- 23 years after the collapse of the Twin Towers
- Until 2001, the words 'terrorism' and 'threat' were not considered as relevant
- This event became the pretext for the United States invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq
23 years after the collapse of the Twin Towers
This September 11th, as any other for the last two decades, creates various feelings. Many people remember the loved ones they lost, and celebrities like T. Swift mention the fact in public events that this is the event that people across the world cannot forget.
This year marks 23 years since the largest coordinated terrorist attacks in the country gripped the United States and the world. The morning of 11 September 2001 began quietly but soon turned into a tragedy that still smolders in the memories of Americans and the world. According to the official version, on that day, extremists from the radical Islamic organization Al-Qaeda carried out four suicide attacks, hijacking passenger planes and diverting them to key targets.
Two crashed into the skyscrapers of the World Trade Center in New York, a third into the Pentagon in Washington, and a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers resisted the terrorists. These attacks claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people, including citizens of various countries besides the US.
The world stopped. The image of the United States regarded as an invulnerable superpower, was shattered like a sky reflected in a glass tower. The collapsing twin towers of the World Trade Center became a symbol that eventually became etched in the collective memory of the world. On that day in September, a sense of uncertainty and horror gripped Americans and people worldwide.
The tragedy opened up painful global political and social wounds still alive today. The 9/11 attacks not only destroyed thousands of lives, but also changed the course of international politics and the world's security architecture irreversibly.
Until 2001, the words 'terrorism' and 'threat' were not considered as relevant
According to experts, "terrorism" and "threat" were not considered relevant before 2001. Terrorism happened far away from the security zones of the Western world. While there were signs that the terrorist threat was growing, the United States security services were unable to effectively exchange information and prevent a tragedy.
Despite their intelligence, the authorities could not cooperate effectively and build a common picture. This resulted in a major security failure that made this tragedy possible. Many changes followed 9/11: laws were tightened, giving public authorities more possibilities to track citizens. However, as the debate about the limits of privacy emerged, many democracies had to find a balance between security and personal freedoms.
This event became the pretext for the United States invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq
The so-called "war on terror" was launched with the expectation of quickly destroying terrorist nests and restoring stability to the region. However, these invasions were eventually judged to have failed, requiring huge human and financial resources and never achieving the desired results.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban retook power as soon as the US forces left, showing that the efforts of the Western democracies in the region had not borne fruit.
Twenty-three years later, 9/11 is still deep in the American memory. In New York, a memorial with the names of those who perished at its center stands as a silent testimony to the worst act of terror in modern history. Even after more than two decades, Americans still remember what they did on that fateful day. It is a trauma that changed the United States and the world's perception of security.
The echoes of 9/11 still reverberate in international relations. Terrorism remains one of the greatest global threats, and democracies are still balancing between ensuring the security of citizens and the protection of individual rights.
