The legacy of 9-11 is full of misinformation and misguided policy initiatives. Rather than taking seriously the motives of the hijackers and their supporters, American politicians went head first into creating a massive surveillance state and growing the American presence overseas. What is worse is that not all of the masterminds are identified by Washington. While we know firmly that actors with connection to the Saudi General Intelligence Presidency (GIP) were at least aware of the incoming attacks on 9-11, politicians in Washington have rarely attempted to hold the Saudis responsible, and have been quick to strengthen ties between the Gulf monarchy and the United States.
Osama bin Laden, in his Letter to the American people, laid out the reasons behind 9-11 and other instances of terror and military opposition. It is easy to condemn terrorism and to look at those who hate America as simply barbarians who don’t understand freedom, but terrorists and barbarians will exist in the world for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately for George Bush and presidents after him, the War on Terror was a complete failure, with each campaign against terror simply creating new rebel groups ready to oppose American imperialism. This game of whack-a-mole was predicted by bin Laden in his letter, saying “...then be aware that you will lose this Crusade Bush began, just like the other previous Crusades in which you were humiliated by the hands of the Mujahideen, fleeing to your home in great silence and disgrace.”
Rather than learning lessons from the Soviets in Afghanistan, politicians in Washington jumped into Afghanistan with full force, ready to occupy and radically change the cultural makeup of the central Asian country. The goal of the United States was to go after Al Qaeda and defeat the Taliban, whom Bush asserted was responsible for harboring Al Qaeda. While the Taliban may have been powerless to stop some Al-Qaeda operatives from operating in Afghanistan, regime change in Afghanistan should have been seen as foolish and utopian from the start. The 2021 pull out of the country ended the 20 year occupation, and the following collapse of the American-supported government proved that it was an utter waste.
Meanwhile, America is consistently a strong ally of Saudi Arabia, a nation which has funded the Taliban for years. The United States has regularly intervened on behalf of the Saudis, including the Gulf War in 1991 where we turned on our then-ally, Saddam Hussein, when he threatened Saudi oil profits. In 2015, then-President Obama, agreed to allow the United States to assist Saudi Arabia in its campaign against the Shia Houthis in Yemen. This relationship was continued by Trump, and resulted in what is widely regarded as genocide towards the Houthi people. Fast-forward to recent years, President Trump worked tirelessly to undermine Iran, Saudi Arabia’s chief enemy, while also having significant business dealings with the Saudi royal family.
Present day, the United States is addicted to selling arms to Saudi Arabia, with President Biden announcing a $500 billion arms sale in 2023. Despite human rights abuses, ties to 9-11, and regular support for America’s enemies, Riyadh continues to enjoy high levels of support from the United States. It is likely that President Trump will renew talks surrounding his Abraham Accords with Saudi Arabia if he is re-elected in 2024. The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements made between the United States, Israel, and willing Muslim-majority nations. The agreements always involve normalizing relations with Israel, millions of dollars in aid from the United States, as well as other tantalizing items. Normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel would have implications of enormous magnitude, as the Saudis carry high levels of influence not just in the Middle East, but also around the world.
It is required of the American people to never forget 9-11, but Washington hopes that the public will forget about Saudi ties with Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and why the hijackers committed such acts of terror in the first place. Families of the victims are still pursuing answers and justice regarding the Saudi connection to 9-11, but it is unlikely that they will find peace through this avenue, as this monetary relationship is far too profitable for defense contractors.
Instead of justice, Americans were given endless wars in the Middle East, which have killed an estimated 4.5 million people. A massive surveillance state, trillions of dollars of debt, and relationships with shady foreign dictators are what the American public has inherited from the actions of the elite in Washington. It is time to hold them accountable and demand that the legacy of 9-11 be properly remembered for what it was—a deadly, completely avoidable reaction to American imperialism. Blowback is bound to occur again if politicians in DC continue to treat the world as America’s stage.
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