September 11, 2001
The attacks that reshaped global politics, security, and American foreign policy for a generation.
The Day That Changed Everything
On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers affiliated with al-Qaeda commandeered four commercial aircraft. Two struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City, one hit the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to retake control. Nearly 3,000 people were killed — the deadliest terrorist attack in history.
The attacks were planned by Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda operated under the protection of the Taliban government. Bin Laden's stated grievances included the presence of US military bases in Saudi Arabia, US support for Israel, and sanctions against Iraq.
Within hours, the United States began mobilizing for what President George W. Bush would call the 'War on Terror' — a framing that would define US foreign policy for two decades.
