We are less than 48 hours from the anniversary of the terrorist attacks that took place in the Untied States on September 11th, 2001. However, I wouldn't say we are 48 hours away from remembering the event. As if you could avoid the non-stop news coverage, I don't think it has left many people's minds since the attacks occurred.

The September 11th attacks, also called 9/11, were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks against targets in New York and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger jets, managing to crash two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City causing both towers to collapse. Hijackers crashed a third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and in the fourth plane passengers attempted to take back control of the plane which prevented it from reaching its intended target in Washington, D.C, but did result in it's crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In total nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks from over 90 different nations.

Rebuilding has been slow- mentally, emotionally and physically. On the day of the attacks, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani proclaimed, "We will rebuild. We're going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again." It seems as if this promise is finally being fulfilled.

For a listing of Expat Memorial Gatherings, refer to our article about the anniversary.

I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it.
American President Dwight D. Eisenhower