A unilateral America in a post-unipolar world
This analysis examines the shift in U.S. foreign policy following the 9/11 attacks, moving from a unipolar superpower to a nation bogged down by regime-change wars. It argues that the 'global war on terror' failed to defeat terrorism and instead dispersed threats while reshaping West Asia.
Why it matters
It provides a critical historical assessment of the long-term geopolitical consequences of post-9/11 American interventionism.
When the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks took place, the United States was at the pinnacle of its power. A decade earlier, its Cold War rival, the Soviet Union, had disintegrated. Russia was still struggling to emerge from the post-Soviet chaos while China remained a close economic partner of the U.S. In eastern Europe, Washington had successfully undertaken military interventions, while the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had completed its first round of expansion into Russia’s neighbourhood. The U.S. also maintained a formidable military presence in West Asia. Then came 9/11.
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