Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, one question remains difficult to answer: Has the world truly become a more peaceful place since that terrible day?
On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists carried out a coordinated attack on American soil under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. Four commercial airliners were hijacked and deliberately used as weapons against major American targets. The attacks killed 2,977 victims, excluding the 19 hijackers, and injured thousands of others. The FBI describes the attacks as among the most lethal terrorist attacks in history.
Three of the four aircraft reached their intended targets. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, while United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. The fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempted to regain control of the plane.
The operation was not spontaneous. It was meticulously planned by al-Qaeda, with the hijackers trained and prepared for the mission over an extended period. The 9/11 Commission documented how al-Qaeda leadership selected the so-called “muscle hijackers” to overpower passengers and crew while the pilots took control of the aircraft.
The 19 hijackers came from four countries: 15 were Saudi Arabian nationals, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was Egyptian and one was Lebanese. According to the FBI, the oldest was 33, while the others were between 20 and 29 years old.
The Four Flights and Their Hijackers
American Airlines Flight 11 — North Tower, World Trade Center
- Mohamed Atta — pilot
- Abdulaziz al-Omari
- Wail al-Shehri
- Waleed al-Shehri
- Satam al-Suqami
United Airlines Flight 175 — South Tower, World Trade Center
- Marwan al-Shehhi — pilot
- Fayez Banihammad
- Mohand al-Shehri
- Hamza al-Ghamdi
- Ahmed al-Ghamdi
American Airlines Flight 77 — Pentagon
- Hani Hanjour — pilot
- Khalid al-Mihdhar
- Majed Moqed
- Nawaf al-Hazmi
- Salem al-Hazmi
United Airlines Flight 93 — Shanksville, Pennsylvania
- Ziad Jarrah — pilot
- Ahmed al-Haznawi
- Ahmed al-Nami
- Saeed al-Ghamdi
The FBI states that all 19 hijackers were trained by al-Qaeda. Three of the suspected pilots—Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah—were associated with an al-Qaeda cell based in Hamburg, Germany, and all four pilots received flying lessons in the United States.
The attacks fundamentally transformed global security. Airport security, intelligence-sharing, counterterrorism operations, immigration procedures and international cooperation changed dramatically. The FBI itself underwent major changes, with terrorism prevention becoming a central national-security priority.
Osama bin Laden remained a central target of the international campaign against al-Qaeda for years. He was eventually located in Pakistan and killed by U.S. special operations forces on May 2, 2011, nearly a decade after 9/11.
But 25 years later, the bigger question goes beyond the destruction of the World Trade Center.
Did humanity actually become more peaceful?
The world responded to 9/11 with wars, counterterrorism campaigns, tighter security and an enormous expansion of international efforts against violent extremism. Yet terrorism, armed conflicts, radicalisation and political violence did not disappear.
At the same time, it is important not to confuse violent jihadist organisations with Muslims generally. The 9/11 attacks were committed by al-Qaeda, a terrorist organisation, and its ideology does not represent the world's hundreds of millions of Muslims.
Twenty-five years later, perhaps the greatest lesson of 9/11 is that defeating terrorism requires more than military force. It requires preventing radicalisation, protecting innocent people, strengthening responsible institutions, confronting extremist propaganda and preserving peaceful coexistence.
The world has changed enormously since September 11, 2001.
But whether it has become more peaceful remains a question history is still answering.
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