The world 9/11 didn’t make

This week commemorates the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. For many, 9/11 is a distant memory, as nearly 40% of the US population was either born after the attacks or too young to recall them. On that day, 19 terrorists commandeered four civilian aircraft, crashing two into New York's World Trade Center towers, striking the Pentagon, and crashing a fourth in Pennsylvania after passengers thwarted the attackers, who intended to reach another high-profile target.

All 19 hijackers hailed from the Middle East, with 15 originating from Saudi Arabia. They underwent training in Afghanistan, and four at US flight schools. By the day's end, approximately 3,000 individuals lost their lives, with over 6,000 more injured. While American citizens bore the brunt of the casualties, over a hundred other nationalities also suffered losses.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt likened September 11 to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, describing it as "a date which will live in infamy." However, as the personal memories fade, it is worth pondering whether 9/11 marked a turning point or if, despite its tragedy, it did not change the course of history. The answer leans towards the latter.

Fortunately, 9/11 did not spark a wave of similar terrorist attacks. This can be attributed in part to the US and other governments implementing measures that made it harder for potential terrorists to emerge and succeed. Another reason 9/11 did not alter history is that terrorists typically excel at destruction rather than creation, leaving no lasting legacy.

Nevertheless, this should not diminish the significance of 9/11, which directly led to military intervention in Afghanistan, where US-led forces, alongside Afghan tribesmen, removed the Taliban regime that had harbored the perpetrators.

However, the aftermath proved more challenging. Over 800,000 US soldiers were deployed, more than $2 trillion was spent, and over 2,400 Americans lost their lives in combat, alongside 1,100 soldiers from NATO and other countries. Yet, despite these efforts, the Taliban once again controls Afghanistan. In March 2003, just a year and a half after 9/11, the US launched a war in Iraq.

It is uncertain whether this war would have transpired without the September 11 attacks. Under the guise of eradicating terrorism, the US and its allies intervened in the Middle East, inadvertently empowering Iran, which had little to do with 9/11. This intervention inadvertently paved the way for the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, resulting in over 800 civilian deaths.

Beyond the direct consequences of 9/11, this quarter-century has been marked by other transformative events. China's rise, Russia's aggression in Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic, the collective failure to address climate change, the advent of artificial intelligence, and the increasing accessibility of destructive drones and advances in bioengineering have all played significant roles. These developments have introduced new challenges that could potentially allow terrorists to inflict large-scale harm at a minimal cost.

While 9/11 did not usher in an era of terrorism, it is crucial to acknowledge that we are now facing an era where terrorists possess more opportunities than ever before to cause widespread harm. The focus must remain on preventing such attacks and ensuring that terrorism remains a limited problem.