America Attacked – London, England

AMERICA ATTACKED…ARMAGEDDON…THIS IS WAR

London, England – the day we all became victims of terror

These were just some of the headlines that were splashed across newspapers world-wide the morning of Wednesday, 12 September 2001. The terrorist attack, which took place on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon the previous day, had changed our lives, some people say forever.

Here in the UK the events in the US where played out in detail in continuous news bulletins throughout the day.

The Drama Unfolds
On Tuesday, 11 September, I was working at my desk as I normally would, it was just after lunchtime. The United Kingdom is five hours ahead of Standard Eastern Time, the time in New York. A colleague walked past stating that two planes had just been flown into the towers of the World Trade Centre. In a nearby meeting room a group of fellow workers had gathered around an office television.

I will not go into a detailed account of what took place. We have all seen and read so much that the harrowing events of that day that they will be forever imprinted in the memories of anyone who watched the drama unfold.

I do want to describe the build up of emotions that seemed to effect everyone around me. On first seeing the gaping holes in the sides of those two magnificent towers in Manhattan I though about the senseless loss of life and the damage to property. I was in no way prepared for the shock and horror that was to follow.

No sooner had someone mentioned a third plane had hit the Pentagon in Washington than the TV station switched to this latest scene. Now it was becoming clear that this was a very organised mass attack. Rumours circulated everywhere that there were maybe more planes involved, some said as many as four or five more. All of a sudden nowhere was safe. In London, major offices were being evacuated especially those housed in tall buildings.

In our relatively safe office, which is on the first floor of a four floor building in a business park. We continued to huddle around the small TV. What happened next made me gasp with shock. The first tower of the World Trade Centre collapsed followed shortly by the second. I couldn’t believe what I had just seen. Everyone realised that this attack had now become a huge disaster. Talk was about the number of casualties now being in the thousands. No one could comprehend the scenes they were witnessing live on the television. I was numb at the thought of those two towers, so much imprinted into the minds of many people as the image of New York were now no more.

The afternoon wore on. Not much work was done. The sheer emotional drain of watching the continuous news bulletins on the TV got too much for me. Periodically I had to go and sit alone at my desk with my thoughts, trying to take it all in. My son in South Africa sent me some text messages to my cell phone about the tragedy. I also got some messages from concerned friends just asking me to “be safe”.

By 5 o’clock that evening most people were still in the office, not wanting to miss any new developments being shown on the television. One or two people had left but what with all the scares or evacuations it was possible that the London public transport system would be effected.

I went home feeling very solemn. My housemates as expected had the news on the TV. I went to my room and watched the reports all night. I slept very uneasy that night, my thoughts kept on dwelling on the people of New York and the horrors they had had to endure.

How Life Changes
The next day the world really had changed. Not being able to sleep, I got up early and made my way back to work. On exiting the subway in the city there were hundreds of people milling around. It turned out that the nearby Bank of America building had been evacuated. Early that morning, Downing Street, where the Prime Minister of the UK lives was also evacuated. Everyone was very jumpy. All flights to and from North America had been grounded. There was also a ban on any planes flying over London. This meannt that the local radio stations where unable to put their planes and helicopters in the skies to give the morning traffic reports.

Every day over the next week we watched the news stories. So many people were buried beneath the ruins and rubble in New York. One can only feel despair as slowly hopes faded of finding any more survivors. The heroic efforts of the emergency services turned from rescue to recovery.

In the UK there is a massive outpouring of grief for the many thousands of innocent people either dead or missing. Informal shrines made from bouquets of flowers and candles of flowers have been set up outside the American embassy. Everywhere there are books of condolences to be signed.

On Friday, 14 September, a crowd of thousands saw the Queen attend a memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace played the American National Anthem. All over London people are being urged to fly the Start and Stripes in a show of solidarity with the grief and loss felt by Americans. At 11:00am a three-minute silence was observed. Buses and cars were stopped and the engines switched off. The entire city came to a standstill. In my usually hectic office not a single phone rang for the duration. The silence was eerie, I sat at my desk a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

What happened in New York effected many many people in different ways. Heartbreaking stories came to light of how doomed people phoned loved ones on cellular phones, never to be heard from again. So many ordinary people lost someone close in this tragedy. It is awful.

Memories of New York
I am lucky not to be effected so traumatically. As I have mentioned, the towers of the World Trade Centre were a symbol of New York itself. Millions of people will have visited them. My memories and emotions are a little deeper than that. I have lived and worked in the Downtown Manhattan area.

In 1999, for 4� months I was fortunate enough to be sent to New York on a work assignment. I worked in a office building at 222 Broadway, which is on the corner of Broadway and Fulton Street, right opposite St Paul Chapel, next to the WTC. I stayed in an apartment in Battery Park, just off the West Street Highway near the Staten Island ferry terminal. Living in the Manhattan neighbourhood became so much part of my way of life.

I do realise that my feelings are insignificant compared to the huge loss and grief felt by many people at this time. I have very fond memories of living in New York. The WTC, for that short period of time, was part of where I lived. It is hard to image what New York City will be like without those towers.

Sarah, a friend, had come to stay with me in New York for a week in April 1999. She phoned on the day of the attacks. We had spent a lot of time in the WTC mall shopping for clothing and presents. We had also enjoyed a lunch in the restaurant at the top of the North Tower. She knew the destruction of the twin towers would cause me to dwell on the memories of our time there together. I appreciated her call, it was comforting to be able to talk to someone and share the emotions of what had happened.

Finding the People Responsible

One week on and the rescuers are still hopefully digging in the rubble. The death toll looks like being as many as 5000 people, making this the worst terrorist attack in history. The number British people lost looks likely to be as many as 500, making it the worst terrorist attack on British citizens too.

There has been a lot of posturing by the politicians. President Bush wants to bring the persons responsible to justice. It looks inevitable that a strike against a country or countries which harbour these terrorist is imminent. In the UK there is no doubt that the British government will “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the US in any action which is taken.

The Antipodean and South African governments unanimously condemn the attacks. Although no numbers can be confirmed there are reports that 69 Australian, 150 New Zealand and 32 South African citizens still remain unaccounted for.

Every day now I read a lot of rhetoric in the papers. People are saying how if the US responds with a massive military offensive this will only cause an escalation of the killing and possible spiral into a “mini World War III”. In my opinion the US is justified in demanding that Afghanistan hand over the prime suspect for these atrocities, Osama bin Laden. If they refuse then in all likelihood an attack on that country will take place.

The Effect on Travellers
Immediately after the attacks took place, all flights to and from North America were cancelled. After three or four days flights were resumed provided that airports conformed to tightened security rules as laid down by the FAA.

This means that passengers must now check in for flights between 2-3 hours prior to departure. Passengers will not be allowed to carry any type of knife or blade onto flights.

On Friday, 21 September, I am due to fly from London to Munich for the opening of the October Beerfest. Because of the tightened security measures I will need to get to the airport, which is an hour’s drive from my home, at 3am to catch my 6:30am flight. My Swiss Army knife that has been with me through airports all over the world is now going to stay at home. Likewise, anything else that could be looked at by nervous security personnel as a dangerous weapon such as miniature one-inch scissors in a sewing kit, nail clippers and metal nail files, will be left behind. I will risk taking my mini-Leatherman that my sister gave me for Christmas, but it will be folded and well packed away in my main luggage in the hold.

There is huge uncertainty about how the US counter strike will effect countries in the Middle East. Any plans to travel to Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan in the future would now have to be seriously reviewed or even shelved. I myself am planning to travel to India and Nepal in February/March of next year. Whilst this country is not directly effect at the moment, closer to the time I will reconsider my plans should any attacks on Afghanistan escalate, thus destabilising the entire region.

Final Word
My condolences and deepest sympathies to all those effected by these attacks. Our world has changed, possibly forever. We must all bond together to be able to stamp out the senseless hatred which lead people to commit these crimes. I pray for Americans to be given the strength to overcome and rebuild. We must all strive to make the world a better place.