Impact of 9/11 Toxins 20 Years Later and the Federal Response

Impact of 9/11 Toxins 20 Years Later and the Federal Response

  • September 7, 2021
A framed text box that says "9/11 at 20" is set over a close-up image of a blue sea.

 

911 Health Watch, along with the clinics of the World Trade Center Health Program, will host a two-day program of virtual panel discussions this week, exploring the “Impact of 9/11 Toxins 20 Years Later and the Federal Response.” The event, featuring health professionals, journalists, first responders, and survivors, will be streamed live on September 9 and 10 from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. 

Thursday's morning line-up, from 9:30 am-12 pm, will focus on the health effects of World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Shanksville crash site toxins in the wake of the attacks as well as the life-saving medical monitoring and treatment services provided through the WTC Health Program. That afternoon, from 2-3:30 pm, panels will cover the evolution and impact of the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). On Friday, from 11:30 am-1 pm, panelists will delve into the efforts to pass crucial measures like the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Fund, reauthorization of the WTC Health Program in 2015, and reauthorization and full funding of the VCF in 2019.  

Get the complete agenda and watch live here

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Recap: "A Conversation with the Creators Behind the Netflix Film 'Worth'"

Recap: "A Conversation with the Creators Behind the Netflix Film 'Worth'"

  • August 11, 2021
A composite image on a blue background of eight public program participants on a Zoom call.

To mark the release of the trailer for the Netflix film “Worth,” the Museum welcomed 9/11 family member Charles Wolf, special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Ken Feinberg, administrator of the fund Camille Biros, actor Laura Benanti, Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton, director Sara Colangelo, and writer/producer Max Borenstein for a very special public program. The panel comprised members of the creative team behind the feature film, as well as some of the real people who inspired key characters.

Based on true events, “Worth” tells the story of lawyer Ken Feinberg, who was assigned to allocate financial resources to the victims of 9/11. Feinberg and his firm’s head of operations, Camille Biros, faced the impossible task of determining the worth of a life to help the families who had suffered incalculable losses. “Worth” is a moving reminder of the power of empathy and the value of human connection. It will premier on Netflix on Friday, September 3rd, 2021.

In the clip below, writer/producer Max Borenstein discusses how his creative process was influenced by the prevailing sense of empathy in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks: 

Worth Highlight Clip

2021_0809 Netflix_Highlight

“It captures a thing that I remember in the aftermath of 9/11 as someone who didn't personally lose anyone. But what I remember is a sense of fellow feeling, and empathy, and connection that one had with everyone you encountered in those days following 9/11, both here and I was abroad shortly after. And when people heard my American accent, they immediately connected to me about where were you, and did you know anyone, and no, you didn't, but you feel something and we feel something. We feel the same thing. We feel empathy. And that's such a unique experience, period, but I think more and more now when people are so fragmented. And I think the film has captured that in what the production has pulled off and with Sara managed to convey in terms of that beneath the bureaucracy, there's this sort of this sensitivity and this empathy that I think 9/11 as awful as it was did bring out in people the best in people in many ways.” – Max Borenstein

This public program was presented in partnership with Netflix. For upcoming public programs, check 911memorial.org/programs. For previous events, visit our program archive. 

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Recap: “20 Years Since 9/11: Confronting the Challenges of Recovery”

Recap: “20 Years Since 9/11: Confronting the Challenges of Recovery”

To mark the Museum’s annual commemoration of the end of the nine-month rescue and recovery period at Ground Zero, last week the Museum welcomed NYPD Chief Terri Tobin, Baptist minister Reverend Bill Minson, Vicki Arbitrio of the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY), and Dr. Benjamin Luft from Stony Brook’s WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program to the latest program in our digital conversation series When the World Changes.

In conversation with Clifford Chanin, executive vice president and deputy director for museum programs, the program participants shared their personal recollections of 9/11 and its aftermath and discussed the devastating health issues affecting the rescue and recovery community nearly 20 years after the attacks.

In the clips below, the participants reflect on the heroism displayed by first responders on 9/11 and what these displays meant to them.

clip

2021_0526 Rescue and Recovery_Highlight-1_(Caps)

"As he came down and was exiting, he said there was absolutely no thinking required on his part, it was simply officers telling him where to go, just follow—and he said all I had to do was just follow the blue line to safety. And I think that’s extremely important to remember, as tragic as the amount of life lost that day, it is estimated that for each person that perished that day, that 10 people were evacuated. So although it is the worst terrorist act to happen on American soil, it’s also the greatest rescue effort that ever occurred." —Terri Tobin

clip

2021_0526 Rescue and Recovery_Highlight-2_(Caps)

"I think of 9/11 and I applaud the Museum because it has—it is the largest repository of civics. This is what we should be as humans. They showed us the standard, this is the standard that we will try to approach, doesn’t mean we’ll make it there. I don't know if I’ll run into a fire or not but I know what the standard of what humans can do, what we’re capable of. And I think we have to remember to just keep retelling the story of 9/11, not in terms of the hatred and the politics and all of that, but of the human response, and I think that we’re all better by it." —Dr. Benjamin Luft

For more public programs like these, please visit our past program archive or check 911memorial.org/programs to learn of forthcoming programs.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Upcoming Public Program: "20 Years Since 9/11 – Confronting the Challenges of Recovery"

Upcoming Public Program: "20 Years Since 9/11 – Confronting the Challenges of Recovery"

The Rev. Bill Minson is show is wearing a priest's collar, sunglasses and a cap in this headshot.

As we approach the milestone 20th anniversary of 9/11, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s Winter/Spring 2021 public program season will explore a range of topics reflecting on the ongoing impacts and continued resonance of the attacks, their historical context, and their aftermath. Please join us on Wednesday, May 26, at 2 p.m. ET, for "20 Years Since 9/11 – Confronting the Challenges of Recovery." 

To mark the Museum’s annual commemoration of the end of the nine-month rescue and recovery period at Ground Zero, NYPD Chief Terri Tobin, Baptist minister Reverend Bill MinsonVicki Arbitrio of the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY), and Dr. Benjamin Luft from Stony Brook’s WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program share their personal recollections of 9/11 and its aftermath, and discuss the devastating health issues affecting the rescue and recovery community nearly 20 years after the attacks. 

Visit 911memorial.org/watch to attend this live, online event. Those watching will have the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A. Live captioning will be provided.

By 9/11 Memorial Museum Staff

Recap: “10 Years Later: Operation Neptune Spear”

Recap: “10 Years Later: Operation Neptune Spear”

A composite image on a blue background of three public program participants on a Zoom call.

Last week, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum marked the 10-year anniversary of the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound with Robert M. Gates, former secretary of defense, and Leon E. Panetta, former director of the CIA.

In conversation with Clifford Chanin, executive vice president and deputy director for museum programs, Gates and Secretary Panetta discussed how policy, intelligence, and military decision-making converged during the hunt for bin Laden.

In the clips below, Panetta explains his considerations for advising the President to act, despite a complete lack of concrete physical evidence, and Gates shares his opinion of the message that the Operation Neptune Spear raid sent to the rest of the world.

Panetta clip

2021_0428 10 Years Later Operation Neptune Spear_Highlight-1_(Caps)

“In Congress, you know, when I faced tough decisions, I always had a formula I used which was to just to, kind of, personally ask myself, if I—was talking to an average citizen in my district and told them what I knew about that issue, what would an average citizen say that should be done? And I kind of used that same approach when the president asked me, I said: “Mr. President, if I were to tell an average citizen in my district that we had the best evidence on the location of bin Laden since Tora Bora, what would you do? I think the average citizen would say: ‘You’ve got to go after it. You’ve got to do this or you’ll regret it.’” And that was basically what I said to the President.”

Gates clip

2021_0428 10 Years Later Operation Neptune Spear_Highlight-2_(Caps)

"One of the significant messages of killing bin Laden was to terrorists, and others around the world, that if you kill Americans, no matter how long it takes, and no matter what it costs, we will exact revenge. We will mete out justice."

For more public programs like these, please visit our past program archive or check 911memorial.org/programs to learn of forthcoming programs.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Upcoming Public Program: "10 Years Later: Operation Neptune Spear"

Upcoming Public Program: "10 Years Later: Operation Neptune Spear"

alt

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, April 28, at 12 p.m. ET, for "10 Years Later: Operation Neptune Spear," our next program in the When the World Changes digital conversation series.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum has partnered with The HISTORY Channel to produce a documentary film which provides a sweeping account of the events that led to the discovery of Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and the raid which resulted in his death. In advance of the film being released on May 2, 2021, exactly 10 years after the raid, Robert M. Gates, then secretary of defense, and Leon E. Panetta, then director of the CIA, discuss how policy, intelligence, and military decision-making converged during the hunt for bin Laden.

The When the World Changes series is dedicated to offering insight, empathy, and expertise toward past and present challenges by drawing on lessons learned from 9/11 history: how strength was expressed in a time of sorrow, how unimaginable problems were solved, and how tragedy and adversity were met with resilience and hope.

Live captioning will be provided for this program. Join us at 911memorial.org/watch.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Upcoming Public Program: for “Al-Qaeda’s Next Leader?”

Upcoming Public Program: for “Al-Qaeda’s Next Leader?”

This composite image is comprised of a black-and-white professional headshot of Soufan, wearing a sport jacket and white button down on the left, and a navy blue background with "PUBLIC PROGRAMS JOIN US" written in white lettering to the right.

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, April 21, at 2 p.m., for “Al-Qaeda’s Next Leader?” our next program in the When the World Changes digital conversation series.

In November 2020, unconfirmed reports emerged that Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor as head of al-Qaeda, had died from natural causes. Furthermore, the previously confirmed death of bin Laden’s son, Hamza bin Laden, means that the next in line to inherit the leadership is likely an Egyptian who goes by the nom de guerre Saif al-`Adl. Ali Soufan, former FBI special agent and now chairman and chief executive officer of The Soufan Group, shares what is known about Saif al-`Adl and discusses the future of al-Qaeda.

The When the World Changes series is dedicated to offering insight, empathy, and expertise toward past and present challenges by drawing on lessons learned from 9/11 history: how strength was expressed in a time of sorrow, how unimaginable problems were solved, and how tragedy and adversity were met with resilience and hope.

Live captioning will be provided for this program. Join us at 911memorial.org/watch.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Recap: “The Abbottabad Papers”

Recap: “The Abbottabad Papers”

In this screenshot, a man and a woman are engaged in a video conference chat during a public program.

Last week, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum welcomed Nelly Lahoud, a senior fellow in New America’s International Security program, to discuss the Abbottabad Papers, hundreds of thousands of pages seized during the U.S. Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in 2011, and what these documents reveal.

In conversation with Clifford Chanin, executive vice president and deputy director for museum programs, Lahoud explained the ins and outs of al-Qaeda’s operations during bin Laden’s hiding in Pakistan, bin Laden’s security concerns for his Abbottabad compound, the role of bin Laden’s daughters and wives as his advisers, and the relationship between al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

In the clip below, Lahoud describes one of the artifacts recovered from bin Laden’s compound following the raid which led to his death: a transcript of bin Laden’s family and advisers discussing the Arab Spring on the night of the raid.

public program highlight clip

2021_0331_The Abbottabad Papers_Highlight_(Caps)

“One of the most unique documents that was recovered is a 220-page handwritten document—the C.I.A. inaccurately described it as bin Laden’s journal. Its uniqueness is that it is not his journal, it is a transcription of family conversations that took place in the compound, upstairs, in the last two months of bin Laden’s life. So everything that was being said was recorded, including summaries of news and so on. We can hear the family, you know, what the family was saying to each other. And the main focus of these conversations was the Arab Spring and the family was in the process of discussing this and drafting the public statement, drafting Osama bin Laden’s response to the Arab Spring. And so that was hours, that night, hours before the raid, that was the last conversation they were having.”

For more public programs like these, please visit our past program archive or check 911memorial.org/programs to learn of forthcoming programs.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Upcoming Public Program: “The Abbottabad Papers”

Upcoming Public Program: “The Abbottabad Papers”

alt

We are pleased to present the next program in our When the World Changes digital conversation series, “The Abbottabad Papers,” at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 31.

The Abbottabad Papers, valuable intelligence on al-Qaeda gathered by the U.S. Navy SEALs who killed Osama bin Laden in his compound in Pakistan in 2011, comprise hundreds of thousands of pages. Nelly Lahoud, a senior fellow in New America’s International Security program, who has read all the seized documents will discuss her forthcoming book, Eighteen Minutes: Bin Laden's Abbottabad Papers, about what these materials reveal.

The When the World Changes series is dedicated to offering insight, empathy, and expertise toward past and present challenges by drawing on lessons learned from 9/11 history: how strength was expressed in a time of sorrow, how unimaginable problems were solved, and how tragedy and adversity were met with resilience and hope.

Live captioning will be provided for this program. Join us at 911memorial.org/watch.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

 

The Bamiyan Buddhas and the Role of Cultural Heritage in Afghanistan Peace-Building

The Bamiyan Buddhas and the Role of Cultural Heritage in Afghanistan Peace-Building

This composite image shows a screenshot of a man and woman engaging in a video conference call.

Last week, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum welcomed Dr. Morwari Zafar, an anthropologist with experience in international development and national security, and currently an adjunct lecturer at Georgetown University’s Security Studies program, to discuss the role cultural heritage plays in Afghanistan’s nation-building up to and following the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas 20 years ago.

The Bamiyan Buddhas, two treasured symbols of Afghanistan’s pre-Islamic heritage, were demolished by the Taliban in March 2001. In conversation with Clifford Chanin, executive vice president and deputy director for museum programs, Dr. Zafar examined the legacy of these Buddhas, the sociopolitical significance of cultural heritage and how it is tied to memory and power, and the role of cultural heritage in peace-building in Afghanistan now.

In the clip below, Dr. Zafar provides context as to why the Buddhas of Bamiyan became a target of Taliban destruction.

alt

2021_0302_Bamiyan Buddhas_Highlight_(Caps)

“When the Taliban came about in the early nineties, they had a very specific agenda, right? It was the creation of an Islamic emirate that was consistent with the laws of Sharia, one of which stipulates that there can be no art in the form of the image of man, right, as god had created. And, so, the buddhas exemplified that. They were not only, you know, built in the image of man but also of an entirely different religion that belied every tenet of Islam. So, in that sense, it was very clear that those things had to be removed, or had to be destroyed, to be able to create a very consolidated Islamic emirate and to reshape Afghanistan’s identity in the meantime.”

For more public programs like these, please visit our past program archive or check 911memorial.org/programs to learn of forthcoming programs.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Subscribe to Public programs