The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have obviously left an unforgettable impression on both the United States and the world. That was the day that the longstanding conflict between the extremist Muslim groups and the US came to a climax. Most would say that that fateful day was a horrible event for everyone, whether American, Afghan or any other nationality. But to a select minority, especially those actively involved in terrorism against the US and the West, that was a momentous day that would solidify their message to the world and begin their quest at overthrowing all that they saw as threat to Islam and their way of life. Although the events of September 11 have yet to be completely understood, there has been a great deal of theorizing and major steps taken towards ending future terrorism and regaining the sense of well-being and confidence that was felt before it was stripped away from us all by 19 hijackers.

One of the major groups involved in the events of September 11 was the Taliban. Before losing their power during a US-led bombing campaign and an assault by Afghan rebels in November 2001, they were the Muslim fundamentalist rulers of Afghanistan who had

gained their power in the early-to-mid-1990's after a civil war between Northern and Southern Afghanistan. Since 1992, the country had been the site of major conflict, and many Afghans welcomed a new movement that promised to bring order and peace to the country. The Taliban "signaled that they were a movement for cleansing society rather than a party trying to grab power" (Rashid 23). They seemed to be very honest and well intentioned, and as a result were readily welcomed by the citizens of Afghanistan as well as supported by neighboring countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, who thought they could control and use the Taliban, as well as the United States.

"To stem fanaticism, we must first fight indifference to evil...We fight indifference through education; we diminish it through compassion" (Wiesel 5). This is a simple answer, but is much more complicated than it sounds. It would be impossible to make everyone in the world happy when dealing with a country such as the United States, but understanding their position and ideas, and then dealing with it as effectively as possible can go a long way in curbing the hatred and terrorism that exist in the world.

Bin Laden was "a mentor, a guest, an inspiration and - so the Taliban thought - a useful asset" ("The Taliban," par. 11). He and his Al-Qaeda network worked hard to recruit fighters from across the Arab and Muslim world to join the jihad in Afghanistan. His efforts endeared him to the Taliban, who were happy to have a rich ally. Eventually, bin Laden became an influence on the Taliban, and his personal views started to show up in the Taliban's declarations.

Only time will tell, but it may be impossible to completely stop terrorism. "Ethno-religious terrorism will not die away, and could respond to several future stimuli" (Pollard, par. 2). The world is definitely changing, and it must be every individual's duty to do what they can to be accepting of everyone and stop the hatred and indifference that exists. Our goal must be to do our very best to stop terrorism at its source, whether international or domestic. The most important thing that we can do is to never forget the memories of September 11, no matter how horrible they are. We must remember it forever, and hopefully that will be the most efficient remedy to combating terrorism.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2321
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)