Webinar: Global War on Terrorism & Trump’s America First Era: Divergence or Convergence?

The course of U.S. foreign policy has shifted profoundly since the September 11 attacks, particularly in its response to terrorism. At first, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) dominated U.S. strategy. However, as global realities changed-especially after 2011-counterterrorism was pushed to the background in favor of broader geopolitical interests. This report summarizes AISS’s recent webinar where experts discussed the consequences of these shifts. They examined the relationship between the GWOT and the "America First" doctrine, assessed U.S. counterterrorism efforts, and explored the regional outcomes of these policy adjustments.
On November 26, 2024. the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies hosted a webinar titled “Global War on Terrorism & Trump's America First Era: Divergence or Convergence?” The webinar featured four notable speakers: Ambassador Asif Ali Durrani, a Veteran Diplomat and Regional Expert; Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a Research Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Adam Weinstein is the Deputy Director of the Middle East Program at the Quincy Institute; and Sadiq Amini, Public Diplomacy and International Security Expert. Each offered a distinct view of U.S. counterterrorism strategies, regional issues, and the broader challenges influencing U.S. foreign policy.
The discussion centered on the gradual move in U.S. foreign policy from counterterrorism to broader international goals. The GWOT, which shaped American actions in the early 2000s, began losing prominence with the Obama administration’s 2011 "Pivot to Asia." Under President Trump, this shift accelerated, with the U.S. reducing its global military footprint and concentrating on domestic concerns. The 2020 Doha Agreement paved the way for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and marked a major change in counterterrorism priorities.