The keyword phrase functions as a compound proper noun. It designates a specific historical event and its primary architect. Grammatically, it combines "11 Sep," a noun representing the date of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, and "bin Laden," a proper noun identifying Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of the militant organization al-Qaeda, which perpetrated the attacks.
On September 11, 2001, operatives of al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners. Two aircraft were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing their collapse. A third aircraft struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempted to regain control from the hijackers. These coordinated attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, making them the deadliest terrorist act in world history. Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda subsequently claimed responsibility, citing motivations that included U.S. support for Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq.
The event serves as a watershed moment in modern history, directly leading to the initiation of the U.S. "War on Terror." This global military campaign included the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and depose the Taliban regime that harbored it. The attacks also prompted profound and lasting changes in international security protocols, foreign policy, and domestic surveillance legislation, such as the USA PATRIOT Act. The term encapsulates not just the incident itself but the beginning of a new era of international conflict and counter-terrorism strategy.
