9/11 has had a lasting effect on world affairs
In a reflection marking 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks, Stuart Gottlieb argues the events fundamentally altered U.S. foreign policy and global security thinking. He says the attacks pushed attention toward non-state actors, recast terrorism as a form of warfare, and highlighted the need for a prolonged struggle over ideas and influence.
Why It Matters
Gottlieb’s account matters because it links the post-9/11 transformations in policy and doctrine to long-term shifts in how states confront violent non-state groups and address the ideological dimensions of extremism. Understanding these shifts helps explain enduring priorities in international security and diplomatic strategy.
Key Facts
- Author: Stuart Gottlieb
- Anniversary: Twenty-five years since the Sept. 11 attacks
- Primary argument 1: Reshaped American foreign policy
- Primary argument 2: Shifted focus toward non-state actors
- Primary argument 3: Redefined terrorism as warfare rather than solely a criminal matter or isolated incident
Stuart Gottlieb uses the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to assess how that single day reshaped global affairs and U.S. strategy. He contends the shock of the attacks produced a durable reorientation of American foreign policy, changing both priorities and methods for addressing international threats.
A central theme in Gottlieb’s review is the shift in attention from state actors to non-state groups. He argues that the rise of transnational violent organizations led policymakers to focus more on networks and ideologies that operate outside traditional state structures, altering intelligence, military, and diplomatic approaches.
Gottlieb also says the post-9/11 era reframed terrorism as a form of warfare. That reconceptualization, he suggests, moved responses away from purely criminal justice tools toward strategies that treat violent extremist groups as adversaries in an ongoing conflict, with implications for how force, detention, and international cooperation are used.
Finally, Gottlieb emphasizes the importance of a long-term battle of ideas. He argues that alongside kinetic and security measures, efforts to counter violent extremism must include sustained work to challenge the narratives and influences that sustain hostile non-state movements, indicating this intellectual and ideological dimension remains a persistent policy concern.
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Original source: The Hill