The forever fight: After 25 years, America's War on Terror carries a complex, bloody legacy

Throughout its 25 years, the post-9/11 War on Terror and all of the conflicts that branched from it -- from Afghanistan and Iraq to the Horn of Africa -- defined presidencies, exacted a staggering human cost, remade the pillars of the federal government, and exposed the hard limits of what raw American military might can achieve.

The forever fight: After 25 years, America's War on Terror carries a complex, bloody legacy

TL;DR

  • The War on Terror has lasted 25 years.
  • It has led to conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa.
  • The war has defined presidencies and had a significant human cost.
  • It has reshaped federal government pillars.
  • The war exposed the limits of American military might.