The towers of the World Trade Center pour smoke shortly after being struck by two hijacked commercial airplanes in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. Getty Images
The towers of the World Trade Center pour smoke shortly after being struck by two hijacked commercial airplanes in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. Getty Images

2001 - The 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda

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Updated 19 April 2025
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2001 - The 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda

2001 - The 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda
  • The horror that unfolded live on TV led to the ‘war on terror’ that defined our era 

LONDON: The enormity of the events that unfolded in New York on that late-summer Tuesday in 2001 can be measured by the fact that few of the millions who witnessed the horror unfolding live on news broadcasts around the world will ever forget where they were that day. 

I was in the small port of Playa de San Juan on the Spanish island of Tenerife, making last-minute adjustments to the 7.5-meter boat in which I was about to set out in a rowing race across the Atlantic to the Caribbean island of Barbados. 

It was a beautiful day, with the sunlight shimmering on the surface of the gently undulating ocean. Ignorant of the events unfolding at that very moment 5,000 kilometers away across the Atlantic, I was strolling along the picturesque waterfront, heading back to my rented apartment from the small fishing harbor where the race fleet had been assembled, when a shout from one of the other rowers cut into my thoughts. 

He was standing on the other side of the road, in the doorway of a small restaurant that had become our unofficial race headquarters. He called me across and I went inside, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness. The bar was unusually busy for the time of day but no one was sitting at the tables. Instead they were standing, grouped in a semi-circle, staring up in near-silence at a TV suspended above the bar. 

It took a few moments to make sense of what I was seeing. There on the screen were the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the establishing shot familiar to anyone who had ever seen a movie set in New York. Unfamiliar, though, was the sight of smoke billowing out of both towers. The image was difficult to comprehend. Could both buildings possibly have caught fire at the same time? 

How we wrote it




Arab News’ multi-page coverage captured the devastation of 9/11, a tragedy that reshaped the world.

Then came the replay of the second strike, as United Airlines Flight 175 flew into the second, South Tower, slicing through the structure as though it were made of paper and disintegrating in a ball of orange flame, instantly destroying all hope that New York was in the grip of some kind of terrible but accidental calamity. 

Over the next few hours and days in Playa de San Juan, there was much discussion about whether it would be appropriate for the race, which all of us recognized to be an essentially frivolous exercise, to go ahead in the shadow of the disaster. 

Some of the rowers, including my teammate, argued for it to be scrapped. In the end, the race went ahead but my teammate’s heart was not in it, and after a week at sea he dropped out and boarded one of the two yachts shadowing the fleet as rescue boats. 

Others, including me, subscribed to the “if we change our way of life the terrorists will have won” argument, although to be honest my motive for pressing on was much more personal and selfish. 

I had trained insanely hard and had taken a leave of absence from my job as a journalist at The Times in London to take part in this race, in a boat I had spent the best part of a year building myself. To not go ahead was unthinkable. 

Key Dates

  • 1

    CIA’s daily presidential briefing, headlined “Bin Laden determined to strike in US,” warns of “suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings.”

  • 2

    American Airlines Flight 11 hits North Tower at 8:46 a.m.; United Airlines Flight 175 hits South Tower at 9:03 a.m.; American Airlines Flight 77 hits Pentagon at 9:37 a.m.; United Airlines Flight 93 crashes near Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m.

    Timeline Image Sept. 11, 2001

  • 3

    US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announces Operation Enduring Freedom, the imminent invasion of Afghanistan and the beginning of the “War on terror.”

    Timeline Image Sept. 25, 2001

  • 4

    Saudi Arabia cuts diplomatic ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

  • 5

    FBI identifies all 19 hijackers: 15 Saudis, two Emiratis, one Lebanese and their leader, Mohammed Atta, from Egypt.

  • 6

    America attacks Afghanistan to overthrow Taliban and dislodge Al-Qaeda.

    Timeline Image Oct. 7, 2001

  • 7

    Taliban insurgency begins in Afghanistan.

  • 8

    US-led coalition invades Iraq.

    Timeline Image March 19, 2003

  • 9

    Bin Laden admits responsibility for attacks.

  • 10

    US Navy SEALs kill Bin Laden in his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

    Timeline Image May 2, 2011

  • 11

    9/11 memorial completed at site of Twin Towers.

  • 12

    The US withdraws all remaining forces from Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war and effectively paving the way for the Taliban to re-establish control over the country.

In the end, most of us looked for moral guidance to the two Americans crewing the only US boat in the race, and they had no intention of backing out. 

In the days after the attacks, the US government told its citizens abroad to keep a low profile, advice to which one of the oarsmen, a native New Yorker, responded by going nowhere without the Stars and Stripes wrapped proudly around his shoulders. 

In the end, the race started as planned on Oct. 7, 2001. That same day, seemingly striking out in a blind rage, America attacked Afghanistan. The 9/11 attacks, Washington had concluded, were carried out by members of Al-Qaeda, a terror organization that was being sheltered by the Taliban, which had been in control of much of Afghanistan since 1996. 

Alone at sea, my mind was filled with the horrors that had unfolded, from the sight of trapped occupants of the Twin Towers, unable to face the fury of the flames, jumping to their deaths, to thoughts of the dreadful last minutes of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93, struggling desperately to overcome the hijackers before their aircraft was flown into the ground near Stonycreek Township in Pennsylvania. 

Night after night, I lay flat out on the deck of the boat, exhausted after a day at the oars, gazing at the astonishing panoply of stars and wondering which of the aircraft I could see tracking west to east across the heavens was bearing America’s instruments of revenge. 




A man stands in the rubble, and calls out asking if anyone needs help, after the collapse of the first of the twin towers of the World Trade Center Tower in lower Manhattan, New York on September 11, 2001. AFP

When atmospherics allowed, I tuned into the Voice of America on the shortwave radio, and listened as the US launched its “war on terror” and the world slipped steadily toward a disaster that ultimately would cost many more lives than the approximately 3,000 lost on 9/11. 

Having ousted the Taliban government, the authority of which had been recognized by a number of countries, the US and its replacement Afghan Interim Administration found themselves facing a Taliban reborn as an insurgency. 

America had embarked on what would become the longest war in its history. That “forever war,” as President Joe Biden called it, lasted 20 years, only ending on Aug. 30, 2021, with the withdrawal of all remaining US forces in a deal that put the Taliban back in power. 

That entirely futile, 20-year circular excursion cost the lives of more than 7,300 US and allied troops and contractors, and 170,000 Afghan military, police, civilians and opposition fighters. More than 67,000 people in Pakistan also lost their lives. 

As for Osama bin Laden, the man who masterminded the attacks, he narrowly escaped US ground troops in Afghanistan in December 2001, and remained at large for almost a decade before American special forces found and killed him at his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May 2011. 




Former US President George W. Bush, aboard Air Force One, speaks with New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki about the two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center and the one that hit the Pentagon. AFP

In the meantime, as another part of the “war on terror” announced by President George W. Bush in September 2001, a coalition of US-led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, on the pretext that dictator Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. 

He did not. But the fallout from 9/11 settled over Iraq and the wider region like a black cloud of ash, smothering its economy, costing thousands of additional lives and, arguably, unleashing Al-Qaeda-allied Daesh and its ruinous bid to establish an extremist “caliphate” across vast tracts of the Middle East. 

It was only after my feet finally touched dry land again that I realized the full extent of how the events of 9/11 had altered the world and, crucially, the dynamic between West and East. To my surprise — not to say dismay — my only son had joined the UK’s Royal Marines, and in early 2003 he left for Kuwait prior to the invasion of Iraq. 

That spring, I spent many weeks huddled once again around a TV set, keeping my phone close and hoping not to receive the news that would devastate so many families, West and East, that year and for many more to come. 

Mercifully, my son survived. Not all of his companions did. After 9/11, nobody’s world would ever be quite the same again. 

  • Jonathan Gornall is a British journalist, formerly with The Times, who has lived and worked in the Middle East and is now based in the UK.  

 


Immersive ‘Diriyah experience’ to open in London’s Knightsbridge

Immersive ‘Diriyah experience’ to open in London’s Knightsbridge
Updated 11 min 49 sec ago
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Immersive ‘Diriyah experience’ to open in London’s Knightsbridge

Immersive ‘Diriyah experience’ to open in London’s Knightsbridge
  • Diriyah Experience House, at One Hyde Park, will feature the project masterplan for the city
  • Jerry Inzerillo: We are thrilled to launch the Diriyah Experience House in the heart of London

JEDDAH: A pavilion hoping to attract investment in the development of historic Diriyah will open in London’s prestigious Knightsbridge borough next month.

The Diriyah Experience House, at One Hyde Park, will feature the project masterplan for the city, which is projected to welcome more than 50 million visitors annually by 2030. Interactive content will allow visitors to explore the scheme in more detail.

Jerry Inzerillo, group CEO of Diriyah Company, said: “We are thrilled to launch the Diriyah Experience House in the heart of London. Through this global platform, our team will share the story of Diriyah in a way that reflects its stature on the world stage — supporting our international outreach as we build one of the world’s most iconic destinations rooted in the Kingdom’s deep history and rich cultural heritage.”

The pavilion is set to have its official opening in early July, in collaboration with Sotheby’s International Realty, which will operate the venue.

It follows a successful month-long event held in London in July 2024, which highlighted the plans for Diriyah and was accompanied by an intensive promotional campaign across the British capital.

The efforts aim to elevate Diriyah’s global profile as the birthplace of Saudi Arabia and attract increased international interest in its investment potential.

Diriyah Art Futures also recently concluded “The Light Footprint” exhibition at Venice’s Querini Stampalia Foundation. Held in collaboration with Italian architecture firm Schiattarella Associati, it coincided with the opening of the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2025.

Curated by Marta Francocci, the exhibition explored the design and conceptual development of DAF’s innovative Riyadh headquarters, an architectural landmark inspired by Najdi tradition and sustainable design. It highlighted the fusion of cultural heritage with technological advancement through models, sketches, videos and archive materials.

Developed by the Saudi Museums Commission, DAF is envisioned as a global hub for art, science and education. “The Light Footprint” was also featured in the collective exhibition, “Intelligens Naturale, Artificiale,” curated by Carlo Ratti as part of the biennale’s official program.


’Nobody knows’: Trump won’t say whether he will move forward with US strikes on Iran

’Nobody knows’: Trump won’t say whether he will move forward with US strikes on Iran
Updated 11 min 33 sec ago
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’Nobody knows’: Trump won’t say whether he will move forward with US strikes on Iran

’Nobody knows’: Trump won’t say whether he will move forward with US strikes on Iran
  • Trump said: “I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do”
  • Trump added that it’s not “too late” for Iran to give up its nuclear program

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump would not say Wednesday whether he has decided to order a US strike on Iran, a move that Tehran warned anew would be greeted with stiff retaliation if it happens.

“I may do it, I may not do it,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters at the White House . “I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

Trump added that it’s not “too late” for Iran to give up its nuclear program as he continues to weigh direct US involvement in Israel’s military operations aimed at crushing Tehran’s nuclear program.

“Nothing’s too late,” Trump said. “I can tell you this. Iran’s got a lot of trouble.”

“Nothing is finished until it is finished,” Trump added. But “the next week is going to be very big— maybe less than a week.”

Trump also offered a terse response to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s refusal to heed to his call for Iran to submit to an unconditional surrender.

“I say good luck,” Trump said.

Khamenei earlier Wednesday warned that any United States strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them” and that his country would not bow to Trump’s call for surrender.

Trump said Tuesday the US knows where Iran’s Khamenei is hiding as the the Israel-Iran conflict escalates but doesn’t want him killed — “for now.”

“He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump said.

Trump’s increasingly muscular comments toward the Iranian government come after he urged Tehran’s 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his participation in an international summit earlier this week to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team.

Trump said that the Iranian officials continue to reach out to the White House as they’re “getting the hell beaten out of them” by Israel. But he added there’s a “big difference between now and a week ago” in Tehran’s negotiating position.

“They’ve suggested that they come to the White House— that’s, you know, courageous,” Trump said.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations refuted Trump’s claim in a statement on social media. “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to ‘take out’ Iran’s Supreme Leader. ”

The US president said earlier this week Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to serve a mediator with. But Trump said he told Putin to keep focused on finding an endgame to his own conflict with Ukraine.

“I said, ‘Do me a favor, mediate your own,’” Trump said he told Putin. “I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later.’”

The Russia-Iran relationship has deepened since Putin launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022, with Tehran providing Moscow with drones, ballistic missiles, and other support, according to US intelligence findings.


Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative ‘outrageous’: UN probe chief

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative ‘outrageous’: UN probe chief
Updated 18 min 59 sec ago
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Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative ‘outrageous’: UN probe chief

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative ‘outrageous’: UN probe chief
  • GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine
  • UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives

GENEVA: The use of the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to distribute food in the Palestinian territory is “outrageous,” the head of a UN inquiry said Wednesday.
Navi Pillay, who chairs the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Israel and the Palestinian territories, joined a growing chorus of criticism of the GHF’s operations, and cited its US links.
“In every war, the siege and starvation surely leads to death,” the former UN rights chief told journalists.
“But this initiative of what’s called a foundation, a private foundation, to supply food, is what I see as outrageous, because it involves the United States itself, the government, and it turns out, as we watch daily, that people who go to those centers are being killed as they seek food.”
An officially private effort with opaque funding, GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.
The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach GHF distribution points.
Pillay said the commission would “have to look into... the policy purpose and how it’s being effected.
“We have to spell out what is the motive of, right now, the killing of people who are coming for humanitarian aid from this so-called foundation — and that lives are being lost just in trying to secure food for their children.”
Unprecedented in its open-ended scope, the three-person Commission of Inquiry was established by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021 to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
South African former High Court judge Pillay, 83, served as a judge on the International Criminal Court and presided over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
On Tuesday she presented the commission’s latest report to the Human Rights Council.
It said Israel had attacked Gaza’s schools, religious and cultural sites as part of a “widespread and systematic” assault on the civilian population, in which Israeli forces have committed “war crimes” and “the crime against humanity of extermination.”
Israel does not cooperate with the investigation and has long accused it of “systematic anti-Israel discrimination.”


German minister to Iran: never too late to negotiate

German minister to Iran: never too late to negotiate
Updated 44 min 34 sec ago
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German minister to Iran: never too late to negotiate

German minister to Iran: never too late to negotiate
  • “It is never too late to come to the negotiating table if one comes with sincere intentions,” Johann Wadephul said
  • Wadephul said Israel’s fear that Iran would develop nuclear weapons was justified

BERLIN: Germany’s foreign minister appealed to Iran’s leaders to make credible assurances that it is not seeking a nuclear weapon and to show it is willing to find a negotiated solution as fears mount of further military escalation between Iran and Israel.

“We are still ready to negotiate a solution. However, Iran must act urgently ... it is never too late to come to the negotiating table if one comes with sincere intentions,” Johann Wadephul said at a news conference with his Jordanian counterpart on Wednesday.

Wadephul said Israel’s fear that Iran would develop nuclear weapons was justified and it had a right to self-defense.

“The Israeli decision to do something against this threat is comprehensible,” he said, adding civilian deaths on both sides were regrettable after air attacks between Iran and Israel.

His ministry was arranging special flights later on Wednesday and on Thursday to each repatriate about 180 German citizens via Amman, he said.

Wadephul also said Germany had agreed to create an economic council with Syria to improve cooperation and boost prosperity and stability there.


Saudi and Bahraini military chiefs discuss efforts to fight terrorism

Saudi and Bahraini military chiefs discuss efforts to fight terrorism
Updated 32 min 12 sec ago
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Saudi and Bahraini military chiefs discuss efforts to fight terrorism

Saudi and Bahraini military chiefs discuss efforts to fight terrorism
  • Review recent work and achievements of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, including its strategic initiatives and regional programs

RIYADH: During a meeting in Manama on Wednesday, the secretary-general of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Moghedi from Saudi Arabia, and the chief of staff of the Bahrain Defence Force, Lt. Gen. Theyab Al-Nuaimi, reviewed the coalition’s recent work and achievements.

In particular, they looked at its strategic initiatives and regional programs in various locations including the African Sahel region, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

They discussed Saudi Arabia’s flagship training program for specialized counterterrorism operatives in more than 27 member states, the funding mechanisms employed by those states to support the work of the coalition, and operational strategies for implementing its mission.

Al-Moghedi and Al-Nuaimi emphasized the importance of joint action and stronger coordination among coalition member states, and the enhancement of capabilities in key operational areas, including: efforts to counter intellectual extremism; strategic media; tackling the financing of terrorism; and military operations.

They reiterated a shared commitment to deeper cooperation, unified efforts, and enhanced coordination to combat terrorism.