Mission accomplished? The 2003 boast still haunts today’s Iran conflict

There are also “neoconservatives” who want to reshape the Middle East, bringing democracy and eliminating dictatorships hostile to the United States. Some say that first Baghdad, then Tehran, was a reminder of how long Iran has been on the agenda. Finally, after the attacks of September 11, 2001, which killed 2,977 people (not including 19 hijackers) and crashed planes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, hawks in Washington wanted to restore American deterrence and demonstrate its capabilities.