Collection · 2001 — 2026
9/11 to Today
2001-2026: 25 Years of Conflict
This collection focuses on speeches by Western government leaders responding to terrorism. It is not a comprehensive record of the conflicts themselves, and does not attempt to represent perspectives from the countries or groups on the receiving end of Western military action.
From the ashes of Ground Zero to ongoing global operations. The speeches from Western leaders that launched wars, declared victories, and shaped a generation's understanding of security and freedom.
The arc runs through five administrations — Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, Trump again — and one British prime minister who threw the UK in beside the US through both Afghanistan and Iraq. It begins with a bullhorn at Ground Zero on 14 September 2001 and runs through the Abbey Gate suicide bombing twenty years later; the final entry, on Trump's 2026 Iran statements, is being updated live as verified transcripts are released.
Overlaps with the Iran-USA Tensions collection
Bush's 2002 “Axis of Evil” State of the Union and Trump's 2026 Iran statements both appear in Iran vs America: 47 Years of Confrontation Through Speeches, which covers the longer diplomatic arc back to 1953.
Coalition Response · Major Operations & Policy Shifts
Oct 2001
Operation Enduring Freedom
US / UK / Northern Alliance invasion of Afghanistan.
Mar 2003
Iraq Invasion
Coalition of the Willing — US, UK, Australia, Poland.
Jan 2007
Iraq Surge
Bush announces the deployment of an additional 20,000 US troops.
Dec 2009
Afghanistan Surge
Obama orders 30,000 additional US troops.
Dec 2011
Iraq Withdrawal
Last US combat brigade leaves Iraq under the SOFA.
Sep 2014
Global Coalition vs ISIS
Formed against the Islamic State across Iraq and Syria.
Mar 2019
ISIS Caliphate Defeated
Fall of Baghuz ends declared territorial control.
Aug 2021
Afghanistan Withdrawal
Final US forces leave Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Peak combined US deployment to Afghanistan + Iraq reached approximately 200,000 in 2010-2011. Western leaders only — this collection does not catalogue the speeches of regional or non-state actors.
Interactive Timeline · 2001 — 2026
Further Reading
Books on rhetoric & great speeches
Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
The 9/11 Commission Report
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
The authoritative official account of the attacks and the intelligence failures that preceded them.
View on Amazon →The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
Lawrence Wright
Pulitzer-winning history of Al-Qaeda from the 1940s through 9/11.
View on Amazon →Decision Points
George W. Bush
Bush's post-presidency memoir, structured around 14 key decisions.
View on Amazon →A Promised Land
Barack Obama
First volume of Obama's presidential memoir, covering the bin Laden raid and drone policy.
View on Amazon →The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War
Craig Whitlock
The Washington Post's lessons-learned investigation, drawing on 1,000+ internal interviews.
View on Amazon →Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS
Joby Warrick
Pulitzer-winning account of ISIS's emergence from post-invasion Iraq.
View on Amazon →The Forever War
Dexter Filkins
New Yorker correspondent's first-hand reporting across Afghanistan and Iraq.
View on Amazon →Browse the full speech library
Beyond the War on Terror, our library catalogues hundreds of historic addresses with rhetorical breakdowns and verified transcripts.
Open the speech library