Skip to main content

September 11 Attacks

Stuck in a doomscrolling dive? Here are signs of 'vicarious trauma' to watch out for

Experts think exposure to traumatic content on social media, such as uncensored images coming out of the Middle East, can give some people PTSD. So what signs should you look out for, and how can you protect yourself?
A girl sitting cross-legged looking at her phone with a worried look on her face; and her forehead in the palm of her hand

Mary was midair when 9/11 unfolded — what happened next has now been set to music

For several days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Adelaide radiologist Mary Moss was stranded in a remote part of Canada along with thousands of other airline passengers, whose story is being retold in one of the world's most successful musicals.
A smiling woman.

Top secret cabinet papers from Howard government declassified

More than 200 previously secret cabinet records are now in the public domain, giving an insight into the issues that were being considered by the government at the time.
ABC News Current
Duration: 2 minutes 41 seconds

The Loop: Biden makes September 11 pledge, Ukraine's President mocks Russians, and US Open men's title winner

Here's your quick catch-up of news happening around the world.
Updated
Fire blazes in the darkness as firefighters put out blaze in Ukraine.

September 11 victims not entitled to seize Afghan central bank assets, US judge says

A US judge recommends that victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks not be allowed to seize billions of dollars of assets belonging to Afghanistan's central bank to satisfy court judgements they obtained against the Taliban.
Updated
A huge ball of fire and smoke coming from one of the Twin Towers

Taliban investigating US claim of killing Al Qaeda leader in Kabul

The Taliban says it was unaware Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was living in Afghanistan's capital city.
Updated
Men holding guns sit in the back of a car on a crowded street.

How significant is the killing of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri?

US President Joe Biden has confirmed the death of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Updated
ABC News Current
Duration: 6 minutes 44 seconds

Joe Biden's full speech about the death of Osama bin Laden's successor Ayman al-Zawahiri.

US President Joe Biden praises the Americans who carried out the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden's successor, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, and tells the families of the victims of September 11, 2001 that they have never been forgotten
Updated
ABC News Current
Duration: 3 minutes 33 seconds

Released cabinet documents reveal how September 11 attacks changed Australia's priorities

The National Archives of Australia has released never seen before cabinet documents from 2001, revealing how the September 11 attacks on the United States changed Australia’s priorities in the lead up to the federal election.
ABC News Current
Duration: 5 minutes 53 seconds

Never before released cabinet papers give glimpse into the events of 2001

Confidential cabinet records from one of the most pivotal years in recent memory have been released today, giving a glimpse at how the Howard government grappled with some of the most tumultuous moments in Australia.
Updated
A huge ball of fire and smoke coming from one of the Twin Towers

'I was oblivious to the magnitude of this s**t': What it’s like to face terrorism charges

When Imran was swept up in a dawn terror raid, he thought he knew who the police were after. He had "no idea" it was him.
Updated
An illustration of a man taking a phone call.

When 9/11 happened, I spent eight hours in a Washington bunker thinking about my baby son on the other side of the world

ABC cameraman David McMeekin was travelling with former prime minister John Howard in Washington on September 11, 2001. Twenty years on, he recalls a harrowing experience documenting the aftermath of the terror attacks.
Updated
Man holding TV camera on his shoulder standing outside Parliament House in Canberra.

Former US presidents commemorate 9/11 anniversary

Six moments of silence and five U.S. presidents have led commemorations, 20 years on from one of America's darkest days. Greg Jennett reports from Ground Zero in New York City.
ABC News Current
Duration: 3 minutes 21 seconds

New York Times photojournalist reflects on 20th anniversary of September 11

New York Times photojournalist Ruth Fremson reflects on what it was like covering the attacks on the World Trade Centre on the 20th anniversary of September 11.
ABC News Current
Duration: 5 minutes 50 seconds

Biden urges US to set aside differences and unite on 9/11 anniversary

US President Joe Biden has urged Americans to come together and put aside their differences on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
ABC News Current
Duration: 4 minutes 56 seconds

George Bush pays tribute to the USA at Pennsylvania 9/11 anniversary memorial

Former US President George W. Bush has paid tribute to America while speaking at the 20th anniversary memorial of the September 11 terrorist attacks in Pennsylvania.
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 55 seconds

Relatives and friends of young family killed in 9/11 share their story

Among the 3,000 victims killed on September 11 was a family of four embarking on a working holiday in Australia. Barbara Miller spoke to some of their relatives and friends.
Updated
ABC News Current
Duration: 2 minutes 38 seconds

'Let's go up there for breakfast': Australian family's chance stop on the day everything changed

David and Kate Officer still hold the ticket for the World Trade Center observation deck that they were planning to use on September 11, 2001.
The Twin Towers stand tall over the New York skyline on a hazy day.

As she boarded her flight, Leslie posted a card to her sister. By the time it arrived, she was dead

It's been two decades since a group of hijackers brought America to its knees and killed almost 3,000 people. On that day, the Whittington-Falkenbergs thought they were embarking on a trip of a lifetime to Australia.
Updated
A family portrait of a man and woman with two girls on their laps in front of a fireplace

analysis:Bin Laden said he wanted to 'destroy the myth of American invincibility'. In truth, he revealed what was already there

In the years before September 11, America — the sole world superpower — was basking in Cold War glory, but political fractures were never far from the surface, writes Stan Grant. 
Updated
The aftermath on the ground after the 9/11 attacks.

Twin brother of 9/11 victim shares his story

The families of those killed in the September 11 attacks 20 years ago are remembering their loved ones. Stuart Knox is among them - his twin brother Andrew died in the Twin Towers. Isabel Dayman reports.
Updated
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 49 seconds

Memories of 9/11 from Australians who paid witness to the attacks

Australians who were inside the World Trade Center speak about the moment the planes struck and the world was changed forever.
ABC News Current
Duration: 2 minutes 14 seconds

How 9/11 sparked addiction battle for Adelaide victim's twin

Environmental architect Andrew Knox was working in the World Trade Centre when it was attacked on September 11, 2001. His brother, Stuart, says his sibling's loss turned him into an "alcoholic and an addict", but he is sharing his story to help others, and to honour Andrew.
Updated
A man wearing a blue coat standing in front of the East River and the World Trade Center

The Taliban's new government includes wanted terrorists

Members of the Haqqani network are responsible for some of the most brutal terrorist attacks of recent times and now they are a key part of Afghanistan's government.
Updated
Damaged cars are seen after a blast at the site of the incident in Kabul, Afghanistan May 31, 2017.

A design choice made in 1965 inadvertently determined who lived and who died in the US on 9/11

Up or down, left or right, panicked choices on that September day determined the chances of survival for people, unaware the odds were already stacked against them in buildings designed to maximise profit, not safety.
Updated
People covered in dust, some clutching handkerchiefs to their mouths, descend stairs