The September 11 attacks

Trump draws parallels to Iran during memorial speech

In his speech at the memorial ceremony, Donald Trump stated that the September 11 attacks were a trial that made the United States stronger, CNN reports.

"This morning, we also remember how the United States responded to this evil. On days like September 11, we learn what a country is truly made of."

During the speech, he paid tribute to the emergency responders and civilians who "rushed into the buildings" to save lives during the attack.

He also drew parallels to Iran, accusing the regime of being the "world's leading sponsor of terrorism," NBC News reports. He reiterated the pledge that the country would not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

Analysis: Social media fuels conspiracy theories

Aftonbladet’s Wolfgang Hansson looks back on his time as a correspondent when the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in the US took place in 2001. He describes how it felt as though World War III had just begun.

"I hadn't been standing there very long before that cracking sound was heard and the building looked like it was falling toward us. Everyone reacted with the same terror and scrambled to flee."

It wasn't until *Mamma Mia* premiered in Manhattan several weeks later that the fear began to subside, he writes.

The attack was a "colossal failure" for intelligence agencies, writes the BBC’s Frank Gardner. However, counter-terrorism efforts have since become almost unrecognizable, and AI will accelerate the process even further.

CNN’s Brian Stelter considers the renewed circulation of 9/11 video clips on social media problematic, as they fuel conspiracy theories. When the attack occurred, editors were there to curate the sensitive material. "People in New York City looked up in shock and dismay; people everywhere else watched their favorite anchors on old-fashioned TV sets and sought updates on very basic versions of news websites. There were no livestreams, no tweets, no AI-generated deepfakes."

MI5 chief: "The dragons are back – the snakes remain"

Ken McCallum, head of the British security service MI5, warns that the UK's security situation is worse now than it was in 2001. In an opinion piece for *The Independent*, the MI5 chief writes that much has changed since the terrorist attacks on the US 25 years ago.

"We now face the terrorist threat alongside strategic threats to national security from capable states," he writes.

In his text, McCallum refers to former CIA Director James Woolsey, who likened Russia to "a big dragon" after the Cold War. The MI5 chief describes present-day Russia and China as dragons and calls radical Islamist extremists snakes.

"We now face the worst of both worlds: the dragons are back, but the snakes remain."