9/11: Still Shocking Nearly a Decade Later

Nearly a decade has passed, but people still feel shock at the mention of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Shock because nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost. Shock because of the bold and daring nature of those who caused the incident. And shock at the thought of its related implication: the war the world’s most powerful country waged against terrorism that to this date has not concluded.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks pulled the United States into wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and a huge amount of money has been spent fighting terrorism on a global scale. More than 40 countries around the world have been drawn into the war the Bush administration launched in 2001. The number of people who die in the name of the war against terrorism is probably much higher than the number who died in the terrorist attacks in 2001.

In theory, the war in Iraq ended on August 31, 2010, when the last U.S. combat forces left the territory of this Gulf nation. But in reality, the war in Iraq is far from a real ending because U.S. forces still continue to maintain a presence there. Iraq is far from capable of maintaining its own security. Political instability and civil war are dangers for this country. The pains and sorrows that the people of Afghanistan and Iraq — and even the United States — have endured demonstrate a truth: War is never a peaceful solution.

America, 9 years after the most horrific terrorist attack in its history, still carefully monitors all activities and operates at a highly alert level. Meanwhile, on Sept. 10, 2010, President Barack Obama has called for religious tolerance, reminding Americans that most Muslims are peace-loving people. He stressed that all Americans must remember that the United States is the enemy of the al-Qaida international terrorist network and other extremist groups and not the Muslim world. He advised every American to not be excited and divided by fear.

Obama’s arguments were made fundamentally clear after a pastor in Florida announced his plan to burn Qurans on Sept. 11, the date that commemorates the terrorist attacks on America in 2001. World public opinion has expressed deep concern at this plan because the response to a significant condemned action like the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States cannot be hatred. That is more like a type of declared war on the Muslim world.

So, besides achieving war objectives outside its borders, the United States also needs to be very careful of the extreme activities inside its borders. Because what is happening inside the Untied States (for example, the plan to burn the Quran mentioned above) is likely to trigger conflicts for new wars in the future.