9/11 as strategic head‑fake

The article advances the claim that the September 11 attacks functioned as a strategic 'head‑fake' that redirected U.S. policy and public attention toward counterterrorism and democratization campaigns in the Middle East, at the expense of preparing for rising state adversaries (notably Russia and China). It links early post‑Cold War triumphalism, political psychology, and policy choices under the Bush administration as causes of that misdirection. — If accepted, this reframing alters how policymakers prioritize defense investments, alliance strategy, and retrospective accountability for two decades of interventions.