A common quip was that NATO would have to go “out of area or out of business.” This became particularly important after the Al Qaeda attacks on September 11, 2001, shifted the focus of American foreign policy toward transnational terrorism.
虽然这些行动颇为重要，许多观察家却指出北约需把眼光放在欧洲以外。当时一个流行的讽刺是北约须“出去或垮台”。在基地组织的9/11袭击以后这变得异为重要，将美国外交的重心转到了跨国恐怖主义。