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THE DAY THAT CHANGED the WORLD Introduction 9/11: THE DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Introduction Each day the boy would look out his mountains along the Afghanistan- Focus classroom window in Brooklyn Heights Pakistan border. Five years after the with the comfort of knowing that his But some experts believe that, five attacks of Septem- father was working on the other side of years after the invasion of Afghanistan, ber 11, 2001, the world has changed the East River in the World Trade the U.S. has botched the job, leaving dramatically. This Center’s South Tower. But on this day NATO allies like Canada to do the dirty News in Review all feelings of consolation were gone. work of destroying the last vestiges of story looks at the For nine-year-old Nile Berry comfort the Taliban regime and stabilizing a significance of 9/11 was suddenly replaced by horror. As he nation that is still poverty-stricken and from its tragic beginning five looked across the river, he could see in dire need of infrastructure develop- years ago to what that both World Trade Center towers ment and financial aid. While the it might mean for were on fire. Just after 10:00 a.m., the United States continues to scale back its the world in the tower where Nile’s father worked troop commitment, many people won- 21st century. succumbed to the heat and flames that der if any nation, including Canada, has engulfed it and collapsed to the ground. the will to persevere in Afghanistan. Later that day, when David Berry failed Did you know . to return home from work, the darkest The War on Terror: The U.S. Al Qaeda marked the fifth anniver- of Nile’s thoughts that day came to Home Front sary of 9/11 with a pass. His father, along with close to The attacks of 9/11 left the United spate of videos 3 000 others, was a victim of terrorism. States in a state of shock. The U.S. showing the bomb- Five years after the attacks of Septem- government did everything it could to ers preparing for ber 11, 2001, the shock of the massive, mobilize its economic, political, and their deadly mis- precise, and horrifying assault on the military resources to fight its new and sion. Al Qaeda leaders also warned U.S. is giving way to deeper analysis of elusive enemy. While U.S. troops were of future attacks what that fateful day means not only to sweeping into Afghanistan, the Con- against Israel and people like Nile Berry and his family gress of the United States was passing the Gulf States. but also to people around the globe. the Patriot Act—a piece of legislation Scholars are attempting to put the event that dramatically expanded the ability in perspective to see what impact that of law enforcement agencies to investi- day, and the subsequent “war on ter- gate alleged terrorists. The Patriot Act ror,” has had on recent events and how allowed agencies like the FBI to access it may shape the future. phone, bank, and medical records of suspects without a judge’s approval. The War on Terror: Afghanistan Suddenly, the United States, the self- In the immediate aftermath of the proclaimed bastion of civil rights, was attacks, few nations really questioned willingly infringing on people’s civil the U.S.’s decision to go after Osama liberties, and the people were letting bin Laden via an attack on Afghanistan. them do it. The Patriot Act was seen by In fact, Canada, like many other na- many as a central component in the tions, pledged immediate assistance to U.S.’s war on terror. the United States and joined it in Opera- The citizenry and politicians of the tion Enduring Freedom. Within months, United States rallied around President the Taliban was ousted from power and Bush in the first months after 9/11. the hunt was on for bin Laden in the However, many believed that, while CBC News in Review • October 2006 • Page 42 acquiescence in the face of the Patriot (WMD), with Iraq repeatedly denying Further Research Act might be acceptable, never chal- the claims. By March, the U.S. demon- The text of the lenging the President on vital issues strated a willingness to invade Iraq to Patriot Act can be read at: was not acceptable. From the outset, find the WMDs unless Iraq’s leader, www.patriotact.com. many of the families of the victims of Saddam Hussein, abandoned his presi- 9/11 wanted the government to hold a dency and left his country. Saddam said full-scale inquiry into the attacks on the “no” and, on March 13, against an U.S. The Bush administration initially enormous wave of opposition from dismissed the idea. However, after peace activists around the world, the ongoing pressure was exerted by the United States, Great Britain, and the so- families and the media, Bush set up called “coalition of the willing” invaded what has come to be known as the 9/11 Iraq. In May, Bush announced that the Commission. The commission was Iraqi conflict was over in his “Mission formed in late 2002 and published its Accomplished” speech aboard the report in the summer of 2004. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The 9/11 Commission concluded that Iraq was under the control of the U.S. vital information—information that and its coalition partners. No WMDs could have helped to prevent the attacks were ever found. on September 11, 2001—was deemed Despite the “mission accomplished” insignificant due to poor communica- proclamation, the violence only esca- tion between U.S. government agencies lated and the hope that Iraq would like the FBI and the CIA. One of the simply embrace democracy (and its Bush administration’s security advisors U.S. liberators) has failed to material- on 9/11, Richard Clarke, testified before ize. To date, almost 3 000 U.S. soldiers the commission. He claimed that he have died in the conflict in Iraq. repeatedly warned of an Al Qaeda threat to the U.S. In one dramatic What does it all mean? moment, he turned to some 9/11 family The “war on terror” has put the United members gathered at the hearings and States on shaky ground. The global said, “Your government failed you, community is weary of the U.S. ten- those entrusted with protecting you dency to beat the potentially hostile failed you, and I failed you. We tried views of its opponents into the ground hard, but that doesn’t matter because we with the might of its military. Many failed. And for that failure, I would commentators are very concerned with ask—once all the facts are out—for the trend that essentially pits the rich your understanding and forgiveness” U.S. and its friends against poorer (www.cbc.ca/news/background/sep11/ Muslim nations. To date, the war on clarke.html). terror in Afghanistan and Iraq is far from over. With nations like Iran and The War on Terror: Iraq North Korea boldly asserting them- After removing the Taliban from power selves, many commentators predict that in Afghanistan, the United States the U.S.’s war on terror is bound to shifted its attention to Iraq. In early expand to those countries. All these 2003, a war of words erupted between events and speculations occurred in the the United States and Iraq. The U.S. wake of an attack by a few extremists made repeated claims that Iraq pos- on a September day five years ago. sessed weapons of mass destruction CBC News in Review • October 2006 • Page 43 The Day that Changed the World consequences of terror, for he is the one One can only wonder if any of these who had to endure the terror of Septem- things matter to Nile Berry, now a 14- ber 11, 2001. No one needs to tell him year-old high-school student in the that 9/11 is the day that changed the United States. He is the true face of the world. Questions 1. Imagine the experience of Nile Berry on September 11, 2001. Pretend you are a friend of his and write words to comfort him after the death of his father. 2. Why do some critics think that the United States may have botched the job in Afghanistan? 3. Why did the United States invade Iraq? Was the campaign successful? 4. In what way has 9/11 changed your world? 5. What might the world be like if 9/11 had never happened? CBC News in Review • October 2006 • Page 44 9/11: THE DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD YV Video Review 1. What did the Centre for Defence Studies conclude on the afternoon of Watch the video September 11, 2001? and carefully respond to the questions in the space provided. 2. According to Rashid Khalidi the people who organized the September 11 attacks have had their “expectations realized in spades.” What does he mean by this? Quote Ground Zero 3. What warning signs did Margaret MacMillan see prior to the attacks of burned for a hun- September 11, 2001? dred days. Five years on, the smoke has yet to clear on 4. What does Rashid Khalidi mean when he says fighting a war on terror is what will rise from like fighting a war on weather? the ashes.” — Rosie Dimanno (Toronto Star, September 11, 5. How did the Bush administration interpret their mandate to fight the war 2006) on terror in the months after September 11? 6. a) Which country do the experts in the documentary claim was a legiti- mate target in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks? b) Which subsequent target do they think the U.S.
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