25 Years After 9/11: Unanswered Questions and the Shifting US Security Paradigm

A quarter-century after the September 11, 2001 attacks, key questions remain unresolved, particularly concerning the chief plotter, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who still awaits trial in Guantanamo due to issues arising from his interrogation. The attacks, which targeted the World Trade Center in New York and the US Department of Defense, were long considered a reference point for foreign policy and security. They occurred at a time when, following the end of the Cold War, it was harder to justify the militarily dominant USA at the helm of the 'free world'. Then-President George W. Bush emphasized international cooperation in the 'war on terror', advocating preemptive action. Twenty-five years later, President Donald Trump and his 'America First' policy have become the new reference point. The article, published in the German newspaper 'der Freitag', reflects on the enduring impact and the unresolved legal and political issues stemming from that day.