The events
American Airlines Flight 11 with 92 people aboard en route to Los Angeles from Boston was hijacked and crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46.
United Airlines Flight 175 with 65 people aboard en route to Los Angeles from Boston was hijacked and crashed into the the south tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03.
American Airlines Flight 77 with more than 50 passengers aboard taking off from Washing DC international airport was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon at 9:43. About 200 people died in this massacre.
United Airlines Flight 93 with 45 people aboard en route to San Francisco from Neward, New Jersey was hijacked and crashed near Shanksville, Pa., about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, at 10:10. It is believed some heroes fought the hijackers and prevented the plane from hitting potential targets: U.S. Capitol, the White House, or Camp David.
Both Twin WTC towers collapsed burying over 3000 people.
Why
New York City has been embracing people from all over the world for over a century. People from almost every corner of the world find liberty, freedom and opportunity in this wonderful place that symbolizes the future of humankind - people working and living together with harmony, peace and mutual respect regardless of their differences in religion, culture, race, etc. The World Trade Center, at the heart of NYC, with about 50,000 people working in became the target of the terrorists. There is no doubt that among the people they killed are some people who share the same nationality and religion with the them.
How could the terrorists conduct such inhuman barbaric acts? The answer is that they have deep hatred to America and diminutive appreciation of human lives. All of them are the results of long time brain washing of certain branch of some religion that is essential a cult.
America represents values that are different from the cult. Democracy, freedom, liberty, gender equality, etc. are what the cult is against. More importantly, the power and influence of America threatens the existence of the cult. Brewing hatred to America is almost essential for the survival of the cult. Many terrorists are exposed to intensive brain washing from childhood. When they reach adulthood, their brains have been washed so much that it is almost impossible for them to regain normal human nature. They are taught to sacrifice their lives for their God. Some of the saw and experience the harsh environment of war. The value of life to them has diminished.
Since the cult branches from a major religion. It is much easier for them to recruit new members from the huge pool of the religion.
Some politicians' alienating foreign policies, hypocritical "neutral" position in some international affairs and little sincere respect to the people of some countries undoubtedly have helped extremists, terrorists to survive, get support and expand.
The terrorists failed in many ways
The massacre did not weaken their target - USA. Instead it has strengthened it. US people is more united now more than any other time since WWII. If it has any effect on the economy, it will be positive eventually.
The massacre has united the conscientious people of the whole world. The world is united more than ever to fight against terrorists. The terrorists are getting strike and isolation in return for their barbaric acts.
The massacre helps the main stream of their religion to distance from cult, hence reduces the human, financial and material source for the cult. They also helped to enhance the mutual understanding, tolerance and respect among different religions.
The terrorists did have some success.
They killed more than five thousand people, most of whom are Americans. The massacre has caused great pains of many people and scared some people. Some anti-Muslim acts have been stirred up and will potentially push some Muslims to the terrorists' side.
Help those who suffer greatly from the massacre
The people who have lost their loved ones will suffer from this for a long time. We need to help these fellow human beings in many ways.
Reduce the chance for such tragedy to happen again.
Eliminating some terrorists is the easiest thing among those we can do counter terrorism. As long as there are evil spirits and the soil for the evils, there will be more terrorists to come.
All human beings share the same original ancestors from Africa (if you believe evolution). All of us (including the terrorists) are created with equal innocent souls. The ultimate way to prevent terrorism is to save innocent souls from being taken by evil spirits. This needs love, respect, understanding and exemplifying tolerance. The coalition among different nations and religions helped to create by the massacre is the best thing to prevent terrorism. We should try to expose all innocent souls to the bright side of humankind - love, respect, understanding and tolerance.
Terrorists must be punished to prevent them from committing terrorist acts again and deter other potential terrorists doing the same.
The terrorists who are ready to use their lives to commit crimes are not afraid of any powerful nations including USA. They are most afraid of losing the support from the people sympathetic with them. Losing these people is like losing roots for a tree. A broad international coalition formed on an equal basis is the most effective way to eradicate the terrorists and save the souls from being brain-washed.
(originally written on 9/17/2001)
