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See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
The Authorization for Use of Military Force law wouldn’t have been passed
- Public Law 107-40, or the Authorization for Use of Military Force, was a law passed in 2001 authorizing military action.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
The Authorization for Use of Military Force law wouldn’t have been passed
- The law allowed President George W. Bush to use military force against any person, organization, or country that may have been involved in the 9/11 attacks.
© Getty Images
2 / 31 Fotos
The Authorization for Use of Military Force law wouldn’t have been passed
- The law has been criticized as a sort of blank check, as it allows for military action to be initiated against those who might be involved in terrorist attacks in the US in the future. So far, this has allowed for military action to take place in several countries.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
Wall Street wouldn’t have changed so much
- Many financial companies had headquarters in the World Trade Center. Companies such as Cantor Fitzgerald, American Express, Bank of New York, and Morgan Stanley lost hundreds of employees in the attacks.
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
Wall Street wouldn’t have changed so much
- Many firms relocated to other areas of the city. Even the Nasdaq stock exchange moved from NYC's financial district to Times Square.
© Getty Images
5 / 31 Fotos
Wall Street wouldn’t have changed so much
- What was previously almost exclusively a financial district became more economically diversified, including the introduction of residential areas and shopping spaces.
© Getty Images
6 / 31 Fotos
There would be no Patriot Act
- The Patriot Act was passed after 9/11. This piece of legislation allowed for the expansion of federal surveillance.
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
There would be no Patriot Act
- Under the Patriot Act, any American suspected of being involved in terrorism could be subject to surveillance without their knowledge.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
There would be no Patriot Act
- The mass surveillance approach was criticized by many Americans, who saw it as a violation of both the First and the Fourth Amendment.
© Getty Images
9 / 31 Fotos
There would be no Patriot Act
- The extent of the impact of government mass surveillance was disclosed to the public by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.
© Getty Images
10 / 31 Fotos
Warrantless spot checks would probably not be allowed
- Following 9/11, warrantless searches became normal among commuters in the US. The nation was divided about the measure, with critics claiming it violated the Fourth Amendment.
© Getty Images
11 / 31 Fotos
Warrantless spot checks would probably not be allowed
- Was it a necessary evil? According to Drake Law Review, “suspicionless searches pose a threat to the personal privacy that Americans enjoy, but terrorism poses an equally compelling threat that the nation must confront.”
© Getty Images
12 / 31 Fotos
Flying would be a lot easier
- The 2001 Aviation Security and Transportation Act created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which introduced a number of anti-terror measures.
© Getty Images
13 / 31 Fotos
Flying would be a lot easier
- The new measures created longer wait times at airports, and their effectiveness in preventing terrorist attacks is still up for debate.
© Getty Images
14 / 31 Fotos
Flying would be a lot easier
- In fact, during an internal investigation in 2015, undercover Homeland Security agents were able to smuggle mock explosives and weapons 67 out of 70 times.
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
Cockpit doors would probably still be easily accessed
- Because terrorists hijacked the planes on 9/11, access to cockpits was one of the things the Bush administration looked at. As a result, reinforced bulletproof doors were introduced. In addition, these could only be opened from the inside.
© Getty Images
16 / 31 Fotos
Cockpit doors would probably still be easily accessed
- The 2002 Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act introduced an extra measure, allowing pilots to carry guns in case the cockpit was invaded.
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
Cockpit doors would probably still be easily accessed
- While the measures were welcomed as a way to prevent terrorist attacks, it failed to address situations where pilots were incapacitated or indeed had malicious intent.
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Cockpit doors would probably still be easily accessed
- This was the case with Germanwings Flight 9525 in 2015, where the co-pilot intentionally crashed the aircraft, killing himself and all passengers on board. The pilot was unable to enter the cockpit or break down the door to stop him due to the security measures.
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
The invasion of Iraq might not have happened
- President Bush's case for the invasion of Iraq was that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and he had links to Al-Qaeda.
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
The invasion of Iraq might not have happened
- While most Americans supported military action against Iraq at the time, this number decreased over the years. Without 9/11, Operation Iraqi Freedom would probably never have happened.
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
The result of the 2004 election could have been different
- The issue at heart during the 2004 election, which saw John Kerry up against George W. Bush, was essentially the nation's response to the 9/11 attacks.
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
The result of the 2004 election could have been different
- It has been argued that Bush won the election because 9/11 happened and his war on terror convinced voters.
© Getty Images
23 / 31 Fotos
Businesses and financial institutions wouldn’t have tougher regulations
- It transpired that terrorists used American bank accounts opened without social security numbers, and conducted a number of banking operations to fund the terror attacks. All of this went unnoticed.
© Getty Images
24 / 31 Fotos
Businesses and financial institutions wouldn’t have tougher regulations
- One of the regulations, introduced via the Patriot Act, required businesses to monitor suspicious activities and report them directly to the federal government. From banks to car dealers, businesses were running background checks on clients.
© Getty Images
25 / 31 Fotos
The no-fly list would be smaller
- According to the Immigration and Human Rights Law Review, there were just 12 people on Washington’s no-fly list before 9/11.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
The no-fly list would be smaller
- Following the terror attacks, the National Terrorist Screening Center database allowed federal agencies to add anyone suspected of terror activities (not just convicted terrorists) to the list. The number quickly escalated to 420,000.
© Getty Images
27 / 31 Fotos
The FBI would probably stay out of mosques and churches
- Following 9/11, the FBI conducted spying activities in mosques across the US. In the mid-2000s, Imam Yassir Fazaga sued the FBI for spying on his Southern California mosque. Pictured is former FBI informant Craig Monteilh, who infiltrated mosques around the Los Angeles area.
© Getty Images
28 / 31 Fotos
The FBI would probably stay out of mosques and churches
- In 2023, the FBI was found to have been spying on traditionalist Catholic churchgoers, under the same premise. The leaked memo was titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.”
© Getty Images
29 / 31 Fotos
Patriot Day wouldn’t exist
- President George W. Bush proclaimed September 11 as Patriot Day. Then, in 2009, President Barack Obama renamed it Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance. Sources: (Grunge) (Drake Law Review) (Immigration and Human Rights Law Review) (Lawfare) (ABC News) (New York Magazine)
© Getty Images
30 / 31 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
The Authorization for Use of Military Force law wouldn’t have been passed
- Public Law 107-40, or the Authorization for Use of Military Force, was a law passed in 2001 authorizing military action.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
The Authorization for Use of Military Force law wouldn’t have been passed
- The law allowed President George W. Bush to use military force against any person, organization, or country that may have been involved in the 9/11 attacks.
© Getty Images
2 / 31 Fotos
The Authorization for Use of Military Force law wouldn’t have been passed
- The law has been criticized as a sort of blank check, as it allows for military action to be initiated against those who might be involved in terrorist attacks in the US in the future. So far, this has allowed for military action to take place in several countries.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
Wall Street wouldn’t have changed so much
- Many financial companies had headquarters in the World Trade Center. Companies such as Cantor Fitzgerald, American Express, Bank of New York, and Morgan Stanley lost hundreds of employees in the attacks.
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
Wall Street wouldn’t have changed so much
- Many firms relocated to other areas of the city. Even the Nasdaq stock exchange moved from NYC's financial district to Times Square.
© Getty Images
5 / 31 Fotos
Wall Street wouldn’t have changed so much
- What was previously almost exclusively a financial district became more economically diversified, including the introduction of residential areas and shopping spaces.
© Getty Images
6 / 31 Fotos
There would be no Patriot Act
- The Patriot Act was passed after 9/11. This piece of legislation allowed for the expansion of federal surveillance.
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
There would be no Patriot Act
- Under the Patriot Act, any American suspected of being involved in terrorism could be subject to surveillance without their knowledge.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
There would be no Patriot Act
- The mass surveillance approach was criticized by many Americans, who saw it as a violation of both the First and the Fourth Amendment.
© Getty Images
9 / 31 Fotos
There would be no Patriot Act
- The extent of the impact of government mass surveillance was disclosed to the public by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.
© Getty Images
10 / 31 Fotos
Warrantless spot checks would probably not be allowed
- Following 9/11, warrantless searches became normal among commuters in the US. The nation was divided about the measure, with critics claiming it violated the Fourth Amendment.
© Getty Images
11 / 31 Fotos
Warrantless spot checks would probably not be allowed
- Was it a necessary evil? According to Drake Law Review, “suspicionless searches pose a threat to the personal privacy that Americans enjoy, but terrorism poses an equally compelling threat that the nation must confront.”
© Getty Images
12 / 31 Fotos
Flying would be a lot easier
- The 2001 Aviation Security and Transportation Act created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which introduced a number of anti-terror measures.
© Getty Images
13 / 31 Fotos
Flying would be a lot easier
- The new measures created longer wait times at airports, and their effectiveness in preventing terrorist attacks is still up for debate.
© Getty Images
14 / 31 Fotos
Flying would be a lot easier
- In fact, during an internal investigation in 2015, undercover Homeland Security agents were able to smuggle mock explosives and weapons 67 out of 70 times.
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
Cockpit doors would probably still be easily accessed
- Because terrorists hijacked the planes on 9/11, access to cockpits was one of the things the Bush administration looked at. As a result, reinforced bulletproof doors were introduced. In addition, these could only be opened from the inside.
© Getty Images
16 / 31 Fotos
Cockpit doors would probably still be easily accessed
- The 2002 Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act introduced an extra measure, allowing pilots to carry guns in case the cockpit was invaded.
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
Cockpit doors would probably still be easily accessed
- While the measures were welcomed as a way to prevent terrorist attacks, it failed to address situations where pilots were incapacitated or indeed had malicious intent.
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Cockpit doors would probably still be easily accessed
- This was the case with Germanwings Flight 9525 in 2015, where the co-pilot intentionally crashed the aircraft, killing himself and all passengers on board. The pilot was unable to enter the cockpit or break down the door to stop him due to the security measures.
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
The invasion of Iraq might not have happened
- President Bush's case for the invasion of Iraq was that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and he had links to Al-Qaeda.
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
The invasion of Iraq might not have happened
- While most Americans supported military action against Iraq at the time, this number decreased over the years. Without 9/11, Operation Iraqi Freedom would probably never have happened.
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
The result of the 2004 election could have been different
- The issue at heart during the 2004 election, which saw John Kerry up against George W. Bush, was essentially the nation's response to the 9/11 attacks.
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
The result of the 2004 election could have been different
- It has been argued that Bush won the election because 9/11 happened and his war on terror convinced voters.
© Getty Images
23 / 31 Fotos
Businesses and financial institutions wouldn’t have tougher regulations
- It transpired that terrorists used American bank accounts opened without social security numbers, and conducted a number of banking operations to fund the terror attacks. All of this went unnoticed.
© Getty Images
24 / 31 Fotos
Businesses and financial institutions wouldn’t have tougher regulations
- One of the regulations, introduced via the Patriot Act, required businesses to monitor suspicious activities and report them directly to the federal government. From banks to car dealers, businesses were running background checks on clients.
© Getty Images
25 / 31 Fotos
The no-fly list would be smaller
- According to the Immigration and Human Rights Law Review, there were just 12 people on Washington’s no-fly list before 9/11.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
The no-fly list would be smaller
- Following the terror attacks, the National Terrorist Screening Center database allowed federal agencies to add anyone suspected of terror activities (not just convicted terrorists) to the list. The number quickly escalated to 420,000.
© Getty Images
27 / 31 Fotos
The FBI would probably stay out of mosques and churches
- Following 9/11, the FBI conducted spying activities in mosques across the US. In the mid-2000s, Imam Yassir Fazaga sued the FBI for spying on his Southern California mosque. Pictured is former FBI informant Craig Monteilh, who infiltrated mosques around the Los Angeles area.
© Getty Images
28 / 31 Fotos
The FBI would probably stay out of mosques and churches
- In 2023, the FBI was found to have been spying on traditionalist Catholic churchgoers, under the same premise. The leaked memo was titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.”
© Getty Images
29 / 31 Fotos
Patriot Day wouldn’t exist
- President George W. Bush proclaimed September 11 as Patriot Day. Then, in 2009, President Barack Obama renamed it Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance. Sources: (Grunge) (Drake Law Review) (Immigration and Human Rights Law Review) (Lawfare) (ABC News) (New York Magazine)
© Getty Images
30 / 31 Fotos
What would the US be like today if 9/11 never happened?
Three terrorists, including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have reached plea deals while awaiting trial at Guantánamo Bay
© Getty Images
September 11, 2001, is a date the world will never forget. This past July 31, it was announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—the accused principal architect of the al Qaeda attacks—and two other terrorists held in Guantánamo Bay will be spared the death penalty due to a deal with prosecutors.
A spokesperson for the Office of Military Commissions (OMC), prosecutor of this case, confirmed it had entered into pre-trial agreements. “In exchange for removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment, these three Accused have agreed to plead guilty to all of the charged offenses, including the murder of the 2,976 people listed in the charge sheet,” said a letter signed by Rear Adm. Aaron C. Rugh, chief prosecutor for the OMC, and sent to the victims' families, who have been waiting for a conclusion to this case for almost 24 years.
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 changed America, and indeed the world, as we knew it. New laws were passed, military force was used, new regulations were introduced—all in an attempt to improve security and prevent future terror attacks. But what if the Word Trade Center was never attacked by terrorists? What would have happened if the Twin Towers were still part of Manhattan's skyline?
In this gallery, we speculate on what would (and would not) have happened if 9/11 was just another bygone date on the calendar. Click on for what's sure to be an interesting read.
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