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By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 23, 2001
1) How many people escaped from the World Trade Center, and how many remained in the building and perished?
An exact number of dead and missing might never be known. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani last week raised the estimates to 6,333 missing and 252 dead. Officials have estimated that about 15,000 people escaped from the two World Trade Center towers after the planes struck.
Both numbers could still be adjusted. Officials in New York think several people counted among the missing may have been counted twice or listed incorrectly.
2) What happened to the wide-eyed firefighter seen in a photograph charging up the stairs of the World Trade Center while everyone else is running down to safety?
Firefighter Mike Kehoe -- husband and father -- made it out of the north tower a scant 30 seconds before the building collapsed. After he hustled up the stairs he spent about a half hour helping to evacuate people from the building until he was ordered to evacuate.
Since Sept. 11, Kehoe has been working the night shift every night for 10 hours searching through the rubble for six men from Engine 28 who did not make it out.
3) Schools, churches, radio stations and firefighters have collected money for the relief effort. Have multibillionaires or Fortune 500 companies made pledges too?
Many have been quick to pledge sizeable donations.
Fundraising drives by six major Internet companies -- AOL, Microsoft, Cisco, eBay, Amazon.com, and Yahoo -- have netted $75-million. The Philip Morris company, DaimlerChrysler, Pfizer and General Electric have pledged $10-million apiece. IBM pledged $5-million, as have three oil companies: Texaco, Chevron and AmeradaHess.
Many have donated money and supplies to the relief effort, while others such as AmeradaHess and General Electric pledged money to a New York fund to be set up for the families of the firefighters, police officers and other rescue workers who died or were injured.
Hewlett-Packard and Coca-Cola each said they would donate $3-million, and more than a dozen other companies have pledged $1-million or more.
On a smaller scale but no less significant, inmates at Louisiana's state prison have donated $10,521 for victims of the attacks and their families.
4) The FBI's 10 Most Wanted list says Osama bin Laden "walks with a cane." Is he frail or injured?
There are contradictory accounts regarding bin Laden's health.
Some news accounts have reported that bin Laden suffers from a debilitating kidney ailment and has been trying to obtain a dialysis machine. But CIA doctors who have studied videotapes of bin Laden say the cane is more of a "swagger stick" and that bin Laden is in good health.
5) How much money does Osama bin Laden have and where did he get his fortune?
Bin Laden inherited money from his father, a prominent businessman in Saudi Arabia who died in 1968. The inheritance has been estimated at around $30-million, though some have estimated his fortune to be ten times that amount.
Though the intelligence community seems unable to agree on the scope of bin Laden's resources, they agree that the terrorist attacks attributed to him and his operatives are relatively low-budget schemes. A prosecutor in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing case estimated that the operation cost the terrorists less than $10,000.
6) Does Osama bin Laden have access to nuclear weapons?
Proably not. But the intelligence community says that bin Laden and his operatives have been working for years to get materials, such as enriched uranium, for a nuclear bomb.
A former Russian intelligence official said in a memorandum to a U.S. counterpart that in 1998 Russian security forces halted an attempt to sell an unspecified amount of Soviet-origin, bomb-grade uranium to a Pakistani company controlled by bin Laden.
Still, there is no evidence that bin Laden has been successful.
7) Is there any precedent for the United States sending troops into a country to remove a leader to stand trial in the U.S.?
Yes. In 1989, the United States sent Special Forces soldiers into Panama to capture Gen. Manuel Noriega and have him face drug charges. Noriega, known as the Panamanian strongman, was apprehended. But things did not go as expected.
After the invasion in which 23 U.S. servicemen died, Noriega took refuge in the Vatican mission in Panama City. (The president at the time of the invasion was George H.W. Bush and the defense secretary was Dick Cheney.) After a standoff, Noriega surrendered to U.S. troops in early 1990 and was convicted on drug and racketeering charges in a U.S. court.
At least 200 civilians and about 300 Panamanian soldiers died in the invasion.
8) Has the U.S. attempted to assassinate or capture any foreign leaders since Noriega in 1989?
Yes. In October 1993, 18 U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force commandos were killed as a result of a raid against then-fugitive Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.
The United States has since led bombing missions against bin Laden in 1998, and against Saddam Hussein during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Both bin Laden and Hussein remain in power.
9) Why do so many of the suspected hijackers have "al" in their last names?
Thirteen of the 19 suspects' last names are either preceded by the name "al," (Satam al-Suqami) or their last name begins with the letters 'Al' (Ahmed Alhaznawi). Translated from Arabic into English, it simply means "the."
Traditionally, the "al" would be set off from the last name. Together with the last name, "al" historically would refer to a personal attribute or to one's family or place of origin. Familiar Western equivalents would be Alexander the Great or El Greco, the painter who was born in Greece.
10) Some of the nations that have pledged support to the United States seem to want something in return. What do they want?
Some nations want proof that bin Laden was involved in the terrorist attacks. However, some countries want much more. Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan, has offered to allow the United States use of its airspace and bases. In return, Pakistan seeks an end to economic sanctions imposed after the country's 1998 nuclear tests, a reduction of its $30-billion debt load, and restoration of the flow of American arms.
Russia also has asked for some consideration in return for its support. Russia can share information on Afghanistan and has influence over the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In return, Russia will bring a clear set of grievances over NATO expansion toward its borders and criticism of its military campaign in Chechnya to the table.
11) Why are there so many flight schools with foreign students in Florida?
The main reason is that flight school is much cheaper in the United States. Overseas, flight training could cost as much as $100,000, while in the United States the cost is more like $20,000 or $30,000.
Florida is particularly attractive because it has no mountains, weather that allows for year-round flying, and beaches that are as attractive to foreign student pilots as they are to foreign tourists.
12) With the new airport security rules, is it possible for a child to fly unaccompanied by an adult?
Some airlines have said they will accommodate unaccompanied minors only on non-stop flights. That way, a child would not get stuck in a strange airport if a connecting flight is late or canceled. Also, due to the new rules preventing non-ticketed family members from accompanying passengers to the boarding gate, parents should attempt to make arrangements with the airlines to escort the child to the proper gate.
13) Why do airlines prohibit the use of cell phones during flights?
That one has been debated for years. Airlines routinely warn passengers that cell phones might interfere with the aircraft's communications and navigation system, but several studies have turned up no evidence of such interference.
A 1996 study commissioned by the Federal Aviation Administration looked at thousands of flight records and failed to find a single instance in which equipment was affected by a wireless phone. However pilots and flight attendants have reported several incidents before and after the 1996 study, in which they think flight instruments were affected by cell phones and laptop computers.
There is an altogether different reason for prohibiting cell-phone use in flight: it interferes with other cellular transmissions.
The cynical answer is that airlines ban the use of cell phones because they make money when you use the airphones provided on planes.
14) Given the concerns about hijackings, is it feasible to charter a plane?
Yes, but it will cost you. At Care Flight International out of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, you could charter a seven-passenger Lear Jet for a day trip to New York at a cost of $8,200, which works out to $1,171 per person. On several regular commercial airlines, the round-trip ticket easily could cost less than $150.
15) Did the terrorists benefit from the plunge in the U.S. stock market after the attack?
So far that's unclear. But securities regulators around the world are investigating whether the terrorists involved in last week's attack profited in financial markets, possibly by buying options on the stock of United Airlines, Boeing, American Airlines and other companies in the knowledge prices would fall.
Traders say suspiciously high volume of preattack options trades on American and United stock, in particular, yielded huge profits after terrorists crashed passenger aircraft belonging to the two airlines into the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
16) What companies and industries thrived in the stock market last week?
Not surprisingly, security technology and defense firms were hot stocks last week, and airline stocks took a beating. For instance, the CompuDyne Corporation, which manufactures and supplies high technology security and detection systems, saw its stock nearly double in value, starting at $8.25 and finishing the week at $16.20.
17) Where does last week's drop in the stock market rank historically?
Last week's stock market plunge ranks as the second-worst ever, in terms of a percentage drop. The biggest drop remains the 15.5 percent drop the week of July 21, 1933. Last week's 14.7 percent drop ranks well above the 13.2 percent loss during the week of Oct. 23, 1987.
18) The effects on Florida's economy apparently are related to a drop in tourism caused by fears about flying. What percentage of Florida's tourists fly to the state?
More than half. Florida's $50-billion annual tourism industry relies on air travel to bring in about 55 percent of the tourists. That includes both domestic and international tourists. Last year the state played host to about 71.5-million tourists. They reportedly spent about $55-million a day -- before Sept. 11. Since then, tourist spending is estimated to be down about $20-million a day.
19) Will the terrorist attack affect Tampa's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics?
Because security is always a concern at the Olympics, it would affect the bids of all the American cities in the running. As for the decision as to which U.S. city will get the nomination, it's important to note that the two cities most affected by the terrorist attacks -- New York and Washington -- are among the eight U.S. cities vying for the Games. There has been some talk of awarding the Games to New York in a show of solidarity. But for now there is uncertainty.
20) The FAA has banned any aircraft within 3 miles of major professional or collegiate sporting events. Will that affect our area, where both the Bucs and the Devil Rays play near airports (Tampa International and Albert Whitted respectively)?
The FAA is set to review that ban in the next week, so the rules might not be in effect the next time a football or baseball game is played in the Tampa Bay area.
Also, the FAA has provided for exceptions, including aircraft taking off and landing from nearby airports; they can enter the no-fly zones if authorized by air traffic controllers.
21) Were many top-secret documents and files lost or scattered when the terrorists crashed the jet into the Pentagon?
The military is still working to determine what was lost. In the immediate aftermath, officials removed computers and classified information from the damaged section. Also the official in charge of security at the Pentagon, Maj. Gen. Jim Jackson, said the area of impact is secure with round-the-clock security personnel in place.
22) Is mail service back to normal?
Not quite, but it's getting there.
Ordinarily, 20 percent to 25 percent of the nation's mail travels by air, mostly on jets owned by Federal Express and commercial airlines. With the nation's jetliners back in the air, most mail service has recovered, said Mark Saunders, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service. But Saunders said reduced flight schedules could still delay some mail, particularly items sent cross-country to cities that have limited commercial air service. The Postal Service is placing a high priority on what it calls "remittance mail" -- bill payments that are identifiable because they are sent in post-paid envelopes and often go to special zip codes. "We're helping to ensure that 'the check is in the mail,' " Saunders said.
23) There were reports that another terrorism attack was planned for Sept. 22. Was that just a rumor?
Authorities said that based on intelligence intercepts, witness interviews and evidence gathered in hijackers' cars and homes, they believed a second wave of violence was planned by collaborators. They said Sept. 22 emerged as an important date in the evidence. Four people sought in the terror investigation had booked flights for that day. Days later, though, investigators said they had no specific information on more attacks planned on the 22nd.
24) Will there be a flurry of costly lawsuits related to the terrorist attacks?
Perhaps, but not yet.
Lawyers have received calls from relatives of victims, but so far lawyers appear to be heeding an appeal from the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, which for the first time ever is imploring its members to hold off from filing lawsuits.
Anticipating a rash of expensive lawsuits, the airlines involved have asked Congress for immunity especially from lawsuits involving non-passengers, such as victims who died in the World Trade Center after the jets crashed into it.
25) Have sales of U.S. flags gone through the roof since the terrorist attacks?
Absolutely. One flag store in New Jersey has been getting shipments of 1,000 flags each day, and selling out. One of the nation's largest producers of American flags, Annin & Co. of Roseland, N.J., produced more than 50,000 flags in the week after the attacks -- about 10 times the normal amount.
"We've been adding shifts and paying a lot of overtime, doing everything possible to get more production," said Randy Beard, vice president of corporate sales for Annin.