(Washington Observatory) 20th Anniversary of the "September 11" Incident: America where old wounds and new pains are intertwined

　　China News Service, Washington, September 11th, title: 20th Anniversary of the "September 11" Incident: The United States where old wounds and new pains are intertwined

　　China News Agency reporter Chen Mengtong

　　In mourning the "old wounds" of the deceased and the "new pains" of the Afghan troop withdrawal, the United States has ushered in the 20th anniversary of the "9.11" terrorist attack.

　　From official to private, this year's commemorative activities are more grand than in previous years.

Some people are cherishing: a terrorist attack that killed nearly 3,000 people. What did the Americans remember and forget after 20 years?

There are also people who are reflecting: A 20-year war launched in the name of anti-terrorism, which killed 2461 American soldiers and citizens, how much is the loss of the United States?

On September 10, local time, New York, the United States, the New York "Commemorative Pillar of Light" lights up to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the "September 11" incident.

The picture shows the "commemorative beam of light" appearing in the night sky.

The end of the withdrawal adds new pain

　　September 11 was originally the deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The U.S. government clearly understands the symbolic meaning of completing the withdrawal on the occasion of the 20th anniversary.

However, the fact that the Afghan government quickly collapsed and Kabul hurriedly withdrew and caused US military casualties due to terrorist attacks has made the end of the Afghan troop withdrawal a question mark that the United States must reflect on and answer when facing the 20th anniversary of the "9.11" incident, rather than relief and relief. period.

　　John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution, pointed out at a seminar on the 10th on the theme of "September 11" incident reflection and lessons, that after the "9.11" incident, the United States fell into a kind of self-determined " In the reality of terrorism, its foreign and national defense policies are largely based on the global war on terrorism.

"In many ways, this can only be considered behavior, not strategy."

　　Allen is a retired general of the US Marine Corps and served as the commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

He pointed out that the United States has the ability to carry out decisive military strikes, but it lacks the ability to stabilize the regional situation after the conflict.

"In some respects, this is the reason why the war in Afghanistan has continued. How to maintain regional stability and deal with other countries’ cultural or belief issues is what the U.S. foreign policy lacks on a broader level."

　　The cost of the war in the United States after the "September 11" incident was staggering.

According to estimates of the War Cost Project of Brown University, after the "September 11" incident, the participation of US troops in military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and other regions resulted in the death of 7,052 US soldiers and civilian deaths as high as between 360,000 and 380,000.

At the same time, the expenditure of these wars, including the cost of caring for veterans, is nearly 8 trillion US dollars.

　　"The war on terrorism has not only changed the United States' view of itself, but also the views of other countries on the United States." The US "Foreign Affairs" magazine pointed out that the victory of the war on terrorism has never been based on achieving positive results, but on preventing negative results. effect.

However, the United States still uses the traditional mode of warfare, and the power vacuum created by the massive increase in troops and the rapid withdrawal of troops has left room for terrorist organizations to grow larger.

Data map: On August 31, local time, after all US troops withdrew from Afghanistan, the Afghan Taliban Badri Special Forces arrived at the Afghan airport.

The old wounds are still hard to heal

　　In 20 years, in addition to the shocking numbers of casualties, the "September 11" incident has become a memory of the times in the United States, and can even be used as a label to divide a generation.

Today, this "old wound" still affects the United States in different ways.

　　According to the "New York Times" report, in the past 20 years, the remains of 1,106 victims of the "September 11" incident in the United States have yet to be found.

Forensic doctors are still trying to confirm their identities through advanced technology.

　　At the same time, the younger generation of Americans born after the "September 11" incident has reached adulthood.

When Biden expressed his stance on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, they had never experienced a "peaceful America", and he would never leave the war in Afghanistan to the next American president.

　　"It has indeed changed the way Americans live." Thomas Keane, who served as the co-chair of the US "September 11" Incident Investigation Committee, said in an interview in August this year that the "September 11" incident allowed Americans to live in In "greater suspicion", they are more worried about personal and public safety.

The tragic ending that occurred in Afghanistan may have started with the "September 11" incident.

　　In addition to the psychological trauma caused by the terrorist attacks, the "September 11" incident has had a long-term negative impact on American immigrants, especially Muslims.

On the one hand, the "September 11" incident directly prompted the establishment of the US Department of Homeland Security and the passage of the Patriot Act to strengthen domestic security measures. On the other hand, it also led to the abuse of military operations authorization and illegal surveillance projects.

The policies such as the "ban on Muslims" implemented during the Trump administration have exacerbated ethnic conflicts in the United States.

　　The American Muslim novelist Laila Lalami published a commemorative article saying that if you want to "never forget", then people must not only remember the pain and sorrow of the "9.11" incident, but also not forget the military launched by the US government. Intervention and violence.

Data map: The people put their grief in front of the World Trade Site in New York, the United States.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Liao Pan

Anti-terrorism dilemma and new diseases

　　Whether it is the demand for returning to Afghanistan or the emphasis that the "out-of-the-horizon" strike capability is sufficient to contain the threat of terrorism to the United States, the two parties in the United States have a certain consensus on the assessment of the threat of overseas terrorism, but domestic terrorism is on the rise. Doctrine is also worthy of vigilance in American society.

　　Cynthia Miller-Idriss, an extremist research scholar at the American University, pointed out that the "September 11" incident inspired ultra-conservative forces in the United States when analyzing the phenomenon that ultra-right ideology has gradually occupied the political arena in Europe and the United States in recent years. This led to a surge in xenophobia, white supremacy, populism, and violent attacks. This "normalization of extreme right-wing violent activities and extremism reached its peak in the riots in the U.S. Capitol."

　　Ben Rhodes, deputy assistant to the US National Security during the Obama administration, believes that the 20-year war on terrorism has reshaped the US national identity and ironically spawned the "us-them" antagonism.

The consensus of American society on counter-terrorism has been distorted into the anger of "others" invading aggressively.

　　In addition to the new symptoms of domestic terrorism "made in the United States," the global threat of terrorism is not as optimistic as the United States imagined.

　　Spanish anti-terrorist expert Fernando Reinares pointed out at the Wilson Center of the US think tank on the 10th that the previous US administration's claim that the extremist organization "Islamic State" had been completely defeated was "misleading."

The reality is that the organization is infiltrating many corners of the world in a decentralized manner.

　　Bruce Hoffman, an anti-terrorist expert at Georgetown University in the United States, described the anti-terrorism situation facing the United States as a “piercing red alert”.

He pointed out that 20 years ago, the United States did not have urgent major power competition, climate change crisis and terrible new crown epidemic. When the United States is distracted by so many traditional and non-traditional security threats, it is an opportunity for terrorists. .

　　"It is undeniable that the United States has gone in the wrong direction in strategy, tactics, and morality over the past 20 years." The Washington Post published an editorial on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the "September 11" incident, pointing out that the long war on terrorism and the United States The bloody scenes that occurred during the evacuation from Kabul, like the "September 11" incident itself, gave rise to a strong sense of helplessness and loss. But compared with the past, exiting the world and exiting the fight against terrorism is not a more viable option today. (over)