Factors Contributing to 9/11

On September 11th, 2001, the majority of American citizens started their every day routines, not knowing that the safety that had once seemed so unbreachable to them was about to burst into flames before their very eyes. At 8:43am the peace that the nation had held so dear for so very long abruptly ended when a passenger jet smashed into Tower One of the World Trade Center in New York City. By 10:28 am, both towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were in flames. By days end, the events of the morning would have claimed over 2,000 American lives and the American people would be left questioning who had done such a horrible thing and why.

The outrage and the devastation of the American people has continued, and for many, "why" still echoes silently in their minds, not yet satisfactorily answered alongside a chorus of other pertinent and unanswered questions. Since September 11, 2001, we have been given many answers to those questions, but as with all great tragedies, there are often as many different answers as there are questioners and no matter the answer. For many, the hate that was aimed at the American people on 9/11 will never be satisfactorily explained; many will never understand. What we do know and what we can understand about the factors leading up to the tragic events of 9/11 is at its best an intricate history spanning much of the globe and at its worst, a confusing mess of circumstance that, as played out over the years, became the unavoidable consequence of actions taken by western nations over the course of decades.