20th Anniversary of 9/11 Special Edition Lessons For the Next Twenty Years: What We’ve Learned in the Two Decades Since 9/11 a Project of Syracuse University’s Institute For Security Policy and Law Foreword

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 SPECIAL EDITION

LESSONS FOR THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS: WHAT

WE’VE LEARNED IN THE TWO DECADES SINCE

9/11 A PROJECT OF SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY’S

INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY POLICY AND LAW

Foreword

Thomas H. Kean & Lee H. Hamilton*

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

I. POST-9/11 SUCCESSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A. Institutional Reform. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

B. National Counterterrorism Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

C. Privacy and Civil Liberties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

II. POST-9/11 CHALLENGES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

A. Partisanship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

B. Congressional Dysfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

C. Causes of Terrorism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

III. RECOMMENDATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

INTRODUCTION

Some moments in history appear decisive only in hindsight. Others make clear

that a new era has begun. The shocking terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

instantly altered the American way of life. As with the surprise raid on Pearl

Harbor, Americans knew at once that we would not return to the way things were.

We remember the nearly 3,000 Americans who perished that day, and the

deaths that followed as the consequences of the attacks unfurled. We remember

the innocent mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons murdered at the World Trade

Center, the Pentagon, and on the four hijacked airliners. We remember the f‌ire-

f‌ighters and police off‌icers who answered their f‌inal call with undaunted courage,

racing into the burning towers to rescue others. We remember the passengers of

* Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton served as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission). The authors

are grateful to Matthew L. Kronisch, to the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law,

and to the editors and publishers of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy for the opportunity

to participate in this commemorative issue, and to the many outstanding experts whose contributions

follow this foreword. Many of them have made important contributions in government service to the

accomplishments we describe here. © 2021, Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton.

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