The “Tribute in Light” memorial is in remembrance of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. This photo was taken from Liberty State Park, N.J., Sept. 11, the five-year anniversary of 9/11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Denise Gould) Public Domain

The Timing Of Terrorism: The Obsessions With Dates

By Christopher C. Harmon

Last month was the black anniversary of September 11, 2001. It has many meanings for us, but was that date, in particular, selected by Al Qaeda? A few suggest there is a link to the last day of the battle in 1683 at the gates of Vienna, a titanic Moslem-Christian struggle for western Europe. Americans might also wonder whether 9/ll—numbers that cry “emergency” to this country—were a clever choice by the terrorists as psychological warfare.

Terrorism is very muc...