Question

President Bush’s speech after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 made which of the following significant changes to US foreign policy?

It announced alliances with countries that offered support following the attacks.

It clarified that the United States was opposed to terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda.

It declared that the United States could now attack any country that refused to hand over terrorists.

Answer 1

Correct choices: 2 and 3.

- It did explicitly identify and oppose terrorist groups such as al‑Qaeda (he named al‑Qaeda and made pursuing them the immediate US goal).
- It also announced a new, more aggressive stance toward states that harbored terrorists — “either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists” and “we will make no distinction…between the terrorists…and those who harbor them” — signaling the US could use military force against countries that refused to turn over or stop supporting terrorists (a core element of the later Bush Doctrine).

It did not formally announce new alliances in that speech; Bush sought and later built international cooperation and a coalition, but he did not create formal new alliances by that address.