Talk:September 11 attacks

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Frequently asked questions

Many of these questions arise frequently on the talk page concerning the September 11 attacks.

To view an explanation to the answer, click the [show] link to the right of the question.

Q1: Is the article biased against conspiracy theories?

A1: Wikipedia is a mainstream encyclopedia so this article presents the accepted version of the events according to reliable sources. Although reliable sources have repeatedly reported on conspiracy theories, reporting on conspiracy theories is not the same thing as advocating conspiracy theories or accepting them as fact. The most recent discussion that resulted in the current consensus took place on this talk page in December 2011. If you disagree with the current status, you are welcome to bring your concerns to the article talk page. Please read the previous discussions on this talk page and try to explain how your viewpoint provides new arguments or information that may lead to a change in consensus. Please be sure to be polite and support your views with citations from reliable sources.

Q2: Should the article use the word "terrorist" (and related words)?

A2: Wikipedia:Words to watch states that "there are no forbidden words or expressions on Wikipedia". That being said, "terrorism" is a word that requires extra attention when used in Wikipedia. The consensus, after several lengthy discussions, is that it is appropriate to use the term in a limited fashion to describe the attacks and the executors of these attacks. The contributors have arrived at this conclusion after looking at the overwhelming majority of reliable sources that use this term as well as the United Nations' own condemnation of the attacks.[1]

This article is written in American English, which has its own spelling conventions (color, defense, traveled) and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus.

September 11 attacks is a former featured article. Please see the links under Article milestones below for its original nomination page (for older articles, check the nomination archive) and why it was removed.

September 11 attacks has been listed as one of the History good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do so. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it.

Article milestones
Date	Process	Result
January 19, 2004	Refreshing brilliant prose	Kept
February 26, 2004	Featured article review	Demoted
January 10, 2005	Featured article candidate	Not promoted
December 29, 2006	Featured article candidate	Not promoted
January 27, 2007	Good article nominee	Not listed
February 14, 2007	Good article nominee	Not listed
October 16, 2007	Good article nominee	Not listed
May 19, 2008	Good article nominee	Listed
May 29, 2008	Peer review	Reviewed
July 10, 2008	Featured article candidate	Not promoted
August 20, 2008	Good article reassessment	Kept
June 19, 2010	Good article reassessment	Delisted
July 5, 2011	Good article nominee	Not listed
July 25, 2011	Good article nominee	Listed
August 23, 2011	Peer review	Reviewed
August 30, 2011	Featured article candidate	Not promoted
September 25, 2011	Good article reassessment	Delisted
May 24, 2013	Good article nominee	Not listed
July 13, 2015	Good article nominee	Listed
October 27, 2018	Featured article candidate	Not promoted
News items involving this article were featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "In the news" column on September 11, 2001, and September 11, 2002.
Facts from this article were featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "On this day..." column on September 11, 2003, September 11, 2004, September 11, 2005, September 11, 2006, September 11, 2009, September 11, 2012, September 11, 2013, September 11, 2017, September 11, 2018, September 11, 2020, September 11, 2023, and September 11, 2024.
Current status: Former featured article, current good article

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This article has been mentioned by multiple media organizations:

Noam Cohen (11 September 2011). "On Wikipedia, Echoes of 9/11 'Edit Wars'". The New York Times.
Brian Keegan (November 17, 2020). "How 9/11 Shaped Wikipedia". Slate (magazine). Retrieved September 9, 2021.
Stephen Harrison (September 8, 2021). "How Wikipedia Grew Up With the War on Terror". Slate (magazine). Retrieved September 9, 2021.
Alex Pasternack (September 11, 2021). "How 9/11 turned a new site called Wikipedia into history's crowdsourced front page". Fast Company. Retrieved September 13, 2021.

Warning: active arbitration remedies

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This article has been viewed enough times to make it onto the all-time Top 100 list. It has had 89 million views since December 2007.

This article has been viewed enough times in a single year to make it into the Top 50 Report annual list. This happened in 2011.

This article has been viewed enough times in a single week to appear in the Top 25 Report 14 times. The weeks in which this happened:

This article has previously been nominated to be moved. Please review the prior discussions if you are considering re-nomination.

Discussions:

RM, September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks → September 11, 2001 attacks, Moved, 17 January 2004, Discussion
RM, September 11, 2001 attacks → September 11, 2001, attacks, Not moved, 21 October 2004, Discussion
RM, September 11, 2001 attacks → September 11 attacks, Moved, 20 August 2008, Discussion
RM, September 11 attacks → September 11, 2001 attacks, Not moved, 13 October 2010, Discussion
RM, September 11 attacks → 9/11, Not moved, 31 March 2014, Discussion
RM, September 11 attacks → September 11 terrorist attacks, Not moved, 13 February 2021, Discussion
RM, September 11 attacks → September 11th attacks, Not moved, 14 February 2021, Discussion
RM, September 11 attacks → September 11, 2001 attacks, Procedural close, 23 February 2021, Discussion
RM, September 11 attacks → 9/11, Not moved, 26 January 2024, Discussion
RM, September 11 attacks → September 11 terrorist attacks, Not moved, 9 February 2024, discussion.

Section sizes

Section size for September 11 attacks (45 sections)
Section name	Byte count	Section total
(Top)	19,439	19,439
Background	5,368	54,424
Osama bin Laden	7,906	7,906
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other al-Qaeda members	4,601	4,601
Motives	20,234	20,234
Planning	8,810	8,810
Prior intelligence	7,505	7,505
Attacks	4,766	76,492
Crashes	28,074	28,074
Casualties	30,989	30,989
Damage	9,961	9,961
Rescue efforts	2,702	2,702
Reactions	3,398	57,840
Immediate response	8,746	8,746
Domestic reactions	7,816	17,817
Hate crimes	5,471	5,471
Discrimination and racial profiling	1,846	1,846
Muslim American response	1,681	1,681
Interfaith efforts	1,003	1,003
International reactions	17,734	17,734
Military operations	10,145	10,145
Aftermath	88	44,800
Health issues	9,895	9,895
Economic	7,126	7,126
Effects in Afghanistan	7,024	7,024
Cultural influence	4,157	4,157
Government policies towards terrorism	9,753	9,753
Legal proceedings	6,757	6,757
Investigations	21	32,130
FBI	9,373	9,373
CIA	2,195	2,195
Congressional inquiry	6,262	6,262
9/11 Commission	4,176	4,176
National Institute of Standards and Technology	6,106	6,106
Alleged Saudi government role	3,997	3,997
Rebuilding and memorials	32	19,619
Reconstruction	8,324	8,324
Memorials	11,263	11,263
See also	1,238	1,238
References	17	76
Notes	28	28
Citations	31	31
Bibliography	10,519	10,519
Further reading	2,890	2,890
External links	5,084	5,084
Total	324,551	324,551

Name

Since everyone calls it 9/11, why don't we call it that or "9/11 attacks" 107.201.182.97 (talk) 18:29, 4 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Because in some places that could be read as 9th of November. Slatersteven (talk) 18:40, 4 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Outside the US, 9/11 would be read as November 9th. Most news sources also refer to the event using "September 11th" and very rarely 9/11. It makes complete sense the Wikipedia article would, therefore, read "September 11". Butterscotch5 (talk) 19:15, 4 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 11 April 2025

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

2601:602:D285:9540:54CA:77F1:A142:A8F4 (talk) 07:18, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I want to add something that was incorrect.

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Charliehdb (talk) 15:31, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 11 April 2025 (2)

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

CheeseGuy223 (talk) 07:21, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I need to fix something there was something incorrect.

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. — Czello ^(music) 07:23, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Help me

I taught I can add a new thing to Wikipedia but it’s wrong place oh what the hell Adf636 (talk) 02:24, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 11 May 2025

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Remove the word "Islamist" from the opening paragraph. Thank you in advance. 92.40.195.21 (talk) 22:11, 11 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: Remsense ‥ 论 22:12, 11 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 19 May 2025

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Remove the word "Islamist" from the opening paragraph. Thank you in advance. 92.40.192.79 (talk) 20:16, 19 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: Why? - FlightTime (open channel) 20:17, 19 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]