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15 years later: The lasting results of 9/11

By Kimmi Baston executive Editor 2 min read
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Fifteen years have passed since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. September 11, 2001, is a date of historic infamy – and one that more and more Americans view as a piece of history rather than a memory. 

But 15 years later, the effects of 9/11 are as evident as ever in the United States. 

Among the numerous, lasting changes that have taken place in the nation since the attacks, a few continue to be visible in Americans’ everyday lives.

1. Immediately following 9/11, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, according to KQED News, and U.S. troops remain there today. The U.S. also invaded Iraq in 2003 and kept troops there through 2011. Both the War in Iraq and the War in Afghanistan became part of former President George W. Bush’s War on Terror, a concept that prevails today.

2. Just two months after the terrorist attacks, in November 2001, the U.S. Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. The act, according to International Business Times, established the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and subsequently put into effect the stringent airport security still experienced in U.S. airports today. 

3. The Patriot Act was put into effect in late 2001 and extended in 2011. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the act allows for surveillance and information sharing among federal agencies to protect Americans from terrorists’ plans. The federal government expanded the National Security Agency’s ability to monitor Americans’ communications, and the extent to which they have done so was not unveiled until 2013, according to International Business Times. National privacy issues continue to be at the forefront in American politics. 

4. In 2002, the federal government created the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act and the Homeland Security Act, according to the American Bar Association. Two new government agencies were established: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Heightened border security and stringent immigration policies continue to be enforced as a result.

Just as the memory of 9/11 is unlikely to fade from American’s memories, the impacts of the attacks will pervade life in the U.S. for years to come.

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