--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: More than a decade and half after 9/11…" description: "\"More than a decade and half after 9/11, U.S. military actions in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and several other Muslim nations are gov..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d43/peter-bergen-1880_afghanistan_more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u_3212365.jpg" --- # More than a decade and half after 9/11, U.S. military… ![“More than a decade and half after 9/11, U.S. military actions in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and several other Muslim nations are governed by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that was passed in the days immediately after 9/11.” quote by Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d43/peter-bergen-1880_afghanistan_more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u_3212365.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d43/peter-bergen-1880_afghanistan_more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u_3212365.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d43/peter-bergen-1880_afghanistan_more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u_3212365.jpg) > “More than a decade and half after 9/11, U.S. military actions in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and several other Muslim nations are governed by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that was passed in the days immediately after 9/11.” [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how the post‑9/11 AUMF continues to justify U.S. military interventions decades later, often without fresh congressional approval. **In simple terms:** AUMF still powers many wars. Key Takeaway Re‑evaluate legal basis for ongoing conflicts. Themes war policy legislation accountability Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - Congressional oversight - public debate - human rights advocacy Key Concepts International law executive power military strategy Questions to Reflect On - Should the AUMF be repealed or updated? - How does perpetual war affect democratic legitimacy? A Different Perspective Legal challenges can be politically difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [11 Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/11-military-6007101/) [Actions Countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions-countries-6007100/) [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/days/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Military Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-actions-1839174/) [Military force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-force/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Muslim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muslim/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Nations Governed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations-governed-2208259/) ## Related quotes > [All the known world, excepting only savage nations, is governed by books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/all-the-known-world-excepting-only-savage-nations-is-governed-by-books/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Nations should be governed by a council of learned men who must answer to the people for their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/nations-should-be-governed-by-a-council-of-learned-men-who-must/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Even limited military actions end up carrying with them great costs and unintended consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/even-limited-military-actions-end-up-carrying-with-them-great-costs/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Civilisation and the life of nations are governed by the same laws as prevail throughout nature and organic life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-haeckel/civilisation-and-the-life-of-nations-are-governed-by-the-same-laws-as/) [Ernst Haeckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-haeckel/) > [Fom the out set, the War on Terror was sharply different from other U.S. military actions in the strong support it received from American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/fom-the-out-set-the-war-on-terror-was-sharply-different-from-other-u/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [When you invade Grenada, or when you invade Panama to capture a disreputable person, or when you bomb the Bosnia area, you can always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/when-you-invade-grenada-or-when-you-invade-panama-to-capture-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [The U.S. has perverted the U.N. weapons process by using it as a tool to justify military actions, falsely so. ... The U.S. was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-ritter/the-u-s-has-perverted-the-u-n-weapons-process-by-using-it-as-a-tool/) [Scott Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-ritter/) > [Civilization and the life of nations are governed by the same laws as prevail throughout nature and organic life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-haeckel/civilization-and-the-life-of-nations-are-governed-by-the-same-laws-as/) [Ernst Haeckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-haeckel/) > [I'll tell you what they're all going to face, whichever one of them becomes president on January 21st of 2009. They will face a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-ll-tell-you-what-they-re-all-going-to-face-whichever-one-of-them/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Afghanistan's winters in the north are legendarily harsh, and southern Afghanistan, by contrast, is bleak desert. These difficulties are compounded by the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/afghanistan-s-winters-in-the-north-are-legendarily-harsh-and-southern/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Security services, from Afghanistan to the United States, should be alert throughout the Ramadan period, but especially on the 27th day of the holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/security-services-from-afghanistan-to-the-united-states-should-be/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [What bin Laden had hoped to achieve in Afghanistan in the post-9/11 period, which was to drag the United States into a protracted guerrilla…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/what-bin-laden-had-hoped-to-achieve-in-afghanistan-in-the-post-9-11/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Keeping a relatively small, predominantly U.S. Special Forces presence in Afghanistan to continue to train the Afghan army past December 2016 is a wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/keeping-a-relatively-small-predominantly-u-s-special-forces-presence/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The problem is that Iran has been identified as a dangerous enemy, and the longer the media forwards that proposition - and the media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hooman-majd/the-problem-is-that-iran-has-been-identified-as-a-dangerous-enemy-and/) [Hooman Majd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hooman-majd/) > [As a soldier and combat veteran, I believe American military forces should only be used in the defense and furtherance of our nation's vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-ernst/as-a-soldier-and-combat-veteran-i-believe-american-military-forces/) [Joni Ernst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-ernst/) ## More by Peter Bergen > [So Pakistan is a country that I'm very fond of and have spent a lot of time, but it is a country where conspiracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/so-pakistan-is-a-country-that-i-m-very-fond-of-and-have-spent-a-lot/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The Trump administration launched the cruise missile strikes in Syria, an act of war, without a U.N. resolution or Congressional authorization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-trump-administration-launched-the-cruise-missile-strikes-in-syria/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The deep problems that afflict the Middle East are not easy to fix, but they must be dealt with if we are not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-deep-problems-that-afflict-the-middle-east-are-not-easy-to-fix/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The dirty little secret of the intelligence world is that much of what you really need to know isn't exactly a secret anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-dirty-little-secret-of-the-intelligence-world-is-that-much-of/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Abedi appears to be one of the many thousands of Western Muslims who have embraced militant Islam, often as a way of trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/abedi-appears-to-be-one-of-the-many-thousands-of-western-muslims-who/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Trump has claimed he knows more about ISIS than America's leading generals. Clearly, this is also total nonsense; he doesn't seem to have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/trump-has-claimed-he-knows-more-about-isis-than-america-s-leading/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [As early as 1993, members of bin Laden's group had been planning an attack on the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/as-early-as-1993-members-of-bin-laden-s-group-had-been-planning-an/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The reality is that Trump's focus on immigrants is to misconceive of the terrorist problem that exists in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-reality-is-that-trump-s-focus-on-immigrants-is-to-misconceive-of/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [ISIS despises the Russian government for its support of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and so it's no surprise that ISIS began targeting Russia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-despises-the-russian-government-for-its-support-of-the-syrian/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The Sunni militants that make up ISIS are not the underlying problem in Syria and Iraq, but rather they are a symptom of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-sunni-militants-that-make-up-isis-are-not-the-underlying-problem/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Keeping a relatively small, predominantly U.S. Special Forces presence in Afghanistan to continue to train the Afghan army past December 2016 is a wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/keeping-a-relatively-small-predominantly-u-s-special-forces-presence/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [One of the themes of 'The Longest War,' my book, which came out before the Arab spring happened, was how al-Qaida and bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/one-of-the-themes-of-the-longest-war-my-book-which-came-out-before/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Because 9/11 was carried out by 19 foreign-born Arab hijackers, many assume that all terrorists who attack the West are foreigners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/because-9-11-was-carried-out-by-19-foreign-born-arab-hijackers-many/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [I was the only outsider to visit the Abbottabad compound where bin Laden lived before the Pakistani military demolished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/i-was-the-only-outsider-to-visit-the-abbottabad-compound-where-bin/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) [Explore all 201 Peter Bergen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) ## More Afghanistan quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "More than a decade and half after 9/11, U.S. military actions in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and several other Muslim nations are governed by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that was passed in the days immediately after 9/11.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Bergen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u-s-military-actions-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afghanistan" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u-s-military-actions-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d43/peter-bergen-1880_afghanistan_more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u_3212365.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d43/peter-bergen-1880_afghanistan_more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u_3212365.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d43/peter-bergen-1880_afghanistan_more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u_3212365.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“More than a decade and half after 9/11, U.S. military actions in countries such as Syria, Iraq and…” — Peter Bergen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Bergen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "More than a decade and half...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u-s-military-actions-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/more-than-a-decade-and-half-after-9-11-u-s-military-actions-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```