Archive · 11 Sep 2026
25 Years After 9/11, America Weighs What It Learned
Twenty-five years ago, terrorists attacked the United States on September 11.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed, and the country changed greatly.
The United States began long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq while also using new security and surveillance measures.
Osama bin Laden was eventually killed, but the wars caused many costs and losses.
Many Americans now think those wars were not worth the cost.
People in the United States are also more worried about violence coming from inside the country.
Survivors and emergency workers have become sick from exposure to dangerous conditions after the attacks.
The anniversary is therefore being used not only to remember the dead, but also to ask whether the country learned from its decisions.
The 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks has renewed debate over America’s response and its lasting consequences.
The post-9/11 War on Terror included wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, expanded drone warfare, and the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Public opinion polls show many Americans believe the Afghanistan and Iraq wars were not worth their costs, while only 25 percent say the same about the Iran conflict.
Americans now identify domestic extremist violence and mass shootings as greater threats than terrorism originating abroad.
Illnesses among survivors and responders, along with newly released New York City records, have intensified demands for accountability beyond memorial ceremonies.
- Who
- The United States, people killed in the September 11 attacks, survivors, first responders, recovery workers, and government officials.
- What
- America is marking 25 years since the September 11 attacks while examining the wars, security policies, domestic threats, and health consequences that followed.
- When
- Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks; the anniversary commemoration is taking place this year.
- Where
- The attacks occurred in the United States, with major lasting effects connected to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East, and New York City’s World Trade Center site.
- Why
- The anniversary has prompted questions about whether America’s post-9/11 military choices, security policies, and responses to survivors produced the intended results.
Security-and-force view
Restraint-and-accountability view
Military response
Security-and-force view
Post-9/11 wars and operations were presented as necessary efforts to dismantle Al-Qaeda, remove the Taliban government in Afghanistan, and confront later threats.
Restraint-and-accountability view
Critics argue that the prolonged wars, civilian casualties, spending, and disputed decisions—including the Iraq invasion over weapons of mass destruction that were never found—show the costs of military escalation.
Meaning of remembrance
Security-and-force view
Memorial ceremonies, lowered flags, and honoring the dead preserve national memory and recognize the attacks’ extraordinary impact.
Restraint-and-accountability view
Survivors and families argue that “never forget” must also include accountability for toxic exposure, delayed illnesses, government decisions, and the release of records.
Main threat today
Security-and-force view
The post-9/11 focus on overseas terrorism reflects concerns about extremist organizations operating abroad.
Restraint-and-accountability view
Current polling indicates that more Americans see domestic extremist attacks and mass shootings as greater dangers than terrorism originating overseas.
- Anniversary
- The commemoration marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks.
- Deaths on September 11
- Nearly 3,000 people were murdered in the attacks.
- Afghanistan war opinion
- Forty-eight percent of Americans surveyed said the Afghanistan war was not worth its toll.
- Iraq war opinion
- Fifty-one percent said the Iraq war was not worth its toll.
- Iran conflict opinion
- Twenty-five percent said the current Iran conflict was worth its cost.
- Perceived domestic threat
- Sixty-one percent identified ideology-driven attacks by domestic extremists as the greater threat, compared with 34 percent for extremists abroad.
- Records release
- New York City released the first 170,000 pages of previously withheld records about air quality and the government’s response after the attacks.