September 11, 2001, stands as a watershed in American history. Not since the War of 1812 have civilian targets in the United States been so savagely assaulted by foreigners; and the British burning of government buildings in the nation's capital did not begin to approach the degree of carnage inflicted by terrorists in New York City, Washington, D.C., and on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania. Even the Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, directed toward a military target, now seems less shocking than the murder of over 3,000 mainly civilian people on 9/11.