11th September 2021
For the first time in history the mainland of the United States had been attacked by unknown enemies.
Where was I, and what I was doing on 11 September 2001? My daughter Ritu and I were flying to New York in an Air India plane. I was to attend a meeting at the UN. About two and a half hours out of London, Ritu, who was occupying the window seat, said to me, “Papa, why is the plane taking a right turn?” I was reading a book. Ritu was right. I asked one of the air hostesses, “What is happening?” She whispered in my ear, “Sir, Kennedy airport has been bombed. We are ordered to return to London.” “Who has done the bombing?” I asked. She said she did not know.
In two hours, we were back in London. When we reached the flat, I noticed my wife, Hem glued to the TV. I could not believe what I saw. The Twin Towers, the highest buildings in New York were burning. Repeatedly the TV showed two planes striking the towers.
For the first time in history the mainland of the United States had been attacked by unknown enemies.
Islamic extremism was strengthened. The name and crimes of Osama bin Laden began haunting the world. On 9/11 there was alarm, chaos and doubt in America. Fear too. The President of the United States was not in Washington. He was in Sarasota, Florida, reading, “The Pet Goat” in a school. An aide walked in, whispered in Mr Bush’s ear that the Twin Towers had been attacked and burning. The President left the school. For several hours America and the world did not know where Mr Bush was. Vice-President Dick Cheney was inoperative in a White House bunker.
Mr Bush invaded and destroyed Iraq, a secular, non-aligned country in search of weapons of mass destruction. None were found. Mr Bush bypassed the UN Security Council. I spoke in the Rajya Sabha, condemning the US invasion of Iraq. The US took note of my speech. Consequences followed. It is not necessary to go into them now.