September 11, 2001 was a day that forever changed America… and the world. It reordered domestic politics, reshaped how Americans thought about national security, and how the United States wielded its enormous power around the world. Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 to reflect on the immediate shock of the attacks and their lasting impact on American society and foreign policy. Has the United States learned the right lessons or do we risk repeating the mistakes of the post-9/11 era?
Twenty-five years after 9/11, the United States is once again fighting a war in the Middle East without a clear endgame or exit strategy. Esper argues that the US has achieved tactical successes in the war with Iran, but is in a weaker strategic position. The war started as a means to bring Tehran to the negotiating table to discuss nuclear issues, and now “we’re not even bringing up the world nuclear.” He also explains why he sees China—not Iran—as America’s biggest threat and how years of pouring attention and resources into the Middle East and the war on terror led to the United States losing focus on its biggest adversary.
"We lost our focus on China, which is my top concern," Esper says, "I think it's an existential threat to our country, to our way of life, and yet we lost 10, 15, 20 years taking our eye off of that ball."
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