The Pentagon, a massive symbol of America's military
might, stood split and smoldering Tuesday, the target of an apparent
terrorist who crashed a commercial jet into the building.
Smoke from the blackened military headquarters was, at times, so thick it
obscured the Washington Monument across the Potomac River in the nation's
capital.
The attack left a gaping hole and it is unclear when the huge stone office
building will fully reopen.
No one immediately claimed responsibility.
Officials reported that there were deaths and injuries in the Pentagon
attack, but had no details on numbers or individuals Tuesday evening. They
said they feared some victims were still trapped in the rubble.
According to officials, at least 50 people were taken to area hospitals
for treatment.
The plane was American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 that left
Washington Dulles International Airport about 25 miles away in northern
Virginia. It was bound for Los Angeles with 58 passengers, four flight
attendants and two pilots.
The Associated Press, quoting unnamed law enforcement officials, reported
one of those on board was Barbara Olson, a frequent commentator on cable
news talk shows and the wife of U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson.
''The plane came in at an incredibly steep angle with incredibly high
speed,'' said Rick Renzi, a law student who was driving by the Pentagon at
the time of the crash about 9:40 a.m.
The impact created a huge yellow and orange fireball, he added.
Renzi, who was interviewed at the scene by FBI agents, said he stopped his
car to watch and saw another plane following and turn off after the first
craft's impact. Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. Craig Quigley said later
Tuesday that he also had heard reports of a smaller second plane, but could
not confirm it.
The Pentagon building has five concentric rings and officials said the
plane penetrated at least three of them. It hit the southwest wall that
faces Arlington National Cemetery. Nearby is the building's helicopter
landing area.
Renovations were recently completed in part of the Pentagon that was
struck, known as ''wedge one,'' and some employees had moved back into it.
The adjacent ''wedge two'' was being prepared for renovation.
A metal fence enclosed construction trailers and equipment just beyond the
damaged wall. A scorched automobile was nearby.
At the time of the crash, many of the more than 20,000 civilian and
military Pentagon workers were huddled around television sets watching
reports of the apparent suicide mission just carried out at the World Trade
Center towers in New York City.
Kevin Kellems, a Pentagon public affairs officer who was formerly press
secretary for Ohio governor Bob Taft, said he heard people screaming to get
out.
''I took 20 paces away from the building then turned around and saw this
enormous black plume,'' he said. ''At that moment, you realize it's very
serious.''
Army Maj. Kathleen Chandler, who has been working at the Pentagon for
several months, said the evacuation began almost immediately after the
explosion and proceeded in an orderly fashion.
''Nobody was running, nobody was screaming,'' said Chandler.
She said the building's facade was intact when she came out and did not
collapse for another 15 or 20 minutes. Chandler said that she helped with
victims and saw some people with cuts and scratches but no serious
injuries. A medical emergency area was set up on the Pentagon's grounds
just beyond the fire and rescue vehicles.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was in his office at the time of the
attack, according to Quigley. He said Rumsfeld went immediately to the
scene and helped recover victims for about 15 minutes before proceeding to
the National Military Command Center, a crisis compound on the other side
of the Pentagon. There, he met with top defense and intelligence officials.
''His intentions are to stay in the Pentagon indefinitely, keeping track
of what we know,'' Quigley said Tuesday afternoon.
As yellow and red fire trucks pumped liquid on the building, smoke
continued billowing across the sunlit blue sky. Occasional loud pops were
heard; the likely cause, according to officials, was exploding propane
tanks.
A large section of the burning wall collapsed about an hour after the
attack. Flames leaped from windows.
Intense heat kept firefighters outside the building for several hours. It
was about 2 p.m. when the first firefighters entered, officials said.
A few blocks away from the Pentagon, the Marriott Residence Inn served as
a gathering place for the injured, the curious and the scared.
A man and woman, their arms wrapped in towels, were being administered to
in a portion of the lobby. Down a hallway, one group packed a conference
room to hear news reports on cable television, while another group lined up
to use pay telephones.
Carey Rosen, who delivers mail at the Pentagon, stood over a plastic
basket filled with envelopes and recounted what had happened to him. He
said he was in an elevator when the crash occurred and could not get out.
''I was screaming my head off,'' he said, his voice nearly hoarse. After
calling 911 on the elevator phone, he was freed and left the building.
Among those on the Pentagon grounds shortly after the crash, rumors
rippled of other attacks in Washington and additional threats to the
Pentagon. Several times, law enforcement officers said another plane was
believed to be heading toward the building, and they forced those on the
grounds to back farther away from the scene.
Streets in the area were sealed off to all but official vehicles. Police
officers in black helmets and bulletproof vests took up positions with
automatic weapons and challenged everyone who approached.
Overhead, helicopters circled continuously. Some landed in a nearby
clearing to transport victims as others continued the surveillance.
And throughout the day there were the sounds of sirens, in many tones and
from all directions.
On the Pentagon grounds, agents from the FBI, leading the investigation,
scoured the massive parking lot and grassy areas for evidence. Some agents
planted small yellow flags as evidence markers.
The Pentagon said it planned to set up a special number to provide
information for relatives. American Airlines, which also lost a plane in
the World Trade Center attacks, said inquiries about relatives could be
made at 1-800-245-0999.
