Global InformationMotives for the September 11 attacks information
The September 11 attacks were carried out by 19 hijackers of the Islamist militant organization al-Qaeda. In the 1990s, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden declared a holy war against the United States of America, and issued two fatāwā in 1996 and 1998.[2] In the 1996 fatwā, he quoted the Sword Verse. In both of these fatāwā, bin Laden sharply criticized the financial contributions of the American government to the Saudi royal family as well as American military intervention in the Arab world.[3]
These motivations were published in bin Laden's November 2002 Letter to the American people,[4][5] in which he said that al-Qaeda's motives for the attacks included basic American freedoms and civil liberties, which he described as 'fornication, homosexuality, intoxicants, gambling, and trading with interest', Western support for 'attacking Muslims in Somalia', supporting 'Russian atrocities against Muslims' in Chechnya, supporting the 'Indian oppression against Muslims' in Kashmir, condoning the 1982 massacres in Lebanon, the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia,[5][6][7] US support of Israel,[8][9] and sanctions against Iraq.[10] Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri asserted that 'Israeli repression of Palestinians' during the Al-Aqsa Intifada was the immediate cause that forced Al-Qaeda to launch the September 11 attacks.[11][12][13]
Following the attacks, the Bush administration asserted that al-Qaeda attacked the United States because "they hate us for our freedoms". George W. Bush said in a speech to Congress nine days after the attacks that "They hate what we see right here in this chamber — a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms — our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other."[14] Al-Qaeda leadership avowed that the United States was targeted in retaliation for supposed imperialist aggression against the Muslim world with Bin Laden stating in a speech released in 2004: "free men do not forfeit their security, contrary to Bush’s claim that we hate freedom. If so, then let him explain to us why we don’t strike for example – Sweden?"[15][16][17]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
baudwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Gunarathna, pp. 61–62.
- ^ "Declaration of Jihad Against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holiest Sites" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
- ^ * bin Laden, Osama (August 1996). "bin Laden's Fatwa". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on 2014-04-19. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
- Bruce Lawrence, ed. (2005). Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden. Verso. p. 23. ISBN 1844670457. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ a b * bin Laden, Osama (February 1998). "bin Laden's Second Fatwa". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on 2013-11-28. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
- Bruce Lawrence, ed. (2005). Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden. Verso. p. 58. ISBN 1844670457. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ Plotz, David (2001) What Does Osama Bin Laden Want? Archived 2016-11-15 at the Wayback Machine, Slate
- ^ * Plotz, David (2001) What Does Osama Bin Laden Want? Archived 2016-11-15 at the Wayback Machine, Slate
- Bergen (2001), p. 3.
- Yusufzai, Rahimullah (September 26, 2001). "Face to face with Osama". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- "US pulls out of Saudi Arabia". BBC News. April 29, 2003. Archived from the original on 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- "Saga of Dr. Zawahri Sheds Light On the Roots of al Qaeda Terror". Wall Street Journal. July 2, 2002. Archived from the original on 2018-12-30. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
- "Tenth Public Hearing, Testimony of Louis Freeh". 9/11 Commission. April 13, 2004. Archived from the original on 2011-08-26. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- "Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders: World Islamic Front Statement". Federation of American Scientists. February 23, 1998. Archived from the original on 2011-08-26. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- ^ bin Laden, Osama (November 24, 2002). "Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- ^ * Mearsheimer (2007), p. 67.
- Kushner (2003), p. 389.
- Murdico (2003), p. 64.
- Kelley (2006), p. 207.
- Ibrahim (2007), p. 276.
- Berner (2007), p. 80.
- ^ * "Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech". aljazeera. Archived from the original on 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
- bin Laden, Osama (November 24, 2002). "Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America'". The Observer. Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- ^ Riedel, Bruce (2008). "1: The Manhattan Raid". The Search for Al Qaeda. 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, USA: Brookings Institution Press. pp. 5, 6. ISBN 978-0-8157-0451-5.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Holmqvist-Jonsäter, Coker, Caroline, Christopher; cooker, christopher (2010). "8: Metrowar". The Character of War in the 21st Century. 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA: Routledge. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-415-49832-6.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Kepel, Milelli, Gilles, Jean-Pierre (2008). Al Qaeda in its own words. Translated by Ghazaleh, Pascale. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-674-02804-3.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ George W. Bush (20 September 2001), Freedom and Fear Are at War, Wikidata Q19036080
- ^ "Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech". Al Jazeera. 1 November 2004. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
- ^ K. Betts, Richard (2013). American Force. New York, USA: Columbia University Press. pp. 110, 111. ISBN 978-0-231-15122-1.
- ^ Bruce Lawrence, ed. (2005). "17: The Towers of Lebanon". Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden. 6 Meard Street, London W1F OEG: Verso. pp. 237–244. ISBN 1-84467-045-7.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)