My strong sense is that the lesson in every subsequent administration has been to try and keep military action off the front pages as absolutely as much as possible.
after 21 years, it’s become painfully clear to many, including to 9-11 victim family members who, after all this time, remain fighting in court for the truth, that U.S. foreign policy and military strategists don’t much care about the unintended consequences or “blowback” to instigate wars.
Trillions of dollars later, we have fought for two decades in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and have destroyed so much more than what we lost that terrible day.
Killing innocents is wrong, whether it’s done by the U.S. military or by terrorists.