Reporters Tell The Story
For those who were working journalists, the 9/11 attacks quickly became an all-engulfing story for months. Investigative reporter Amita Sharma was with KPBS at the time. She talks with us about the rush to cover reaction here in San Diego. Shortly after the attacks, an investigation revealed that some of the hijackers were living in the San Diego region and preparing for their part in the crimes that killed nearly 3,000 people.
RELATED: How Has Media Coverage Of The ‘War On Terror’ Changed Since 9/11?
9/11 And San Diego’s Military
The military response to the 9/11 attacks relied heavily on armed forces based in San Diego, especially U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton. Tony Perry was the San Diego bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times in 2001 and eventually made several trips to Afghanistan to report on efforts to capture or kill al-Qaida militants who plotted the attacks. He tells us about the young men and women called upon to fight in what ended up being America’s longest war.
RELATED: Veterans Of The War In Afghanistan Reflect On The Rapid Collapse
Local Muslims Endure Backlash
Much like the experience of Japanese-Americans in the 1940s, Muslim and Arab Americans faced a serious backlash following the 9/11 attacks that included a spike in hate crimes. Sarah Hassaine shared some of her experiences as a member of that community in a guest column published by The San Diego Union-Tribune. She joins us to explain how these groups are still dealing with suspicion and exclusion 20 years later.
RELATED: Hate Crimes Reach The Highest Level In More Than A Decade
