>> brian gregg bennett. >> eric bennett. >> marching let benson. >> dominic berardi. bill: it's september 11 and we remember 9/11 for the 12th time. we also look at the events in our own country. there is little question this day changed all of us. i'm bill hemmer, welcome to our special coverage. martha: on this the 12h recognition of the day that truly changed america. the moment of silence when united airlines flight struck the twin towers. bill: along with america we remember throughout the morning with more bells tolling and the moments of silence. the names being read and the names of the loss. it's so staggering the sheer volumes we are talking about. the president, the first lady soon arriving at the pentagon. honoring the service members and civilians. that will also happen this hour. later in shanksville, pennsylvania, 60 minutes from now we'll recognize the ceremonies where flight 93 crashed and we pause to remember the twin towers as well. bill: 9:03 eastern time, moment of silence observing the moment when the american airlines struck the second tower. martha: so many of them were so little. 12 years later we have watched these children grow up and some of the other members of the families get older. but for them it's so clear in their voices it's as if this moment happened yesterday. it all comes flooding back as we experience this together. and it's so important that we remember what happened that day. the changes it brought about in our country and how it has colored and given us a different perspective. bill: 753 victims, it begins of day with gordon aamotth , jr. it there be that way for as long as we can remember and as long as we continue to rability in lower manhattan. the memorial absolutely stunning. in spring of 2014, the newest addition, the museum will open. a poignant reminder of the people you see on your screen. rudy giuliani and pataki. the family members who make this trip to new york every 9/11 because they don't want their family member to be forgotten. >> sherry bordeaux. bill: eric shawn was heading to work on september 11, 2001 when he noticed a jetliner flowing over his head and over the manhattan skyline. eric begins our coverage from there. >> reporter: i was walking to work. i looked up, there was this loud noise. the engines of the jetliner that was unusually loud. i looked up and said, man, he's really low. it turned out to be american airlines flight 11. we now know it was mohammed atta piloting the plane toward the world trade center. it seems as if not one day has gone by as we look live at this emotional and stirring ceremony that continues and has every year since the one after that. every morning it's a morning of tears and tributes for these people. a somber and solemn ceremony as they remember their loved ones, the feeling of loss tinged by loss and sorrow and defined anger over what happened here over al qaeda and terrorism that hit our country. they have had the moments of silence. there were others when they hit the pentagon, and of course the two moments when the towers crumbled. they will be reading these names until 12:30. 3,000 names or so. the simplicity as these people read their loved ones and talk about those messages and for a moment reflect on the fact what we live through. here is one moment frozen in time of what happened on our air that morning. >> i think we must say a prayer and our hearts go out to everyone who was there right at this moment as well as the new york city emergency command center. it's the foot of the world trade center. i think it is important to take a moment to say a prayer, remember these people, and hope that got gives us grace. >> reporter: those prayers of course continue today. bill: eric, a strange twist of the irony, this is what happens in new york city, the world's finest city and at times the biddiest city. there is construction that's normally happening 24 hours a day, it's paused for the moment. the traffic that goes uptown and downtown surround you. it is a bustling part of the i that surrounds you. >> reporter: the message is we have endured. you have got building number one world trade center that is basically almost completed. it will be finished and occupied next year. you have got museum. 10 million people come down now to visit the memorial. as important as it is to show you what's going on during the ceremony take a look at these people. everyone is going to work. life continues. we have endured. we have survived. this country has prevailed and that's the message and lasting legacy of what happened here 12 years ago and will forever be one of the legacies of what we endure that will carry on for your children and grandchildren for generations to come. bill: that building is stunning. well over 100 stories tall. they have done a terrific job. when you come back to new york everybody across the country looked towards the skies because you cannot miss it. martha: they put the top expire on. it brings it it to 1,176 feet. 1776 has a meaning for your country and the declaration of independence. let's bring in our guest congressman peter king, the chairman on the subcommittee on counter-terrorism and intelligence. good to have you here, sir. >> thank you very much. martha: i think of the different departments we didn't have before like homeland security and the focus we have on counter intelligence and all the concerns and how deeply it changed so much about the way we live our lives. talk to me about what this day means to you and what you think is important for people to think about today. >> most important it's important that people don't forget what happened on 9/11. all of us lost friends, neighbors, constituents. probably 150 in my case. all of us have personal tragedies from 9/11 but nothing like the families who lost members that day. we committed ourselves on 9/12 never to let his happen again. even though al qaeda is no longer centralized, it's constantly focused on how to let this happen -- how to not let this happen again. we have to thank the firefighters who put their lives on the line that day. in the first few moments we set the tone of not giving in and refusing to back off. martha: the new york fire department lost 343 members that day, many of whom went up the steps as the buildings were burning. incredible heroic stories and they continued to fight their battles with health concerns that have plagued them. new york police department, 23 officers. the port authority lost 37 police officers. one the things that strikes me as i look at you and think about the work that you have done, you have in many ways put yourself out on a limb to continue to be concerned about islamic terrorism and radical islamic terrorism. there has been efforts to white wash what happened on september 11. we have seen it in the way the building has been carried out. the switch from the name of the freedom tower. struggles that include all sorts of tragedies and all sorts of things that have happened. how concerned are you about the focus on radical islamic terrorism? >> very concerned. i held hearings on the threat from domestic islamic radicalization. almost 100% of the terrorist.come from the islamic communities. we were attacked by terrorists inspired by islamic jihad. all of us want to love one another, but we also have to realize there is a very, very evil enemy there who wants to kill us. many overseas and some in this country. if we let our guard down they will take advantage of it. we are still by far the number one terrorist target in the country if not the world. there have been 16 attempted attacks on new york. i can tell you being on the homeland security committee and intelligence committee. new york is the number one terror target. april 15, boston was attacked. anyone who has any type of landmark or any -- in that city that's known to the rest of the world is a real target. we can't let our guard down. even with budget cuts we have to keep in mind just because we have not been successfully attacked, we obviously were attacked april 15 in boston. president bush telling us two days after 9/11. he said we need to get people back to living a normal life as quickly as possible. but we have to remind people to make sure they don't forget that of day of their lives they can be attacked by islamic terrorists. once you get back to a normal life you want to forget the horrors and human tragedies. martha: that's why it's important to do this every year. every passing year there are efforts to slim this process down. i watched this young lady wiping the tears off her face. for her it is very fresh and very real. peter king we want to thank you for all you have done to keep the country safe all these years. bill: we saw the president and the first lady on the south lawn of the white house there to recognize the moment. we understand the president has lost the white house en route to the pentagon. we'll pause for that 22 minutes from now. rick leventhal, one of the first correspondents to report live from ground zero after the first tower was hit. he was reporting later from ground zero as the towers fell. this is how it looked. >> reporter: there has been a huge explosion. everyone is running in the other direction. we are on church street. we are not sure what happened. there has been a huge explosion. everyone is running for their lives. police, media. i see a woman pushing a baby carriage. here comes the smoke. here comes the smoke. bill: our colleague rick leventhal also live at ground zero. i heard your story several times and it stuns me every time i hit it. >> reporter: it was the day of my life and the biggest challenge i faced as a journalist to try to remain calm and maintain co maintain cop pon composure in all that chaos. bill: this is rick that day. >> reporter: what goes through your mind when you see that. >> you see bodies flying out of the sky and you can't do anything about it. you tell me what you think? my heart is in my mouth. i pray for these people. there are no word to describe what's going on out there. i can't imagine anything worse than this. everybody in the plane died. i have friend on the 104th floor. friend in other buildings. >> reporter: that was the construction worker artie foreman, he was driving away from the scene. we heard awful stories like that, accounts of what happened to the towers. we couldn't see the buildings themselves pause we were blocked by buildings closer. we did receive the cloud of smoke coming up toward us on church street. we came back out to continue our reporting after duck into our truck to escape it. you are in touch with law enforcement in new york city on a daily basis. what do they tell you in how we have gotten better in detecting the next threat or how much of a threat they detect today? >> reporter: we receive the results of their efforts. we were caught off guard 12 years ago and they made a concerted effort to make sure it doesn't happen again. it doesn't mean it won't. we saw it happen in boston. here in new york they remain vigilant. this is still the number one terror target in the world. the law enforcement in new york city has done an outstanding job of trying to keep us safe. and this is still the freightest city in the world, and i love living here and i wouldn't want to be anywhere else. i think all new yorkers appreciate the efforts of law enforce to the continue to keep it safe here. >> on the left hand side of your screen is the president's motorcade. he just arrived at the pentagon. he will lay the memorial wreath there during the pentagon memorial. as we all remember, 184 people lost their lives at the pentagon that day. it was 9:37 in the morning when slight 77 hit the pentagon and what a shoict was a -- what a s. it was an earth-shattering moment when the realization was made that yes indeed a plane had hit the pentagon. then the big question, wondering about what was next. were there more planes that would be coming down and we know we would learn there would be another plane coming down in shanksville, pennsylvania after that. you hear the music waiting for the president to come in. jennifer griffin joins me live from the pentagon. what will be happening there this morning? >> reporter: what we expect to see and you can hear -- you can hear the motorcade off to my left, the president just arrived as you said at the pentagon. we expect for him to speak in a few moments. they will lay a wreath at 9:37 at the exact point of impact where american airlines flight 77 struck the pentagon. we'll hear from the chairman of the joint chiefs general martin dempsey and defense secretary chuck hagel. they will be speaking to the families of those who were killed 12 years ago. what is striking is standing here outside the pentagon. how over the last five years, i have been covering this for the last five years. how we used to have dozens and dozens of reporters standing out here side by side covering this anniversary. and the covering has dropped down in recent years. i remember standing here one year agree and everyone was saying it was the 11th anniversary of 9/11, the nation is ready to move on. the administration was putting out the line al qaeda was on the run and had been december night then just hours later there was another terrorist attack which became another 9/11 remembrance this year and that was the attack on the u.s. ambassador and the consulate in benghazi. martha: we are still looking for the answers of what mapped in benghazi that day and the fact it happened on september 11. it obviously hold so much significance as we wait for the president to walk out of the pentagon. eric holder. the attorney general made comments about the 9/11 anniversary and also mentioned as is fitting of course those who were lost in benghazi and named them each individually which is of note as well. >> reporter: that is of note. but it's important to point out there have been no arrests. none of the attackers have been brought to justice. the u.s. military has been involved in tracking those attackers. the intelligence community has been tracking them. yet no arrests. so a great deal of frustration that one year later there has been no answer to that terrorist attack in benghazi. every day at the pentagon let's remember there are 56,000 u.s. american troops in afghanistan and that is a direct result of 9/11 12 years ago. still u.s. troops fighting overseas. martha: such a great point. so many of those fighting in afghanistan were teenagers at the time this attack happened. but it changed so much in terms of the aspirations for so many young men and women who wanted to protect the country. and we protect them for their service today. mayor michael bloomberg on the right side of our screen. bill: active members of the military, civilians lost their lives on this day. 12 years ago a beautiful mother of two teenaged boys went to work and lost her life in the world trade center. karen reddik is her name. her husband quharls is with me today. how are you feeling today? >> pretty good. today is tough. i go down there of year with my two boys. and my brother-in-law, my wife's brother, very good friends of ours, and my wife's maid of honor, we go every year. in fact i'm waiting now to go back down there, usually 11:20 they read my wife's name. bill: your two boys must be 30 years old now. >> one is 30 and a graphic artist and the other is a construction supervisor and he's 27. today was tough for them. the hardest part was to tell them their mom wasn't coming home when it happened. the endless not knowing what happened, they never fond her remains. bill: that's a conversation you never expect to have with your children. my heart tboats out to you and -- my heart foes ou -- my ht to you. on that day your wife dropped your youngest son matthew at school. >> if mom had driven me all the way to school. he didn't want her to be late for work. he said if i had listened to her and let her drive me, maybe ... i said matt, you can't dwell on that. it's god's will. bill: i want to get a quick moment to pause as the president lays a wreath here at the pentagon. ["taps"] >> please direct your attention to the pentagon memorial flag pole located at the entrance to the memorial. in honor of patriot day and in remembrance of the 184 lives lost at the pentagon. the flag is flying at half staff. ladies and gentlemen, "the national anthem" of the united states performed by the army brass quintet. [♪] ["the national anthem"] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states army chief of chaplains major general donald rutherford. bill: as the ceremony continues from the pentagon i want to bring back charles renda who is with us and lost his wife 12 years ago. around patriot, i was watching you during the ceremony and you had your hand on your heart. you said everything about your wife was lady like and she was the prettiest woman you had ever seen. >> we raised two nice boys. family and friends have been so supportive. we bring them back for dinner usually the day before 9/11, 9/10. i toasted them for standing beside all of us and they are patriots also. bill: sir, thank you for your time and thank you for sharing. >> we have to remember never to forget. bill: we'll remember you and your wife at 11:00 a.m. eastern time which is about the time her name is read at the memorial at ground zero. martha: all of the names going through the lower third of our screen. they are up to "d" in thele a bet. you think about the fact that behind every one of these names is a family like the rendas who have been missing somebody for 12 long years and has their own kind of remembrance on this day. i have friend in the new york area that get together every year on this day and think about their loved one whom they lost. it's been an incredible and awful time all at once and the families are feeling it every day. bill: how many people did not claim a car that day? martha: i have awful memories about that. living in a town where we lost 12 parents to the families who live in our town. in most cases the wives -- somebody eventually had to pick up the car at the train station. those are real moments. those are the kind of things to remember. from tragedy and resolve and rebirth. we have followed the rebuilding of ground zero. step by step, floor by floor, we have watched this rise as we commute into the city and joe downtown and see that building riding. we remember when they put the top of it on at 1,776 feet. this has been such a labor of love so we watch it as it goes up in its proud way. bill: they build with honor. our coverage continues in a moment. what makes your family smile? backflips and cartwheels. love, warmth. here, try this. backflips and camm, ok!s. ching! i like the fact that there's lots of different tastes going on. mmmm! breakfast i'm very impressed. this is a great cereal! honey bunches of oats. i hear you crunching. before mike could see his banking and investing accounts on one page... before he could easily transfer funds between the two in real time... before he could even think about planning for his daughters' future... mike opened a merrill edge investment account and linked it to his bank of america bank account to help free up plenty of time for the here and now. that's the wonder of streamlined connections. that's merrill edge and bank of america. >> in all these men and women, in all of you we see the strength and sense of purpose that always defined the united states of america. and that, too, is what the american people reflect upon. it's in these timeless qualities that we find hope for a better world and better future. we are honored that president obama is here to help us commemorate this anniversary. it's my privilege to introduce our commander-in-chief, a man who leads our country with compassion, with strength and wisdom. ladies and gentlemen, president barack obama. >> good morning. from scripture we learn of the miracle of restoration. you who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again. you will bring me up again. you will increase my greatness. and comfort me again. chuck hail. minister dempsey, members of our and forces and most of all the survivors who bear the wounds of that day and the families of those we lost, it's an honor to be here with you eve -- with yon to honor the greatness of all who respond and to stand with those who stool grieve. those -- to stand with those who still grieve. together we pause and we give humble thanks to families and as a nation for the grace that his spirit has brought us up again. has given us strength. we pray for the memory of all those taken from us. nearly 3,000 innocent souls. our hearts still ache for the futures snatched away. the lives, the parents who would have known the joy of being grandparents. the fathers and mothers who would have known the pride of a child's graduation. the sons and daughters who would have grown, maybe married, and had been blessed with children of their own. those beautiful boys and girls beginning to find their way who would have been teenagers, imagining the mark they make on the world. they left this earth, slipped from our grasp, but it was written what the heart has once owned and had it shall never lose. your family's loss in the temple in the here and now is now eternal. the pride that you carry in your hearts. the love that will never die. your loved ones everlasting place in america's heart. we pray for you, their families who have known the awful depths of loss. from the quiet moments we spent together and the stories you shared, i'm amazed by the courage you have shown to lift yourselves up to laugh and live again. and their legacy shines on in you. when you smile just like him. when you toss your hair just like her. when you foster scho when you fr scholarships that bear the names of those you lost. when you put on a uniform and devote yourself to a cause greater than yourself just like they did. that's a testimony to them. there is no trouble we cannot endure and no calamity we cannot overcome. step forward in those years of war. diplomats who serve in dangerous posts as we saw this day last year in benghazi. intelligence professionals who protect us in every way.in unifs country whom we love. today we remember not on those who died, in solemn tribute ... martha: we had a little trouble with the sound coming out of the pentagon as the president is finishing his speech. we are back now with the names being read in manhattan this morning as they continue and they are on the letter "f" as they go through the names and the families read these as we watch through the course of every year. she blows a kiss to her lost loved one this morning and hear the family members cheer. it's a beautiful day downtown, not unlike the morning it happened. we have the sound back from the president so let's move back to the pentagon. >> here in such moments of grace we are reused in and it is here we -- we are renewed. and it is here we reafirm the virtues and values that must guide us. different though they may be from 12 years ago. as long as there are those who will strike our citizens we'll stand vigilant. while force is at times necessary, force alone cannot build the world we seek. so we recommit to the partnershippartnerships that ale to live in prosperity and freedom. let us have the confidence and values that make us americans which we must never lose. the shining liberties that make us a beacon to the world. a rich diversity that makes us stronger. the unity and commitment to one another that we sustain on this national day of service and remembrance. but above all let us have the courage like the survivors and families here today to carry on no matter how dark the night or how difficult the day. you who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me begin. from the depths of the earth the you will bring me up again. you will increase my greatness and you will comfort me again. may god bless the memory of those that we lost, may he comfort you and your families and may god bless these united states of america. [applause] bill: the president's address at the pentagon. it's a sweltering humid day in our nation's capital. our colleague jennifer griffin back with us. there is a line there that stood out. last year in benghazi, recognizing that in his address today. >> reporter: it was certainly a nod to the u.s. ambassador on the three others who were killed at the consulate. again if you think back to a year ago, nobody was thinking that the u.s. was in danger. in fact the pentagon was not on a war footing at that time in the middle east even though there were many things going on across north africa, egypt, elsewhere. and that's one of the reasons that this year secretary of defense chuck hagel met with the joint chiefs and ordered those forces on high alert in case of an embassy attack. marines were moved to italy just in case. and there have been 80 cases in which the u.s. military moved in to try to augment security because of threats over the last year. they learned the lesson of been tbasy in terms of how there was literally -- there weren't any military assets to go and help, they say on that night. and they have taken a lot of criticism for that ever since. also somewhat unusual that at 9:37 when for the past 12 years we have had a moment of silence at the points of impact to remember the 184 americans who were killed. the president was speaking at that time. things are a little out of kilter. a sign that the nation would like to move on. but again, here the pentagon every day is 9/11. bill: it appears the ceremony gets quicker every year. you made the comment that fewer people are coming here to the memorial itself or to the pentagon. >> reporter: fewer reporters are covering it outside. the family members are there, they are marking this day as they have for the past 12 years. but it is stunning. when i look to my left and look to toy right and i don't see any other television cameras, national news covering this ceremony from outside the pentagon. bill: that is telling and it doesn't go well for the saying "never forget." jennifer griffin back with us momentarily and now we are waiting the next event in pennsylvania. martha: 9:37 went by and there was no moment of silence. the president was speaking then. we are continuing our coverage throughout this morning as we mark these moments of silence and remembrance that in many ways can be heard just as loud as word this morning. >> i can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people -- and the people who knocked these building down will hear all of us soon. 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>> september 11 was the loss of the age of innocence. we thought the shining city on the hill, the most powerful country in the world, nothing could go wrong. even though we have protected ourselves and only through vigilence have we not been attracted directly again. what last year taught us is the threat is still there. we are ever vulnerable and we have to remain ever vigilant. martha: you say america is down in the dumps. >> don't you think everybody feels we have been a decade, two wars haven't gone well. the economy doesn't steam recover. the president doesn't seem to have a leadership role in the world like we had hoped before. every pundit tells you america's best days are over and we are going to manage the decline. i don't feel that way. but i think america 5, 7, 10 years from now-have a great revival. our energy independence. we'll be self-sufficient and energy. we'll be an energy super power. our nano technology, our bioengineering, 3d printing. i think america in the near future will be a freight country once again. like i learned september 11, 12 years ago, everybody can do something. as long as we understand that and do it i'm confident about the future. bill: shanksville, pennsylvania is on screen right and we are two minutes away from a moment of silence in new york when the moment the unthinkable happened. you see a plane go into one tower an hour and 15 minutes ago, another plane hit second tower, an hour later the world trade center collapsed under its own weight and the burning fuel sliding count center part of that building. you think how crowded the streets and sidewalks of manhattan are. at 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning. how many commuters could have been on the sidewalk at that time. you hold your breath and hope for the best. that perhaps some people got out of the way. but the people in that tower did not have a chance to get out above a certain number of floors. even at one time amid all that confusion they were told to go back to their offices and everything would be all right it many just a small fire at times. then the phone calls came, the cell phones went out and the voicemails were recorded all over new york and new jersey and connecticut from loved ones trapped inside the towers and had no idea that their fate was going to take them to heaven on that day. at 9:59 a.m. eastern time the south tower collapsed in lower manhattan. [bell tolling] because they were afraid. they remembered. even though in some cases being said to go back up into the buildings, so many heros got everybody in their groups out of those buildings, and we're so grateful that they saved some people. and all of the first-responders saved some people that day as well. it is worth remembering that side of the story as well. bill: it is september 11th, 2013, along with martha maccallum i'm bill hemmer. our coverage continues as we move toward a field in south-central pennsylvania, shanksville, pennsylvania, many believe this is the forgotten memorial. on tuesday they broke ground for the flight 93 national memorial. it will be 6800 square feet. a visitors center that will tell the story of flight 93. and at 10:03 a.m. eastern time we will pause for a moment of silence there. costs, $40 million they had to raise. a lost them felt jilted they were not getting attention, new york, perhaps pentagon in washington, d.c. as well. the pentagon memorial opened up five years ago. new york memorial opened up two years ago. this town struggled to raise money to complete the work there now they are moving forward. they have almost enough to two ahead and begin this project and give the people the credit that they deserve. there were flight attendants, petitioning lawmakers just this week to raise more money for shanksville, pennsylvania. [bell tolling] >> toshia kugi. [bell tolling] c. c. ross lyles. [bell tolling] hilda mars ten. [bell tolling] walesk amat teens. martha: shames being read at shanksville, pennsylvania, now, and we remember the story of todd beamer saying "let's roll" on that plane. all the discussion where that plane may have been headed. u.s. capital, the white house among those possible targets for the list on that flight. that moment, you know, they were trying to track down any remaining planes that might be in the sky because the fear was it was going to keep happening and it did. when flight 93 crashed near shanksville, pennsylvania, at 10:03 on that fateful morning, bill. bill: it is quite a stunning sight in shanksville, pennsylvania. if you get a chance to make it that part of our country, it is worth your time to stop there also worth your time to listen to our next guest, former governor of new york, george pataki. sir, good morning to you. >> good morning, bill. bill: you come to us down at a place where you took america and you took the world to see what was done to, to your city, the city you love and the city you call home. and we shared a moment on september 20th of that year where we walked through ground zero upon your lead for a two-hour span where we saw people working night and day, hour after hour, to see what they could do to possibly either locate survivors or try to get the mess out of the way to begin to rebuild what they have been constructed today. how are you today, governor? >> i'm fine, bill. i remember that day so well, walking with you and seeing those workers on the pile as it was called. it was still burning, not just smoking but still burning, still hot, still smoking, and 24 hours a day, every single day for months those heros responded, just hoping at first they could save some lives. then understanding the importance of putting us in a position where we could rise again and we have, bill. martha: governor pataki, martha maccallum here. welcome. >> hi, martha. martha: good morning to you. we're looking at pictures of you walking with mayor giuliani and hillary clinton on september 12th. what was going through your mind, when you first got a look at what had happened there? >> well, you know i was listening to your comments earlier about how we didn't didn't know what was going to happen next. on the 11th, that was one of the greatest concerns, saving lives, understanding what was happening and preventing any further attacks. by the 12th we were fairly confident that we wouldn't have another attack but we were still, really praying that amidst all the hideous rubble and twisted steel we would find people alive and be able to rescue them. so the concern was to save lives, to make sure we were protected going forward and to also under stand this was the second time we had been attacked and we weren't invulnerable. people would attack us again if they had the chance. we had to remain vigilant and not just on. defensive but on the aggressive side of defending freedoms we cherish so much here as americans. bill: you know, governor, when you comforted families 12 years ago, that's been your role. we talked to mayor giuliani about that an awful lot but that has not escaped you either. when you go back to that site and see what is done today and the conversations you had with people, i know it helps them otherwise they would not go there and i know they want to remember those who are gone from us today. otherwise they would not be there either but what do they share with you. >> absolutely. bill: as to why it is so important for them to be there today? >> they want their loved ones to be remembered. they obviously still miss them. you hear the heart brashing stories -- heartbreaking stories of 12 years later of a woman who lost her son or wife who lost their husband. it tears you apart. they want the stories to be heard not just by family members but by americans. i think that is one of reasons the memorial and museum is so important. they tell the stories, the magnitude, almost 3,000 wonderful people killed that day but it breaks down to individual stories. and i think family members are here to tell the individual stories and have people listen to the stories. 12 years later it is still important for them. it is still something we as americans owe them to listen, to be respectful, to understand the loss they feel and never to forget, not just their loved ones but the greatness of the country and freedoms we hold so dear that were a result of why we were attacked that day. martha: governor pataki, before we let you go, a mayoral election going on in new york. police commissioner, ray kelley, spoke out none of the candidates had come to him to be briefed on terrorism and counterterrorism efforts of new york city. how do you feel about that? >> well i'm hopeful that when it comes to terrorism, new yorkers and americans understand that we have to continue to be aggressive and proactive in defending ourselves. i'm hopeful that they will approach commissioner kelly. i know one of the candidates, is saying he would keep ray kelley as commissioner. i think that would be a very good thing. i'm more concerned about a lax attitude towards street crime, violent crime, that we have done so well, virtually eliminating in new york might come back. when it comes to terrorism, regardless what someone might say in a campaign i can not imagine any leader of this city not understanding the importance of an aggressive, proactive policy to keep us safe. martha: understood. everybody in new york hopes you're right about that i'm sure. >> i hope so. martha: always a pleasure. thank you very much. >> thank you, martha. bill: he mentioned that it is set to open in the spring of 2014. we hope the date still holds because we're not quite sure because it has been delayed some times. frankly the arguments from so many people are about what to do and how to remember it. do you rebuild? do you not rebuild? if you do how do you do it? there are so many poignant reminders we've seen already that will be unveiled inside the museum. it will be a must stop for every visitor in new york city once it opens up. martha: it absolutely will. we hope the spring of 2014 we'll see that. there will be more of events of september 11th throughout the day here. there will be more news as well that we will get through this morning t has also been one year since the attack on our consulate in benghazi that killed four americans, inconcluding ambassador chris stevens. so much of our coverage that day was about these four men and the president promising that the killers of these men would be found. still no arrests today. that's a big topic of conversation as we remember it. we'll speak to the mother of sean smith, one ever those victims as we hear from the cia lawmakers may finally get to interview the agents were on the ground. bill: a new twist in the story. the president saying in his big speech tonight, we have to act on damascus, we have to ask on syria but asking congress to hold off on a vote he asked for himself. what about this mixed message? we're going to debate that, two minutes away. >> indeed i'd ask every member of congress and those of you watching at home tonight to view those videos of the attack, and then ask, what kind of world will we live in if the united states of america sees a dictator brazenly violate international law with poison gas and we choose to look the other way? ♪ how long have you got on your battery? just about two days. with up to 48 hours of battery life, it's the longest lasting 4g lte smartphone. the new droidmaxx by . when endurance matters. droid does. martha: all right, a fox news alert now. a powerful bomb rocking benghazi, libya today, one day, one year, rather, after the deadly attack on the u.s. consulate there. this explosion, we're still learning the details of this, but it demolished libya's foreign ministry building blowing massive holes in the wall and injuring people who were outside there. shattering windows as well across the street. as i said this attack comes one year after al qaeda-linked militants stormed the consulate in benghazi and filled four americans including ambassador chris stevens. we'll have more on that including never-before-seen pictures from insign the consulate after the tragic day last year. that is coming up a couple minutes from now. >> too early to tell whether this offer will succeed. any agreement must verify whether the assad regime keeps its commitments. this initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force particularly because russia is one of assad's strongest allies. i have therefore asked the leaders of congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path. i'm sending secretary of state john kerry to meet his russian counterpart on thursday and i will continue my own discussions with president putin. bill: that is president obama asking congress to delay this vote on military action in syria. right before that he was explaining why the u.s. has the moral imperative to act and if the united states does not act, wmd will be used again. so what will it be? alan colmes, host of the alan colmes radio show, fox news contributor. tucker carlson, editor, daily caller, host of "fox & friends" weekend. good morning to both of you on september 11th. last night, tucker, did it change anything. >> i couldn't understand the point was. most americans give the president any president benefit of the doubt when it comes to foreign policy, this speech i watched it and read it and still couldn't figure out what it added up to. one hand he claimed that the u.s. is uniquely qualified and uniquely obligated to stop the massacres in syria. we need to act now he said, but he said, russia will actually be taking the lead on this the emphasis was on weapons used. sort of like his gun control position. about the tools to kill rather than reasons people to kill. never explained it is worse to kill children with chemical weapons than it is artillery. bill: was it more confusing to you at the end or -- >> only thing i understand that members of congress are thrilled that they're not growing to have to vote on this that is the only takeaway i took. bill: alan, did it change anything. >> not really other than the fact that the russians have jumped in to grab on with to what john kerry said the other day and maybe there's an opportunity now to avoid further blood shed. the united states intervention is what is somebody else's civil war something we shouldn't be doing in the first place. in terms of going into syria, what about darfur, other places trouble spots in the sudan and in the world? we choose this one when there's a civil war going on. no good can come from that, so i'm -- bill: chose libya too. >> that was wrong too. bill: how poorly has this been managed? you think about the president's statement a week ago this past saturday where everybody thought we were moving forward and he deferred to congress. every day since then it has been a twist and a turn. by the hour. >> that's why his numbers on foreign policy is going down. he is at 40%. you have john kerry getting up one day saying this is urgent. the next day the president says, we're going to wait until congress come back and ask them to weigh in on it, something he had not previously said. then when asked would you act if congress does not agree, there was no direct on that. people are confused. what is the obama doctrine? what are the protocols here? we don't understand what that is. bill: what is it, tucker? >> he -- alan colmes. >> not on everything. >> this on he clearly has. good for you being honest about it. where do we go from here? this, we're relying or this administration is on the good will of vladmir putin to make everything right. that seems to me a slim reid to hang your hopes. bill: tucker, do you believe syria turns over the wmd, yes or no? >> presumably if it is in their interest they will turn over some. apparently there are massive stockpiles not just of chemical weapons but apparently biological agents. bill: ongoing war -- >> why would they turn them over? their leverage is predicated -- bill: will we strike syria, yes or no? >> i don't think we do. 16% the public wants it, no way. >> one point to make if indeed of threat of military force assad wouldng about turning over weapons, having inspectors coming in putting them under international control the if anything this threat may have got us to that point. bill: be clear in the question though. do we strike damascus or not, alan. >> no. bill: does assad turn over his wmd or not? >> i can't speak for him but i hope so. bill: thank you, gentlemen. >> why would he disarm? no way. bill: they were making the point earlier, listen, you're trusting russia to negotiate this and it's quite clear after last night, this thing's going to linger and it might as well fester for months to come. tucker, thank you. alan, thank you to you as well. >> thank you. bill: 19 past. martha. martha: it is one year today since the terrorist attack on the consulate in benghazi. four americans died in that attack including our u.s. ambassador. we're having new exclusive pictures that we'll show you moments away of the aftermath. and lawmakers may be finally about to get some access to the survivors of this attack. they have been fighting for this for a year. the families continue to wait for their answers. >> make no mistake, we will work with the libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people. make no mistake, justice will be done [ male announcer ] running out of steam? ♪ now you can give yourself a kick in the rear! v8 v-fusion plus energy. natural energy from green tea plus fruits and veggies. need a little kick? 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"the weekly standard", we got a letter from john brennan sent to house intel committee chairman mike rogers answering some specific questions about claims that, you know, some of the benghazi survivors had been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements or forced to take polygraphs. brennan denies those allegations. then in the most interesting part of the letter at the very end brennan says in effect, i will help put you in touch with all of the survivors. rogers had asked for the names and the locations of the survivors, cia-affiliated personnel on the ground in benghazi that night in order to set up these interviews, these meetings and brennan in this letter to rogers basically commits to helping him do that. martha: yeah, steve, we continue to look at these stunning images and remember that one year later we don't appear, despite those concessions i guess you could call them from john brennan, to be any closer to finding out who did this. >> yeah, that's exactly right. i think there are two big holes in the benghazi story. one of them obviously is the accounts of these two dozen, roughly two dozen cia-affiliated personnel who were on the ground that night. you think about all that we've learned about what happened on that night a year ago and we don't have any first-hand accounts from the people on the ground. martha: steve, thank you very much. we're about to pause for another moment of silence here this morning. bill: that moment of silence is the observance the time that the north tower fell. remember that was the first tower that was hit. it was the second tower to fall. 10:2a.m. eastern standard time. >> robert p hughes, jr. >> thomas hughes, jr. >> timothy robert hughes. >> susan wei. >> lamar holt. >> my brother darius. >> my cousin, anne nicole nelson. anne was a beautiful, talented young girl and an innocent victim. we love you and we miss you. you'll never be forgotten. [bell tolling] [moment of silence] >> john nicholas humber, jr. >> william christopher hunt. >> kathleen anne hunt casey. >> joseph girard hunter. ♪ i'm your venus [ female announcer ] what does beauty feel like? find out with venus embrace. every five-bladed stroke gives you 360 degrees of smooth. for goddess skin you can feel and feel. only from venus embrace. we do our banking anytime... we shop anywhere... and stay in touch with friends everywhere. the freedom is great. but, it comes with a risk. every time you use your devices you could be putting your personal information on display for identity thieves to steal. ♪ even a little online shopping... could be a risk. a friend just wishing you a "happy birthday"... might give thieves the information they need to steal money out of your bank accounts... harm your credit, even drain the equity in your home. you can't give up your digital life, and you don't have to. because lifelock offers the most comprehensive identity theft protection available. lifelock's credit notification service is on the job 24/7. as soon as they detect a threat to your identity within their network, they will alert you, protecting you, before the damage is done. ♪ it doesn't matter which devices you use or who you do business with... you could be at risk. it doesn't matter how old you are or how much money you have -- identity thieves steal from everyone. you have to protect yourself. i protect myself... with lifelock. [ male announcer ] identity theft is so much more than a fraudulent charge on your credit card. that's why you need the most comprehensive protection that only lifelock offers. call the number on your screen or go online and try 60 days of lifelock's protection risk free. that's 60 days risk free... call the number on your screen or go online to lifelock.com/safeplan, use promo code safeplan, and get 60 days of lifelock's protection risk free. with lifelock's protection, you can enjoy your digital life... because lifelock always has your back. ♪ bill: we have moved through several moments of silence but the names continue to be read there at ground zero in lower manhattan. this will be something that continues for well over another hour, possibly even two hours after that. and, as we continue to, to look back from 12 years and where we are today on september 11th, it was one year ago today that sean smith, an information specialist working in benghazi was one of four americans killed in libya on this day, september 11th, 2012. the president vowing to bring his killers to justice. smith's mother says that is a commitment that has not been kept. pat smith is with me live in san diego, california. good morning to you. i'm certain this is a day you have not been looking forward to. >> good morning. bill: you've not gotten the answers you've been looking for. what would explain that to you? >> they didn't want to tell me. very simple. they don't want me to know, or i'm not important enough. i don't know. i don't have answers. that's another answer i don't have. bill: the president said at the pentagon just about an hour ago this day last year in benghazi, and attorney general eric holder mentioned it as well. what does that mean to you now? >> in which way? bill: does it move you? does it strike you as perhaps the answers you've been looking for may perhaps now come, or not? >> are you, are you kidding me? i've gotten no answers and, if the president told me was giving me answers, where are they? he promised me, face-to-face at the casket ceremony he would give me answers. he did not. i don't know what you want me to say. i did not get any answers yet. bill: i can tell, i can hear it in your voice. and, i can only offer you my sympathy at the moment. this is what the white house offered people like laws night, about 8:30 p.m. eastern time, a statement came out, this is what it said in part. the events of last year, losing four brave americans, chris stevens, sean smith, glen doherty, tyrone woods, brought home reality of challenges we face in the world. we remain committed to bringing the perpetrators of the benghazi attacks to justice and ensuring the safety of our brave personnel serving overseas. does that mean anything to you? >> yes. a bunch of bull feathers. bill: and you don't believe it? >> not a bit. bill: when was the last time you were in washington? >> the last time was for the hearings, i don't know what you would call it. it was the hearings that they had. bill: so it has been a few months. and -- >> oh, yes. bill: with whom do you have contact with? i mean your frustration is clear and you're still a grieving mother. who do you go to push along, to figure out what happened that night? >> that is kind of curious because the only way i could find out what happened is to go searching for myself. there is nobody in washington giving me any answers other than the media. bill: when you search, what do you do? what questions do you ask? what sources do you look for? lot of times it's aush? telephone call i get or an email i get or something really weird. like i got, i got an email from a terrorist saying he is an ex-terrorist. can he help me? he has got information for me. now this is kind of crazy, that a terrorist would reach out to me before my own government. but this is what happens. bill: i'm reading from "the washington times" that wrote a piece on this today. earlier this summer the justice department filed charges against a libyan militia leader. he remains in libya, living in the open. living in the open. >> yes, i've heard of him. bill: yeah. the fact that reporters can go to benghazi and have a cup of coffee with this man, how does that make you feel? >> well, absolutely. i feel that he has got a lot more presence than i do. it is kind of crazy. craziest thing i ever saw. i never expected this from my government. bill: i bet. >> they all lied to me! and, it's hard, it is, it's just hard. i can't, i can't explain it. bill: wow. pat -- >> all they have to do is tell me the truth! bill: we're looking for that, on your behalf, on behalf of the american people but do you think today that you will ever get the answers you need? >> eventually i will, eventually i will. i don't know where it will be, how it will be or anything but i will not give up. bill: wow. >> that was my only, my only child and i know he was doing his job and he was doing what he wanted to do and he was doing what he was sent to do but they could tell me. they could just tell me, if it's only to say, i really don't know but what they do tell me is, it was the video, and we'll get back to you, i promise. bill: our best to you. patricia smith. >> thank you. bill: she is live in san diego. we've been in touch with you over the last year and, this is the most emotional i have heard you. but i want to thank you for coming on today because i know today is a very difficult day. but my best to you and your search for answers, whether that is months or hopefully not, years. pat smith, thank you. >> oh, i want answers. i most definitely want answers. bill: i can hear it. >> i know i will get them somehow, some way, but i will get those answers. bill: stay strong. thank you again for your time. >> uh-huh. bill: all right. 19 minutes best hour now. back to new york city and ground zero. >> pat smith speaks of the tragedy in her family a year ago and now we look back at the live pictures from ground zero, 12 years after the attacks of september 11th on the u.s. homeland. a new poll is asking people are we any safer today from terrorism? we'll tell you what a growing number of americans are saying. is this the bacon and cheese diet? this is the creamy chicken corn chowder. i mean, look at it. so indulgent. did i tell you i am on the... 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[ male announcer ] so indulgent, you'll never believe they're light. 100-calorie progresso light soups. before mike could see his banking and investing accounts on one page... before he could easily transfer funds between the two in real time... before he could even think about planning for his daughters' future... mike opened a merrill edge investment account and linked it to his bank of america bank account to help free up plenty of time for the here and now. that's the wonder of streamlined connections. that's merrill edge and bank of america. martha: all right. we are back and a bit of breaking news on syria. this just crossing from reuters moments ago, that russia has given the united states its plan to get control over syria's chemical weapons. so we're going to get more on that. we know the president said last night that john kerry would be speaking with the foreign minister lavrov in russia but seems some sort of plan is materializing from russia and remember, they said that was contingent upon us removing a military threat. no word where that part of the deal stand but more as we get it. bill: 12 years later now the question being asked, are we safer now than before 9/11? our latest "fox news poll" came out at 7:00 eastern time today, a record 38% of those we asked believe we are less safe. 51% think we are safer, but you see 38 number. that number has been steadily on the rise over the past decade. mike baker, former cia covert operations director and with llc. mike, good morning to you. what do you make of the poll number and what does it say about how we feel where we are now? >> well i think there's a lot of elements to this. by the way, bill, i want to say thank you, taking the time to talk to sean smith's mother. it would be nice if clint clint would take time out for prepping from 2016 election to sit down with pat smith just a few minutes. when you look at the poll numbers, i think you have to be careful. you have to separate the emotions of the time and also a certain political element to it, and then, look at the question of, you know from a operational perspective, are we safer? and i spend a lot of time in this business and i can say without a doubt, yes, we are safer than we were 12 years ago. does that mean we don't face risks? well look at the boston bombing. look at the uncertainty in the middle east. of course we'll never get this down to a zero sum but we are safer from a operational perspective so i think those poll numbers are somewhat clouded in particular by the uncertainty going on in the middle east right now. bill: when you look at syria, et cetera, right? the trouble, and ongoing issues with iran, that would explain why they're moving in the wrong direction 12 years later, mike. >> right. well that is absolutely right. there are interesting elements of these poll numbers. the numbers for republicans, when you ask a republican are we safer now than we were 12 years ago that number is dropping. that is 38% number. when you ask democrats are we safer now than we were 12 years ago, their numbers are increasing. they feel we are safer. when you look at the boston bombing, when you look at the chaos in egypt, syria, and libya, when you look at nsa revelations that number for democrats if it was republican administration right now can't really imagine that that number would be on the rise, they would somehow feel safer. there is a strong political element to this as well. bill: you mentioned pat smith and i know your time at the cia you had a lot of work with american embassies overseas. this is part of the statement that the white house put out last night right best president came in and talked about those facilities from overseas. the president's national security team is taking measures to prevent 9/11-related attacks and to insure the protection of u.s. persons in facilities abroad. the president reiterated that protecting american people both at home and abroad is the administration's top national security priority. what do you know about what this administration has done this year that they did not do a year ago in benghazi? >> well, i mean benghazi has focused them on the realities of what we're facing overseas. now, don't get me wrong, the state department's rso, regional security office and all those officers that work within state department and other organization work very hard to try to keep our personnel, our facilities safe overseas but there was, there was a disconnect from reality with the benghazi situation and again, admittedly yes, this is a human chain of events so you're always going to be facing risk. you will never get that down to zero particularly overseas in hostile environments but you look at one year on from benghazi, not, you know, i know that is not what this segment is about but it's incredibly frustrating and all you have to do is listen to sean smith's mother to understand the simple reality that this administration hasn't answered the very simple question of why didn't we at least try? maybe we wouldn't have saved those lives but why didn't the commander-in-chief at least make the effort that night of the attack? that is one question i just don't think will ever be answered. bill: her most telling answer, tell me you don't know, and that would be good enough for me but she doesn't even get that a year later. >> right. bill: mike, thank you. mike baker there live in omaha, nebraska. and we'll speak again, mike. wish we had more time now. thank you for your time now. all right. martha. martha: so back to that breaking news. reports that russia has now given the united states a plan that would involve the handing over of syria's chemical weapons to the international community. this is the whole thing that changed the ballgame 48 hours ago. we're going to get reaction also to the president's address last night. >> i don't think attacking assad militarily will make things more stable. the president thinks it adds to stability. i think it adds to instability and makes chances of chemical weapons fall into the hands of extremists more likely if we attack assad, not less likely. martha: all right. so top lawmakers are now responding to president obama's address last night on syria. the commander-in-chief postponing a military strike vote in congress to pursue the diplomatic efforts that have come up over the last 4hours. and kentucky senator rand paul says an attack on syria he believes would not be in our best national interests. here's what he said. >> i think it has nothing really to do with our national security. syria is not a threat to us. what i would say stability in the middle east is an american interest but i think attacking assad and destablizing him empowers or encourages al qaeda, it encourages radical islam that is trying to take over that country, and i'm not so sure who's worse. assad is really bad but his control of chemical weapons, i'm not sure if that is worse than al qaeda getting chemical weapons. martha: all right. rejoined by kt mcfarland, fox news national security analyst. kt, welcome back. >> thank you. martha: what is it your response to what rand paul said. >> i think he was right. he is making two points. the first point is the sort of reagan point, the united states will go anywhere in the world to defend our vital national interests but it is not a vital national interest of the united states, we don't belong there, we don't belong there with military forces but i think the second point is the one that sticks with me. even if we decided this is the right thing to do, what if it goes wrong? where is plan b? president obama has said a number of times his goal in attacking syria would be to deter assad using chemical weapons again, degrade his war-making ability and finally to send a message to the world. all that's fine if plan a works. what if plan a doesn't work? what if as saud says next day, i'm not deterred. that pinprick won't stop me. what if he doesn't degrade forces? nobody is talking about destroying chemical weapons. they're talking about limited attacks that will maybe destroy delivery vehicles for deliverying chemical weapons. that is not degrading his forces. the problem with this, martha, this may not all work. this is eerily what happened in iraq, in 2003 bush administration officials assuring us as soon as we topple as saddam there will be welcomed with flowers and it will be great. there was no plan b then and there is no plan b now. martha: it is hard to wrap your head around the possibility you basically slap somebody in the face, if you hit my back i'm done, the slap is all i'm doing. >> yeah. martha: it seems illogical to a lot of people and i think that leads to a lot of this talk about inco americans. want to get your thoughts on the story, that was reported by reuters moments ago that russia has presented a plan to the united states to get control of syria's chemical weapons. what do you think about that? >> i want to see the small print. martha: yeah. >> i think putin has given obama an out. nobody wants at this pointameri, nobody wants except maybe in the white house at 1600 pennsylvania avenue, nobody wants to attack syria for the reasons we just discussed. we all realize there is no plan b, what happens next. but by putin giving obama the peace plan and then reports last night that part of the plan that we, that russia would get syria to destroy its chemical weapons, but, the precondition was america would have to foreswear the use of military force. russia doesn't have the right to tell us that. the decision to use american military force is made by the president of the united states. it is not even tossed to congress. now somehow we'll let the russians decide whether we might use military force in the future? martha: that is something i feel there hasn't been much discussion up and seemed to drop off the radar. >> right. martha: the president didn't mention it last night, and that is the right thing to do, that the president would even stoop to even respond to a suggestion that we'll take military force off the table which of course we would never, never do. >> we shouldn't. martha: but russia could come back and say, no, actually, there is no chemical weapons deal because you're still threatening to strike. >> then we would even be in a worse place that we are. i was struck with something that happened yesterday in a obscure russian newspaper. russia has decided six years of not doing anything, it would give iran the s-300 missile defense system. that to me shows that russia has decided, it is now the big player in the middle east. america is on the wane. it is going to dictate the terms of peace if there are any in syria, then maybe iran next. martha: when you look at russia has gotten beaten up economically in some ways. they have had so many losses and missteps over the last decade. what they want more than anything is to regain that pride. >> yeah. martha: and it appears they're working on that right now which has a lot of implications. kt, as always, thank you. great to talk to you. martha: thanks, martha. martha: okay. bill: we're moments away from another ceremony on the steps of the u.s. capitol remembering so many on this day, september 11. that's next. ugh! actually progresso's soup has pretty bold flavor. i love bold flavors! i'd love it if you'd open the chute! [ male announcer ] progresso. surprisingly bold flavor for a heart healthy soup. surprisingly bold flavor for a strong bag that grips the can... ♪ get glad forceflex. small change, big difference. martha: we have been watching as members of congress have descended the steps to begin their own remembrance of september 11, 12 years later, on capitol hill. nancy pelosi is joining them. bill: two hours and 50 minutes later, steel reading names. our coverage continues on "happening now." ♪ ♪ ♪ new