The FBI’s role in fighting terrorism before and after Sept. 11, 2001, is the subject of a new section of the Newseum’s “G-Men and Journalists: Top News Stories of the First Century” exhibit. The section opens Sept. 2, 2011.
An engine from United Airlines Flight 175. (Sarah Mercier/Courtesy FBI Tour)
“War on Terror: The FBI’s New Focus,” tells the story of the FBI’s changed mission after terrorists hijacked four airplanes and drilled them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and a field near Shanksville, Pa.
Sixty new artifacts, including engine parts and landing gear from the airliners that crashed into the World Trade Center, will be added to the gallery to illustrate the FBI’s efforts to fight terrorism.
The exhibit also shows how terrorists have used the news media to provide exposure for their causes, with artifacts from former ABC News reporter John Miller, who was the last Western reporter to interview al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden before the 9/11 attacks.
Among the new artifacts:
Airplane parts from the World Trade Center
Cellphones and pagers recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center
Personal belongings of the airplane passengers
Shoe bomber Richard Reid’s shoe bombs, matches and clothing, and the belts passengers used to restrain him