When the World Trade Center towers crashed to the ground 25 years ago, they triggered a seismic wave that seemed to smash the world order. It was now “a different world,” President George W. Bush warned Congress. Secretary of State Colin Powell declared: “It was before 9/11 and after 9/11.” Vice President Dick Cheney added: “That day changed everything.” They were right, with a caveat. The attacks were a monumental tragedy. The world order did change. But it was the aftermath—the U.S. response to 9/11, not the terrorism itself—that made the difference. Sept. 11 marked a shockingly successful attack by a stateless and relatively…

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