On September 11 , 2001 , al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four airliners and flew two them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City , destroying both 110-story skyscrapers . Another plane crashed into Pentagon , and a fourth plane was brought down in Pennsylvania following a struggle between the terrorists and the aircraft 's passengers . The attacks had a profound effect on many Americans , who felt vulnerable to international attacks for the first time since the end of the Cold War . Appearing on national television on the night of the attacks , Bush promised to punish those who had aided the attacks , stating , " we will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them . " In the following days , Bush urged the public to renounce hate crimes and discrimination against Muslim-Americans and Arab-Americans . He also declared a " War on Terror " , instituting new domestic and foreign policies in an effort to prevent future terrorist attacks
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American Airlines Flight 77
Presidency of George W. Bush