25 Years After 9/11: The Attacks That Changed America and Redrew the World

Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States is preparing to commemorate the event in New York and Washington, amid a decline in the collective shock that defined the early years following the attacks.

The new generation of Americans did not directly experience the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, nor did they witness the scenes of planes striking the twin towers and the Pentagon, or Flight United 93 crashing in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control.

However, the effects of the Al-Qaeda attacks have not ended with that day. They marked a historic turning point that propelled the United States into a new era of wars and military interventions, reshaped the nature of American society and foreign policy, and indirectly deepened divisions that later emerged during President Donald Trump’s tenure, according to Le Figaro.

Following the attacks, President George W. Bush launched what became known as the War on Terror, reversing his previous pledges to reduce U.S. military commitments abroad. The war quickly expanded from pursuing Al-Qaeda to a broad military campaign stretching from Afghanistan and Iraq to Libya, Syria, and other regions.

In Afghanistan, U.S. forces waged a war lasting nearly two decades, while the invasion of Iraq became one of the greatest strategic errors in American policy, according to war critics, as toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime altered regional power balances and strengthened Iran’s influence.

Security vs. Liberties

The repercussions of 9/11 extended beyond foreign policy. The United States witnessed a significant expansion of security and intelligence agencies, and the Patriot Act was passed in 2001, granting authorities broad powers in surveillance and counterterrorism. In 2002, the Department of Homeland Security was established, becoming one of the largest federal government agencies. The position of Director of National Intelligence was also created to oversee 17 American intelligence agencies, whose budgets rose substantially. Abroad, the War on Terror spread from the Middle East to the Sahel region and parts of South Asia.

Guantánamo Bay, opened at the U.S. base in Cuba, became a symbol of controversy over human rights and civil liberties, as it detained Taliban and Al-Qaeda members outside the categories of war prisoners or traditional criminal detainees. Meanwhile, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employed harsh interrogation methods and conducted secret drone strikes targeting militant leaders.

From National Unity to Skepticism

Initially, the attacks united Americans and Washington’s allies, leading NATO to invoke Article Five of its mutual defense treaty for the first time in solidarity with the United States. However, this unity did not last long. In 2003, the decision to invade Iraq—despite no direct link between Saddam Hussein’s regime and the 9/11 attacks—sparked international division.

Within the U.S., the war enjoyed strong public and political support, while opposition voices dwindled. Officials, diplomats, and intelligence experts had warned against intervening in Iraq.

European allies who refused to participate, particularly France and Germany, faced sharp criticism, especially from American media and political figures.

But the enthusiasm for war quickly turned to disillusionment. The conflict in Afghanistan reignited with the rise of the Taliban, while the war in Iraq evolved into two parallel conflicts—one against Sunni groups linked to Al-Qaeda, and another against Shia groups tied to Iran.

Over roughly 20 years, nearly three million Americans participated in these conflicts, leaving thousands dead and tens of thousands wounded, and producing a generation of veterans suffering from frustration, psychological trauma, and anger.

As the United States remained entrenched in war, China quietly bolstered its military capabilities and developed its naval strength to become Washington’s primary military rival.

Skepticism and Conspiracy Theories

As frustration grew, conspiracy theories and skepticism toward the official narrative of the 9/11 attacks spread. Advocates of these theories, including Alex Jones, leveraged social media to reach wider audiences, gradually transforming this wave of doubt into a political phenomenon.

On the Democratic side, Barack Obama’s rise—challenging Hillary Clinton in the primaries—reflected increasing opposition to foreign wars. However, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2012 later created conditions that allowed ISIS to emerge, prompting Washington to launch a new war in the Middle East.

Within the Republican Party, the Tea Party movement embodied resistance to the political establishment, paving the way for Donald Trump’s ascent.

Trump also greatly benefited from the rejection of elites and experts tied to Middle Eastern wars, successfully channeling this discontent into a political tool during the 2016 primaries, when he labeled the Iraq War a major mistake.

After 25 years, the 9/11 attacks failed to achieve Al-Qaeda’s objectives: Osama bin Laden was killed and the group’s leadership dismantled. The United States did not withdraw from the Muslim world, nor was it defeated in a global jihad as bin Laden had hoped. The appeal of jihadist Islam waned, and America remains the world’s leading power.

Yet the 9/11 attacks, with their immense global impact, succeeded in shattering part of American optimism, leaving behind a society more skeptical, tense, and divided.

Twenty-five years later, the United States still seeks a symbolic and psychological closure to this chapter of its history, coinciding this year with the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence.