On this day 25 years ago, one of the most relevant events of the 21st century took place. The United States suffered a terrorist attack that shocked the world due to its severity and catastrophic consequences.
On September 11, 2001, a commando of Islamist terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners that they used to crash into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, while the fourth of the planes crashed in a rural area of Pennsylvania after the passengers confronted the terrorists.
The attack marked an era and set a precedent never seen before. Behind it was the terrorist group Al Qaeda, a transnational jihadist organization founded in the late 1980s led by Osama bin Laden.
It was the first time the United States had suffered an attack since the Imperial Japanese Navy’s bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II. The event was broadcast for hours, and showed the world how the lives of thousands of people were disappearing.
The impact of the three planes against the towers and the Pentagon, as well as the crash of a fourth hijacked plane in Pennsylvania left 2,977 dead. However, in subsequent years, 4,600 more deaths could be confirmed due to physical or mental illnesses related to the attacks.
The years after the attack
After the terrorist attack in New York, the United States began a persecution against the terrorist group with the aim of ending its activity suddenly. George W. Bush declared war on terrorism, leading to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
However, the North American country broke with the precepts of International Law by putting forward its two declarations of principles: protecting its population and preserving its supremacy as a world power.
Finally, the United States ended the life of the Al Qaeda leader. It was in 2011 when Bin Laden was killed in a military operation in Pakistan. Despite this, the death of the terrorist leader did not mark the end of hostilities.
And according to the Costs of War Project of the American Brown University, the total number of deaths due to the war against terrorism amounts to 4.5 million people.
An intelligence failure
The terrorist attack of September 11 had consequences that went beyond the economic and social. And the attack showed a blatant failure by the US intelligence services.
Both the CIA and the FBI had information that, if shared properly, could have prevented what happened. The 9/11 Commission’s subsequent report placed responsibility on the U.S. government, pointing to “failures of imagination, policy, capabilities, and management.”
The report concluded that the CIA and FBI failed to properly evaluate intelligence information, did not share it with each other, and did not take sufficient steps to thwart the plot.
25 years of an attack on the integrity of the West
Today, September 25, 2025, marks the 25th anniversary of a catastrophic event. An event that marked the lives of millions of people and that introduced a new real problem in society: Islamic terrorism.
To this day, every September 11, that fateful moment is remembered and a tribute is paid to all the victims of the attack. On Wednesday night, on the eve of the anniversary, New York paid tribute to the victims of the attacks with a large lighting tribute where 2,977 drones were deployed to recreate the silhouette of the Twin Towers.
Meanwhile, in Spain, King Felipe VI will attend the 25th anniversary commemoration events this Friday at the Rota Naval Base. The event will take place at 11:00 a.m. and at the event, Spanish and American soldiers will pay tribute to the victims.
The Rota Naval Base traditionally commemorates the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001 through solemn acts of tribute organized jointly by military personnel of the Spanish Navy and the United States Armed Forces stationed in the area.
