Sept. 11 monument is defaced by vandals in South Carolina

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Authorities in South Carolina say a large granite monument honoring 9-11 victims was defaced by vandals who spray-painted “Taliban” on it in two places. WYFF-TV reports that the granite statue is made of two towers, each weighing 4,000 pounds with a light beam in Greenville County. Paul Nichols, founder and CEO of Upstate Granite Solutions, says deputies were called to investigate the vandalism Sunday morning and the damage was cleaned up later that day. His granite company constructed the memorial, which is surrounded by 1,000 American flags, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the U.S.