Reflections on the End of an Era: How the War on Terror Shaped U.S. Strategy

The War on Terror, spanning from the 9/11 attacks to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, is now considered a closed historical chapter. Its defining features included treating terrorism as a strategic military threat, aiming to reshape the international system to eliminate root causes, and confronting global jihadism. As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, analysts argue that these priorities have faded, offering a chance to reassess the habits that dominated U.S. foreign policy during that period.