The Chinese state-run news outlet Global Times mocked the United States on Sunday with a political cartoon referencing the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Monday marked the 22nd anniversary of the attacks that left nearly 3,000 Americans dead.
Global Times posted the cartoon on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption, “#US continues to export turmoil 22 years after 9/11.”
On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist hijackers carried out a coordinated attack against the United States, taking over four planes and crashing them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. The devastating attacks set off the U.S.-led Global War on Terrorism to find and defeat Al Qaeda and other terrorist threats around the world.
In the wake of the attacks, Americans united with a common call to “Never Forget” what happened that day and how the United States responded. Every year on Sept. 11, Americans now commemorate Patriot Day as a day of remembrance of the 9/11 attacks.
The Pentagon and FBI recently informed families of the tragedy’s victims that the alleged mastermind behind the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four other co-conspirators might avoid the death penalty.
The move comes as the Biden administration contemplates plea agreements, according to a letter first obtained by the Associated Press.
The letter, distributed to the 9/11 families on August 1, states, “The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has been negotiating and is considering entering into pre-trial agreements.” While it notes that no such agreement is yet in place, the correspondence does mention the possibility that “a [pre-trial agreement] in this case would remove the possibility of the death penalty.”
Peter Brady, who lost his father in the 9/11 attacks, remarked that the case “needs to go through the legal process.” Brady lamented the perceived bypassing of accountability, stating, “It’s about holding people responsible, and they’re taking that away with this plea.”
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
