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The September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack occasioned spontaneous outbreaks of public celebration in a number of Arab Muslim communities. Press and television coverage of these celebrations were met with shock and outrage in the U.S. but not in other Western nations, who have a deeper perspective on the reasons behind global distrust and antipathy to American global hegemony.

There were reports of celebrations on the West Bank, but according articles in the German magazine Stern and the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter at least one of them was staged. It is now accepted that there was the use of archive film footage showing Palestinian civilians in a celebratory steet scene, unrelated by both time and circumstance to the Sept 11 attacks. The broadcast of this 'uncredited' archive footage was responsible for this 'misunderstanding' and it is certain that there is no known authentic timelined footage showing any nationality 'celebrating' the attacks.

A persistent series of reports does, however, mention US law enforcement arresting several Middle Eastern men of Jewish extraction, who were seen video-taping the burning towers, and dancing, on a nearby rooftop. This, along with other references to strange behaviours from this demographic group, have been noticeably absent since early in the reportage.

There are many who gained from these attacks, often in direct and obvious ways, and more often in unexpected and intangible ways. The massive stock market movements placed against the two airlines who lost planes in the attack is one clear reference to someone in America, with foreknowledge of these attacks, trying to financially benefit - just who this was has not been effectively researched by the White House due to "Securities and Exchange Regulations on Privacy" (altho one would think that terrorist stock manipulations would trump this thin excuse). Another revealing gaff from a public figure should be noted - Asked what the WTC attack meant for relations between the United States and Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Prime Minister of Israel, replied, "It's very good." Then he edited himself: "Well, not very good, but it will generate immediate sympathy".

President Bush himself has used, and benefitted from, the tragedy to bolster political capital - his thrice-repeated "joke" about winning the Trifecta will not be forgotten.