The September 11 attacks were a coordinated series of suicide attacks perpetrated by the Islamic terrorist organization al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. The attacks represented a dramatic escalation in terrorist activity against American targets and prompted a major shift in U.S. foreign policy. The attacks consisted of nineteen terrorists hijacking four airliners, with one plane directed at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense located in Arlington County, Virginia.
Hijacker Hani Hanjour flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon as part of the coordinated attack sequence. This occurred on the same day as the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, where Mohamed Atta flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., and Marwan al-Shehhi flew United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. The attacks were meticulously coordinated to strike multiple symbolic and strategic targets across the United States simultaneously.
In response to the attacks, the United States launched the global war on terror, seeking to eliminate hostile groups deemed terrorist organizations and the governments purported to support them. This foreign policy agenda was conducted over the next two decades, fundamentally reshaping American military strategy, international relations, and domestic security policies. The September 11 attacks became a defining moment in early 21st-century American history, triggering widespread military interventions and significant changes to national security infrastructure.
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