Matias Balboa

Guillerme Silva
POS403
April 6, 2014
US Foreign Policy Before and After September 11 2001.
On September 11, 2001, The world looked in horror as terrorists flew hijacked
passenger planes into New York Citys twin towers, destroying the iconic buildings and
killing more than 2,700 people. Americans view of world changed dramatically, and
permanently on the day of the terrorist attack that take place on 9/11. In order to
understand and measure the impact of this terrorist attacks in the US foreign policy, it is
necessary to understand first, what was the attitude the US had with the global
community before and how this attitude changed after the event. What were the main
concerns regarding to US foreign policy before the attack and how did this change? Also
it is important to recognize the actions taken after the attack.
According to a survey realized to American people titled Americas place in the
world, There was no single issue or concern dominant before 9/11. The spread of
weapons of mass destruction and terrorism was one of the major concerns in US foreign
policy in addition to other global problem such as infectious diseases and international
stability. Another major concern for the American people was China, which was a
problem that needed to be managed. Many people where concern about the spread of
radical Islam in china as this represented a threat to the US interest. American people
were concern about foreign terrorist representing a greater risk of deploying weapon of
mass destruction against the US than military powers.
On the other hand, President Bush foreign policy according to American foreign
policy and process Was focus on China and Russia; he also wanted to determine if a
peace settlement with the middle east was possible. Regarding to security he was
interested in building a ballistic missile defense system which was going to provide
security against WMD. We can see both the American people, and the US president at
the time was concern about international relationship and US foreign interest. Another
topic in which both views merge was the constant danger of weapons of mass destruction
and making a security network of protection.
When president Bush Senior came to power, his commitment was to continue the
course of president Reagan pursue in his second term. President Bush Senior focus was
primarily realismthat assumes states are the principal actors, and the relationship
between states is important. He was looking to manage the relationship with soviets and
stabilize the relationship with other countries. After Bush senior term, president Clinton
came to power arguing for a new vision that would strength the US power. Clinton
argued for the need of leadership, following a liberal international approach focusing on
promoting free markets and free people, which contrasted with Bush realism. As we can
see in the quote:
When George W. Bush took office as President of the United States in 2001, he
and his foreign policy team decided that the liberal multilateral internationalist
strategy, which had prevailed in the previous government, was no longer
appropriate to represent the international aspirations of the American people. In
fact, Bush criticized Clinton for engaging in nation-building and humanitarian
interventions overseas.

On the other hand, president George W Bush was concern more about the relationship
between the US and its main alliesEurope and Asia. Also he was concern in his
potential rivals Russia and China. President Bushs second term promises were looking to
retreat the US intervention from others democracies. He believed the US should propose
its principles but not impose them. He also oppose to American humanitarian
interventions without a clear strategic reasoning. Although president Bush effort to
strength US relationship with its allies, according to a survey by the Pew Research
Center, in association with the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Herald
Tribune, showed that more than seven-in-ten people in each of four major European
nations said Bush makes decisions based entirely on U.S. interests. Many people on
European countries believe by that time that the US president was just interested in the
US interest.
On September 11, 2001, militants associated with the Islamic extremist group
called al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in
the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade
Center in New York Citysymbol of global trade, a third plane hit the Pentagon in
Washington D.C. This attacks resulted in extensive death and destruction, detonating a
change in the US foreign policy. This change was characterized by the initiatives on
combating terrorism and defining George W Bush foreign policy. In other words, gave a
guideline to conduct the US foreign policy, which before did not exist. It also awarded
him the support he needed to govern, support of congress and American people. Who
supported the decisions made by the President in sending troops on military
interventions.
In response to the attacks, the administration launched a Global War on Terror."
It focuses not only on al Qaeda, but also on the worldwide terrorist threat more generally.
And it targeted not only deadly non-state actors, but also the regimes that helped and
support them. As president Bush said: We will make no distinction between the
terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. and "We will direct
every resource at our command every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence,
every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary
weapon of war to the destruction and to the defeat of the global terror network. this
two examples are a clear proof that the end justifies the means. By doing this it was
necessary to increase the intelligence. The agencies used detention strategies and few
cases of torture. Also people suffered from lack of privacy as the government tried to
collect information to fight terrorism.
After September 11, 2001, President Bush support increased significantly keeping
an average after the first 4 months of 84 percent. His approval also went up after eight
months reaching an average of 72 percentwhich was the higher cumulative average for
any president after Vietnam. The attack also detonated people patriotism that supported
the victims of the attacks their family and their president. He also got the support of the
congress who passed new regulations guaranteeing more power to the president, also
called Senate joint resolution 23authorizing the use of force against those nations,
organizations or persons, the president determined committed or aided the terrorist attack.
Another regulation was the Patriot ACTwhich gave the executive branch greater power
in pursuing terrorist and limited some civil liberty protections.
September 11 was a reminder for the US that national security it is important. For
this reason after the attack, people supported the increase in spending on defense and
intelligence gathering, also the maintaining of US bases in foreign countries. After 9/11,
there was an accelerated construction of U.S. military and intelligence capabilities. New
bases were constructed throughout Central and Southwest Asia. The administration
announced that it was adopting a policy of anticipatory self-defense also call
preventive warfare. Bush declared that he would take action to prevent imminent threats.
This approach led eventually to war not only in Afghanistan but in Iraq as well. Also as a
consequence of the major changes occurring during this period was founded the
department of homeland security. Its primary responsibilities is protecting the United
States and its territories from and responding to terrorist attacks, man-made accidents,
and natural disasters.
President Bushs believe also changed that day passing from realism to defensive
realism. Realism differentiates from defensive realism on the importance of insecurity as
a motivation for states. After 9/11, President Bush had to create a new defensive security
strategy not only focus in state-to-state actors if not promoting the fight against global
terrorism. American foreign policy was also changed after the attack, adopting a more
universal approach as a result of the combat in international terrorism. Developing a
greater multilateralism fighting the terrorism. Although, president Bush did act
unilaterally as he fight the war against Iraq. Finally, changing the concern with internal
dynamics of some states. We can see how president Bush passed from a non-intervention
policy, as he promised in campaign to a full involvement intervention in other countries.
As he stated "Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are
with us or you are with the terrorists." and our enemy is a radical net framework of
terrorists, and every government that support them are clear examples of the desire to
act by itself if it was necessary.
These policies impacted US relations with the international community. The first
major intervention was developed in Iraq as they used WMD against its own people.
While some key advisors seek for a quickly intervention to remove Hussein from power.
President bush seeks multilateral solution at this time. After many reports on the non-
existence of WMD, president Bush decided to invade Iraq on April 9, 2003.
North Korea, Iran and Libya are other examples of international intervention. North
Korea got the US attention as they tried to reactivate a closed nuclear facility, renouncing
to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and maintaining a clandestine nuclear weapon
program. US adopted a multilateral diplomatic effort against North Korea. Toward Iran
the US adopted the same policy, as they believed they possessed chemical and biological
nuclear weapons. Libya also became a target as they tried to acquire WMD.
According to American foreign Policy and Process (225) After 9/11 Russia and
China provided support for the US and bush reciprocated with closer yes with them.
Russian President was the first to offer his support, Russian aid in fighting on terrorism
and Russian desire to work closely with NATO. Also there was an initiative to reduce
Russian nuclear warheads, known as the Treaty of Moscow. China also provided
diplomatic support on the UN to the United States in the military intervention of
Afghanistan. This also helped developing a selective partnership between China an US.
American Allies also offered support to the US after 9/11 in fighting against al- Qaeda
and the Taliban in Afghanistan. This help was removed as the US turned to Iraq.
Bushs administration was not excepting of shortcoming and one of the major
shortcomings was that the US was not able to find WMD in Iraq. People still are debating
whether the administration deliberately lied or relied on faulty and false intelligence
reports in the invasion of Iraq. The military intervention in Iraq also pulled resources
away from the Afghanistan allowing the Taliban to become resurgent, creating a vicious
circle in which whenever US take troops back Taliban resurge. Global War on Terror
featured controversies and damaged the US global image. One of the major controversies
was Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where terrorism suspects were held without charges many
of them tortured without any human rights.
On the other, hand Bush administration succeeds in the war on terror getting the
support of the international community against terrorism. After the terrorist attack
congress and president work together, this create efficiency and support between both of
them, during this time laws were approved in record time to guarantee the power needed.
Also it there was a specific foreign policy, which did not exist before the attack. It was
created the Department of Homeland and Security which mission is guarantee the US
protection against terrorist and disasters.
















References
- McCormick, J.M . American Foreign Policy and Process. fifth edition
- Leffler, M. P. (2011). 9/11 in Retrospect. Foreign Affairs, 90(5), 33-44.
- Melvyn P. Leffler. September 11 in Retrospect, September-October 2011.
foreignaffairs.com/articles/68201/melvyn-p-leffler/september-11-in-retrospect
- Jones, Steve. US Foreign Policy After 9/11
usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/defense/a/Us-Foreign-Policy-After-9-11.htm
- The View Before 9/11: Americas Place in the World (2001)

people-press.org/2001/10/18/the-view-before-911-americas-place-in-the-world/

- DE CASTRO SANTOS, M., & TAVARES TEIXEIRA, U. (2013). The essential role of
democracy in the Bush Doctrine: the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Revista
Brasileira De Poltica Internacional, 56(2), 131-156.