Northern Alliance soldiers watch as U.S. air strikes pound Taliban positions in Kunduz province near the town of Khanabad, Afghanistan in November 2001. Ivan Sekretarev/AP file photo
GovExec Daily: The Military Legacy of Sept. 11
The podcast explores how the attacks shaped the American military over the past 20 years.
Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force as a joint resolution a week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The AUMF authorized the use of the military against terrorist organizations and every president since George W. Bush has interpreted that authority to extend operations beyond al Qaeda and the Taliban. The Global War on Terror has spanned the globe over the last two decades and continues to this day under the cover of secrecy, as the full list of targeted groups remains classified.
As part of a series marking the attacks’ legacy on government, GovExec Daily explores the military and foreign policy legacy of the American reaction to Sept. 11. Ben Watson and Dr. Tony Brooks, veterans of the war in Afghanistan, discuss their experiences and Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko talks about the failures in nation-building.
