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Press Review Marks 25 Years Since 9/11: Media Assess the War on Terror’s Legacy
By Drooid · · How we work
Overview of the Anniversary Coverage
On September 11, a France 24 press review compiled commentary from major U.S. and European outlets to evaluate the outcomes of the war on terror launched after the 2001 attacks. The piece highlighted divergent assessments of the United States’ counter-terrorism strategy, noted ongoing political controversies in France, and even referenced a paleontological discovery unrelated to the security debate.
U.S. Media Appraisals
The *Washington Post* ran a headline declaring that the U.S. The *Wall Street Journal* echoed a similar verdict, emphasizing two principles it credited with protecting the United States for the subsequent 25 years: projecting military force against terrorist groups abroad and holding any state that harbors terrorists accountable.
European Press Perspectives
*The Times* (U.K.) reminded readers that the Bush administration quickly linked the 9/11 attacks—carried out by Saudi nationals—to Iraq, an “entirely unrelated country.” *Le Figaro* reported that the far-right National Rally party sought to distance itself from a scandal involving a police officer who, while on duty, recorded racist slurs directed at Black and Arab residents of Carcassonne. Party representatives described the incident as an “isolated case.” Conversely, *L’Humanité* cited National Rally MP Caroline Parmentier’s statements on immigration, homosexuality, and the legacy of Vichy leader Marshal Pétain, suggesting the officer’s remarks reflected broader party attitudes.
French Political Fallout
The National Rally controversy illustrates how the anniversary discourse intersected with domestic politics. The party’s effort to portray the officer’s comments as anomalous was challenged by media outlets that linked the episode to the party’s rhetoric on race, sexuality, and historical memory. No official response from the National Rally beyond the “isolated case” framing was reported in the review.
Broader Reflections
The assembled commentary underscores a persistent split between praise for the United States’ deterrence strategy and criticism of its prolonged military engagements. European journalists highlighted perceived policy missteps, such as conflating terrorism with unrelated state actors, while also using the anniversary to scrutinize contemporary political rhetoric in France. The review’s inclusion of a fossilized feather discovery served as a non-sequitur reminder of unrelated scientific news on the same day.
