Then there were the “neoconservatives” who wanted to reorganize the Middle East, bring democracy and remove dictatorships hostile to the United States. First Baghdad, then Tehran, some said, a reminder of how long Iran has been on the agenda. And finally, after the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed 2,977 people (not including the 19 hijackers) when planes crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, there were hawks in Washington who wanted to restore American deterrence and show what it could do.
