How the Sept. 11 attacks would shape Biden’s presidency

By ALEXANDRA JAFFE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 shattered Americans’ sense of security and ushered in an era of nebulous threats, hidden enemies and a seemingly never-ending war on terror. And for then-Sen. Joe Biden they marked a new phase of his public life. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would devote even more energy to international affairs. He would point to that experience during his ultimately successful White House bid last year to portray himself as a seasoned statesman who could restore American stability and prestige. And it would inform his controversial decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, effectively ending the war that began in the wake of the terror attacks.