On June 11, 2001, the planning for the September 11 terrorist attacks reached a critical point as key members of the al-Qaeda network finalized their strategy. The attacks, which would later unfold on September 11, involved hijacking four commercial airplanes and crashing them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. The planning began years earlier, and this day marked a key moment before the perpetrators moved into their final execution phase. The 9/11 attacks caused the deaths of nearly 3,000 people and led to significant changes in global security policies. The tragedy continues to affect U.S. foreign policy and international relations to this day.