How did the September 11 attacks influence U.S. policy toward Iraq?

The September 11 attacks fundamentally reshaped U.S. foreign policy, leading the administration of President George W. Bush to adopt a doctrine of preemptive war. While some officials had sought to topple Saddam Hussein prior to 2001, the attacks provided the casus belli for the Iraq War by heightening concerns over national security and the potential for future terrorist threats.1

Following the attacks, the Bush administration identified Iraq as part of an "axis of evil" and argued that the country’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction and purported support for terrorist groups like al-Qaeda made disarming Iraq a renewed priority. Although there was no evidence linking Saddam Hussein’s government to the September 11 attacks, the administration maintained that destroying his regime would serve as a deterrent against future attacks on the United States. These claims regarding weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaeda were later proven to be false.213