Defense Priorities Defense Priorities
  • Policy Topics
    • Israel-Iran
    • Ukraine-Russia
    • NATO
    • China
    • Syria
  • Research
    • Briefs
    • Explainers
    • Reports
  • Programs
    • Grand Strategy Program
    • Military Analysis Program
    • Asia Program
    • Middle East Program
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Media
  • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • People
    • Jobs
    • Contact
  • Donate
Select Page
Home / Afghanistan / Did the September 11 attacks start and end U.S. ‘forever wars’?
Afghanistan, Middle East

September 11, 2024

Did the September 11 attacks start and end U.S. ‘forever wars’?

Rajan Menon, an emeritus professor of international relations at the City College of New York and director of the Grand Strategy Program at Defense Priorities, said that “no matter how long [the United States] had stayed, I don’t see what a good ending could have been.”

The minimal good outcome, Menon says, would have been “a stable country with a government that may not have been democratic, but which could be counted upon not to serve as a platform for terror and which would have a positive relationship with the United States.”

But in attempting to realize that goal, what you are essentially “trying to do is engage in nation-building,” Menon said. Even a “very, very powerful military machine” like the United States has difficulties pulling that off, he said, and there “are no pretty exits.”

To avoid the chaotic type of withdrawal that took place in Afghanistan, Menon said, “you have to build institutions, political and military and civic in nature.” Without that, “once you leave and remove the military protection, the institutions will start crumbling, and that is exactly what happened.”

Read at Radio Free Europe

Featuring

Photo of Rajan Menon

Rajan
Menon

Former Non-Resident Senior Fellow

Defense Priorities

More on Middle East

op-edIsrael‑Iran, Iran, Israel, Middle East

How Trump took advantage of Iran’s face-saving retaliation strategy

By Daniel DePetris

June 24, 2025

op-edIsrael‑Iran, Iran, Israel, Middle East

It’s time to get out for good

By Jennifer Kavanagh

June 23, 2025

op-edIsrael‑Iran, Iran, Israel, Middle East

How the war could spin out of control

By Dan Caldwell

June 23, 2025

Press ReleaseIsrael‑Iran, Middle East

Deescalation in the Middle East is welcome

By Rosemary Kelanic

June 23, 2025

op-edIsrael‑Iran, Iran, Israel, Middle East

Is there a diplomatic off-ramp available for the US and Iran?

By Daniel DePetris

June 23, 2025

op-edIsrael‑Iran, Iran, Israel, Middle East

LTE: Bombing Iran won’t solve these five problems. But it might fix this one.

By Daniel DePetris

June 22, 2025

Events on Afghanistan

See All Events
virtualAfghanistan, Middle East

Past Virtual Event: One year later: assessing the Afghanistan withdrawal

August 30, 2022
in-personCounterterrorism, Afghanistan, Iraq, Middle East, Syria

Past In-Person Event: Ground truth about ground wars

November 5, 2019

Receive expert foreign policy analysis

Join the hub of realism and restraint

Expert updates and analysis to enhance your understanding of vital U.S. national security issues

Defense Priority Mono Logo

Our mission is to inform citizens, thought leaders, and policymakers of the importance of a strong, dynamic military—used more judiciously to protect America’s narrowly defined national interests—and promote a realistic grand strategy prioritizing restraint, diplomacy, and free trade to ensure U.S. security.

  • About
  • For Media
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact
© 2025 Defense Priorities All Right Reserved