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The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 were the most devastating act of terrorism in history. They killed nearly 3,000 people and transformed American foreign policy, leading to the declaration of a global "War on Terror" that would shape the next two decades. This lesson examines the attacks, their background, and the US response.
The 9/11 attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda, an Islamist terrorist organisation led by Osama bin Laden.
| Key Facts | Detail |
|---|---|
| Leader | Osama bin Laden (Saudi-born; son of a billionaire construction magnate) |
| Founded | Late 1980s, during the Soviet-Afghan War |
| Ideology | Extreme Islamist; opposed Western influence in Muslim lands; sought to establish a global caliphate |
| Base | Afghanistan, under the protection of the Taliban (from 1996) |
| Previous attacks | Bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania (1998, 224 killed); attack on USS Cole in Yemen (2000, 17 killed) |
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