US marks September 11 attacks
The health of firefighters under scrutiny six years after plane hijackings.
‘Culture of fear’ | ||
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Similar events took place in Washington, to mark the attack on the Pentagon by a third plane, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a fourth plane crashed after passengers were believed to have fought with hijackers.
Health concerns
Meanwhile, US presidential politics and the health of ground zero workers have loomed over the commemorations.
Firefighters and medics who helped in the rescue effort began the recitation of the names after the moment of silence.
Many of those rescuers are now ill with respiratory problems and cancers that they blame on exposure to the fallen towers’ toxic dust.
For the first time, the name of a victim who survived the day of the attacks but had died five months later of lung disease was added to the official roll.
Felicia Dunn-Jones, an attorney who was working near the World Trade Center, became the 2,974th person whose death has been linked to the attacks.
Some groups representing the families of victims had opposed giving Rudy Giuliani, a presidential candidate, a speaking role at the commemoration, raising concerns that he would use the platform to promote his presidential aspirations.
He currently leads most of the national polls for the Republican nomination, largely on the strength of his performance on the day of the attacks.