U.S. Marks 24th Anniversary of 9/11 with Reflection on Bin Laden’s Role

Lead Americans gathered at memorials nationwide on September 11, 2025, to honor the 2,977 victims of the 2001 attacks and remember al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden’s orchestration of the plot and his 2011 death.

Nut Graf As the nation observes the solemn 24th anniversary, ceremonies from New York’s 9/11 Memorial to the Pentagon highlighted both the loss wrought by bin Laden’s network and the enduring resolve to prevent future terror, underscoring why remembrance remains vital.

■ National 9/11 Memorial & Museum ceremony

  • Names of all 2,977 victims read aloud on the South Pool plaza
  • Moments of silence at 8:46 AM and 9:03 AM, marking the Twin Towers’ strikes

■ Pentagon observance

  • Wreath-laying at the Pentagon Memorial
  • Remarks by senior defense and political leaders, recalling bin Laden’s decade-long evasion and eventual killing by U.S. forces in Pakistan in May 2011

■ Commemoration context

  • Four hijacked planes crashed into New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back
  • Bin Laden’s death in Abbottabad in 2011 marked a major milestone in the global counterterrorism campaign

Subhead: Remembering the Attacks and Their Architect Nearly 3,000 lives were lost when al-Qaeda operatives, under bin Laden’s direction, turned commercial airliners into weapons on September 11, 2001. The coordinated strikes on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 reshaped U.S. homeland security and foreign policy.

Subhead: Memorial Events Highlight Unity and Resolve Participants at Ground Zero and the Pentagon emphasized national unity and vigilance. Officials reiterated that bin Laden’s death did not end terrorism but demonstrated the reach of American intelligence and the importance of continued counterterrorism efforts.

Subhead: Ongoing Legacy of 9/11 and Bin Laden The annual tribute connects today’s commitments to the lessons of 2001. By recounting bin Laden’s role-from mastermind of the deadliest attack on U.S. soil to his elimination in a U.S. raid-the observances underscore the costs of extremism and the purpose of never forgetting.