NEW YORK, September 11. /TASS/. A series of memorial events marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks will take place in the United States on Saturday.
The anniversary has a political tinge this year because after 20 years, the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) has once again came to power in Afghanistan. Back in 2001, the Taliban refused to hand Al-Qaeda members responsible for the attacks over to Washington, which led to a war.
On September 11, 2001, 19 members of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization (outlawed in Russia) hijacked four domestic US flights. Two of the planes were crashed into the World Trade Center complex in New York, the third one into the Pentagon building and the fourth flight was flown in the direction of Washington but crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 2,977 people.
Memorial events will be held in all three locations on Saturday. In New York, the first minute of silence will be observed at 08:46 am, when the first hijacked flight crashed into the northern tower of the World Trade Center. Church bells will start ringing and a ceremony involving reading out the names of the victims will begin at the Ground Zero memorial site, which will be interrupted for more minutes of silence. In the evening, two towers of light created by powerful spotlights will reach into the sky at the former World Trade Center, which will be visible from 100 kilometers away.
Memorial ceremonies will also be held at the Pentagon and in Shanksville. US President Joe Biden plans to attend all three sites. He will first travel to New York, then to Shanksville and after that to the Pentagon. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the format of the events did not include an address by the president.