Important Events of the 2000s: 9/11

On September 11, 2001, a series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks were committed by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda against targets in the U.S.  These were the deadliest attacks on American soil in US history.  The attacks against New York City and Washington, DC caused much destruction.  In addition, 2750 people were killed in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon, and 40 in Pennsylvania.  All 19 of the terrorists died.  In addition, a large number of policemen and firemen were killed in the rescue efforts.
The 9/11 attacks were a response by Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, who believed that the US was weak.  The plot demonstrated that al-Qaeda was an organization with a global reach, as the planning for the attacks occurred in various places all over the world.
The 9/11 attacks caused overwhelming emotional distress across the US, but especially in New York City.  Economically, the world markets were shaken and the stock market was closed to trading for several days after the attacks to prevent a panic.  In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed a commission to look into the attacks.  The findings showed that the key failure prior to the attacks was the CIA missing two names of potential terrorists, which should have been added to the State Department's "Watch List".  In addition, it was found that the FBI had mishandled a case involving a French citizen who had received money from the 9/11 coordinators.

September 11 attacks: second plane approaching tower. [Photograph]. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/70927/Hijacked-airliner-approaching-the-south-tower-of-the-World-Trade