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ONTHEAFTERNOONOFSEPTEMBER11,2001,IWASFLYINGBACKTOWASHINGTONONSWISSAIRFLIGHT128,RETURNINGHOMEFROMAROUTINEINTERNATIONALBANKERSMEETINGINSWITZERLANDIDBEENMOVINGABOUTTHECABINWHENTHECHIEFOFTHESECURITYDETAILTHATESCORTEDMEONTRIPSABROAD,BOBAGNEW,STOPPEDMEINTHEAISLEBOBISANEXSECRETSERVICEMAN,FRIENDLYBUTNOTESPECIALLYTALKATIVEATTHATMOMENT,HEWASLOOKINGGRIM“MRCHAIRMAN,“HESAIDQUIETLY,“THECAPTAINNEEDSTOSEEYOUUPFRONTTWOPLANESHAVEFLOWNINTOTHEWORLDTRADECENTER“IMUSTHAVEHADAQUIZZICALLOOKONMYFACEBECAUSEHEADDED,“IMNOTJOKING“INTHECOCKPIT,THECAPTAINAPPEAREDQUITENERVOUSHETOLDUSTHEREHADBEENATERRIBLEATTACKAGAINSTOURCOUNTRYSEVERALAIRLINERSHADBEENHIJACKEDANDTWOFLOWNINTOTHEWORLDTRADECENTERANDONEINTOTHEPENTAGONANOTHERPLANEWASMISSINGTHATWASALLTHEINFORMATIONHEHAD,HESAIDINHISSLIGHTLYACCENTEDENGLISHWEWERERETURNINGTOZURICH,ANDHEWASNOTGOINGTOANNOUNCETHEREASONTOTHEOTHERPASSENGERS“DOWEHAVETOGOBACK“IASKED“CANWELANDINCANADA“HESAIDNO,HISORDERSWERETOHEADTOZURICHIWENTBACKTOMYSEATASTHECAPTAINANNOUNCEDTHATAIRTRAFFICCONTROLHADDIRECTEDUSTOZURICHTHEPHONESONTHESEATSIMMEDIATELYBECAMEJAMMED,ANDICOULDNTGETTHROUGHTOTHEGROUNDTHEFEDERALRESERVECOLLEAGUESWHOHADBEENWITHMEINSWITZERLANDTHATWEEKENDWEREALREADYONOTHERFLIGHTSSOWITHNOWAYTOKNOWHOWEVENTSWEREDEVELOPING,IHADNOTHINGTODOBUTTHINKFORTHENEXTTHREEANDAHALFHOURSILOOKEDOUTTHEWINDOW,THEWORKIDBROUGHTALONG,THEPILESOFMEMOSANDECONOMICREPORTS,FORGOTTENINMYBAGWERETHESEATTACKSTHEBEGINNINGOFSOMEWIDERCONSPIRACYMYIMMEDIATECONCERNWASFORMYWIFEANDREAISNBCSCHIEFFOREIGNAFFAIRSCORRESPONDENTINWASHINGTONSHEWASNTINNEWYORK,WHICHWASONEBIGRELIEF,ANDVISITINGTHEPENTAGONHADNTBEENONHERAGENDATHATDAYIASSUMEDSHEWOULDBEATTHENBCBUREAUINTHEMIDDLEOFTOWN,HEAVILYINVOLVEDINCOVERINGTHENEWSSOIWASNTDEEPLYWORRIED,ITOLDMYSELFBUTWHATIFSHEDGONEONALASTMINUTEVISITTOSOMEGENERALINTHEPENTAGONIWORRIEDABOUTMYCOLLEAGUESATTHEFEDERALRESERVEWERETHEYSAFEANDTHEIRFAMILIESTHESTAFFWOULDBESCRAMBLINGTORESPONDTOTHECRISISTHISATTACKTHEFIRSTONUSSOILSINCEPEARLHARBORWOULDTHROWTHECOUNTRYINTOTURMOILTHEQUESTIONINEEDEDTOFOCUSONWASWHETHERTHEECONOMYWOULDBEDAMAGEDTHEPOSSIBLEECONOMICCRISESWEREALLTOOEVIDENTTHEWORST,WHICHITHOUGHTHIGHLYUNLIKELY,WOULDBEACOLLAPSEOFTHEFINANCIALSYSTEMTHEFEDERALRESERVEISINCHARGEOFTHEELECTRONICPAYMENTSYSTEMSTHATTRANSFERMORETHAN4TRILLIONADAYINMONEYANDSECURITIESBETWEENBANKSALLOVERTHECOUNTRYANDMUCHOFTHERESTOFTHEWORLDWEDALWAYSTHOUGHTTHATIFYOUWANTEDTOCRIPPLETHEUSECONOMY,YOUDTAKEOUTTHEPAYMENTSYSTEMSBANKSWOULDBEFORCEDTOFALLBACKONINEFFICIENTPHYSICALTRANSFERSOFMONEYBUSINESSESWOULDRESORTTOBARTERANDIOUSTHELEVELOFECONOMICACTIVITYACROSSTHECOUNTRYCOULDDROPLIKEAROCKDURINGTHECOLDWAR,ASAPRECAUTIONAGAINSTNUCLEARATTACK,THEFEDERALRESERVEHADBUILTALARGENUMBEROFREDUNDANCIESINTOTHECOMMUNICATIONANDCOMPUTERFACILITIESONWHICHTHEMONEYSYSTEMRELIESWEHAVEALLSORTSOFSAFEGUARDSSOTHAT,FOREXAMPLE,THEDATAOFONEFEDERALRESERVEBANKAREBACKEDUPATANOTHERFEDERALRESERVEBANKHUNDREDSOFMILESAWAYORINSOMEREMOTELOCATIONINTHEEVENTOFANUCLEARATTACK,WEDBEBACKUPANDRUNNINGINALLNONIRRADIATEDAREASVERYQUICKLYTHISSYSTEMWASTHEONEROGERFERGUSON,THEVICECHAIRMANOFTHEFED,WOULDBECALLINGONTHISDAYIWASCONFIDENTTHATHEANDOURCOLLEAGUESWOULDBETAKINGTHENECESSARYSTEPSTOKEEPTHEWORLDDOLLARSYSTEMFLOWINGYETEVENASITHOUGHTABOUTIT,IDOUBTEDTHATPHYSICALLYDISRUPTINGTHEFINANCIALSYSTEMWASWHATTHEHIJACKERSHADINMINDMUCHMORELIKELY,THISWASMEANTTOBEASYMBOLICACTOFVIOLENCEAGAINSTCAPITALISTAMERICALIKETHEBOMBINTHEPARKINGGARAGEOFTHEWORLDTRADECENTEREIGHTYEARSEARLIERWHATWORRIEDMEWASTHEFEARSUCHANATTACKWOULDCREATEESPECIALLYIFTHEREWEREADDITIONALATTACKSTOCOMEINANECONOMYASSOPHISTICATEDASOURS,PEOPLEHAVETOINTERACTANDEXCHANGEGOODSANDSERVICESCONSTANTLY,ANDTHEDIVISIONOFLABORISSOFINELYARTICULATEDTHATEVERYHOUSEHOLDDEPENDSONCOMMERCESIMPLYTOSURVIVEIFPEOPLEWITHDRAWFROMEVERYDAYECONOMICLIFEIFINVESTORSDUMPTHEIRSTOCKS,ORBUSINESSPEOPLEBACKAWAYFROMTRADES,ORCITIZENSSTAYHOMEFORFEAROFGOINGTOMALLSANDBEINGEXPOSEDTOSUICIDEBOMBERSTHERESASNOWBALLEFFECTITSTHEPSYCHOLOGYTHATLEADSTOPANICSANDRECESSIONSASHOCKLIKETHEONEWEDJUSTSUSTAINEDCOULDCAUSEAMASSIVEWITHDRAWALFROM,ANDMAJORCONTRACTIONIN,ECONOMICACTIVITYTHEMISERYCOULDMULTIPLYLONGBEFOREMYFLIGHTTOUCHEDDOWN,IDCONCLUDEDTHATTHEWORLDWASABOUTTOCHANGEINWAYSTHATICOULDNOTYETDEFINETHECOMPLACENCYWEAMERICANSHADEMBRACEDFORTHEDECADEFOLLOWINGTHEENDOFTHECOLDWARHADJUSTBEENSHATTEREDWEFINALLYREACHEDZURICHJUSTAFTER830PMLOCALTIMESTILLEARLYAFTERNOONINTHEUNITEDSTATESSWISSBANKINGOFFICIALSMETMEASIGOTOFFTHEPLANEANDRUSHEDMETOAPRIVATEROOMINTHEDEPARTURELOUNGETHEYOFFEREDTOSHOWVIDEOSOFTHETWINTOWERSCOMINGDOWNANDTHEFIRESATTHEPENTAGON,BUTIDECLINEDIDWORKEDINTHENEIGHBORHOODOFTHEWORLDTRADECENTERFORMUCHOFMYLIFEANDHADFRIENDSANDACQUAINTANCESTHEREIASSUMEDTHEDEATHTOLLSWOULDBEHORRENDOUSANDWOULDINCLUDEPEOPLEIKNEWIDIDNTWANTTOSEETHEDESTRUCTIONIJUSTWANTEDAPHONETHATWORKEDIFINALLYREACHEDANDREAONHERCELLPHONEAFEWMINUTESBEFORENINE,ANDITWASAGREATRELIEFTOHEARHERVOICEONCEWEDASSUREDEACHOTHERWEWEREOKAY,SHETOLDMESHEHADTORUSHSHEWASONTHESET,ABOUTTOGOONTHEAIRWITHANUPDATEOFTHEDAYSEVENTSISAID,“JUSTTELLMEQUICKLYWHATSHAPPENINGTHERE“SHEWASHOLDINGTHECELLPHONETOONEEARWHILETHESPECIALEVENTSPRODUCERINNEWYORKWASONHEREARPIECEINT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