Beyond the War on Terror: What 9/11 Can Teach U.S. Foreign Policy 25 Years Later

Twenty-five years ago, the September 11 attacks fundamentally altered the way the United States viewed its security and its role in the world. Terrorism went from one of many national security concerns to a defining priority of American foreign policy, leading the U.S. into Afghanistan, expanding counterterrorism operations, and strengthening intelligence. 

The attacks revealed a failure of imagination: U.S. institutions had failed to adequately anticipate how a non-state actor operating thousands of miles away could affect the lives of many American citizens. 

The United States of 2026 faces a very different international security landscape than it did 25 years ago. Terrorist organizations have not disappeared, but rather exist alongside cyber operations, artificial intelligence, unmanned aircraft systems, and war. 

But, some of the most consequential changes have occurred beyond U.S. measures. Just one day after 9/11, NATO moved to invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty for the first time in history, declaring that an attack on one ally meant an attack on all. Today, intelligence sharing and cooperation with foreign governments have become increasingly vital for identifying terrorist networks. 

The attacks demonstrated that geographical distance no longer insulates the United States from instability abroad. In 2001, we learned those lessons through al-Qaeda’s ability to successfully plan attacks from Afghanistan. Today, the same principle applies to threats such as drones. 

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, for example, have used unmanned aerial systems to target U.S. naval forces and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. These attacks demonstrate how relatively accessible technology can allow an armed group to threaten international trade routes, U.S. forces, and regional stability. 

Since the 9/11 attacks, technology has changed, but the underlying lesson still lingers: the U.S. needs to be ready to fight threats developing far beyond our borders in order to ensure safety for every American citizen. 

Bug Bite Boil: The Impact of Climate Change on Public Health

For the first time in decades, the continental United States is experiencing a major dengue outbreak. Dengue fever spreads through the infected bite of an Aedes species mosquito. Since July, the Tampa Bay area in Florida has seen uncharacteristically high rates of locally acquired dengue fever infections totaling 252 in recent reports. While the United States has seen intermittent cases and travel-related surges, the recent prevalence of locally acquired infections is abnormal and has led to multiple states of emergency. The most likely culprit of this change - climate change.

In its September report, the United Nations Environment Programme acknowledged that global warming is likely to cross the 1.5°C threshold in the next few years. As global warming increases, governments across the world will be forced to navigate complex issues. One of these areas of concern is the impact of unusual weather events on public health as vector-borne diseases may worsen.

Mosquitoes are a vector for a variety of infectious diseases, such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. Typically, mosquito-borne diseases are contained in subtropical and tropical zones most suitable for the insects’ survival. Yet warmer temperatures and changing rainfall patterns have made it possible for the invasive species to extend their range and breeding season. An example of this is the recent discovery of the Aedes aegypti reproducing in the United Kingdom. Although the species has existed in the region, its attempt to breed is rare. While the government is confident that the mosquitos cannot survive the coming winter, there is apprehension in regard to how this situation may develop with the climate emergency.

States independently manage the issue of vector-borne diseases. Currently, the affected counties in the United States and the United Kingdom Health Security Agency are implementing treatment plans to reduce their mosquito populations. However, a new approach of international cooperation may be necessary to prevent future increases in infectious diseases. Rather than treat the symptoms of the emergent public health threat, governments must come together to address its deep roots in the escalating climate crisis.