When the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001 the world was to change drastically. The World Trade Center and the Pentagon were hit by aircraft and in a symbolic action symbolized an attack on synecdoche of US power. The reasons for this event were much more complex than presented by US leaders. US involvement in Afghanistan during the Cold War, support for authoritarian regimes, and a Middle East policy that favors Israel no matter what abuses its guilty of contributed to the attacks. There is also the simultaneous problem of religious fanaticism opposing modernism. The terrorist attacks were to be used as a justification for America's growing aggressive foreign policy. Fifteen years have past and American citizens believe that military intervention is the only solution to international crisis. The reaction to the terrorist attacks resulted in the development of two hostile rival systems. The US-EU block and the China-Russia block are in a sense engaging in wars of proxy. It becomes more evident when examining the Syrian Civil War. The US claims to support moderate opposition, when none exist. Russia supports the legitimate government of Bashar Al-Assad. This is an attempt to fight ISIS in both Syria and Iraq. Both US and Russian troops are becoming more entrenched in the region. The 9/11 attacks brought war, intolerance, and the reduction of civil liberties. Americans constantly express how tragic the attacks were, but are not concerned about the devastation to West Asia and Southwest Asia from aggressive war. The American lives are minimal compared to the deaths the US inflicted in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and the tribal areas of Pakistan. Anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia have increased to astronomical levels in France, the UK, Germany, Italy, and most of the European continent. Migration has caused the EU to weaken and has become a humanitarian crisis. Other nations are becoming trepid after seeing what the United States did to Iraq. These problems will only get worse as long as there is no change in foreign policy.
The major shift in US foreign policy was that it embarked on nation building projects. This would have lethal consequences across the world. After the attacks, the US government demanded that Osama Bin Laden be handed over by the Taliban regime. Strangely enough, the Taliban was willing to extradite Bin Laden as long as evidence was provided that he was responsible for the terrorist attacks. There was no evidence directly linking Osama Bin Laden to the 9/11 attacks. Vice President Dick Cheney even admitted none had ever been compiled. These attacks were an opportunity for the United States to impose its will upon the world. The disguised humanitarian mission in Afghanistan was about having geopolitical dominance. One of the reasons the US does not want to leave Afghanistan is because control of the Eurasian landmass is pivotal to being a global hegemon. Central Asia has an abundance of natural gas reserves and is a gateway to Europe, the Middle East, the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, and Southwest Asia. Having control of this region and resources would make a nation-state immensely powerful. The problem for the United States in this neoconservative vision of dominance is Russia and China. The US then set about deposing the Taliban having no concern for the destabilization that would occur in Pakistan . Al-qaeda was presented as a large organization that functioned like arms of an octopus and under complete control of Osama Bin Laden. This terrorist organization was only active in Afghanistan and was losing influence by the time of the invasion. Bin laden was at one point in Sudan till he was expelled by Omar Al-Bashir's government. Radical political Islamism was not seeing success in Algeria, Egypt, or in the Arabian Gulf. Bin Laden may have realized even though he was not the mastermind in the attacks, he could use it to rejuvenate a declining movement. The United States and NATO then pushed further into Afghanistan establishing a puppet government under the direction of Hamid Karzi. Democracy has not developed there and probably never will, because it is a governance system that Afghans did not choose themselves. Iraq, which had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks was then presented as a state sponsor of terror. George W. Bush stated in his State of the Union Address in 2002 that Iraq, along with Iran as well as North Korea "constituted an axis of evil." The US had been destroying Iraq with sanctions for twelve years and now in a weakened state wanted to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The Iraq invasion was not about liberating people from a tyrant, but served specific purposes. The United States ever since the oil embargo has been concerned about that resource.It wants to in an avaricious manner control the world's oil reserves. China's consumption has increased as well which means the US will be in an indirect conflict with that nation. The invasion of Iraq was also designed to scare other nation across the world. The blatantly vicious threat and message was if you resist the United States you will face annihilation. Iraq and Afghanistan continued to go on a downward spiral even wit the Obama administration. Every nation is not compatible with liberal democracy. Both the Democratic and Republican Party embrace an aggressive American exceptionalism. Nation building projects continue in Libya and Yemen, but in Syria they have met serious resistance. The United States did not calculate Russia would respond in Syria. Vexed that the US interfered with Ukraine, Syria was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that US power had limits. The United States continues to threaten the peace against states that are not even involved with terrorism. China is being threatened by the Asia pivot. Sudan and Zimbabwe are under US sanctions. The 9/11 attacks were used to justify US invasion globally. Permanent warfare is now an official US foreign policy.
The aftermath of the 9/11 attacks was that Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism spread internationally. The United States although it preaches religious freedom, has never been tolerant toward non-Christians. The Republican Party has tapped into xenophobia and anti-Arab racism and during the early 2000s it won them electoral victories. Muslims have their loyalty and patriotism questioned constantly. Hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims has increased. Europe has more extreme cases. Germany, France, Spain, and the UK have witnessed an increase in Islamophobia. The argument made is that critics do not hate the religion, but hate what they refer to radical Islam. This term is sometimes interchanged with Islamic extremists. The actual term is radical political Islamism, which is a theocratic political ideology, not a theological religious philosophy. Using an incorrect or nebulous term is a way to lump all Muslims together and present them as a sinister group . Conservatives compare Muslims in both Europe and America as a death cult. This fear and hate for a particular religion also masks a more vile form of hatred. While all Muslims are not Arabs, the disdain for the religion can mask racism against Arabs. Criticizing a religion is not an act of hate, but in this instance it is designed to target a group of non-white people. President George W. Bush called the War on Terror a battle between the civilized and uncivilized world. This rhetoric used was designed to instigate hatred for the Arab nations. It casts the Arab as a violent killer who lives to destroy the United States. This type of language used is that of a colonizer attempting to subjugate a population. Dehumanizing a group make it easier for the conqueror to murder and enslave. The West has used the excuse it was more civilized to inflict harm upon the peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Iraq was attacked not just because it had resources the US wanted; it was an Arab nation and from the perspective of a white male Christian naturally evil. The concept that all West and Southwest Asians are the embodiment of evil had led to numerous human rights abuses. Drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Afghanistan have killed more civilians than terrorists. The United States has no concern for the innocent people it kills in these nations, because they are non-whites. Even with the first African American president, white supremacy in US foreign policy can still function. President Obama promised a new phase of reaching out to the Arab and Muslim world during his first term. This ended with the Arab Spring, when a string of regime changes occurred across North Africa and the Middle East. Instead President Obama has embarked on a policy of intervention on a multilateral level. His predecessor favored a unilateral approach in regards to conflict. Muslim Americans have increasingly been ostracized and targeting. The FBI continues under the Obama administration to spied upon and victims of entrapment. Elsewhere Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar are seeing escalating cases of Islamophobia. Terrorist attacks following 9/11 onward have created more prejudice. One violent episode in Myanmar caused the forced removal Rohingya Muslims, but the US did not take a stand or comment. The far right in Europe is seeing electoral victories in Germany and the UK. Anti-immigrant and racist groups are becoming a popular political force. Political parties like the English Defense League, UKIP, and Pegida are no longer considered fringe. Blatant racism and intolerance , rather than its covert version is becoming more socially acceptable.
Israel and the autocratic US supported regimes were contributors to the 9/11 attacks and aftermath. US support for Israel has caused much anger in the Arab world. The constant oppression of the Palestinian people has generated condemnation around the world. It also encouraged Arabs to join militant groups to stop occupation. The Gulf monarchies continue to deny their people basic civil rights. The House of Saud is despised by Islamist fighters who seek its overthrow. The reason terrorist organizations are attractive to some people is it is an organized force against oppressive regimes in their home countries. When Pan-Arab nationalism declined radical political Islamism appeared as another solution to challenge Israel and the Gulf monarchies. When the US invaded Iraq Israel lost a formidable enemy, which was supportive of the Palestinian cause. The only states left in the way of Israel's complete hegemony of the Middle East were Iran and Syria. These two regional allies did gain power after Saddam's fall, because the majority Shia Muslim population was in control of Iraq. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon even said that the 9/11 attacks did benefit Israel to an extent. This meant the Bush administration would ignore the issue of settlements and give more aid to Israel in exchange for being a partner in the War on Terror. Although Sharon eventually did have some settlements removed, Netanyahu reversed this policy. Israel has shown that it does not want peace, but to expand. The attacks on the Gaza Strip only induce more rage and support for radical political Islamism. The United States continues to provide Israel with billions of dollars in aid. The 9/11 attacks only moved the US closer to Israel than ever before, even when associating with it is harmful to the US in the long term. To many who live in the Middle East the US and Israel are the same entity . If the West Bank becomes overrun with Jewish settlements, the US will be guilty by association. It was the US and Israel alliance that caused the rise and popularity of radical political Islamism. Even though certain terrorist groups function independently or could be competing with each other they have a consensus on Israel. The Jewish state became more emboldened to seek expansion beyond the 1967 borders. There was a reversal of fortune in 2006 when it fought Hezbollah. The 9/11 attacks allow Israel to continue it human rights abuses and persecution of the Palestinians.
Religious fundamentalism has under gone a renaissance after the 9/11 attacks. Religious fanatics are convinced that there is a holy war been Islam and Christianity. More individuals are joining this irrational movement not juts because of the attacks, but a reaction to a modern globalized society. Secularism, science, and pluralistic societies are not compatible with extremist religious thought. The Christian right in America are mobilizing their forces to spread Isamophobia, homophobia, and racism. They gain more followers capitalizing on anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment. Fundamentalist Muslims attempt to harm people who draw the prophet Muhammad, anyone who criticizes Islam, or objects to the existence of a God. As the years pass it only gets worse. This type of religious fanaticism would not survive in a world of science and technology with rational thought. It has been demonstrated the more education an individual receives the less religious they become. Religious fundamentalism can only function in an atmosphere of hate and fear. Otherwise, it would slowly die off or be regulated to the fringes of society. The 9/11 attacks allowed fanatics to have a platform to speak in both the West and East. The arguments that were presented is that "people were attempting to destroy their way of life." Rhetoric became more irrational with some Christians describing the following historical events as Biblical prophecy. Churches in America were preaching that 9/11 was the beginning of the end times and the rapture was quickly approaching. Muslim fanatics came to the conclusion that Western values were the root of all evil in the world and there for must be obliterated. Sharia law should be imposed upon people for the sake of saving them from sin. Fundamentalist Christians also believe that God protects America and wants the country to impose its views upon the world. These convictions reveal an element much more repulsive than closed minded mentality. It is cultural supremacy. The idea that there is only one correct religion and the culture it forms is superior to others. It demands that everyone believe in the religion dogmatically and if not liquidation or separation is what is done to non-believers. This is a growing problem as organized religion attempts to adjust to the 21st century.
When the 9/11 memorials occur every year, there is a disturbing pattern. While there is sympathy for American lives lost, virtually none is given to the victims of US aggressive war. The death never stops with the ever escalating refugee crisis in Europe and wars across the Middle East. The constant media coverage and almost annual commemorations seem to blind the American population to a wider understanding of why the attacks happened in the first place. Simple and false narratives are presented as " they hate our freedom" or " they want to take what we have" are distortions. The attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were products of Cold War politics, CIA covert action, and military intervention. The US after its loss in the Vietnam War struggled to reassert its identity as a powerful nation. The desire for vengeance became strong so much so that it began to interfere with the internal politics of Afghanistan in 1978. The Jimmy Carter administration under the suggestion of Zbigniew Brzezinski began to destabilize a weakening Marxist regime in Afghanistan . Ronald Reagan would expand aid to a larger extent and Afghanistan became Russia's Vietnam. This came at a price, for when the US armed the Mujahideen, a portion of those fighters would go on to form Al-qaeda in 1988. These fighters would also return to their home countries hoping to depose unpopular US supported regimes and establish theocratic states. The rise of modern international terrorism was fostered by the United States and it continues to destabilize the world. The actions after the attacks further damaged America's declining image among the world. Another unintended consequence is that authoritarian regimes became more intimidated by the US and proceeded to accelerate their nuclear weapons programs. The reason North Korea pursues nuclear weapons is due to the fear of US invasion. Iran during the mid-2000s had a nuclear weapons program, but it is unclear how long the nuclear deal will sustainable. Further US military strikes could reverse progress . The 9/11 attacks changed the world in the most precarious manner. It gave US imperialism a justification for waging permanent warfare any where internationally.
