Some 573,000 messages purporting to be sent from mobiles and pagers on 11 September, 2001, including from people in the World Trade Center, have the world in uproar. But are they genuine?
“THIS IS MYRNA, I WILL NOT REST UNTIL YOU GO HOME. THE SECOND TOWER IS DOWN. I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO KEEP CALLIN YOU AFTER EVERY EVENT. PLS JUST GO HOME”
That was just one of the messages posted by an activist group on Wikileaks, a site that allows people to anonymously post documents on the internet. The site specialises in anonymous submissions and leaks of sensitive government, corporate, organisational or religious documents.
The messages are being released simultaneously on Wikileaks and on Twitter.
What analysts reportedly believe
According to various news reports, internet analysts believe the messages are genuine. Pager company USA Mobility said it was troubled by the alleged interceptions.
The attacks on 11 September, 2001, left nearly 3,000 people dead as planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
Most of the messages, according to Wikileaks, were sent by federal and local officials but also appear to be from ordinary people trying to reach loved ones.
The messages began being posted Wednesday, 25 November, and finished being posted at eight o’clock the next morning (London time).
One of the messages read: “DO NOT GET ON THE PATH TRAIN … THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IS ON FIRE” and “I’m ok & love you … xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo.”
It is understood that New York’s police and fire departments will not comment on whether the messages are genuine or not.
By John Kennedy
Photo: The World Trade Center in New York is attacked by terrorists on 11 September, 2001.
