gaping hole in the side of it, there were flames and smoke everywhere, there was lots and lots of people who perished inside yet the national command any military centre carried on operating because it was been asked by the commander in chief to begin planning for the retaliation, for the revenge, if you like, for what had taken place, to go after those responsible. this building carried on working and few in this building would have thought american troops would be there for two decades after that day and few, even fewer, perhaps, would have thought that the end of their past, their mission in afghanistan would have come in such chaotic scenes as they did a few weeks ago. hugely poignant moment of reflection, notjust because of the most but because of what the last 20 years has also cost to people who work in and around this building, not forgetting the
after 9/11. and when you think about the counterterrorism response, philippa, that was launched here, it s really extraordinary. we are also seeing the speaker of the house of representatives, nancy pelosi. we are also seeing chuck schumer there, the senate majority leader. and of course, these are such politically polarised times at this moment, president biden is trying to take us back to those moments of unity after 9/11, saying that unity is america s greatest strength. and this is a day when the whole country is remembering those shocking events which change so many things in america, from the rather banal, like airport security, to the bigger picture, to the war on terror, that war lodged in afghanistan because the taliban were harbouring al-qaeda. but 20 years on, this moment 20 years ago, those planes were heading towards the world trade
and in the manner of its departure from afghanistan, the kabul debacle , a crisis of competence. just off the tip of manhattan, lady liberty symbolises america opening its arms to the world. but 20 years on, the us feels a much more introspective place. jon sopel, bbc news, new york. two decades after the attack, the taliban are back in power presenting in the face of the world. the 9/11 attacks led to the invasion of afghanistan. two decades later the taliban are back in power and presenting a new face to the world. i m joined now from kabul by our chief international correspondent lyse doucet. would you say it was inevitable that after 9/11 the taliban would be under attack? after 9/11 the taliban would be under attack? ~ , ., , , ., ~ under attack? well, when you speak to eole under attack? well, when you speak to peeple who under attack? well, when you speak to people who were under attack? well, when you speak to people who were in under attack? well, when you speak to pe
we wa nt we want to look at the bigger picture as we await those speeches by president biden in new york. william dalrymple is a historian and writer who has written extensively about afghanistan hejoins me now. you even vote a book about the first british invasion of afghanistan in 1889. people said the invasion of afghanistan had to happen, the toppling of the taliban. what do you think they should have learnt from history? think they should have learnt from histo ? ~ ~ , ,., history? well, i think the lesson from history history? well, i think the lesson from history as history? well, i think the lesson from history as it history? well, i think the lesson from history as it is history? well, i think the lesson from history as it is very, - history? well, i think the lesson from history as it is very, very . from history as it is very, very difficult even to govern afghanistan, never mind for a foreign invader to come in and try and set up a republic there. clearly, somethi
center. of course, one person who is noticeably absent from this scene you are seeing before us, president biden they re talking to nancy pelosi, the speaker, absent is former president donald trump. there are reports he may make a visit this afternoon by himself to ground zero but he is not part of this formal commemoration. he of course has been very critical of the withdrawal from afghanistan though it was his deal with the taliban which preceded the withdrawal, he said it should have been done differently, but it was too hasty, too difficult. but innocenti symbolises that political polarisation and this moment in america. there is former president 0bama there, speaking to the senate majority leader chuck schumer. so even at this moment of unity, the absence of president trump is a reminder of those divisions. so what