This is a sample essay on the terrorist attack on World Trade Center of thousand words for school and college students.
Terrorism is a world-wide problem. A terrorist has only to arouse the fear of invisible terror to gain his own ends or the organization to which he belongs. In fact, terror has become the shot-cut to fame for anyone with a cause and grievance. In a world polarized along rival power blocs and super powers, the definition of terrorism posed enormous problems. Terrorism means different things to different people. For Israel, Yasser Arafat could be a terrorist just because he is leading an unequal war against Israel and for many Arabs, Israel is a terrorist state.
In 2001, India and the world have all been through hell and back. This has never been a year so full of destruction, death and dispute. It began with the earth quake in Gujarat in January and did not stop right up to the second week of December when suicide bombers targeted the Indian parliament. In between came the horrific royal massacre in Nepal, the suicide bomb outside the Jammu and Kashmir-Assembly and of course attack on America on 11th September.
Terror struck America on 11th September 2001. On this fateful morning four hijacked passenger planes changed the course of American and world history. The only Super power in the world was caught off-guard, totally defenseless against the well planned, well-coordinated and the most massive suicide terrorist attack ever, as two hijacked planes one after another guided by terrorists slammed into the prestigious twin tower of the World Trade Centre in the heart of New York City. First a small twine engine plane hit one tower, tearing a huge gash into the upper floors of the building. Within twenty minutes a second larger passenger plane crashed into the second tower causing a huge explosion. Within minutes another hijacked plane crashed into the pentagon, head-quarters of the US Department of Defense. Hell virtually broke loose. For the first time, America was in the vice-like grip of panic, too dazed and shocked as how to react as if they were in the midst of a nuclear attack. Fear was written large on the face of the nation. And then the fourth hijacked plane crashed in West Pennsylvania.
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The audacity of the attacks on the World Trade Centre stunned the world. Although it was difficult to match the enormity of the attacks in America, it was clear that the merchants of death will not restrict themselves to hijackings or hitting soft targets but will aim at dramatic attacks that will shake the foundation of society. In Delhi, the terrorists attacked the very heart of Indian democracy, its parliament. This followed their vicious attack on the J. & K. Assembly on October 1, 2001 and at Red Fort on December 22, 2000, both symbols of India’s nationhood.
On Thursday, December 13, the Central Hall of parliament was busy with its normal schedule. It was unusually packed at that time of the day-more than 250 MPs and a few ministers were present, but nobody had a clue to what was going outside. A car carrying five terrorist entered the gates of the Ultra-high-security Zone. The men in the car came out firing their bullets killing 3 men instantly- a parliament House security officer, a CRPF constable and gardener. But all the doors into parliament were shut and so the devils could not enter into it. The CRPF men came into action, killed four militants and the fifth, the suicide bomber exploded himself. The game plan failed chiefly because they could not get entry into the main building as all the doors had been sealed, but it was a very narrow miss. In fact in selecting parliament House, the well-armed terrorists wanted to mock India, paralyse it politically and leave it totally devastated.
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However, terrorist always had the advantage of surprise but when it is combined with suicidal zeal; the job of security becomes extremely difficult. Symbols of power are attacked to demoralise a nation, but if it does not work, the strategy is changed and soft targets as religious symbols are attacked. On September 24, 2002 Swaminarain Temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat was again attacked. This time the barbarians were at the temple gate. Two young men- one about 20 and the other may be 25 came in a white Ambassador near gate No.3 of Akshardham temple. Climbing the 7ft. high wall of the temple complex they ran towards the temple’s three main halls and began spraying bullets. Ruthlessly they killed down innocents, including women and infants. The terrorists went on firing bursts and torsing grenades until darkness fell. They took cover in the dark foliage but as the first rays of the sun crept over the horizon, the commandos killed them.
On both occasions a disaster of mammoth proportions was averted by the timely action of our security guards who paid with their lives. But we should not forget that these are trying times for India. Our enemies want to create chaos wherever they can and make us fight among ourselves. Secularism is our most valuable possession and we must protect it with all our might. Let us not forget that ours is the country that has suffered most at the hands of terrorism. The nation can ill-afford to lower its vigil. There is no alternative to being eternally on guard and vigilance. The terrorists have done their job and fired with the killer instinct and no one can stop them. So it is the duty of every citizen wherever her full support to the authorities thereby securing the integrity of the action.