11-09-2026
Paul Salem argues that 25 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Middle East remains shaped by the strategic consequences of that event. The attacks demonstrated the reach of non-state armed groups, but the subsequent US-led “war on terror” did not eliminate extremism. Although Al Qaeda was weakened and ISIS’s territorial ambitions were defeated, militant organizations continued to emerge across Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya and elsewhere. Iran, meanwhile, strengthened its own network of regional allies and proxies, including Hezbollah.
The article also challenges conventional assumptions about military power. The 9/11 attacks showed that a superpower could be vulnerable to a much weaker adversary, while the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrated that rapid military victories do not guarantee political success. Salem says the George W. Bush administration focused heavily on defeating enemy forces but paid insufficient attention to the political and security conditions that would follow. The resulting conflicts caused enormous loss of life, consumed US resources, empowered Iran in Iraq and ultimately returned Afghanistan to Taliban rule.
Salem sees a similar pattern in Israel’s response to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. Despite warnings from Joe Biden not to act from rage rather than reason, Israel launched wars on multiple fronts. These campaigns have weakened the region’s previous order without creating a stable replacement, producing continuing and interconnected conflicts.
The author contends that the current confrontation with Iran is partly a consequence of earlier US interventions. By removing Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and the Taliban government, Washington eliminated the forces that had constrained Tehran. Iran consequently expanded its influence through Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Palestinian territories. Salem concludes that Iran, Israel and the United States must prioritize strategic reasoning over anger if the region is to achieve stability, cooperation and prosperity.
Entities: September 11, 2001 attacks, Al Qaeda, ISIS, Iran, Hezbollah • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: analyze
11-09-2026
This Euronews video report, updated on 11 September 2026, examines how terrorism should be addressed 25 years after the 9/11 attacks. Anthony Gardner, a former US Ambassador to the European Union, argues that military force alone is insufficient to defeat terrorist groups. He says governments must also use diplomatic, financial and economic tools as part of a broader counterterrorism strategy.
Gardner presents the 9/11 attacks as a major example of asymmetric warfare, in which a relatively small and determined group can inflict severe damage on a far more powerful state. His comments emphasize that conventional military superiority does not necessarily prevent attacks by non-state actors whose resources, tactics and objectives differ from those of traditional armies.
The former envoy also warns that artificial intelligence could make asymmetric warfare even more significant in the future. Although the report does not provide specific examples of how AI might be used by terrorists or outline new policies, Gardner’s observation suggests that emerging technologies could increase the ability of small groups to plan, coordinate or carry out disruptive actions.
The central message is that counterterrorism requires more than battlefield operations. Military measures may remain part of the response, but they should be combined with diplomacy and efforts targeting financial and economic networks. The report is primarily a concise strategic assessment from Gardner, framed around the lessons of 9/11 and the potential implications of AI for future security threats.
Entities: Anthony Gardner, European Union, United States, 9/11 attacks, Terrorism • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
11-09-2026
The supplied material identifies an Al Jazeera video titled “What did 25 years of the ‘war on terror’ leave behind?” It was published on September 11, 2026, apparently as part of Al Jazeera’s “By the Numbers” video series. The headline frames the piece as a retrospective examination of the consequences and legacy of the “war on terror” over the quarter-century since the September 11 attacks. However, the provided content contains no article body, video transcript, statistics, interview excerpts, analysis, or conclusions. It consists primarily of the headline, publication date, and website interface text such as sharing and saving options. Consequently, it is not possible to determine from the supplied material what specific events, countries, institutions, human costs, financial costs, military campaigns, policy changes, or geopolitical effects the video discusses. The wording suggests an analytical and historically reflective approach rather than a report about a single current event, but that assessment is based only on the headline. The article’s central apparent question is what the long-term legacy of post-September 11 counterterrorism policies has been after 25 years. Any detailed claims about the war’s outcomes or consequences would require access to the full Al Jazeera video or its accompanying transcript. The available text supports a neutral assessment of the article’s sentiment because it presents a question without expressing an explicit judgment, emotional appeal, or stated conclusion.
Entities: Al Jazeera, By the Numbers, September 11, 11 September 2026, War on terror • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: analyze
11-09-2026
France 24’s press review examines how newspapers assess the legacy of the War on Terror 25 years after the September 11 attacks. The Washington Post argues that the US response got the most important element right, while acknowledging serious mistakes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Wall Street Journal similarly defends two central principles: pursuing terrorists abroad and holding countries that shelter them responsible, arguing that these policies helped prevent another comparable attack in the United States.
European coverage is more skeptical. The Times highlights how the George W. Bush administration quickly linked the attacks, carried out largely by Saudi citizens, to Iraq, despite Iraq’s lack of connection to the assault. Le Monde quotes a former French intelligence official who argues that Osama bin Laden’s strategic success lay in luring the United States into long and costly wars. The review therefore presents competing interpretations of whether Washington defeated terrorism or fell into al Qaeda’s broader trap.
The segment also reports on a controversy involving France’s far-right National Rally. The party is attempting to distance itself from racist remarks allegedly made by a police officer with close ties to the party. The officer was recorded using offensive language about Black and Arab people in Carcassonne. National Rally representatives described the incident as isolated, while L’Humanité argued that the remarks reflect beliefs present within the party, citing previous controversial statements by MP Caroline Parmentier.
Finally, the review turns to paleontology. The Times reports that a fossilized feather found in dinosaur dung may help explain why birds survived the asteroid impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Scientists may be able to determine whether differences in plumage helped some prehistoric bird families survive the harsh post-impact climate.
Entities: War on Terror, September 11 attacks (9/11), al-Qaeda, United States, Iraq War • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
11-09-2026
Nearly 25 years after the September 11 attacks and the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, NPR examines how Afghans are living with the war’s lasting consequences. Reporting from Kabul in 2026, D. Parvaz describes a city that is physically less militarized than during the conflict: blast walls and barbed wire have largely disappeared, and the Taliban have restored a degree of security after returning to power in 2021. Political analyst Abdul Jabbar Akbari argues that the presence of multiple foreign armies, each pursuing different goals, destabilized Afghanistan, while the Taliban’s return reinstated security despite continuing attacks by insurgent groups.
For many Afghans, however, the Taliban’s security comes with severe social restrictions. Obaidullah Baheer says September 11 brought not only the war on terror but also collective blame directed at Afghans, along with the erosion of human rights and international law. The conflict killed at least 169,000 people and displaced approximately six million internally.
Women and girls have borne a particularly heavy burden under Taliban rule. Although women remain visible in public life, on television, and in a limited number of government positions, girls and women are barred from education beyond sixth grade and excluded from most careers. A counselor interviewed anonymously describes rising depression among women whose movement, clothing, education, religious participation, and marriage choices are tightly controlled.
The article also explores why some Afghans view the Taliban as more legitimate than the corrupt government that followed their earlier rule. Emma Sky, a former NATO political adviser, says the United States was overly ambitious in trying to impose democracy and build Afghanistan in its own image. She argues that the broader post-9/11 response—including the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, torture, and extraordinary rendition—damaged the rules-based international order. With more than 6,200 U.S. service members and contractors killed and over $2 trillion spent, Sky’s central lesson is that military interventions have consequences that cannot be predicted in advance.
Entities: D. Parvaz, Sacha Pfeiffer, George W. Bush, Obaidullah Baheer, Emma Sky • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: analyze
