History: What happened on September 11, 2001 and what were its causes?
The blame was officially put on Bin Laden, the leader of the international terroristic organization Al-Qaeda. However, the conspiracy theorists expressed other ideas. They formed two different camps, which explain the course of events: «Let it happen on purpose» (LIHOP) and «Make it happen on purpose» (MIHOP). Both streams claimed that the United States federal government and Bush administration were aware of the preparation of the attack. In the first case (LIHOP) it is said to have chosen to deliberately ignore the upcoming act of terror and what’s more to have weakened the defense of the country. The second stream went further, supposing that the USA federal government together with Bush administration were involved in the preparation of these attacks, actively collaborating with Al-Qaeda with intention to shift the responsibility to the terroristic organization (Bergen).
Other theories of the real causes vary from plausible but flawed to most credible ones. The first reasons explain the barbarous attack as a response to foreign occupation. The 9/11 act of terror was a reaction to the fact that at that moment the Saudi Kingdom was occupied by American military forces, which inevitably entailed intrusion into culture and religion, causing the clash of civilizations. Some historians include several minor factors as poverty of the middle-east countries in comparison to western; religious motives, descending from interpretation of the Koran; failing states as Afghanistan, where in 1996 Al-Qaeda was based. Nevertheless, all the theories mentioned above don’t have serious evidence to support them, becoming indirect, additional circumstances for the main cause.
Bin Laden’s intention was to install theocracies all around the Middle-Eastern countries from Indonesia to Morocco. However, these plans were not supported by the leaders of these countries and were prepared to deal with the West, without seeing the future of the Islamic states governed by Talibian-like regimes. The war was set about with the view to destroy the «far enemy», so that the «near enemy» was left without support. Three weeks later after the catastrophe the video of Bin Laden’s monologue was broadcasted and the main idea appeared to be the emphasis of the «humiliation» of the Muslims because of the negative effect of the USA intervention. This statement was further backed by Bin Laden’s personal motif: American support of Israel in Lebanon war in 1982. Apart from this, such factor like the alienation of the Muslim immigrants in the west also plays the role of the catalyst for the act of terror 9/11. Rejected by the society, perceiving outright discrimination and feeling homesick these people turned to radical way.
Together with being deeply religious all the above-mentioned causes led to annihilation of thousands of people, having brought more hatred, more conflicts and avaricious confrontation between two civilizations, between East and West.
Works cited:
Peter Bergen. ‘What were the causes of 9/11?’ September 2006. 30 April 2013
