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[[Image:National Park Service 9-11 Statue of Liberty and WTC fire.jpg|right|300px]]

[[Image:National Park Service 9-11 Statue of Liberty and WTC fire.jpg|right|300px]]

The '''Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001''' occurred when [[al Qaeda]]-affiliated [[Islam|Islamic]] extremists hijacked four transcontinental airliners and used them to strike targets in the [[United States]], succeeding in destroying portions of the World Trade Center, including the Twin Towers, in New York City, and a portion of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; the fourth aircraft, in which the hijackers are believed to have targeted the White House or the Capital Building, crashed into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers fought back to re-take control.   

The '''Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001''' occurred when [[al Qaeda]]-affiliated [[Islam|Islamic extremists]] hijacked four transcontinental airliners and used them to strike targets in the [[United States]], succeeded in destroying the largest portions of what had been ''The World Trade Center'', including the "Twin Towers", in New York City, and a portion of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; the fourth aircraft, in which the hijackers are believed to have targeted the White House or the Capital Building, crashed into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers fought back to re-take control.   

The sheer audacity of the attack and the heavy loss of life that resulted from it caused the Bush Administration to declare a war on terror with the determination to hunt down terrorists world-wide; within two months of September 11, [[Afghanistan]] was completely occupied by American forces, driving the ruling Taliban from power and causing the main suspect of the attacks, [[Osama bin Laden]], to flee into hiding.

The sheer audacity of the attack and the heavy loss of life that resulted from it caused the U.S. Government to declare a [[War on Terror]] with the determination to hunt down terrorists world-wide; within two months of September 11, [[Afghanistan]] was completely occupied by American forces, driving the ruling Islamo-fascist [[Taliban]] from power and causing the head of al Qaeda, who personally approved the attacks, [[Osama bin Laden]], to flee into hiding.

==The hijacking==

==The Hijacking==

[[Image:9-11.jpg|right|225px]]

[[Image:9-11.jpg|left|200px]]

All 19 hijackers boarded the planes on the morning of September 11, having carefully chosen flights whose routes would be transcontinental.  Two planes flew out of Boston's Logan Airport, one flew from Washington's Dulles International Airport, and the fourth left an airport in Newark, New Jersey.

All 19 hijackers boarded the planes on the morning of September 11, having carefully chosen flights whose routes would be transcontinental.  Two planes flew out of Boston's Logan Airport, one flew from Washington's Dulles International Airport, and the fourth left an airport in Newark, New Jersey.

Some estimates of the cost of executing the plan place it in the $400,000-$500,000 range, making it an extremely "profitable" operation for al-Qaeda. <ref>[http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Exec.htm The 9/11 Commission Report]</ref>

Some estimates of the cost of executing the plan place it in the $400,000-$500,000 range, making it an extremely "profitable" operation for al-Qaeda. <ref>[http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Exec.htm The 9/11 Commission Report]</ref>

==The suspects==

==The Suspects==

Suspicion fell on Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization almost immediately.  Known to have harbored hatred for the United States since the basing of U.S. fighters and other military personnel in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War, bin Laden has tried "To kill Americans and their allies — civilians and military — is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it," <ref>[http://awildernessvoice.com/Mohammed.html]</ref>, and often succeeding.  In four previous attacks, bin Laden's operatives  

Suspicion fell on Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization almost immediately.  Known to have harbored hatred for the United States since the basing of U.S. fighters and other military personnel in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War, bin Laden has tried "To kill Americans and their allies — civilians and military — is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it," <ref>[http://awildernessvoice.com/Mohammed.html]</ref>, and often succeeding.  In four previous attacks, bin Laden's operatives  

*killed 6 in a bomb explosion in the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993;

*killed 6 in a bomb explosion in the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993;

Following the attacks there was a strong surge of patriotism in virtually all facets of American society.  The government, being aware that the most deadly attack ever on American soil could stir up animosity against the ethnic or religious group of the perpetrators, went out of its way along with the media to separate Islam from the actions taken by its more radical adherents, referring to it at multiple times as a "religion of love".  While people of Middle Eastern decent and adherents of Islam were concerned at first, the overall effect of hostility towards these groups was barely noticeable.  Although there were literally millions of Muslims in America out of a total population of 300 million who could have sought out reprisals, in an entire year less than 500 cases of aggression of verbal hostility were reported.

Following the attacks there was a strong surge of patriotism in virtually all facets of American society.  The government, being aware that the most deadly attack ever on American soil could stir up animosity against the ethnic or religious group of the perpetrators, went out of its way along with the media to separate Islam from the actions taken by its more radical adherents, referring to it at multiple times as a "religion of love".  While people of Middle Eastern decent and adherents of Islam were concerned at first, the overall effect of hostility towards these groups was barely noticeable.  Although there were literally millions of Muslims in America out of a total population of 300 million who could have sought out reprisals, in an entire year less than 500 cases of aggression of verbal hostility were reported.

==Consequences of the Attacks on US Policy==

==Consequences of the Attacks on U.S. Policy==

===Domestic Policy===

===Domestic Policy===