Today marks the 15th anniversary of 9/11 attacks, a tragedy that sent shock waves across the globe and marked a new era that is known as post 9/11 world. On September 11, 2001, four US commercial airplanes were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York city and Pentagon in Washington, killing nearly 3,000 people and maiming thousands. This was an alleged terrorist attack reportedly carried by Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist organisation called Al Qaeda as a response to the aggressive foreign policy of the US. The aftermath of 9/11 attacks changed the way much of the liberal, western world looked at middle east and Asian countries as airport security arrangements got tightened, visa and immigration laws were altered and US ended up invading two countries.
A lot has been written and debated about the attacks and whether the response of US in the name of ‘war on terror’ was justified. Today, the internet is brimming with conspiracy theory blogs and videos where the claim of US that Al Qaeda carried 9/11 attacks has been disputed and not surprisingly, the theory has many takers.
Not much has changed in these 15 years, as Afghanistan and Iraq are still struggling with the after effects of 9/11 and Islamic State has resurrected from the ashes of US-Iraq war.
15 years later, all we can say is that much blood has flown underneath the bridge and the time has come for the wounds to heal; both in New York and Baghdad.
