25 years since 9/11: not all victims identified, mastermind's trial still pending
Twenty-five years have passed since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US that killed 2,977 people. Not all victims have been identified yet, and the trial of the attacks' alleged mastermind will not begin until 2028.
Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes in one of the bloodiest terrorist attacks ever carried out on US soil. Two planes struck the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, which collapsed within an hour and 42 minutes, destroying the rest of the complex's buildings. A third plane hit the Pentagon, while a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to fight back against the hijackers. In total, 2,977 people lost their lives in the attacks.
The attacks led the US to declare a "war on terror," during which the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq were both toppled. In 2011, US special forces killed al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan.
Lasting impact on Americans
Surveys show that roughly half of US adults still name the September 11 attacks among the most significant events of their lifetime. Most respondents recall exactly where they were when they learned of the attacks, and many say the events profoundly changed their lives.
Not all victims identified
Of the 2,753 people who died at the World Trade Center, only about 60 percent have been identified. Last month, a new forensic genetic genealogy technique helped identify one more victim. Severe damage to remains, along with mixed-up firefighting gear worn by responders, has made identification extremely difficult. The remains of five people killed in the Pentagon attack have never been identified, while all 40 victims of the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania have been identified.
Conspiracy theories and a trial yet to begin
Part of the public still believes alternative explanations for the events, ranging from claims of controlled demolitions of the towers to theories of deliberate military inaction. Meanwhile, the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the attacks who is held at Guantanamo Bay, has been repeatedly postponed and is now set to begin only in June 2028.
