1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
In focus
German election 2025SyriaCrisis in the Middle East
Latest audioLatest videos
Live TV

Five Years On: How Sept. 11 Changed the World

September 11, 2006

Sept. 11, 2001 changed the world and sparked a debate about the compatibility between Islam and western values. Read DW-WORLD.DE's reports marking the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

https://p.dw.com/p/92Z9
Dossier 11. September Dossierbilder Bild 1 Manhattan WTCImage: AP

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States brought grief to the families of some 3,000 victims and shocked and traumatized billions around the globe.

While the international community was first united behind the US, President George W. Bush's war on terror soon led many to criticize Washington's response to the attacks.

In the five years since, wars were fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and several countries -- including Britain, Spain and Australia -- also suffered terror attacks on their citizens.

Sept. 11 has led to a global debate regarding the compatibility of Islam and western values, it has led several nations to introduce tougher anti-terror laws and curtail civil liberties.

In this special dossier to mark the fifth anniversary of the attacks, DW-WORLD.DE takes a look at what has changed in Germany and Europe, but also further abroad. Please click on the links below to find out more.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

"Terror Events Shouldn't Undermine Our Democratic Values"

The British government's response to the increased terror threat with more stringent legislation has been criticized by civil liberty groups. Phillippa Hayward from Liberty spoke to DW-WORLD.DE about the concerns.
September 3, 2006

Brazil Suffered Side-Effects of Sept. 11

Anti-American sentiment has increased and an innocent Brazilian citizen was killed by police in the London Underground -- just two ways Brazil has felt the aftershocks of Sept. 11, 2001.
September 3, 2006

"We Americans Now Feel Uncomfortable Abroad"

Five years after 9/11, ex-pats in Germany and other European countries still feel uneasy.
January 1, 1970

"On That Day, I Just Ran"

DW-WORLD.DE talked with New Yorkers working near the Twin Towers about what that day was like, how things have changed since then.
September 11, 2006

Uprooting Terrorism in Spain After Sept. 11

In view of the advance of international Islamic terrorists, Basque terrorist organization ETA had to revise its violent strategies in Spain. The Madrid bombings sealed this process in 2004.
September 7, 2006

"Sept. 11 Catapulted Russia into the Elite League of World Politics"

DW-WORLD.DE spoke to Peter Schulze, an expert on Russia and professor of political science at Georg-August University in Göttingen, about Russia's role in world politics after Sept. 11.
September 3, 2006

''Rebuilding Ground Zero is Rebuilding the Heart of New York''

DW-WORLD.DE spoke with star achitect Daniel Libeskind about his plans for the Ground Zero site in New York, the changing role of architecture after the Sept. 11 attacks and the meaning of memory.
September 10, 2006

Sept. 11 and Aftermath Sent Earthquake Through Arab World

The terror, war and chaos that have occurred since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have led to destabilization in the Arab world and an ever-widening rift with the West.
September 4, 2006

Germany's Solidarity With US Waning After Sept. 11

After the attacks on the USA in 2001, Germany's readiness to help knew no limits. Five years later, this is no longer the case. The feeling of security in Germany, however, remains strong.
September 11, 2006

Britain After Sept. 11: Security Versus Civil Liberties

In the five years since the Sept.11, 2001 terror attacks on the US, Britain has itself become both a victim of terror and the legislation brought in to secure it from further attacks.
September 5, 2006

China, US and the War on Terror

Even though the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 brought China and the US somewhat closer to each other, their relationship remains to be dominated by mistrust and fear.
September 3, 2006

"Bali was a Very Important Wake-Up Call"

DW-WORLD.DE spoke with Rohan Gunaratna, the head of terrorism research at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies in Singapore, about how Australia has changed since Sept.11 and the Bali bombings.
September 3, 2006
Show more stories