Repercussions of 9/11

On September 20, 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush announced that the United States had declared war on “a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.” The U.S. government initiated a Global War on Terror, sending troops to Afghanistan in October 2001 and later to Iraq. The 9/11 attacks prompted calls for new strategies to keep the nation safe. The USA PATRIOT Act, passed in October 2001, expanded the government’s intelligence-gathering tools and its ability to detain and deport immigrants suspected of terrorism. Many people continue to debate whether the methods used after 9/11 effectively protect national security without compromising civil liberties.

The 9/11 attacks also continue to affect individuals’ health. Immediately after the collapse of the Twin Towers, layers of thick gray dust and ash coated the site and surrounding areas. Days after the attack, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared the air in lower Manhattan safe, but the dust—made of destroyed building materials, industrial chemicals, and electronics mingled with jet fuel residue—was later determined to be hazardous.

More than 400,000 survivors, first responders, rescue and recovery workers, cleaning crews, lower Manhattan residents, and others are estimated to have been exposed to these toxins on 9/11 or during the nine-month rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. Tens of thousands nationwide are now suffering from chronic illnesses, including respiratory diseases, mental health issues, and more than 100 different types of cancer. More than 2,000 of those exposed have died.

Primary Sources

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