Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, their consequences continue to shape foreign, security and intelligence policy. The events have become a defining reference point for a generation of decision-makers and security professionals.
The long-term assessment of 9/11 focuses not only on the attacks themselves, but also on the decisions and intelligence judgements surrounding them. Strategies adopted in response, along with opportunities that may have been missed, remain part of the debate over how governments should identify and address security threats.
The continuing examination of those issues reflects the lasting influence of the attacks across several areas of public policy. Foreign affairs, national security and intelligence work have all been affected by the lessons drawn from the period.
A quarter of a century on, those lessons are not regarded as settled. The experience of 9/11 continues to prompt questions about the effectiveness of past strategies and how the resulting knowledge should inform future policy.
