Biden extends national emergency declared following 9/11 attacks for another year

US President Joe Biden extended for a year the state of emergency imposed in the country after the attacks of 11 September 2001. 

The statement published on the website of the White House noted that the relevant decision was made in connection with the continuing "terrorist threat". The state of emergency regime provides the head of state with a number of additional legal powers, which he may resort to at any time.

A state of emergency was declared in the USA on September 14, three days after one of the biggest terrorist attacks.

On 11 September 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes in the US. Two of them were aimed at the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, two more at Washington DC. The fourth plane failed to reach its target and crashed near the town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The victims of the attacks were 2,977 people.

US law provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.