Terrorist Attacks by Al-Qaeda Against America

September 11 Attacks
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September 11 Attacks
Introduction
The 9/11 attacks were terrorist attacks organized and conducted by Al-Qaeda against America in September 2001 (Falkenrath, 2005). The attacks occurred when 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial planes and used them to hit America (Kean & Hamilton, 2004). The terrorists crashed two flights into the World Trade Center (WTC), bringing down the twin towers (Roach, 2011). A third plane hit the Pentagon, while the fourth one struck a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after the terrorists attempted to fly it towards Washington DC. According to investigators, the terrorists targeted either the White House or the US Capitol using this plane (Silver R. C., 2004). However, this flight’s passengers made an effort to regain control, diverting the aircraft away from the terrorists’ intended target. Within two hours, WTC twin towers were reduced to rubble and a wing of the Pentagon. The headquarters of the American military partially collapsed. Almost 3,000 civilians lost their lives and thousands of others injured (Krause, 2004). Everyone in America was surprised, trying to imagine how and why organized terrorism of such magnitude took place on American soil.
Causes of the 9/11 Attacks
At the time of the attacks, President George W. Bush gave a simple reason for the attacks in America. He said, “America was targeted for attack because we are the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world, and no one will keep that light from shining” (Bergen, 2006). Bush made it clear that the time was not ripe for complicated details and lengthy explanations despite knowing that the causes of the attacks were much more complex than he kept telling the people. Contrary to Bush’s explanation, Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the Al-Qaeda and the Mastermind of the attacks, claimed responsibility for the attacks, citing three motives. They include US support for Israel and US troops in the Middle East, specifically Saudi Arabia and Iraqi Sanctions (Bergen, 2006). It is believed that these were the immediate causes of the attacks.
US Support for Israel
Israel and the Arab States had an intense war over land disputes in 1948, 1967, and 1973. (History.com). Arabs could have destroyed Israel had they won. Fear rose among the Israelis because Arab victory could have caused a massive holocaust (Dunkel, 2002). However, with US support, Arabs Israelis never lost a war and took more Arab land. Though a young Saudi Arabian by then, Osama bin Laden, became angry that the US intervention made Israel strong (bep. education). In the 1970s, Bin Laden followed some extreme Arab nationalists’ teachings and called for a violent struggle against weak Muslim leaders and infidel powers that he referred to as Islam enemies (bep. education). These included the US and Israel.
Presence of US Troops in Saudi Arabia
In August 1990, the US sent a large troop contingent to Saudi Arabia to conduct Operation Desert Shield (Bergen, 2006). This was the Gulf War led by the US against the Iraq invasion and Kuwait annexation caused by o...