The 911 attacks were not a military attack by any sovereign nation on the USA, they were a criminal act by a small group of individuals, and they should have been responded to with a criminal investigation and police and intelligence work, not with an absurd and couterproductive invasion of Afghanistan.

Be that as it may, however, Obama said what he had to say to get elected. The American public (in general) simply isn't mature enough to respond in any other way to the 911 attacks than to go roaring off across the world and invade some other nation...whichever one gets the blame stuck on them for something they didn't plan and didn't do.

So Obama said what he had to say in 2008. If he also believes it, though, well then maybe he is as naive and ill-informed as the people who voted for both him and McCain.

Nothing whatsoever "compelled" the USA to fight a war in Afghanistan.   Afghanistan did not attack America. There are much less costly ways of destroying a scattered group like Al Quaeda than invading other countries with armies. Matter of fact, that's the least likely way of destroying Al Quaeda that I can think of. It gets them lots more recruits and ensures their continued popularity with many angry young Muslim men.