ABSTRACT
The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, represented a direct challenge both to the existing security paradigms o f the major powers and the transatlantic security regime. In the aftermath o f the Cold War, NATO evolved and reformed its mission capabilities to address changing threats Instead of a strategic doctrine geared toward defending against a massive conventional attack, the Alliance developed forces which could be rapidly deployed to engage in a variety o f operations such as those undertaken in the former Yugoslavia. Concurrently, NATO also endeavored to address broad security threats such as the proliferation of WMDs and terrorism. Nonetheless, few officials within the Alliance or its memberstates envisioned the potential devastation or loss o f life that occurred on 11 September.
