The 1990s also featured a series of increasingly violent attacks associated with Islamist terrorists , including al-Qaeda , a radical Islamist militant organization led by Osama bin Laden . On February 26 , 1993 , a truck bomb was detonated at the World Trade Center in New York City , killing six civilians and injuring 919 others , 88 firefighters , and 35 police officers . The attack was intended to destroy the foundation of the North Tower , knocking the tower into the South Tower , which would destroy both buildings and kill thousands of people . While this did not happen , the bomb caused considerable damage to the lower levels of the North Tower . In 1994 , four men were convicted of carrying out the bombing and in 1997 , two men were convicted for their roles , including the truck driver and the mastermind , Ramzi Yousef
a truck bomb was detonated
1993 World Trade Center bombing
History of the United States (1991–2008)