Sept. 11 radically shifts policy priorities for U.S.

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have radically altered the policy priorities of the United States, which could have wide-ranging international implications for years to come, according to American experts taking part in a recent seminar in Tokyo.

"Since Sept. 11, the United States has spent much less time on East Asia than anyone had anticipated (prior to the terrorist attacks)," Kurt Campbell, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense in the administration of Bill Clinton, told the Nov. 11 symposium, organized by the Keizai Koho Center in Tokyo.

The attacks redirected U.S. concerns to the Middle East, Europe and the domestic front, said Campbell, now senior vice president and director of international security programat the Center for Strategic and International Studies.