Aftermath of the September 11 attacks

The aftermath of the September 11 attacks have had profound and wide-ranging political, economic, health and societal effects. They also reshaped global security policies and international relations, prompting lasting changes in how nations address terrorism and collective safety. The attacks elicited major rescue and recovery efforts in the affected areas, in particular at the World Trade Center site, which was rebuilt to include a memorial to the victims. Many of the hundreds of workers assisting in these efforts, as well as survivors and people living and working near the site, became seriously ill in the following years and decades due to exposure to toxins, which had spread throughout New York City as a result of the Twin Towers’ collapse. Mental health problems, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among ordinary citizens and first responders also increased as a result of the attacks.

Patriotism, solidarity and widespread support for first responders and the military pervaded the United States throughout the immediate aftermath of the attacks. Members of ethnic and religious minorities in the US and other Western countries, in particular Muslims, Arabs and those perceived as such, experienced a surge of hate crimes and other discriminatory actions against them and their communities. The attacks cost billions of US dollars in damage and insurance claims, caused thousands of office workers to be displaced or lose their jobs, and dealt damage to the global economy. Cultural effects include millions of dollars worth in artwork being lost at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and media being adapted to remove any possible similarities to the attacks or references to the Twin Towers in the immediate aftermath.

Having occurred early in the twenty-first century, 9/11 is considered to be a turning point in the history of the US, which was in a relatively unchallenged position in global politics since the end of the Cold War a decade earlier. George W. Bush, who became US President in January 2001, dedicated much of his presidency to retaliation against the attacks and vast counterterrorism measures, in a series of efforts he dubbed the war on terror. The US government increased military operations, economic measures, and political pressure on groups that it accused of being terrorists, as well as increasing pressure on the governments and countries it accused of sheltering them. October 2001 saw the first military action initiated by the US. Under this policy, NATO invaded Afghanistan to remove the Taliban regime (which harbored al-Qaeda) and capture al-Qaeda forces, invoking its Article 5 for the first time in its history. The US government also asserted that the Iraqi government was connected to 9/11. These efforts were started with near-universal support from Americans, but have since become the topic of strenuous debate. Critics point out that the Afghan conflict has contributed to the destabilization of neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan has undergone a long war, culminating in the return of the Taliban in 2021.