9/11 and After: Long wars and shadows even longer
Following the 2001 attacks on US soil, world affairs reordered abruptly; it fuelled a 20-year abroad and sparked anti-immigrant sentiment, primarily directed at Muslim countries
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The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States 20 years ago precipitated profound changes in America and the world. The coordinated attacks – on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan and the Pentagon – resulted in 2,977 fatalities and over 25,000 injuries. AP
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In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the United States formally responded by launching the War on Terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban. AP
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Under the Bush administration, the US invaded Iraq with allies, citing “Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism”. At the time, as many as seven in 10 Americans believed the Iraqi president had played a role in the 9/11 attacks. In April 2003, the statue of Hussein in Firdos Square marked the symbolic end the Battle of Baghdad. AP
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In March 2004, 10 explosions occurred aboard four commuter trains during thepeak of Madrid rush hour, killing more than killed more than 170 people and hurting more than 500 in what is now known as Spain’s worst terrorist attack ever. An Al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for the attacks and said the bombings were a reaction to Spain’s involvement in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. AP
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Since September 11, 2001, many Sikhs have been mistaken for Muslims and have become targets. As a result, they have been at the forefront of civil rights advocacy against religious and racial profiling. AP
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US troops achieved the impossible on May 2, 2011 when they raided Osama bin Laden, who was responsible for the 2001 attacks, and kiled him. The news of his death led to celebrations in the US. AP
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The attacks also sparked an anti-immigrant sentiment, primarily directed at Muslim countries, that lingers even today. In 2016, German right-wing demonstrators, agitating against the surge of migrants in Germany, held huge protests in Cologne. AP
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With the death of Osama bin Laden, most thought terrorism was waning. However, the Islamic State rose to prominence in 2014 when it drove Iraqi security forces out of key cities in its Western Iraq offensive, followed by its capture of Mosul and the Sinjar massacre. AP
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Hate crimes and police brutality against Blacks came to the front in 2020 in the US after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His death gave a boost to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and led to awareness of race bias in the US. AP
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Life has come full circle for the US. In 2021, the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, following the US troop withdrawal. AP
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