ThinkTankWeekly

The 9/11 terrorist attacks at 25: Assessing the legacy, addressing the future

Brookings | 2026-09-02 | diplomacy

Topics: Middle East, United States

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English Summary

The 25th anniversary of 9/11 necessitates a comprehensive assessment of how the attacks permanently reshaped U.S. national security, foreign policy, and domestic governance. The analysis argues that policymakers must move beyond the initial 'war on terror' framework to understand how modern threats are evolving through emerging technologies and shifting transnational networks. Key discussions will focus on reassessing the lasting impacts of 9/11 across economic, defense, and diplomatic spheres. Consequently, strategic policy recommendations involve adapting U.S. global engagement strategies to address complex, technologically advanced terrorist challenges rather than relying on post-2001 paradigms.

中文摘要

鑑於九一一事件二十五週年,有必要全面評估此次襲擊如何永久性地重塑了美國的國家安全、外交政策和國內治理。本分析認為,決策者必須超越最初的「反恐戰爭」框架,以理解當代威脅是如何透過新興技術和變動的跨國網絡不斷演化的。主要討論將聚焦於重新評估九一一事件在經濟、國防和外交領域留下的持久影響。因此,戰略政策建議包括調整美國的全球參與策略,以應對複雜且具備科技化威脅的恐怖主義挑戰,而非依賴2001年後的既有範式。

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