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US marks September 11 attack anniversary
A quarter-century on, remembrance continues alongside unanswered legal questions and the attacks’ enduring global legacy.
What happened
The United States marked the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, in which al-Qaeda hijackers flew commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center and Pentagon; another crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers resisted. Memorial events included a Washington display of steel recovered from the World Trade Center, while families still await a trial.
Numbers
- 2,996 deathsPeople killed in the attacks — Includes victims across all sites
- About 25,000 injuredPeople injured in the attacks — Estimate cited in anniversary coverage
- 25 yearsSince the September 11 attacks — Anniversary marked this week
Questions
- What do relatives seek from records?
- Some relatives have sought release of classified FBI investigation files, saying fuller disclosure is needed for closure.
- Why does al-Qaeda still have reach?
- Its central core is weaker, but regional branches remain influential in parts of Africa and Asia through local conflicts and power vacuums.
- What changed in daily public life?
- The attacks helped produce tighter security and surveillance practices, though Americans have drawn different meanings from their aftermath.
- How broad was the memorial tour?
- A recovered South Tower beam was taken through multiple locations around the country before its planned arrival in southern Manhattan.
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The catch
The coverage does not resolve all classified-record questions or provide a date for the long-delayed trial.
Some investigation material remains classified.