Three days after the largest terrorist attack in US history, authorities have identified most of the men involved in the hijackings and Secretary of State Colin Powell has named Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect in the ongoing, worldwide investigation.
Four thousand FBI special agents and 3,000 support personnel have uncovered the names of 18 hijackers on the four planes - five on each of the two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center towers, and four on each of the planes that crashed into the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.
On Wednesday, the FBI raided the Westin Copley Hotel in downtown Boston shortly after noon, detaining three men who were released later that day. The FBI also questioned individuals in Boston and Florida, where some of the suspects apparently lived and attended flight schools. Meanwhile, German police in Hamburg detained a male airport worker and questioned a woman in connection with the attacks.
Defense Department officials estimated yesterday that 190 government workers died when an American Airlines Boeing 757 crashed into a section of the Pentagon. In New York, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said the missing persons count in Manhattan, where two Boeing 767s toppled the twin towers of the World Trade Center, exceeds 4,760 and is growing.
Yesterday, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said the plane that hit the Pentagon may have intended to strike the White House, although President George W. Bush was not in Washington at the time of the attacks. Shortly after that attack, the US Secret Service received a call threatening that "Air Force One is next."
Congress plans to provide billions of dollars in emergency funds for rescue efforts and law enforcement. Lawmakers are also writing a resolution that would allow the military to respond to the attacks with force and President Bush said antiterrorism initiatives will constitute the main focus of his administration.
"I weep and mourn with America," Bush said yesterday. "But make no mistake about it. My resolve is steady and strong about winning this war that has been declared on America. It is a new kind of war, and this government will adjust."
Bush designated Thursday a day of "National Prayer and Remembrance" and called on Americans to use their lunch breaks to go to places of worship to pray for victims and their families. Bush is scheduled to travel to New York this afternoon to console victims' families and personally thank rescuers.
In an unexpected move, Pakistan's leader, Pervez Musharraf, pledged full cooperation with the US in its efforts to punish the terrorists. Pakistan is one of only three countries worldwide to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, where US State Department officials say bin Laden has taken refuge.
US airspace reopened to commercial and private flights yesterday morning, after the Federal Aviation Administration allowed airports that had complied with new security guidelines to resume service. But Logan Airport, where two of the hijacked flights originated, remains closed.
At Tufts, administrators continue to help students cope with Tuesday's tragedy. The University police department, meanwhile, has taken heightened security precautions to prevent further attacks.
"There was an increase in visible presence of security officers," said Pete Sanborn, assistant manager of public relations. "The main priority is to make sure people feel safe." No change was made in the number of officers on duty.
Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said he has heard of incidents involving students condemning others without basis because of the attacks. "There are rumors - no, more than rumors - from credible sources that this campus has been unable to avoid the aftermath of the tragedy with some incidences of blame assignment," he said. "The irrational assignment of blame is what I worry about."
Though no incidents have been officially reported, Reitman said that acts of hatred will become part of a campus dialogue. "We don't hide it, we document it," Reitman said.
Along with today's prayer and remembrance event, a series of forums will take place over the next week for students and faculty. The first two forums, held last night, was entitled "Blaming Others: Demonizing/Dehumanizing," and included personal reflections on the tragedy. Provost Sol Gittleman and Dean of Natural and Social Sciences Susan Ernst initiated the forums.
Forum organizers say they are not sure how many students were personally affected by the attacks. Further programming will be initiated, said Dean Kristine Dillon, if "students learn about any tragic news concerning their own family members."
Despite rumors of incidents on campus, Dillon said that students will respect one another in light of the attacks. "There are a wide range of backgrounds represented here," she said. "There's a sense of tolerance and not jumping to conclusions."
Reitman said he hopes for a "dialogue across cultures" to prevent students from blaming other groups for the attacks. "It could be difficult, but it would be wonderful if we could do it," he said, adding that "we're inventing as we go - it's not something you rehearse."
To help students cope with the events, the counseling center has offered group counseling sessions everyday at 1:30 p.m., although according to Dillon, counselors have not seen much interest in the sessions.
