Ten Years After


By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globeupfront

We are approaching the tenth anniversary of one of the most horrific tragedies in recent memory, which shocked people world over, killing a more than thousand of Americans. It shattered their kith and kin.

It rechristened a culture of violence. No one had ever imagined sophisticated aircrafts serving as giant missiles which could pass through two symbols of American financial power – The World Trade Centers of New York. America had never witnessed barbarity at such a grand scale.

Much has changed ever since. Afghanistan and Iraq were invaded and now it has paved the way for radicalization of its citizenries, which has provoked anger across the Muslim world, and caused more terror attacks in western countries. The world also saw an end of Osama Bin Laden.

He was finally killed unarmed in an isolated compound, and dumped into international waters by US Navy Seals in Operation Geromino. His unseen corpse was American vengeance, which caused uproar in Muslim nations, as demands for his free trial were silenced even before anyone could think of.

Who has been defeated? Who has attained glory in this clash of civilisations – is it the modern or is it the conservative? This ever widening gap is a war between the two worlds which gained momentum when several Islamic movements decided on extremism, to oust away western influences and activities in their nation states. Clerics had viewed western cultural influences, as a mockery on faith, on Islamic theology, and on its political system. War activism had gained prominence. Radicalisation grew. Video footings, fire brand audio speeches and radical mosque debates, had started to get disseminated all over the Middle East. It gave reasons for the evolution of a brute civilisational war.

Organisations like al-Qaeda had spearheaded this cause against western supremacy. It all started when Bin Laden formed al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, to subdue Soviet invasion on aided American artillery. Upon its success, he then formed training camps in Sudan, to expand his business operations, and began his quest for a nuclear arsenal, which he never found. Gradually, his animosity with growing western influence in Arab territories grew, and he then glorified himself as an enemy of United States. From here, he was believed to have architected several attacks on western forces, which included bombings of US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, aids to Somalian militias, to gun down two US Black Hawk Helicopters, followed by an attack on US warship in Yemen, Casablanca suicide attacks, and Saudi bombings. 9/11 was the most celebrated attack for extremists; in all these cases, the hand of al-Qaeda was suspected. It became an inspirational institution for growing extremist organizations.

Although Bin Laden was killed, he not only succeeded in galvanising violence, but he also won a cardinal success against US - by bankrupting them. The amount of military disbursals towards wars in Iraq and Afghanistan crippled American economy, at a speculative time, when the pawns of avaricious corporate influence loomed financial operations. The massive assault on oil rich Muslim countries was a merciless political plunder, and not an example of restoring justice and integrity of any state. By air raiding and shooting innocent victims, no one could annihilate terrorism. It glorified United States state terrorism rather. On the contrary, these immoral acts had gravely outnumbered all innocent causalities, which happened on American soil.

History bears witness that America has tried to overthrow fifty three governments, throughout its history. The first 9/11, infact, was carried out by Americans, in 1973, during the Nixon regime, when United States succeeded in staging a successful coup in overthrowing a democratically elected government of Salvador Allende in Chile. United States, without a doubt, has done military aggression in almost every Latin American country, supported hideous regimes in countries like Turkey, Israel, West Papua and East Timor. Iraq and Afghanistan are only recent tallies. The policies of vicious invasions by United States aren’t new to this world; rather these illegal wars are a product of their gradual intolerance against humanity.

The second 9/11, a condemnable act of vengeance, came twenty eight years later, where United States was the oppressed and not the oppressor. It gave a reminder to this superpower for its inflated pride in neo imperial futility- it was an angry answer of radical outfits who believed ‘USA influence’ in their lands was an attack on Islam.

9/11 tragedy has also invoked a debate on whether the institutions or individuals other than perpetrators had any knowledge about the occurrence, and whether they could have made any substantive actions to prevent them. Some theories and facts have appeared, including details about a classified military intelligence program known as "Able Danger," which was created in October 1999, to target al Qaeda, where Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer and Congressman, Curt Weldon charged before the Senate Judiciary Committee that “Able Danger” had identified Mohammad Atta, and three of the other hijackers, prior to attacks.

The 9/11 Commission had also compiled reports which suggested that Islamic extremists had given plentiful warnings to US about the attacks. Director of Central Intelligence, George Tenet had cautioned the administration about “something very, very, very big.” The Times had also revealed some insider trading activity by stating several insurance companies and airlines who had sold off their shares before the attack, in many countries including US.

We should increase the zeal for justice, no matter who does it, no matter who says it. If justice prevails, that’s the biggest triumph. These major acts of violence have changed the world, and destroyed nations. We should put a firm faith in our belief system, in stating that if any act of violence targeting innocent civilians is done, it should be condemned and brought to the book, and not justified at any cost. We should commiserate this day as a fruitful retrospection, for attaining moral elevation, to free our world from conflicts, tyranny and subjugation.

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