Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The United Nations Security Council has warned that terrorist groups are adapting rapidly to new technologies, increasingly exploiting artificial intelligence, drones, social media, encrypted messaging and online platforms to recruit supporters, spread propaganda, raise funds and strengthen their operational capabilities. The warning came during a Security Council briefing marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, as UN officials assessed how the global terrorist threat has evolved since 2001.

Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman told the Council that terrorism has become more fragmented and diffuse, with terrorist groups decentralizing their operations and taking advantage of instability to expand their influence.

She also highlighted the growing role of technology in terrorist activities. According to the UN, extremist groups are exploiting social media platforms, gaming environments and other virtual spaces to identify vulnerabilities and recruit people, particularly young people.

AI and digital platforms create new challenges

UN officials said the rapid development of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies is changing the threat environment. The Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate said terrorist organizations are using AI-enabled tools and digital platforms to disseminate propaganda, recruit supporters and enhance their operational capabilities.

The UN also pointed to the use of encrypted communications and online financial services as growing challenges for counter-terrorism authorities. The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism has separately warned that AI-generated content, deepfakes and algorithmic amplification can increase the speed and reach of harmful extremist narratives.

Drones emerging as an operational threat

The UN also identified the weaponization and misuse of unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, as an increasingly significant terrorist threat. According to the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, terrorist groups are exploiting unmanned aircraft systems for operational purposes, while weak governance and porous borders in some regions have created additional opportunities for terrorist organizations to acquire and misuse emerging technologies.

The UN’s counter-terrorism program says member states have been urged to strengthen measures against terrorist exploitation of technologies including AI, virtual assets, 3D printing, unmanned aircraft systems and commercially available drones.

UN calls for international cooperation

The Security Council emphasized that countering terrorism requires coordinated action at the national, regional and international levels, consistent with international law and the UN Charter. UN officials stressed that governments need to adapt their counter-terrorism strategies as terrorist organizations change their methods and exploit emerging technologies.

The Council also highlighted the importance of protecting human rights and the rule of law while responding to evolving terrorist threats. The discussion comes 25 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, which prompted major changes in international counter-terrorism cooperation and led to the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1373.

Shibbir Ahmed, Washington DC — U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he would consider a request from relatives of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to release additional government records related to the attacks, including documents that could shed further light on possible Saudi connections.

Speaking to reporters in Ireland before returning to the United States, Trump was asked about calls from 9/11 victims’ families for the release of additional records. “I’m going to look at it when I get back,” Trump said.

The renewed push comes just days after the United States marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

Families of 9/11 victims have for years sought the release of additional records they believe could help clarify whether individuals linked to Saudi Arabia provided assistance to some of the hijackers. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals.

Terry Strada, whose husband was killed in the attacks, has been among those pressing the Trump administration to release more information. During a 25th-anniversary remembrance ceremony, she urged Trump to stop protecting Saudi Arabia and provide families and survivors with greater transparency.

Saudi Arabia has consistently denied involvement in the attacks. The issue has nevertheless remained the subject of years of investigation and legal action by victims’ families.

Trump’s comments do not amount to a commitment to release the records, but they could reopen a long-running debate over the remaining classified material surrounding the September 11 attacks.

The Public Interest Declassification Board has also been advocating for the release of additional historically significant 9/11 records. The board said earlier this month that it was pursuing the potential declassification of high-priority records associated with the 9/11 Commission, including material related to intelligence assessments before the attacks.

For families who have spent a quarter-century seeking answers, Trump’s statement represents a potentially significant development in their long-running effort to obtain additional information about what U.S. officials knew before September 11 and whether individuals connected to the attacks received assistance from foreign actors.

Shibbir Ahmed, Ground Zero, New York — The United States on Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with memorial ceremonies in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania, while the release of newly declassified CIA intelligence records renewed attention on what U.S. officials knew about al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden before the attacks. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized four commercial passenger aircraft and carried out coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to regain control of the aircraft.

At Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, relatives of victims gathered for the annual memorial ceremony and read the names of those killed. The observance began with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., the time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Vice President JD Vance attended the New York ceremony alongside former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The gathering brought together current and former national leaders as families commemorated those who died a quarter-century ago.

The ceremony included additional moments of silence marking the attacks on the South Tower, the Pentagon and Flight 93. This year, organizers also included a seventh moment of silence for people who subsequently died from illnesses associated with exposure to toxic materials at the World Trade Center site.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum said the commemoration remains centered on the victims and their families, with the names of those killed read during the ceremony. The annual Tribute in Light is also scheduled to illuminate the New York skyline Friday evening.

Trump Attends Pentagon Ceremony

President Donald Trump marked the anniversary at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed after being hijacked. The attack killed 184 people at the Pentagon and aboard the aircraft. Trump attended the ceremony with First Lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Senior military and government officials also participated in the remembrance.

The Pentagon ceremony focused on the victims and the military personnel, civilian employees and others who lost their lives in the attack. Trump and Hegseth also linked the events of September 11 to current U.S. national-security policy and the country’s military role overseas. Arlington County and other communities in Virginia also held local commemorations honoring residents, first responders and others connected to the Pentagon attack.

Flight 93 Remembered in Pennsylvania

In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, families and visitors gathered at the Flight 93 National Memorial to commemorate the 40 passengers and crew members who died when the hijacked aircraft crashed into a field. The passengers had learned through telephone calls that other hijacked aircraft had struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and attempted to take control of Flight 93. The plane crashed before reaching its intended target. The Pennsylvania observance included the reading of the passengers’ and crew members’ names and a wreath-laying ceremony.

CIA releases 71 intelligence reports

The 25th anniversary also brought a significant new development in Washington. The Central Intelligence Agency released 71 intelligence reports related to the period before and immediately after the September 11 attacks. The collection includes 70 reports prepared before the attacks and one report dated September 12, 2001. The documents were prepared for the President’s Daily Brief and were provided to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and senior administration officials.

The documents show that U.S. intelligence agencies had been tracking bin Laden and al-Qaida for years before the attacks. A February 1998 report warned about bin Laden’s interest in obtaining chemical, biological and nuclear materials. Other reports discussed his growing network, his activities in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s reluctance to surrender him.

A September 1998 intelligence report described a possible al-Qaida plan involving an explosive-laden aircraft and identified Washington as a preferred target. Later reports discussed possible hijackings and surveillance of locations in the United States.

An August 2001 President’s Daily Brief, already publicly known as “Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US,” warned of suspicious activity in the United States consistent with preparations for hijackings or other attacks. The newly released collection provides additional surrounding intelligence records from that period.

The documents remain partly redacted, and officials said the release does not fundamentally overturn the established historical account of the attacks. Instead, the records provide additional detail about the intelligence available to U.S. officials before September 11.

The 9/11 Commission previously concluded that failures involving intelligence sharing, management, policy and the ability to interpret the available information contributed to the government’s inability to prevent the attacks.

New records revive questions about Ground Zero exposure

In New York, the anniversary has also brought renewed attention to the long-term health consequences of the attacks. Thousands of firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, construction workers, residents and others who were exposed to the dust and debris around the World Trade Center site have developed illnesses associated with the disaster.

The FDNY has continued adding the names of members who died from illnesses linked to their work at Ground Zero. More than 600 firefighters have died from 9/11-related illnesses, according to department figures cited in anniversary coverage.

The city has also begun releasing large collections of records concerning its response to the World Trade Center disaster, including documents related to air quality and the handling of information about environmental hazards after the attacks. The records have renewed questions about what officials knew about the risks in Lower Manhattan and when that information was communicated to residents and workers.

A continuing national security legacy

The attacks prompted major changes in U.S. national security policy. Congress created the Department of Homeland Security, federal agencies expanded counterterrorism operations and intelligence-sharing systems were reorganized. Airport security procedures were substantially expanded, while Congress approved new surveillance authorities.

The attacks also led to the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan against al-Qaida and the Taliban. The United States later invaded Iraq in 2003, beginning two wars that became central to American foreign policy for the following two decades.

The wars resulted in the deaths of thousands of U.S. military personnel and large numbers of civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. The post-9/11 period also produced prolonged debates over detention, interrogation, surveillance, civil liberties and the balance between national security and individual rights.

Impact on Muslim and South Asian Americans

The attacks also had significant consequences for Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities across the United States. In the years following September 11, members of those communities faced hate crimes, discrimination, profiling and increased scrutiny. At the same time, Muslim and South Asian Americans have become an increasingly visible part of American civic, political and professional life. The 25th anniversary has therefore prompted communities across the country to remember both the victims of the attacks and the broader social consequences that followed.

Texas and communities across the country

The anniversary was not limited to New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Communities across the United States held ceremonies, vigils, memorial services and events honoring victims and first responders. In Houston, an interfaith remembrance brought together volunteers who read the names of those killed on September 11 alongside names associated with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The event reflected a broader effort in some communities to discuss both the attacks and the consequences of the U.S. response. Other communities organized stair climbs, flag displays and local memorial ceremonies, often focusing on residents who died in the attacks or first responders who later became ill.

A 25-year transition

The anniversary comes as the United States enters a period in which a growing portion of the population has no personal memory of September 11. People born after the attacks now make up a significant share of the American population. For victims’ relatives, survivors and first responders, however, the events remain personal rather than historical. At Ground Zero, in Arlington and at Shanksville, the ceremonies continued to place individual victims at the center of the commemoration.

The newly released intelligence documents added another dimension to this year’s anniversary by providing additional evidence of the warnings available to U.S. officials before the attacks.

The records do not offer a simple explanation for why the attacks were not prevented. They instead add to an extensive historical record showing that U.S. agencies had identified bin Laden and al-Qaida as serious threats but failed to translate available intelligence into effective action against the specific plot.

Twenty-five years after September 11, the United States is therefore commemorating the victims while continuing to examine the decisions, intelligence failures, policies and human consequences associated with the attacks and their aftermath.

Shibbir Ahmed, Washington DC: President Donald Trump honored the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the first responders who risked their lives to save others as the United States prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

Trump held a remembrance ceremony Tuesday at the Ellipse outside the White House, bringing together firefighters, police officers, first responders, Gold Star families and representatives of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

A 21-foot steel beam recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center’s South Tower was displayed during the ceremony. The beam is part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Steel Across America” initiative, which is taking pieces of the World Trade Center to communities across the country. Trump paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 people who were killed in the attacks and reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to remembering those who lost their lives.

The president also posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, who helped save numerous people during the attacks and became known as the “Man in the Red Bandana.” Members of Crowther’s family accepted the nation’s highest civilian honor on his behalf.

Trump also announced that a new U.S. Coast Guard fast-response cutter would be named after Jeffrey Palazzo, a New York firefighter and Coast Guard reservist who was killed in the September 11 attacks.

The White House said Trump and Vice President JD Vance will visit sites connected to the September 11 attacks on Friday, the 25th anniversary, to honor the victims and meet with their families.

On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York, another struck the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control of the aircraft.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, which profoundly changed U.S. national security policy and shaped American foreign policy for decades. The anniversary ceremony comes as the country continues to remember the victims, first responders and ordinary Americans whose actions on that day became part of the history of the United States.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York: Twenty-five years have passed since the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A quarter-century later, the loss of nearly 3,000 lives, the sacrifice of thousands of first responders, and the attacks’ lasting health and social consequences remain deeply embedded in the American memory. This year, New York, Washington and Pennsylvania will mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with a series of commemorations and public events.

Main Commemoration in New York

The main 9/11 commemoration will take place Friday at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza in Lower Manhattan, with family members of the victims participating in the ceremony. The program will begin at 8:40 a.m. and is primarily a private gathering for victims’ families, although the ceremony will be streamed live online.

Family members will read the names of those killed in the 2001 attacks as well as victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Moments of silence will mark several key moments of the attacks, including the aircraft impacts, the collapse of the Twin Towers, the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93.

A special moment of silence will also honor those who died in the years following the attacks from 9/11-related illnesses. Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials are expected to attend the New York commemoration. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, will mark the 25th anniversary at the Pentagon instead of attending the New York ceremony.

First Moment of Silence at 8:46 a.m.

At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, the first hijacked aircraft, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The moment will be marked with the first moment of silence during the New York commemoration.

The ceremony will also remember the impact of the second aircraft on the South Tower, the collapse of both towers, the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

A total of 2,753 people were killed in New York, while 184 people died at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Another 40 passengers and crew members were killed when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.

New Exhibition at the 9/11 Museum

For the 25th anniversary, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York is launching a new exhibition titled “In Their Honor: 25 Years of 9/11-Inspired Service.”

Opening to the public on September 12, the exhibition will highlight stories of service, sacrifice and humanity over the 25 years since the attacks. It explores how individuals and communities transformed grief into public service and acts of compassion.

The museum is also introducing a new digital educational experience designed to help a new generation understand the history of 9/11 and its long-term impact. According to the museum, nearly 100 million Americans were either not yet born or were too young to remember the attacks. Connecting this generation with the history and legacy of 9/11 is one of the major goals of this year’s anniversary programs.

Trump to Mark Anniversary at Pentagon

In Arlington, Virginia, President Donald Trump is expected to attend and speak at the 25th anniversary commemoration at the Pentagon Memorial. The Pentagon was the third major target of the September 11 attacks. At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. A total of 184 people were killed, including people inside the building as well as passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft. Vice President Vance will attend the main commemoration in New York.

Pennsylvania Also to Hold Commemorations

At the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, a commemorative ceremony will take place Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The names of the 40 passengers and crew members aboard Flight 93 will be read, followed by the ringing of the Bells of Remembrance. A second ceremony will take place from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., featuring additional commemorative activities and a public wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial.

New York’s Nighttime “Tribute in Light”

After a full day of remembrance, New York’s skyline will once again be illuminated by the historic Tribute in Light—two powerful beams of light representing the Twin Towers destroyed in the attacks. For the 25th anniversary, a special program titled “9/11 Tribute in Light: Live from Lower Manhattan” is scheduled to air nationally beginning at 8 p.m. on major television networks and other platforms.

The program will connect audiences across the country with the commemoration in New York and the annual Tribute in Light, bringing the day of remembrance to a national audience.

New Initiative in New York City

As part of this year’s 25th anniversary observance, New York City is officially recognizing September 11 as a Day of Remembrance and Service. The administration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani is emphasizing citywide remembrance, moments of silence, educational programs and volunteer service.

The city has also established a new Continuity and Mission Assurance Team, aimed at ensuring that essential city government operations and services can continue during emergencies while strengthening preparedness and coordination among city agencies.

25 Years Later, the Memory of 9/11 Endures

Twenty-five years later, 9/11 remains far more than a historical event. It continues to shape the security, politics, foreign policy and public health of New York, Washington and the United States as a whole.

This year’s commemorations are therefore not limited to honoring those who were killed. They also recognize first responders, rescue workers, survivors, families who lost loved ones and a new generation born after the attacks. A quarter-century later, the message remains the same: Never Forget.

Shibbir Ahmed, WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump will mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the Pentagon on September 11, while Vice President JD Vance is expected to represent the Trump administration at the annual memorial ceremony in New York City. The developments come as the White House prepares for a separate September 8 commemoration featuring a massive piece of World Trade Center steel at the White House.

On September 8, Trump is expected to host 9/11 first responders and other officials as the “Steel Across America” tour arrives in Washington. A 21-foot-long, 16,900-pound steel beam recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center will be displayed on the White House Ellipse. Trump and Tunnel to Towers Foundation CEO Frank Siller are expected to speak at the event.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation launched the nationwide Steel Across America campaign to carry the historic World Trade Center beam through communities across the country ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The tour is intended to connect Americans with the history of September 11 and honor the victims, first responders and military veterans whose lives were changed by the attacks and their aftermath.

Trump to observe 9/11 at Pentagon

On September 11, Trump will attend the official 9/11 observance at the Pentagon rather than the annual ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan. Trump confirmed that he would commemorate the anniversary at the Pentagon, one of the three locations directly targeted on September 11, 2001. The president also marked the anniversary at the Pentagon last year.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend the memorial ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York City. The New York ceremony traditionally focuses on the victims and their families and does not feature political speeches. Family members read the names of those killed in the attacks, while moments of silence mark the timeline of the attacks and their aftermath.

The 2026 observance will carry particular significance as the United States marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and reshaped U.S. national security and foreign policy for decades.

Trump’s decision to attend the Pentagon rather than the New York ceremony has drawn attention because he is a native New Yorker and had previously been expected to participate in the Ground Zero commemoration. Trump has rejected reports that his decision was related to restrictions on political speeches at the New York memorial.

The three major sites of the September 11 attacks — New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania — will all be represented in the nation’s 25th-anniversary commemorations, with administration officials expected to participate in ceremonies across the three locations.

For the Trump administration, the September 8 White House event and the September 11 Pentagon ceremony will provide two separate opportunities to honor the victims, first responders and military personnel connected to the attacks and the wars that followed.

Shibbir Ahmed, NEW YORK — The 9/11 Memorial & Museum on 31St August Monday unveiled a new exhibition highlighting the enduring legacy of service inspired by the September 11 attacks, as New York prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the tragedy. Titled “In Their Honor: 25 Years of 9/11-Inspired Service,” the exhibition offers a look at how individuals and communities transformed the aftermath of the attacks into acts of service and public commitment.

The exhibition was previewed for members of the media during a briefing at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan. It will open to the public on September 12, 2026, one day after the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

The afternoon program began with remarks from Beth Hillman, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, followed by comments from 9/11 family member Logan Miller and Noah Rauch, Senior Vice President of Education and Public Programming.

The museum’s new exhibition comes as New York and the nation prepare for a major commemoration of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The exhibition focuses on the continuing impact of September 11 beyond the immediate loss of life, emphasizing the service and civic engagement that emerged in the years following the attacks.

Museum officials said the exhibition explores the ways people responded to the attacks through service, volunteering and efforts to help others, demonstrating how the legacy of September 11 continues to shape communities a quarter-century later.

Monday’s media program also included a guided preview of the exhibition, giving journalists an early look before its public opening. The museum is also preparing for the 25th-anniversary commemoration on September 11, which will bring families of victims, survivors, first responders and government and community leaders together at the World Trade Center site.

As the anniversary approaches, the museum’s programming is placing particular emphasis not only on remembering those who were killed, but also on the long-term consequences of the attacks and the continuing acts of service inspired by their memory.

The 25th anniversary will mark a quarter-century since the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93. For many families and survivors, the anniversary remains both a day of remembrance and an opportunity to reflect on how the events of September 11 have shaped the lives of subsequent generations. The “In Their Honor” exhibition will open to visitors at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum on September 12.