijacked. Three were deliberately flown into buildings, and the fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. 2,996 people were killed.

0846: American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre.

World Trade centre South Tower
The World Trade Centre's south tower collapses after the attacks

0903: The second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, crashes into the South Tower at the World Trade Centre.

0937: In Washington DC, American Airlines flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon. Conspiracy theories suggest the crash is suspicious because there is no publicly available CCTV footage clearly showing an aircraft hitting the building and because the damage caused to the façade appears too small to have been caused by a large commercial jetliner.

0945 approx: Delta Airlines flight 89 is diverted to Cleveland airport because of initial suspicions that it may have been hijacked. The local mayor gives a press conference in which he says:, "The initial reports was that this plane was hijacked and that there was a bomb on it". It is quickly established that Delta flight 89 has not been hijacked and corrections are broadcast by the local media, but the first inaccurate reports continue to be the focus of conspiracy theories.

1002: United Airlines flight 93 crashes in open ground near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Conspiracy theories argue that the plane never crashed here, because there are no large pieces of visible wreckage at the scene. It is also alleged that the plane was shot down, and broke up in mid-air, spreading debris over a wide area.

1720: World Trade Centre Building 7, a 47 storey building close to the two main towers collapses. It was not hit by either of the two hijacked aircraft. 9/11 conspiracy theories suggest that it was destroyed deliberately, because it held sensitive or compromising documents in the offices of the CIA, Department of Defense and Secret Service, which were housed in the building.

12 SEPTEMBER, 2001

Immediately after 9/11 a conspiracy theory developed that Israelis and or Jewish citizens had been warned to stay away from the area by someone with foreknowledge of the attacks.

The story, which was untrue, originated in Beirut, quickly spread across the Middle East and was picked up by anti-Semitic websites around the world.

10 NOVEMBER, 2001

President Bush confronted the growing proliferation of 9/11 conspiracy theories. Speaking to the United Nations in New York, he said: "We must speak the truth about terror. Let us never tolerate outrageous conspiracy theories concerning the attacks of September the 11th; malicious lies that attempt to shift the blame away from the terrorists, themselves, away from the guilty".

SPRING 2002

French journalist Thierry Meyssan publishes 9/11: The Big Lie and Pentagate - his accounts of 9/11 which suggests that American Airlines Flight 77 did not crash into the Pentagon.

The Big Lie

MAY 2002

The Federal Emergencies Management Agency (FEMA) releases its report into the causes of the collapse of buildings in New York on 9/11. Chapter Five describes the collapse of World Trade Centre Building 7, which FEMA suggests was caused by prolonged fires weakening the strength of the trusses which supported the building.

World Trade Center Building Performance Study

DECEMBER 2002

Publication of report by the joint Congressional inquiry into intelligence failings leading up to the 9/11 attacks.

Over 30 pages in the published version have been redacted by the government, because of national security concerns.

It later emerges that most of the redacted pages relate to the activities of the first two hijackers in San Diego and to their possible connections with Saudi Arabian nationals living there.

The inquiry's co-chairman, Senator Bob Graham, feels that the FBI, in particular, withheld evidence about the activities of the two hijackers who lived in San Diego.

Congressional Reports: Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001

22 JULY, 2004

The publication of the 9/11 Commission Report provides the public with the most comprehensive account of what happened on that day, but its findings fail to stem the flow of conspiracy theories.

9/11 Commission Report

MARCH 2005

The American Magazine, Popular Mechanics publishes a major investigation called Debunking the 9/11 myths. The article is later extended into a book.

Popular Mechanics

APRIL 2005

Loose Change, a film produced by first-time director Dylan Avery is released. The film is distributed primarily via the internet and rapidly becomes a worldwide phenomenon, watched tens of millions of times.

Loose Change takes issue with many aspects of the official account of 9/11, including the collapse of the Twin Towers and WTC 7, the crash of American Airlines 77 into the Pentagon and United Airlines flight 93 at Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

It is the most popular of a growing number of internet films challenging the official account of events on 9/11.

Loose Change

Other examples of the genre include The 9/11 Mysteries and Alex Jones' Terrorstorm.

The 9/11 Mysteries
Alex Jones' Terrorstorm

DECEMBER 2005

James Fetzer, a retired professor of philosophy founds the organisation Scholars for 9/11 Truth - a movement dedicated to "exposing falsehoods and revealing truths" about 9/11.

Scholars for 9/11 Truth

16 MAY, 2006

CCTV footage of the Pentagon is released to Judicial Watch, a Washington based foundation advocating accountability and transparency in government.

Judicial Watch

The footage, from two security cameras, shows a blurred object approaching the building immediately followed by a massive explosion. But the quality of the video is poor and the evidence is inconclusive.

Judicial Watch subsequently obtains the release of further security camera footage from the FBI. But these images, from a nearby petrol station and hotel, are not sufficiently detailed to satisfy sceptics.

31 JULY,2006

Evidence from the case of Zacarias Moussaoui is published on the internet.

United States v Zacarias Moussaoui

In 2005, Moussaoui pleaded guilty to conspiring with the 19 al-Qaeda hijackers. Much of the evidence relates to the events of that day, including photographs of the crash sites and documents belonging to the hijackers.

25 October, 2006

The State Department publishes a website on The Top September 11th Conspiracy Theories, as part of its Identifying Misinformation website.

Identifying Misinformation

12 SEPTEMBER, 2006

Pentagon Inspector General declassifies a report assessing the performance of the US military on 9/11.

Report on Review of Testimony to the National Commission on terrorist Attacks Upon the United States

The Inspector found that members of the military had misinformed the 9/11 Commission about events on the morning of the attacks, but that this had been down to poor record keeping and bureaucratic muddle.

There was no evidence, wrote the inspectors, that the military had sought to deliberately mislead the members of the 9/11 Commission about the events that day.

2007

FEMA is expected to publish the final report of its investigation of the collapse of World Trade Centre Building 7.

9/11 Cover-up Two-Page Summary
Verifiable Media Reports on 9/11

To verify statements, click on links to articles on major media websites
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America’s top military leaders drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in US cities to trick the public into supporting a war against Cuba in the early 1960s. Approved in writing by the Pentagon Joint Chiefs, Operation Northwoods even proposed blowing up a US ship and hijacking planes as a false pretext for war. [ABC News, 5/1/01, Pentagon Documents]

1996–2001: Federal authorities are aware for years before 9/11 that suspected terrorists with ties to Osama bin Laden are receiving flight training at schools in the US and abroad. One convicted terrorist confesses that his planned role in a terror attack was to crash a plane into CIA headquarters. [Washington Post, 9/23/01, CBS, 5/30/02, more]

1996–2001: On multiple occasions spies give detailed reports on bin Laden's location. Each time, the CIA director or top White House officials prevent bin Laden's elimination. [Los Angeles Times, 12/5/04, New York Times, 12/30/01, more]

2000–2001: 15 of the 19 hijackers fail to fill in visa documents properly in Saudi Arabia. Only six are interviewed. All 15 should have been denied entry to the US. [Washington Post, 10/22/02, ABC, 10/23/02] Two top Republican senators say if State Department personnel had merely followed the law, 9/11 would not have happened. [AP, 12/18/02, more]

2000–2001: The military conducts exercises simulating hijacked airliners used as weapons to crash into targets causing mass casualties. One target is the World Trade Center (WTC), another the Pentagon. Yet after 9/11, over and over the White House and security officials say they’re shocked that terrorists hijacked airliners and crashed them into landmark buildings. [USA Today, 4/19/04, Military District of Washington, 11/3/00, New York Times, 10/3/01, more]

Jan 2001: After the Nov 2000 elections, US intelligence agencies are told to “back off” investigating the bin Ladens and Saudi royals. There have always been constraints on investigating Saudi Arabians. [BBC, 11/6/01, more]

Spring 2001: A series of military and governmental policy documents is released that seek to legitimize the use of US military force in the pursuit of oil and gas. One advocates presidential subterfuge and hiding the reasons for warfare “as a necessity for mobilizing public support.” [Sydney Morning Herald, 12/26/02, more]

May 2001: For the third time, US security chiefs reject Sudan’s offer of thick files on bin Laden and al-Qaeda. A senior CIA source calls it “the worst single intelligence failure in the business.” [Guardian, 9/30/01, more]

June-Aug 2001: German intelligence warns the CIA that Middle Eastern terrorists are training for hijackings and targeting American interests. Russian President Vladimir Putin alerts the US of suicide pilots training for attacks on US targets. In late July, a Taliban emissary warns the US that bin Laden is planning a huge attack on American soil. In August, Israel warns of an imminent Al Qaeda attack. [Fox News, 5/17/02, Independent, 9/7/02, CNN, 9/12/02, more]

July 4-14, 2001: Bin Laden reportedly receives kidney treatment from Canadian-trained Dr. Callaway at the American Hospital in Dubai. Dr. Callaway declines to comment. During his stay, bin Laden is allegedly visited by one or two CIA agents. [Guardian, 11/1/01, Sydney Morning Herald, 10/31/01, London Times 11/1/01, UPI, 11/1/01, more]

July 26, 2001: Attorney General Ashcroft stops flying commercial airlines due to a threat assessment. [CBS, 7/26/01] In May 2002, Ashcroft walks out of his office rather than answer questions about it. [Fox News/AP, 5/16/02, more]

Aug 6, 2001: President Bush receives an intelligence briefing warning that bin Laden might be planning to hijack commercial airliners. Titled “Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US,” the briefing specifically mentions the WTC. Yet Bush later claims it “said nothing about an attack on America.” [Washington Post, 4/12/04, Briefing, 8/6/01, more]

Aug 27, 2001: An FBI supervisor says he’s trying to keep a hijacker from “flying a plane into the WTC.” [Senate Report (Hill #2), 10/17/02] Headquarters chastises him for notifying the CIA. [Time, 5/21/02, more]

Sept 10, 2001: A number of top Pentagon brass suddenly cancel travel plans for the next morning, apparently because of security concerns. Why isn't this news spread widely? [Newsweek, 9/13/01, Newsweek, 9/24/01, more]

Sept 11, 2001: Data recovery experts extract data from 32 damaged WTC computer drives. The data reveals a surge in financial transactions shortly before the attacks. Illegal transfers of over $100 million may have been made through WTC computer systems immediately before and during the 9/11 disaster. [Reuters, 12/18/01, CNN, 12/20/01, more]

Sept 11, 2001: Described as a bizarre coincidence, a US intelligence agency was set for an exercise on Sept 11 at 9 AM in which an aircraft would crash into one of its buildings near Washington, DC. [USA Today/AP, 8/22/02, more]

Sept 11, 2001: Hours after the attacks, a "shadow government" is formed. Key congressional leaders say they didn’t know this government-in-waiting had been established. [CBS, 3/2/02, Washington Post, 3/2/02, more]

Sept 11, 2001: Six air traffic controllers who dealt with two of the hijacked airliners make a tape recording describing the events within hours of the attacks. The tape is never turned over to the FBI. It is later illegally destroyed by a supervisor without anyone making a transcript or even listening to it. [Washington Post, 5/6/04, New York Times, 5/6/04]

Sept 13-19, 2001: Bin Laden's family is taken under FBI supervision to a secret assembly point. They leave the country by private plane when airports reopen days after the attacks. [New York Times, 9/30/01, Boston Globe, 9/20/01, more]

Sept 15-16, 2001: Several of the 9/11 hijackers, including lead hijacker Mohamed Atta, may have had training at secure US military installations. [Newsweek, 9/15/01, Washington Post, 9/16/01, New York Times, 9/15/01, more]

Sept 20, 2001: Several 9/11 hijackers later mentioned in the 9/11 Commission Report turn up alive. "Five of the alleged hijackers have emerged, alive, innocent and astonished to see their names and photographs appearing on satellite television...The hijackers were using stolen identities." [quote in London Times, 9/20/01, see also BBC, 9/23/01, more]

Dec 2001-Feb 2002: The US engineers the rise to power of two former Unocal Oil employees: Hamid Karzai, the interim president of Afghanistan, and Zalmay Khalizad, the US envoy. The big American bases created in the Afghan war are identical to the route of the projected oil pipeline. [Chicago Tribune, 3/18/02, more]

May 17, 2002: Dan Rather says that he and other journalists haven't been properly investigating since 9/11. He graphically describes the pressures to conform that built up after the attacks. [Guardian, 5/17/02, more]

May 23, 2002: President Bush says he is opposed to establishing an independent commission to probe 9/11. [CBS, 5/23/02] Vice President Cheney earlier opposed any public hearings on 9/11. [Newsweek, 2/4/02, more]

May 30, 2002: FBI Agent Wright formally accuses the FBI of deliberately curtailing investigations that might have prevented 9/11. He is threatened with retribution if he talks to Congress about this. [Fox News, 5/30/02, more]

July 22, 2004: The 9/11 Commission Report is published. It fails to mention that a year before the attacks a secret Pentagon project had identified four 9/11 hijackers, including leader Mohamed Atta. The Commission spokesperson initially states members were not informed of this, but later acknowledges they were. [New York Times, 8/11/05, more]

2004 - 2005: A growing number of top government officials and public leaders express disbelief in the official story of 9/11. 100 prominent leaders and 40 9/11 family members sign a statement calling for an unbiased inquiry into evidence suggesting high-level government officials may have deliberately allowed the attacks to occur. [Various Publications]

Aug 9, 2006: A book by 9/11 Commission chairmen Kean and Hamilton outlines repeated deceptions by the Pentagon and FAA, including the timelines of Flights 77 and 93. CNN News: "The fact that the government would...perpetuate the lie suggests that we need a full investigation of what is going on." [CNN, 8/9/06 , MSNBC/AP, 8/4/06, more]

For a 10-page summary of the 9/11 cover-up, www.WantToKnow.info/9-11cover-up10pg
For a powerful video on all this: www.WantToKnow.info/060407bestdocumentary9-11
For reliable resources on the 9/11 cover-up and what you can do: 9/11 information center

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