Beyond the obvious psychological trauma, the September 11 attacks will have far-reaching consequences on both American society and US foreign policy. On the domestic front, the values that are the basis of the American social contract, be the freedom to trade, could be undermined so as to confront the new terrorist threat. On the external front it is too early to know whether the Bush administration’s multilateralism, as emphasised since the attacks, will remain a constant of its foreign policy or whether the 'unilateralist' reflex will make a return once the obligation to respond to terrorism ceases to be a factor. On the other hand, with the end of the myth of American invulnerability, new life is likely to be breathed into the republican project for enlarged missile defence. As to relations with Europe, they could evolue towards more responsibility for the Europeans, and a new attitude towards Russia.

Jacques Beltrand was research fellow at the French Center on International Relations (Ifri). Guillaume Parmentier is Director of the French Center on the United States (CFE) at Ifri.

This content is published in French : Les Etats-Unis à l'épreuve de la vulnérabilité