ABSTRACT
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 represent the defining moments of twenty-first century national security policy for the United States and for many other areas of the world. The attack shattered the relative tranquility of the national security environment of the 1990s. Despite warnings in advance that were ignored or underemphasized, the event was seismic and shaped the national agenda in ways similar to the impact of Pearl Harbor and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy for earlier generations. The aftermath of 9/11 provides the more immediate framework within which the contemporary American national security debate occurs.
