September 11 Attacks

September 11 attacks (also 9/11 attacks) were suicide bombings attacks by 19 terrorists who hijacked 4 passenger airline planes from the eastern coast of the USA and blew them in their respective targets. Two of the planes hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the third plane destroyed the west wall of the Pentagon in Virginia and the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania while its possible target was the White House or Capitol. Almost 3,000 people were killed during these attacks including 19 hijackers, 72 security personnel, and 343 firefighters.

Events During Attacks

A Boeing 767 aircraft of American Airlines Flight 11 took off from Boston’s Logan Airport at 7:59 am (local time) on 11^th September 2001. After around 15 minutes, hijackers took control of the plane after overpowering the pilot and the crew members. Muhammad Atta was leading the hijack while there were a total of five hijackers in the airliner. At 8:46 am, the plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. All the 92 people inside the plane and around 1600 people in WTC North Tower died.

Another Boeing 767 aircraft of United Airlines Flight 175 left the Logan Airport in Boston at 8:14 am. There were a total of 65 people inside the plane including 9 crew members and 5 hijackers. The plane was hijacked after about 30 minutes into the flight. Marwan al-Shehhi was the pilot hijacker who blasted the plane into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 am killing all the 65 persons on board and around 900 in the WTC.

Flight Paths of all the 4 Hijacked Planes

At 8:20 am, a Boeing 757 aircraft of American Airlines Flight 77 departed from Dulles International Airport in Virginia. There were 6 crew members, 5 hijackers, and 53 passengers in the plane. The aircraft was hijacked after just over 30 minutes of the flight and hijacker pilot Hani Hanjour crashed it into the west wall of Pentagon, Virginia at 9:37 am. All the 64 people inside the plane and 125 others in the Pentagon lost their lives in this suicide attack. 

Another Boeing 757 aircraft of United Airlines Flight 93 took off from Newark International Airport, New Jersey at 8:42 am. It was the only plane with less number of hijackers (total 4) while it was also the only plane that could not accomplish its task. After approximately 45 minutes of the flight, the hijackers took control of the plane but as the plane was heading towards the possible target of the White House or Capitol Building, it crashed in Somerset County Pennsylvania, probably due to resistance by the passengers. All 44 people, including 37 passengers, 7 crew members, and 4 hijackers died in the crash.

Role of al-Qaeda

It is widely believed that the Muslim militant organization al-Qaeda was behind the 9/11 terror attacks and all the hijackers of the four planes belonged to the terror group. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden issued a fatwa (religious ruling) in 1998 in which he emphasized the need to start a holy war against the USA due to its support for Israel, sanctions on the people of Iraq, and military presence in Saudi Arabia. The 9/11 Commission also used this fatwa as evidence of the involvement of al-Qaeda in the 9/11 attacks.

 After this fatwa, al-Qaeda attacked US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya (August 1998) which killed 224 people while an attack on USS Cole (navy destroyer) by al-Qaeda killed 17 US marines. Al-Qaeda also conducted several failed attacks against US targets. Due to these previous attacks, it is believed that it is capable of masterminding the 9/11 attacks. 

Response After Attacks

Immediately after the attack, the then US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered to investigate whether al-Qaeda or the Iraqi Govt. was behind the attacks. Later on 15^th September, the idea of Iraq behind these attacks was rejected due to proof of the involvement of al-Qaeda.

Initially, the USA offered the Taliban regime of Afghanistan to hand over al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden so that the attack on Afghanistan could be prevented. However, the Taliban refused to surrender Osama to the USA and suggested handing over Osama to Qatar where a trial can be held against him. The USA rejected this option and announced the War on Terror against the suspects of the 9/11 attacks.

On 7^th October 2001, the USA invaded Afghanistan along with its supporters ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) which started the War in Afghanistan. The resistance of the Taliban lasted for two months and their government was overthrown by ISAF on 9^th December 2001. Taliban later started the guerrilla war against the invading forces and the Afghan government. 

Importance

September 11 attacks are the most important event of the 21^st Century as these attacks changed the security and domestic situation in the whole world. The USA received sympathy and support from almost the entire world and formed a coalition to punish the suspected culprits of these attacks. The invasion of Afghanistan uprooted al-Qaeda and its protectors, the Taliban regime, but destabilized the whole area, especially Afghanistan and Pakistan.

After the 9/11 attacks, many countries adopted special anti-terrorist laws to prevent terrorists from using their countries for terrorist activities. Germany, Canada, the UK, and New Zealand are some of the countries that adopted these laws.

In 2003, the USA and its allies also invaded Iraq over allegations of WMD (weapons of mass destruction). The 9/11 attacks at least indirectly helped this invasion as the USA also used the term War on Terror for its invasion of Iraq.