Evolution of neocons in US policy as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks and its consequences

Abstract

The article showcases and examines the evolution of the neoconservative strand of US politics and its influence on the country’s international politics, with a particular analytical emphasis on the effects of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the ensuing counter-terrorism measures on the part of the USA. The importance of the neocon agenda has grown considerably in the wake of the WTC and Pentagon attacks and, as a result, has shaped the core of US Middle Eastern politics. Simultaneously, the neocon takeover of US politics marginalized the impact of both the conservative and the liberal circles. As a consequence, the US national security evolved into a hard power model based on military authority. Such a political practice yielded short-term profits (and – at best – media benefits and image gains) for the USA, but in the long run it also posed a threat to the West.