A great series of interviews with Noam Chomsky took place almost immediately after 9-11. He firmly insists that a retaliation to the tragic events is precisely what the attackers desired. This retaliation, in his view, plays right into the hands of those who carried out the attacks.
Chomsky also vividly shows how the US has resorted to the use of force. He provides numerous examples, primarily from the 1980s but not limited to that decade. These examples serve to illustrate the pattern of the US's actions in different parts of the world.
Moreover, he points out that the US is the only country that has been cited by the UN as using terrorism abroad. This fact, according to Chomsky, is a significant aspect that needs to be considered when analyzing the US's role in the international arena and its response to events like 9-11.