On the morning of September 11th, 2001,
tragedy struck when
two hijacked airplanes
crashed into
the World Trade Center towers
in New York City.
After that,
everything changed.
For the past 20 years,
America has grappled with the question of
could it happen again?
The attacks on the World Trade Center
took the lives of nearly 3,000 people
and consumed America
with outrage, fear and grief.
The thought of a large scale
attack on Americans
in their own country
was no longer unthinkable.
It was on everyone's mind.
What if terrorists did strike again?
What if this time
they use biological weapons?
Or even nuclear weapons?
Which city would be the next target?
Would Washington, D.C. be next?
Needless to say,
the collective consciousness
had changed forever.
20 years later,
we're still asking these questions.
With American troops
pulled out of Afghanistan,
tensions once again rise
whether there could be another attack
on U.S. soil.
Would America be prepared
for another attack?
Well, here's the thing.
This isn't the America
you knew 20 years ago.
Over the last two decades,
the United States government
has gotten a major upgrade
to its defensive
and offensive capabilities.
The big one being its
intelligence community.
Let's break it down.
Between 2002 and 2017,
the United States spent an estimated
So you've got the CIA,
FBI
and National Security Agency, right?
All getting expanded.
Then you've got a newly formed
Department of Homeland Security.
Plus, the special forces are doubling down
on counterterrorism capabilities.
They've now got access
to a whole new,
densely tangled network
of intelligence collection technologies.
This tech collects all types of signals
that can be used to target individuals
or groups
who may be planning attacks.
Now, more than ever,
it's harder for terrorist groups
such as al-Qaeda,
to organize an attack similar to 9/11.
With today's far more advanced
intelligence agencies on alert,
a mass-casualty attack
is a lot less likely
to slip through the cracks.
But it's not impossible.
Even with all the preparation in the world,
an attack on American soil
could always be a possibility.
There are hundreds of places
around the globe
that could house terrorists
organizing attacks on American targets.
But it won't be another 9/11.
The events of September 11th, 2001
were a heartbreaking tragedy
and a defining moment for Americans.
There was life before 9/11,
and there was life after 9/11.
Government,
travel,
media,
society,
everything changed.
Another attack in America
wouldn't be a repeat of 9/11.
It would be something new entirely.
But what if the next attack
was bigger than any of us expected?
What if World War III happened tomorrow?
Well, that's a story for another WHAT IF.