911 Days Later Persuasive Speech

Jessie Besanson
Hedrick
English Comp TT
16 September 2016
911 Days Later
“If you need emergency assistance, dial 9-1-1 immediately,” this statement is one ingrained in every American from the time of birth to adulthood. 9-1-1 is known as the universal number to use when someone is in danger, it is the ultimate call for help. The number 9-1-1 also holds a deeper meaning consumed by sickening irony that has been brought upon the American people by the Islamic extremist terrorist group known as “Al-Qaeda.” Because of this, 9-1-1 is not just known for being the number to dial in an emergent situation, it is remembered as being the day that the largest terror attack on U.S. soil took place, September 11, 2001. But that attack was not enough

that morning, and crashed into the North Tower of the Word Trade Center just forty-six minutes later. At 9:03 a.m. the second hijacked airliner, United Flight 175, rammed into the South Tower and caused an explosion. The third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, departed at 8:20 a.m. and was driven into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. It is speculated that the plane heading for Washington D.C., United Airline Flight 93, was targeting either Capitol Hill or The White House. Flight 93 was overtaken by the passengers of the plane and crashed into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. All of these horrific attacks caused a result of 2,996

Not only were Americans afraid of another attack, other countries feared that an attack could happen to them as well. The belief that the safety of the American people was as only as strong as the crumbling World Trade Centers, consumed the nation and its allies. Racial tensions with people of middle eastern descent were heightened because of the large fear that another attack stemming from radical Islam would occur. Terrorism before 9/11 was something that the majority of the world would not consider a legitimate fear. Now, the thought “Am I safe here?” looms in the back of people’s minds. The fear of the unknown left many countries on edge. The goal of inflicting widespread fear unto multitudes of people had been achieved by Al-Qaeda.
Al-Qaeda is most well-known for the September 11th attacks even though they are responsible for many more. The terrorist group, that was founded by Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, and many other Arabic volunteers, is a very complex congregation of Sunni Militant Islamic extremists. The men that form this group practice an extreme form of radical Islam that targets the Western World, specifically the United States and any country that supports the American ideals and way of life. The Al-Qaeda group believes that the more casualties they cause, the more benefits they will reap in the afterlife. They also believe that all non-believers deserve death, and it is their moral duty to