The core keyword term derived from the phrase is "attacks," which functions as a noun. This grammatical classification is crucial because it establishes the article's main point as the event itself: the specific series of violent acts that occurred. By defining the subject as a noun, the focus is placed on the historical occurrence, its components, and its consequences, rather than on an ongoing action (verb) or a descriptive quality (adjective).
The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist acts by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attackers hijacked four commercial airliners. Two of the planes, 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. A third plane, 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.
This event is a watershed moment in modern history. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, making them the deadliest terrorist acts in world history. The immediate practical application of this event's analysis is seen in global shifts in security and foreign policy. The attacks directly precipitated the U.S. War on Terror, which included the invasion of Afghanistan to depose the Taliban regime that had harbored al-Qaeda. Domestically, it led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the passage of the Patriot Act, fundamentally altering protocols for aviation security, law enforcement surveillance, and international relations.
