The lasting impact of 9/11 on US leadership

In this ‘ask ian,’ Ian Bremmer reflects on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, examining the long-term consequences of America's response to the attacks.

Ian recalls the fear and trauma of that day, but also the extraordinary unity that followed. NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time in its history. Allies around the world rallied behind the United States.

But the global solidarity of that moment gave way to costly overreach. The war in Afghanistan became a grinding campaign that ended with the Taliban back in power. The invasion of Iraq, a war of choice built on misleading intelligence, left a vacuum that fueled radicalism and instability.

Ian says the United States not only failed to capitalize on a moment of shared purpose, it took actions that actively helped erode the order it had spent decades building. The rise of populism, the retreat inward, and the fracturing of alliances are all part of the aftermath 25 years on.