The Causes Behind the September 11, 2001 Attacks

• Causes of the September 11 Attacks
• Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden
• Global Planning of the Attacks

The September 11, 2001 attacks did not occur in a historical vacuum. For decades, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East had generated deep tensions.

The military presence in Saudi Arabia since the Gulf War of 1991 was seen by extremist groups as an invasion of territories considered sacred.

A Context Marked by the Middle East

In addition, U.S. support for Israel in the conflict with Palestine and the sanctions imposed on Iraq fueled resentment toward Washington across large parts of the region.

The rise of Al Qaeda in the 1990s cemented a narrative that denounced the United States as the “enemy of Islam.”

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Under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, the terrorist organization began planning attacks that would strike a symbolic blow against U.S. military and economic power.

The Role of Al Qaeda and Bin Laden

Osama bin Laden, from a wealthy and influential Saudi family, funneled his fortune and networks into the creation of Al Qaeda. The organization operated not only as an armed group but also as a transnational movement capable of recruiting fighters in different countries.

The war in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union in the 1980s also played a key role. There, the mujahideen received training, weapons, and financial support from foreign powers, including indirect aid from the United States, which viewed them as allies against communism.

Over time, some of those fighters, radicalized and battle-hardened, became part of Al Qaeda.

Bin Laden built his ideology around a struggle against what he considered Western hegemony. For him, striking the United States directly was the way to inspire other movements and prove that the superpower was not invincible.

NYU students witnessing the 9/11 attacks from their Manhattan apartment. pic.twitter.com/XFS6LqIqdC

— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) August 28, 2025

Accumulated Tensions and a Planned Attack

The planning of the 9/11 attacks took years. Hijacking airplanes and using them as lethal weapons symbolized the vulnerability of the world’s greatest military power.

The operation involved cells in different countries, from training camps in Afghanistan to extremists infiltrated within U.S. territory.

The causes of the attacks are thus intertwined with a combination of factors: geopolitical rivalries, religious resentment, strategic errors in foreign policy, and the rise of a global terrorist network.

September 11 was the outcome of long-building tensions that radically transformed contemporary history, according to the BBC.