Final answer:
The September 11, 2001 attacks were orchestrated by al-Qaeda in response to the U.S. foreign policy, including support for Israel and military presence in the Middle East. Osama bin Laden led the attack that took nearly 3,000 lives and prompted the 'War on Terror'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The September 11, 2001 attacks, orchestrated by the terrorist group al-Qaeda, were the result of various factors. Al-Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, cited U.S. support for Israel, U.S. military presence in the Middle East, and the impact of U.S. foreign policy in the Islamic world as motivations behind the attacks.
On that fateful morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four airplanes. Two hit the World Trade Center in New York City, one struck the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the fourth, aimed at another significant target, crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers intervened. This heinous act claimed nearly 3,000 lives, including nearly 400 emergency workers, and led to the global 'War on Terror', with the U.S. spearheading military campaigns in Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda's infrastructure and the Taliban regime.