Although 10 years have passed since a group of terrorists attacked the United States, the scene of suicide terrorist attacks in the United States that happened on 11 September remains vivid in the mind of the world community. Through the television screen, the world community witnessed the first plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City; but as evacuation and rescue operations were taking place, the world community again witnessed the second plane crashed into the South Tower of the WTC. At the blink of eyes, the world community witnessed the two New York City landmarks collapsing at an alarming rate.
It was just that within a short period of that few hours that the world has been changed. It was also the first time the world community suddenly realized that the super power called the United States could also become so fragile. It only took a little more than 10 terrorists to put Uncle Sam on the rush to handle the situation that followed.
Shock and Impact on People
After the 11 September terrorist attack incident, the people in the United States as well as the people in the world suddenly realize that their lives have been severely affected. The biggest change is that when people go abroad they must go to the airport at least two hours before flight time. Moreover, for those who have to go to the United States and other European countries, they have to swallow their displeasure and accept all kinds of airport security scans including going through nude video scanning and long period of body search including the searching of private body parts if warranted. Moreover, because the terrorists who launched the 11 September attacks in the United States were radical Muslims, the Muslims in the world have suffered even more discriminated treatment at these western airports.
Another phenomenon we observe is that after the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States, many countries have the tendency arrest people at every turn using the name of fighting against terrorism. Some countries have even used such an opportunity and excuse to suppress dissidents. To these countries the rule of counterterrorism is "better to catch more of the innocents than allowing the culprits to escape from punishment." In the end the price people have to pay is the erosion of basic human rights. There are just too many cases and incidents whereby we notice that the counterterrorism laws have been abused by countries.
Killing of Osama Bin Laden
The paradox is that although Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States has already been killed by the US military force and although the counter terrorism wars staged by the United States have already toppled two authoritarian regimes namely the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, but the whole world has not turned more peaceful but instead the world has become even more restless. There is no place in the world one can consider a safe place to live.
After the 11 September incident, London, Madrid, Bali, Moscow, and Mumbai have also suffered massive terrorist attacks one after another. These are prime examples of the unsafe world we now live. These examples have also reflected the reality that until today, the United States and the people in the West still have not understood the root cause of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States. They only treat violence with violence and allow more terrorist attack tragedies to continue.
Quagmire of Afghanistan and Iraq War
In addition, the retaliation action taken by the US Government in the post 11 September era has also ultimately led the United States being trapped in the quagmire of Afghanistan and Iraq war. The destruction to the United States caused by the US counterterrorism war can be said that it is even worse than the damage caused by the act of 11 September terrorist attacks.
In the United States, in addition to the restrictions on citizens' individual freedom and privacy, the huge overhead cost for the US Government to launch counterterrorism war has become one of the major factors wearing down the US economy. More importantly, the people in the United States will have to forever living under the shadow of terrorist attacks.
Chronology of 10-Year US Antiterrorism Campaign
After the 9/11 terror attacks, the United States initiated an ongoing war on terror. The following are the chronology of the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign over the past 10 years.
2001
* On October 7, the United States launched large-scale military strikes against Afghanistan as the Taliban regime refused to hand over al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden, and the Afghanistan War broke out.
* On October 26, US President George W. Bush signed the US Patriot Act into law, granting related authorities more powers for surveillance and search in the name of safeguarding American national security interests.
* On November 3, Bush issued a directive, approving the establishment of military tribunals to try foreign terrorist suspects.
2002
* On April 17, the U.S. Defense Department announced the establishment of the US Northern Command in charge of homeland defense.
* On June 12, Bush signed a presidential directive to counter biological terrorism threats, including anthrax attacks.
* On July 16, Bush officially promulgated the United States' first National Strategy for Homeland Security, requiring measures be taken to intensify homeland security to prevent terror attacks in the United States similar to the 9/11 event.
* On September 20, the Bush administration published its initial National Security Strategy, which for the first time formally proposed a "pre-emption doctrine" to combat terrorists and enemy countries.
* Bush signed an act to establish the Department of Homeland Security.
2003
* On February 14, the Bush administration unveiled the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, saying Washington would lead the fight to where the terrorists hide and take unilateral action if necessary.
* On March 20, the United States launched a war against Iraq under the pretext that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and had links with Osama Bin Laden.
2006
* On June 29, the US Supreme Court ruled that Bush did not have the power to set up military tribunals to try terrorist suspects. The US military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, suspended its operations after the ruling.
2007
* On February 6, Bush approved the establishment of the US Africa Command to coordinate such affairs as security and antiterrorism. In October, the command was officially established, with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.
2008
* On July 10, Bush signed a bill into law, allowing the government, without the permit of a court, to do eavesdropping on overseas telecommunications in the need of fighting terrorism.
2010
* On August 18, the last contingent of American military combat troops was withdrawn from Iraq, and the US seven-year-long combat operation there ended.
2011
* On May 1, the United States initiated a military raid in Pakistan that killed Osama Bin Laden.
* On June 29, the White House released the National Strategy for Counterterrorism, focusing on defeating Al-Qaida and preventing homeland security threats from domestic terrorists.
It was just that within a short period of that few hours that the world has been changed. It was also the first time the world community suddenly realized that the super power called the United States could also become so fragile. It only took a little more than 10 terrorists to put Uncle Sam on the rush to handle the situation that followed.
Shock and Impact on People
After the 11 September terrorist attack incident, the people in the United States as well as the people in the world suddenly realize that their lives have been severely affected. The biggest change is that when people go abroad they must go to the airport at least two hours before flight time. Moreover, for those who have to go to the United States and other European countries, they have to swallow their displeasure and accept all kinds of airport security scans including going through nude video scanning and long period of body search including the searching of private body parts if warranted. Moreover, because the terrorists who launched the 11 September attacks in the United States were radical Muslims, the Muslims in the world have suffered even more discriminated treatment at these western airports.
Another phenomenon we observe is that after the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States, many countries have the tendency arrest people at every turn using the name of fighting against terrorism. Some countries have even used such an opportunity and excuse to suppress dissidents. To these countries the rule of counterterrorism is "better to catch more of the innocents than allowing the culprits to escape from punishment." In the end the price people have to pay is the erosion of basic human rights. There are just too many cases and incidents whereby we notice that the counterterrorism laws have been abused by countries.
Killing of Osama Bin Laden
The paradox is that although Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States has already been killed by the US military force and although the counter terrorism wars staged by the United States have already toppled two authoritarian regimes namely the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, but the whole world has not turned more peaceful but instead the world has become even more restless. There is no place in the world one can consider a safe place to live.
After the 11 September incident, London, Madrid, Bali, Moscow, and Mumbai have also suffered massive terrorist attacks one after another. These are prime examples of the unsafe world we now live. These examples have also reflected the reality that until today, the United States and the people in the West still have not understood the root cause of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States. They only treat violence with violence and allow more terrorist attack tragedies to continue.
Quagmire of Afghanistan and Iraq War
In addition, the retaliation action taken by the US Government in the post 11 September era has also ultimately led the United States being trapped in the quagmire of Afghanistan and Iraq war. The destruction to the United States caused by the US counterterrorism war can be said that it is even worse than the damage caused by the act of 11 September terrorist attacks.
In the United States, in addition to the restrictions on citizens' individual freedom and privacy, the huge overhead cost for the US Government to launch counterterrorism war has become one of the major factors wearing down the US economy. More importantly, the people in the United States will have to forever living under the shadow of terrorist attacks.
Chronology of 10-Year US Antiterrorism Campaign
After the 9/11 terror attacks, the United States initiated an ongoing war on terror. The following are the chronology of the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign over the past 10 years.
2001
* On October 7, the United States launched large-scale military strikes against Afghanistan as the Taliban regime refused to hand over al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden, and the Afghanistan War broke out.
* On October 26, US President George W. Bush signed the US Patriot Act into law, granting related authorities more powers for surveillance and search in the name of safeguarding American national security interests.
* On November 3, Bush issued a directive, approving the establishment of military tribunals to try foreign terrorist suspects.
2002
* On April 17, the U.S. Defense Department announced the establishment of the US Northern Command in charge of homeland defense.
* On June 12, Bush signed a presidential directive to counter biological terrorism threats, including anthrax attacks.
* On July 16, Bush officially promulgated the United States' first National Strategy for Homeland Security, requiring measures be taken to intensify homeland security to prevent terror attacks in the United States similar to the 9/11 event.
* On September 20, the Bush administration published its initial National Security Strategy, which for the first time formally proposed a "pre-emption doctrine" to combat terrorists and enemy countries.
* Bush signed an act to establish the Department of Homeland Security.
2003
* On February 14, the Bush administration unveiled the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, saying Washington would lead the fight to where the terrorists hide and take unilateral action if necessary.
* On March 20, the United States launched a war against Iraq under the pretext that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and had links with Osama Bin Laden.
2006
* On June 29, the US Supreme Court ruled that Bush did not have the power to set up military tribunals to try terrorist suspects. The US military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, suspended its operations after the ruling.
2007
* On February 6, Bush approved the establishment of the US Africa Command to coordinate such affairs as security and antiterrorism. In October, the command was officially established, with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.
2008
* On July 10, Bush signed a bill into law, allowing the government, without the permit of a court, to do eavesdropping on overseas telecommunications in the need of fighting terrorism.
2010
* On August 18, the last contingent of American military combat troops was withdrawn from Iraq, and the US seven-year-long combat operation there ended.
2011
* On May 1, the United States initiated a military raid in Pakistan that killed Osama Bin Laden.
* On June 29, the White House released the National Strategy for Counterterrorism, focusing on defeating Al-Qaida and preventing homeland security threats from domestic terrorists.
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