I Love the 2000s...Part 10

There are certain events that define our lifetime and are seen as events that will forever be highlighted in history books. One such event occurred the morning of September 11, 2001. It started like any other Tuesday, but by nightfall the world as we knew would be different. I remember being in gym class when my teacher first informed us of the fact that a plane had flew into the World Trade Center. The events of that morning almost a decade later are still strong in many individuals’ memories. Hence that is why it is quite obvious that no other event has shaped this decade more than the September 11th attacks.

#1: September 11th Attacks

The morning of September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda would put in motion a series of attacks on American soil; the worst since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor nearly 60 years earlier. The terms terrorism and al-Qaeda were hardly part of anyone’s vocabulary around this time, but the events that were to occur would change that completely. Nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists boarded four airlines. Their targets: the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and Washington, DC. The planes were originally headed for California and left different East Coast airports. At 8:46am, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North World Trade Center Tower. At 9:03am, the South Tower would be struck by United Airlines Flight 175. At 9:37am, American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon. And at 10:03am, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Skanksville, PA after a handful of passengers took on the hijackers and allowed for the plane to be diverted from its original target of Washington, DC and possibly a landmark like the White House or Capitol Building. At 9:59am, the South Tower fell about an hour after getting hit. At 10:28am, the North Tower fell after nearly two hours of burning. The two collapses complicated things that much more as fires broke out and the toxic materials would cover much of the large vicinity.

These series of events would create a sense of hysteria and confusion. Airports were basically put at a standstill as information was slowly coming in. At the end of the morning, the death toll was 2,995 including the nineteen hijackers with the vast majority of 2,605 coming from those in the World Trade Center Towers. This death total would rise in the weeks and months after due to complications from debris and other factors. Several New York City firefighters lost their lives as well as many police officers and medical services personnel in the city. The damages in New York City affected the area around the two towers including other parts and buildings of the World Trade Center. Beginning that night, there would be search teams on site in hopes of possibly finding any survivors. Search teams and authorities were there after the first plane hit, but they would have to monitor their space as things were unsafe in those first few hours. By the spring of 2002, the area was fully searched and has been about the same since.

Osama bin Laden was targeted as the main mastermind behind the attacks as he was viewed as the leader of the al-Qaeda forces and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Also linked strongly to the events on September 11th was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as he was an associate of bin Laden and mastermind behind much of the planning. It was “KSM” who presented the plans for 9/11 to bin Laden in the mid to late 1990s. A few of terrorists came to the United States in 1999/2000 and they would take flight classes in preparation for their plot. Others were recruited by bin Laden in areas outside of Afghanistan and briefed on their mission. By 2001, all the men involved were on U.S. soil in various areas and their plan was taking shape. Osama bin Laden had mentioned threats toward the United States during this 5 year span, but not enough attention seemed geared at them. Tapes of bin Laden would be leaked out during the few months after September 11th. In most accounts he would try to deny his connection to the events, but on the eve of the 2004 presidential election he mentioned al-Qaeda’s involvement in the attacks. “KSM” had connections as far back at 1993 when there was also a bombing at the World Trade Center. He would be captured on March 1, 2003 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan by Pakistani officials that were working alongside the CIA. “KSM” would then be transported to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and is now at the center of hearings that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has mentioned. He along with other terror subjects would be given a trial in New York City, which is unpopular to many. Other names linked to the attacks were Zacarias Moussaoui, Mohammed Atef, Ramzi Binalshibh, and Abu Turab al-Urduni.

The attacks would set in force the United States’ War on Terror. Shortly after, U.S. forces along with European forces would invade Afghanistan with killing the Taliban as their chief objective. At both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, there are memorials and tributes to those lost there. In the Shanksville, PA field where the fourth plane crashed, there is also a memorial and tribute to those lives lost there. In 2002, President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act and created the Department of Homeland Security to focus on protecting our borders and fighting terrorism. The Patriot Act was also passed and meant as a way to detect and prosecute terror suspects. Additionally, as a side effect of the attacks many Muslims and Middle Eastern individuals in the United States were targeted unfairly as automatically a suspect and/or terror threat. Security increased across the United States especially in major cities and at major landmarks. Guantanamo Bay in Cuba was open and would be used as a holding facility for all terror suspects that would be potentially caught in the future.

That day continues to have everlasting feelings among everyone who recalls the day's events. With the latest moves in terms of persecuting some of the terrorists and the ongoing war in Afghanistan, what happened over 8 years ago can still be seen and felt today. Families continue to grieve and memorials have been placed or will be placed. Terrorism is still as real as it was that day with continued terrorist plots. Many in the U.S. and abroad have a new perspective that they didn't have on September 10, 2001. Many of the culprits of that have been caught, but Osama bin Laden is still somewhere in the Middle East. Thus, now as we close the decade of the 2000s, the attacks on September 11, 2001 have truly defined this decade and this century thus far. It would not be a stretch to say it is the biggest event in possibly the last 25 years.

After chronicling events, people, and everything in between, the first decade of this century gave us a lot to not be too optimistic about. The rise of terrorism, a recession, and two wars are not what one would have probably predicted ten years ago. But probably the first African American President was not expect either. After these ten years, one would hope that the next ten will be better and some of what we saw this decade will certainly carry over as the clock turns to 2010. It was quite a ride and I for one look forward to the next years and what they may bring.