2001年9月11日，發生在美國本土的「911恐怖襲擊事件」，被視為近代最嚴重的恐怖攻擊之一，也徹底改變美國與世界的歷史走向。這起事件奪走將近三千人的性命，官方統計遇難及失蹤人數為2996人，經濟損失更是無法估量。聯合國的報告指出，美國直接損失高達2000億美元，相當於當年美國GDP的2%；而從全球範圍來看，受波及的經濟損失甚至高達1兆美元。

事件發生當天早晨，美國總統小布希正在佛羅里達州布克小學與學生互動，臉上原本帶著輕鬆的笑容。上午9點05分，白宮幕僚長突然進入教室，在他耳邊低語：「美國本土遭到攻擊。」布希的表情瞬間凝重，驚恐、不安、甚至有些茫然。他試圖保持冷靜，但明顯笑不出來。那幾分鐘，對於一位總統而言如同煎熬，他意識到這不僅是一起突發事故，而是一場針對美國的重大恐怖行動。

時間線回到當天清晨，美國東岸7點58分，美國航空11號班機自波士頓起飛，前往洛杉磯。隨後，美聯航175號航班也在8點整起飛。這兩架波音767客機上，各有五名恐怖分子登機。他們在飛行途中奪取控制權，駕駛飛機直衝紐約世貿中心的雙子塔。短短不到兩小時，雙塔相繼倒塌，濃煙與火光籠罩曼哈頓，震驚全世界。最終，911事件造成2977人死亡，其中包括來自中國大陸、香港與台灣的五位同胞。

這起劫機襲擊總共有19名恐怖分子參與，其中15人來自沙烏地阿拉伯，其他則分別來自阿聯酋、埃及與黎巴嫩。事後，美國國內的族群對立急遽升高，許多阿拉伯人與南亞裔人士受到仇視，甚至出現暴力攻擊。僅僅在9月15日，就發生一起悲劇：一位錫克教信徒辛格·索迪因為包著頭巾，被誤認為穆斯林而遭槍殺。

911事件震撼美國社會，也徹底改變其國防與外交政策。當時國防部曾建議布什立即對伊拉克發動攻擊，但他並未同意，雖然三年後美國最終仍以大規模毀滅性武器為由發動伊拉克戰爭。當下，美國的首要任務則是展開「反恐戰爭」，矛頭直指本·拉登與其領導的「基地組織」。隨後的阿富汗戰爭正式展開，開啟長達二十年的軍事行動。

整體來看，911不僅是一場悲劇性的恐怖攻擊，更是一個歷史轉捩點。它不僅奪去無數無辜生命，也讓美國國內外政策全面轉向，全球安全觀念隨之重塑。即便24年過去，這段歷史仍舊深深刻印在世界記憶中，提醒人們恐怖主義帶來的傷痛與後果。

On September 11, 2001, the “9/11 terrorist attacks” that struck the United States are regarded as one of the most devastating acts of terrorism in modern times, completely reshaping the course of U.S. and world history. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the tragedy, with official statistics recording 2,996 people dead or missing. The economic impact was immeasurable. According to a United Nations report, the direct losses to the U.S. reached as high as 200 billion dollars, equivalent to 2% of America’s GDP that year; on a global scale, the economic damage was estimated at around 1 trillion dollars.

On the morning of the attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush was at Booker Elementary School in Florida, interacting with students, his face relaxed with a smile. At 9:05 a.m., the White House Chief of Staff suddenly entered the classroom and whispered in his ear: “America is under attack.” Bush’s expression immediately turned grave—shocked, uneasy, and even somewhat bewildered. Though he tried to remain composed, it was clear he could no longer smile. Those few minutes felt like an eternity for a president, as he realized this was not just an accident, but a deliberate large-scale terrorist assault against the United States.

The timeline traced back to that morning: at 7:58 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast, American Airlines Flight 11 departed Boston for Los Angeles. At 8:00 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 also took off. Onboard each Boeing 767 were five hijackers. During the flights, they seized control of the planes and crashed them directly into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. In less than two hours, the towers collapsed, sending plumes of smoke and fire over Manhattan and shocking the entire world. In the end, the 9/11 attacks claimed 2,977 lives, including five Chinese nationals from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

A total of 19 terrorists carried out the hijackings—15 from Saudi Arabia, with others from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Lebanon. In the aftermath, racial tensions within the U.S. sharply intensified, and many Arab and South Asian individuals faced hatred and violence. On September 15, just days after the attacks, a tragic incident occurred: Sikh man Balbir Singh Sodhi, wearing a turban, was mistaken for a Muslim and fatally shot.

The 9/11 attacks shocked American society and permanently altered its defense and foreign policies. At the time, the Pentagon suggested President Bush immediately strike Iraq, but he did not approve—although three years later the U.S. would launch the Iraq War on the grounds of alleged weapons of mass destruction. In the immediate aftermath, America’s top priority was to begin the “War on Terror,” targeting Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network. This led directly to the war in Afghanistan and the beginning of a twenty-year-long military campaign.

Overall, 9/11 was not only a tragic act of terrorism but also a historic turning point. It claimed countless innocent lives and shifted U.S. domestic and foreign policies, reshaping global perspectives on security. Even 24 years later, this chapter of history remains deeply etched into the world’s collective memory, reminding humanity of the pain and consequences brought by terrorism.