Seven years ago today, two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Centre in New York City, claiming nearly 3,000 lives and unveiling a new era of war on terror. But, after years of intense fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq and international efforts to crack down on terrorist groups, has the world become a safer place?
The most recent annual summer poll conducted by CNN showed 35 per cent of Americans believed there was the likelihood of a terrorist attack in the near future, a drop of 6 per cent from last year and the lowest since 2002. But, even if they think the terrorist threat is fading, 54 per cent of Americans still believe the Iraq war is a failure, according to a Gallup Poll in March this year.
Americans are more supportive of the war in Afghanistan, which was initiated in the wake of September 11, to remove the Taleban regime thought to be harbouring Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attacks. The invasion, or some said 'liberation', seemed an almost immediate victory, as the Taleban forces fled within a month.
But the scenario took on a far more complex aspect when the US-led coalition forces invaded Iraq in 2003. They overturned Saddam Hussein's government based on intelligence that he possessed 'weapons of mass destruction' - which, in fact, he did not.
Both wars turned messy, with endless insurgent attacks on foreign troops and the kidnapping of foreigners. By the end of August this year, combined American troop casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeded 4,700 - a greater number of lives than those lost on September 11, 2001.
The deaths of foreign troops are all recorded, but not the lives of civilians - at least, not in any way anyone can agree on. Their lives are taken in violence such as roadside bombs, indiscriminate gunfire and suicide bombings, which occur every week if not every day, with most small-scale bombings which do not involve foreigners no longer reported by the media.