The term "911 peristiwa" is the Indonesian and Malay phrase for the September 11 attacks. It refers to a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attacks targeted prominent American landmarks and government buildings.
The attacks were executed using four hijacked commercial airliners. Two aircraft, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City, leading to their collapse. A third aircraft, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempted to regain control from the hijackers; its intended target is believed to have been in Washington, D.C. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, making them the deadliest terrorist incident in world history.
This event was a watershed moment in modern history, precipitating major shifts in U.S. and global policy. It led directly to the initiation of the U.S. "War on Terror," which included the invasion of Afghanistan to depose the Taliban regime for harboring al-Qaeda. The attacks also prompted unprecedented increases in airport and aviation security worldwide, led to the passage of new surveillance and counter-terrorism legislation like the USA PATRIOT Act, and resulted in the creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Its long-term geopolitical, social, and cultural consequences continue to be significant.
