September 11 attacks

September 11 attacks
source
Title	September 11 attacks
Date	September 11, 2001
Location	New York City, Arlington County, Virginia, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Targets	World Trade Center, United States Capitol, The Pentagon
Type	Terrorist attacks, hijackings, suicide attacks
Fatalities	Approximately 2,977
Perpetrators	al-Qaeda
Weapons	Passenger aircraft

Contents

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks were a coordinated series of terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, against targets in the United States of America. Hijackers affiliated with al-Qaeda commandeered four commercial airliners, crashing two into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, one into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and one into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passenger intervention. The attacks precipitated major shifts in United States foreign policy, United States domestic policy, and global counterterrorism initiatives.

Background and planning

Planning traced to individuals associated with al-Qaeda leadership, including operatives linked to Osama bin Laden and planners influenced by veterans of the Soviet–Afghan War and adversaries of Yugoslav Wars policies. Planners reportedly drew on tactics observed in incidents such as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, and were shaped by networks connected to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and associates previously involved with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Training occurred in facilities linked to associates in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban, with logistics involving travel through hubs including Dubai, Kuwait, Islamabad, and Hamburg. Financing allegedly involved entities tied to business networks and charities scrutinized in probes of the 1990s terrorist financing cases and the Kuwait Fund-era transactions. Intelligence gaps were later attributed to coordination failures among agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Security Agency.

Flights involved included scheduled departures from airports like Logan International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Boston Logan International Airport. Early morning hijackings led to crashes at the World Trade Center towers—impacting North Tower (WTC 1) and South Tower (WTC 2)—and subsequent collapse of the towers that also destroyed surrounding structures including WTC 7. Another hijacked airliner struck The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, causing extensive structural damage and casualties among personnel of organizations located there, such as components of the Department of Defense and related agencies. The fourth flight, diverted toward a target in Washington, D.C., crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania following passenger resistance; proposed targets discussed in investigations included the United States Capitol and the White House. First responders from agencies including the New York City Fire Department, the New York City Police Department, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey executed rescue and recovery operations amid widespread fires and structural collapses.

Federal leadership, including figures from the White House, the United States Congress, and administrations linked to the George W. Bush presidency, declared a national response that mobilized forces from the United States Armed Forces, including units coordinated by United States Northern Command and elements of the United States Special Operations Command. International reactions included expressions of solidarity from leaders of the United Kingdom, the European Union, NATO, and entities such as the United Nations, with rapid offers of assistance from countries including Canada, Australia, and members of the Organization of American States. Airspace was closed by the Federal Aviation Administration, leading to grounding of civilian flights worldwide and extraordinary diversion operations coordinated with airports such as Gander International Airport and Shannon Airport. Financial markets managed by institutions including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve System suspended trading and later implemented emergency liquidity measures.

Investigative efforts were led by agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with congressional inquiries such as the United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and the bipartisan 9/11 Commission (formally the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States) producing reports that detailed operational planning and intelligence shortcomings. The commission and criminal investigations attributed responsibility to al-Qaeda operatives and identified failures across agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration. Legal actions ensued in domestic and international courts involving plaintiffs from organizations including American Airlines and United Airlines, and diplomatic implications affected relations with states such as Afghanistan, leading to military operations coordinated with allies under frameworks like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Responses produced major policy initiatives and institutions such as the United States Department of Homeland Security, established through the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and statutory changes including the USA PATRIOT Act. Aviation security was overhauled by entities such as the Transportation Security Administration and through regulations affecting airports like John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Internationally, coalitions for operations in Afghanistan and later in regions of interest involved alliances with countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, and members of the NATO alliance, producing doctrine changes in organizations such as the United States Central Command and impacting institutions such as the International Civil Aviation Organization. Intelligence-sharing protocols among agencies including the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency were reevaluated, and legal precedents in courts such as the United States Supreme Court were later tested by litigation over detention and surveillance policies.

The attacks deeply influenced literature, film, music, and public memory, inspiring works related to creators connected with institutions such as Lincoln Center and filmmakers associated with festivals like the Sundance Film Festival. Memorials include the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon Memorial, and the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, each dedicated with involvement from officials including the Mayor of New York City and the United States Secretary of the Interior. Annual commemorations involve participants from veterans’ organizations such as the American Legion and civic institutions including the New York City Council, while scholarship in entities like Columbia University, Harvard University, and Georgetown University has produced analyses in journals and presses documenting political, social, and cultural legacies. The events affected public policy debates across institutions including the Supreme Court of the United States and influenced the missions of NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in addressing civil liberties and humanitarian concerns.