remembering september 11 th and its impact on american history
TRANSCRIPT
Remembering September 11th and its Impact on American History
Ten Years Ago this Sunday…
The worst enemy attack on U.S. soil took place
Today’s lesson remembers this tragedy and the influence it has had on our world.
What are your memories of 9-11?
Part I: What happened on September 11th, 2001?
The Twin Towers (World Trade Center)
My photos of the World Trade Center
The Pentagon (U.S. Military HQ)
9-11-2001
Aftermath – World Trade Center
Transcript and Audio from 9/11:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/08/nyregion/911-tapes.html?scp=2&sq=9/11%20transcript&st=cse
Aftermath – The Pentagon
Flight 93 – Crashed in Pennsylvania
Possible Targets in Washington D.C.of the hijackers on Flight 93
“Where were you when the world stopped turning?”
Photo of Alan Jackson performing at the Country Music Association Awards in November 2001.
"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September dayOut in the yard with your wife and childrenWorking on some stage in LADid you stand there in shock at the site ofThat black smoke rising against that blue skyDid you shout out in angerIn fear for your neighborOr did you just sit down and cry
Did you weep for the childrenWho lost their dear loved onesAnd pray for the ones who don't knowDid you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubbleAnd sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out in prideFor the red white and blueThe heroes who died just doing what they doDid you look up to heaven for some kind of answerAnd look at yourself to what really matters
I'm just a singer of simple songsI'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell youThe difference in Iraq and IranBut I know Jesus and I talk to GodAnd I remember this from when I was youngFaith hope and love are some good things he gave usAnd the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September dayTeaching a class full of innocent childrenDriving down some cold interstateDid you feel guilty cause you're a survivorIn a crowded room did you feel aloneDid you call up your mother and tell her you love herDid you dust off that bible at homeDid you open your eyes and hope it never happenedClose your eyes and not go to sleepDid you notice the sunset the first time in agesSpeak with some stranger on the streetDid you lay down at night and think of tomorrowGo out and buy you a gunDid you turn off that violent old movie you're watchingAnd turn on "I Love Lucy" rerunsDid you go to a church and hold hands with some strangerStand in line and give your own bloodDid you just stay home and cling tight to your familyThank God you had somebody to love
I'm just a singer of simple songsI'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell youThe difference in Iraq and IranBut I know Jesus and I talk to GodAnd I remember this from when I was youngFaith hope and love are some good things he gave usAnd the greatest is love
I'm just a singer of simple songsI'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell youThe difference in Iraq and IranBut I know Jesus and I talk to GodAnd I remember this from when I was youngFaith hope and love are some good things he gave usAnd the greatest is love
The greatest is loveThe greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Oil Painting by Graydon Parrish (painted 2002-2006)New Britain Museum of Art
Photo of Ground Zero at Night
Photo of Ground Zero 5 Years Ago
Construction on Freedom Tower Today
An Image of Freedom Tower (when complete)
We have nearly done building a new tower at Ground Zero…
Is this a good idea?
A final tribute note to 9/11
http://manchester.patch.com/articles/local-firefighters-install-911-beam-at-memorial-garden#video-6730840
Part II: Who’s responsible?
So, who is responsible for the attack? The Nineteen hijackers were part of an
organization called Al-Queda, headed by Osama Bin Laden.
Fifteen of the Nineteen hijackers were from one nation – Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is one of our strongest allies and a major supplier of oil worldwide.
So, we have a mystery – why would some people from one of our allies become involved in a plot to attack us?
In other words, why did they do it?
To answer this question, we need a little historical background…
In 1979, the Soviet Union (Russians) invaded Afghanistan. We secretly, through the CIA, funded an army of Islamic resistance fighters to fight the Soviet Army. The person who raised money from the Arab world and to whom we gave billions of dollars was a Saudi man named Osama Bin Laden.
Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
Osama Bin Laden and Al-Queda The alliance with Bin Laden was
successful – his army pushed out the Soviets by 1989 (ten years)!
How? U.S. MadeStinger Missiles!
After the Soviets left… The army that Bin Laden led allied itself
with a local radical Islamic group called the Taliban and fought other groups in Afghanistan for control of the country.
By 1996, they had taken over.
The Taliban forced the people of Afghanistan to strictly observe a severe form of Islam.
One Vision of the Good Society:
The Ultimate Goal of Al-Queda
To create Taliban-style societies in all Muslim majority nations, especially Saudi Arabia (which is home to the most important sites in Islam)
The problem for them was that the U.S. had military bases in Saudi Arabia to protect it from all enemies, including Al-Qaeda.
Why were (are) we such good friends with the royal family that controls Saudi Arabia?
Oil…Texas Tea…Black Gold
Aren’t we BFFs?
So, Al-Queda began to attack the U.S. around the world…
Embassy Bombings in Kenya and
Tanzania in 1998
Bombing of U.S.S. Cole in Yemen in
2000
Then, Al-Queda made their biggest attack on 9-11
The World Trade Center in New York City –
A symbol of American Economics
The Pentagon outside D.C. –
A symbol of the American Military
? The White House or the Capitol Building –
A symbol of American Government
So, why did Al-Queda do it? 1-To scare the American people into
stopping their support of the royal family in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic governments that Al-Queda disliked.
2-To show Americans and the world that America was vulnerable and could not just do what it wanted to do around the world.
3-To become heroes (from their interpretation of their Holy Book , the Quran).
Part III: How did we respond?
What did the U.S. Government do to respond to the attacks on 9/11?
The U.S. Congress authorized President Bush with new powers to begin a “War on Terror” in 2001.
Let’s now look at 5 different ways the U.S. Government responded…
1. Invasion of Afghanistan in 2001
– We invaded Afghanistan to oust Al-Queda and their Afghan supporters, the Taliban.
– We have worked to re-build Afghanistan as a modern democratic nation.
– We’re scheduled to leave there in a few years.
2. Development of “The Bush Doctrine” and the Invasion of Iraq in 2003
When the U.S. felt great danger from somewhere on earth, it was OK to invade before a possible attack.
Thus, we invaded Iraq because we though they had nuclear weapons and might use them against us or one of our allies. It turned out we were wrong. We have been in Iraq for ten years trying to rebuild it into a stable democratic nation. Most of our troops left Iraq last summer – many of them went to Afghanistan.
3. Passed The Patriot Act
– Passed the Patriot Act, which among other things, lets the U.S. Government read all email, text messages, and phone calls in search of terrorist activity.
4. Hold Terror Suspects Without Trial and use “Enhanced Interrogation Methods” on them.
5. Began a 10 Year Manhunt for Bin Laden
You’ll see two images next. The first is an image of the kind of place many U.S. experts thought Bin Laden was hiding-in.
The second image is the actual place he was found, and killed, in.
Part IV:A Look at Post-9/11 by the Numbers…
U.S. Defense Spending since 9-11
Federal Budget (Billions of $)9-11
Recession of 2000
Tax Cuts
Great Recession of 2008
End of the Cold
War
War on
Terror
Airline Flights since 9-11
Newspaper Mentions of Bin Laden since 9-11
Hate Crimes since 9-11
Dina’s Story – A Muslim-American girl recounts the impact of 9/11 on her life.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/911voices/
Muslim Community Center near Ground Zero: Good Idea?
Shabbir Ahmed- 47 years old - Windows on the World Restaurant Tariq Amanullah- 40 years old - Fiduciary Trust Co. Michael Baksh- 36 years old - Marsh & McLennan Touri Hamzavi Bolourchi- 69 years old - retired nurse on United #175 Abul K. Chowdhury- 30 years old - Cantor Fitzgerald Mohammad Salahuddin Chowdhury- 38 years old - Windows on the World Jemal Legesse De Santis- 28 years old - World Trade Center Simon Suleman Ali Kassamali Dhanani- 63 years old - Aon Corp. Syed Abdul Fatha- 54 years old - Pitney Bowes Mon Gjonbalaj- 65 years old - Janitor, World Trade Center Nezam A. Hafiz- 32 years old - Marsh & McLennan Mohammed Salman Hamdani- 23 years old - NYPD Cadet Zuhtu Ibis- 25 years old - Cantor Fitzgerald Muhammadou Jawara- 30 years old - MAS Security Sarah Khan- 32 years old - Forte Food Service Taimour Firaz Khan- 29 years old - Carr Futures Abdoulaye Kone- 37 years old - Windows on the World Abdu Ali Malahi- 37 years old - WTC Marriott Nurul Hoque Miah- 35 years old - Marsh & McLennan Boyie Mohammed- 50 years old - Carr Futures Ehtesham U. Raja- 28 years old - TCG Software Ameenia Rasool- 33 years old - Marsh & McLennan Mohammad Ali Sadeque - 62 years old - newspaper vendor at WTC Rahma Salie & child- 28 years old (7 months pregnant) - American Flight #11 Khalid M. Shahid- 25 years old - Cantor Fitzgerald Mohammed Shajahan- 41 years old - Marsh & McLennan Nasima Hameed Simjee- 38 years old - Fiduciary Trust Co. Michael Theodoridis- 32 years old - American #11 Abdoul Karim Traore- 41 years old - Windows on the World Karamo Trerra- 40 years old - ASAP NetSource Shakila Yasmin- 26 years old - Marsh & McLennan
Source: http://www.legacy.com/Sept11/Story.aspx?PersonID=139410&location=2
President Bush’s Approval Rating since 9-11
Cost of 9/11
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/08/us/sept-11-reckoning/cost-graphic.html?hp
Numbers from the War on Terror How many U.S. soldiers have been killed in
Iraq? Afghanistan?
4,474 U.S. soldiers in Iraq
1,758 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan
(icasualties.org)
How many U.S. soldiers have been wounded in Iraq? Afghanistan?
32,159 U.S. soldiers in Iraq
13,011 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan
(icasualites.org)
Civilian Deaths in the War on Terror
How many civilian deaths in Iraq?
Approx. 90,000 to 600,000 Iraqi civilians
How many civilian deaths in Afghanistan?
Unknown
More numbers from the War on Terror
How many U.S. troops are stationed in both Afghanistan and Iraq today?
90,000 in Afghanistan
Approximately 50,000 in Iraq (Withdrawal will continue)
Questions about costs… Pentagon Estimate of the cost of the Iraq
Invasion$50 Billion
Actual Dollars Spent So Far in IraqApprox. $810,000,000,000 (that’s billions)
Actual Dollars Spent So Far in AfghanistanApprox. $437,000,000,000 (that’s billions)
Source: http://costofwar.com/en/
Last Numbers on the War on Terror # of successful terror acts in the U.S. by Al
Qaeda since 9/11?Zero
# of Years that we have been in Iraq?7
# of Years we’ll be in Afghanistan? 10 and counting
Amount of Federal Debt this year?Approximately $14,000,000,000,000 ($14 Trillion)
Part V. A Last Question – When will the War on Terror be finished?
How do you kill Al-Queda?
Osama Bin Laden Ayman al-Zawahri
Atiyah abd al-Rahman
U.S. Bases Around the World
What is History?
Is History just “the past” or is it “an account of the past”?
If it is a story about the past, then how is that story formed, how is that story used?
What is the “account of the past” of 9/11?
Competing “Accounts of 9/11”:
1 – The terrorists attacked America because they hated our freedoms.
2 – The terrorists were protesting America’s foreign policy of protecting Muslim governments that Al-Queda didn’t like.
3 – The terrorists were insane – there was no reason.
A final thought…from George Orwell in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four
“He who controls the present controls the past, he who controls the past, controls the future”