The United States and Global Terrorism

Abstract

The seminal terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 (or 9/11) were carried out by 19 members of a hitherto unknown, shadowy organization known as A1 Qaeda. Four commercial airliners on domestic flights in the United States were hijacked by the group, which was divided into four teams. Two of the aircraft, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center in New York causing both towers of the center to collapse. A third aircraft, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the Department of Defense headquarters (known as the Pentagon) in Washington. A fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, which was en route to another target, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers heroically attempted to retake the aircraft from the hijackers. This fourth aircraft was intended for either the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill or the White House. In all, 2,986 people of some 80 nationalities died, including those on the four aircraft.