How did 9/11 shape the world we live in?

How did 9/11 shape the world we live in?

Author: Chatham House September 11, 2026 Duration: 46:08

Twenty five years ago the deadliest terrorist attacks in human history, on 11 September 2001, saw 2,977 people killed in New York, Washington, and aboard the planes hijacked by 19 members of Al-Qaeda.

An immediate response followed with the US-led 'war on terror', which saw Western forces occupy Afghanistan and Iraq, and two decades of military operations across the Middle East and beyond.

We look back over a quarter of a century to examine the longer-term consequences of 9/11.

We examine how US foreign policy and military power changed perceptions of America and its allies. We look at the consequences for a Middle East still riven by conflict. And we discuss how the focus on counterterrorism left the US positioned to deal with a new multipolar era in which it faces challenges from Russia and the rise of China.

This week's episode is hosted by Laurel Rapp, director of Chatham House's US and North America Programme, standing in for Bronwen Maddox. 

She is joined by General Sir Richard Barrons, a senior consulting fellow with the International Security Programme. Also by Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme. And by Jason Burke, International Security Correspondent of the Guardian.

Produced by Podmasters, with thanks to Stephen Farrell.

About Independent Thinking

Independent Thinking is a weekly international affairs podcast hosted by our director Bronwen Maddox, in conversation with leading policymakers, journalists and Chatham House experts providing insight on the latest international issues.

More ways to listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Explore our other Chatham House podcasts.


Hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Independent Thinking brings the institute’s private deliberations into the public ear. This isn’t a rehearsed lecture series, but a direct channel into candid, high-level discussions typically held behind closed doors. Maddox guides conversations with a carefully selected mix of leading policymakers, frontline journalists, and Chatham House’s own deep bench of experts, focusing on the international political issues that are shaping headlines and rewriting global strategies. The tone is analytical yet accessible, privileging substance and nuance over soundbites. Each episode feels like a privileged seat at a crucial roundtable, where complex topics-from shifting alliances and economic sanctions to climate diplomacy and conflict-are unpacked with clarity and intellectual rigor. Listeners gain a clearer understanding of the forces driving world events, hearing diverse perspectives clash and converge in real time. For anyone looking to move beyond the superficial news cycle and engage with the substantive arguments defining our geopolitics, this podcast offers an essential and thoughtful resource. It’s where informed opinion meets the pressing questions of our moment, fostering a deeper kind of political literacy.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Independent Thinking
Podcast Episodes
Rubio to Europe: A softer tone than Vance. But same message? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:02
In a special edition of Chatham House's Independent Thinking podcast recorded at the Munich Security Conference 2026 over the weekend, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox and Grégoire Roos, Director of the Europe and R…
Oil, regime change, and what's next in Trump's MAGA playbook? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:34
After the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, our analysts discuss where in the Western Hemisphere US President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio may turn their attention to next. Host Bronwen Maddo…
UK in China: Hard choices between rival superpowers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:32
Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Ben Bland, head of our Asia-Pacific Programme, and Dr Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China. They discuss the opportunities and risks of closer engagement between the UK and China, and…
Trump vs Carney at Davos - One summit, two visions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:13
Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox joins the Independent Thinking podcast from the World Economic Forum in Davos. In London are guest host David Lubin, a Senior Research Fellow in Chatham House's Global Economy and Fi…
Greenland in the cross hairs of Trump's bid for hemispheric dominance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:43
Host Bronwen Maddox is joined in the studio by Laurel Rapp, Director of Chatham House's US and North America Programme; Marc Weller, Director of the International Law Programme and down the line by Juno Berthelsen, of Gr…
Does Venezuela usher in an era of might is right? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:58
Bronwen Maddox is joined by Marc Weller, Director of Chatham House's International Law Programme; Laurel Rapp, Director of the US and North America Programme; and Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow for Latin America. Th…