1 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Soon after the attacks of nine eleven, the families of 2 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: those killed demanded answers, Politicians began pointing fingers, and the 3 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: American public was wondering if this could ever happen again. 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: Note for the record that se of what we knew 5 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: about found out about Asama bin Laden after nine eleven. 6 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: We knew in. N of the facts that we knew 7 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: about Asama bin Laden we knew in but the full 8 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: story wasn't delivered until after nine eleven. It was held 9 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: in classified, compartmentalized sections. This is nine eleven, two decades later. 10 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: I'm Steve Gregory in Los Angeles. Within a year of 11 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: the attacks, Congress drafted legislation to create the National Commission 12 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, commonly referred to 13 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: as the nine eleven Commission. On November twenty seventh, two 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: thousand to, President George W. Bush signed the legislation, which 15 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: mandated a full and complete accounting of the attacks of 16 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: September eleven, two thousand one, and recommendations as to how 17 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: to prevent such attacks in the future. With a budget 18 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: of fifteen million dollars and eighty people on staff, the 19 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: Commission would research, compile, and report on eight points of interest, 20 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: including al Qaeda and the organization of the nine eleven attack, 21 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: Intelligence collection, analysis, and management. International counter terrorism policy including 22 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,960 Speaker 1: states that harbor or harbored terrorists, terrorists financing border security 23 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: and foreign visitors, law enforcement and intelligence collection inside the 24 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: United States, Commercial aviation and transportation security, including the investigation 25 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: into the four hijackings, and the immediate response to the 26 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: attacks at the national, state, and local levels, including issues 27 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: of continuity of government. On July twenty, two, thousand four, 28 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: the nine eleven Commission issued its final report to Congress. 29 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: The following month, the chair and vice chair of the 30 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: Commission would sit before the Armed Services Committee to discuss 31 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: the report and take questions. One such exchange happened between 32 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Committee Chair Thomas Kane. In 33 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: your report, you say, quote, it must take into consideration 34 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: the full array of possible enemy tactics, such as the 35 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: use of insires. Did the Commission intend for airport workers, 36 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: cabin cleaners, maintenance crews, caterers who are currently permitted to 37 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: bypass metal detectors? Should they be given antiquated badges or 38 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: should everyone have to go through medical excuse me? Metal detectives, 39 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: and I've been repeatedly told by T s A it's 40 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: too inconvenient and costly to screen all airport workers, despite 41 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: the fact that a hundred percent of workers have physically 42 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: screened at airports like Heathrow, almost a hundred percent at 43 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 1: Child de Gall This doesn't make sense to me. If 44 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: you could can continue to weigh in on that issue, 45 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: because I'm sure you agree that everyone should be going 46 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 1: through medical detectives metal detectives, and as a New Yorker, 47 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: it disturbs me that currently we are so worried about 48 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: security in the New York area, yet thousands of people 49 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: are going through every day with antiquated badges. And if 50 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: we're going to carry out your recommendations, I would like 51 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: to hear your recommendations as to an adjustment. And since 52 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: my time is running out, if you can comment on 53 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: airport security, in particular the fact that thousands of people 54 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: are currently going through the metal detectors, uh that thousands 55 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: of people are not going through the metal detectors with 56 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: their badges, thank you very much. Well, everybody should go 57 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: through metal detectives, I believe without we have to wait 58 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: for structural change, or do you think we can implement 59 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,839 Speaker 1: that now, ow can it be implemented by executive order? 60 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: We can't seem to move the f A A or 61 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: T s A and business keeps talking about an inconvenience. 62 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: How can we get that done? Now? Well, you could 63 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: probably an answer that, knowing probably more about government than 64 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: I do, But I don't know what the how you 65 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: can do these kind of things by executive order, or 66 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: whether you can or whether you have to have something 67 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: through the United States Congress that I just don't have 68 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: the expertise to answer that. But it should be done, 69 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: There's no There's no question about it. I believe that 70 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: if we're going to create less terrorists change minds in 71 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: the Arab world, we've got to change. We can't just 72 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: be viewed as a military power. We've got to get 73 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 1: back to some of the things we used to do 74 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: in the Cold War to try to win that cold 75 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: Cold War and change minds. And that involved not only 76 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: education expenses, but cultural exchanges, ways in which with student exchanges, 77 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: ways in which show we allowed these people to get 78 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: to know us and that we had a better understanding 79 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: of them. I mean, we've got to get into those 80 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: with some people call soft areas we we we've got 81 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: to let these people know who we are, and we've 82 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: got to understand in a much better way who they are. 83 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: And I'm not talking about the small percentage you want 84 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 1: to kill us. I'm talking about the much lodge of 85 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,559 Speaker 1: a centage now who don't really like us at all 86 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: because of what they know of us right now. But 87 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: if we were able to send a different message, might 88 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: like us a bit better. After the release of the report, 89 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: the ten commissioners held a press conference. Here's a portion 90 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: of that conference with opening statements by Chairman Thomas Kine. 91 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: Today we present this report and these recommendations to the 92 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: President of the United States, to the United States Congress, 93 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: and the American people. This report represents the unanimous conclusion 94 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. 95 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: On September eleven, two thousand and one, nineteen men armed 96 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: with knives, box cutters, mace, and pepper spray penetrated the 97 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: defenses of the most powerful nation in the world. They 98 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: inflicted unbearable trump on our people. At the same time, 99 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: they turned the international order upside down. Now, we recognize 100 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: as commissioners that we have the benefit of hindsight and 101 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: since the plotters were flexible and resourceful, we cannot know 102 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: whether any single step or series of steps would have 103 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: defeated them. What we can say with a good deal 104 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: of confidence is that none of the measures adopted by 105 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: the United States government before eleven disturbed or even delayed 106 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: the progress of the al Qaeda plot. There were several 107 00:06:55,640 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: unexploited opportunities. Our government did not watch list future hijackers 108 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: Osmi and Minhof before they arrived in the United States 109 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: or take adequate steps to find them once they were here. 110 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: Our government did not link the arrest of zachairas Massawi 111 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: described as interested in flight training for the purpose of 112 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: using airplane as a terrorist act to the heightened indications 113 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: of attack. Our government did not discover false statements and 114 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: visa applications, or recognized passports that were manipulated in a 115 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: fraudulent manner. Our government did not expand no Fly List 116 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: to include names from terrorist watchless or require airline passages 117 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: to be more thoroughly screened. These examples make up part 118 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: of a broader national security picture where the government failed 119 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: to protect the American people. The United States government was 120 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: simply not active enough in batting the terrorist threat before eleven, 121 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: diplomacy and foreign policy failed to extract Unladen from his 122 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: Afghan sanctuary. Our military forces and covert action capabilities did 123 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: not have the options on the table to defeat al 124 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: Qaeda or kill or capture either Ben Laden or his 125 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: top lieutenants. Our intelligence and law enforcement agencies did not 126 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: manage or share information or effectively follow leaves to keep 127 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: pace with a very nimble enemy. Our border, immigration, and 128 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: aviation security agencies were not integrated into the counter terrorism effort, 129 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: and much of a response on a day of nine 130 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 1: eleven was improvised and ineffective, even as extraordinary individual acts 131 00:08:55,840 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: of heroism saved countless lives. Our failures took place over 132 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: many years and administrations. There's no single individual who is 133 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: responsible for our failures. Yet individuals and institutions cannot be 134 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: absolved of responsibility. Any person in a senior position within 135 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: our government during this time bears some element of responsibility 136 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:28,680 Speaker 1: for our government's actions. Having said that, it is not 137 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 1: our purse to assign blame. As we said at the outset, 138 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: we look back so that we can look forward. Our 139 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 1: goal is to prevent future attacks. Every expert with whom 140 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: we spoke toldness, an attack of even greater magnitude is 141 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: now possible and even probable. We do not have the 142 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: luxury of time. We must prepare and we must act. 143 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,680 Speaker 1: The al Qaida network and its affiliates are sophisticated, patient, disciplined, 144 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: and lethal. Osama bin Laden built an infrastructure and organization 145 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 1: that was able to attract, train, and use recruits against 146 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: even more ambitious targets. He rallied New Zealots with each 147 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: demonstration of Alakaida's capability. His message and his hate filled 148 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: ideology have instructed and inspired untol recruits and imitators. He 149 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: in al Qaeda despise America and its policies. They exploit 150 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: political grievances and hopelessnesses within the Arab and Islamic world. 151 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: They indoctrinate to disaffect it and pervert one of the 152 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 1: great world's great religions, and they seek creative methods to 153 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 1: kill Americans in limitless numbers, including if they can do 154 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: it with the use of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. 155 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: Put simply, the United States is faced with one of 156 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: the greatest security challenges in our long history. Because al 157 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: Qaeda represents an ideology, not a finite group of people. 158 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: We should not expect the danger to receive greatly as 159 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: years to come. No matter whom we kill a capture, 160 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: including Osama bin Laden himself, there will be still those 161 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: who plot against us. And Laden has inspired affiliates and imitates. 162 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: The societies they prey on are vulnerable. The terrorist ideology 163 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: is potent, and the means for a conflicting harm are 164 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: readily available. We cannot let our God down. Congressman Hamilton's 165 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: I begin with the recommendations. This commission, of course does 166 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 1: not have all of the answers, but we have thought 167 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: about to do a global strategy and how to do 168 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: it a different way of organizing our government. But based 169 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: on our third review of the government's performance and our 170 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: examination of the enemy, we recommend the following elements for 171 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 1: a counter terrorism strategy. The strategy must be balanced. It 172 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: must integrate all the elements of national power, diplomacy, intelligence, 173 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 1: covert action, law enforcement, economic policy, foreign aid, homeland defense, 174 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 1: and military strength. There is no silver bullet or decisive 175 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: blow that can defeat Islamic terrorism. It will take unity 176 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: of effort and sustained an effective use of every tool 177 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: at our disposal. We need to play offense to kill 178 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:03,119 Speaker 1: or to capture the terrorists, deny them sanctuaries, and disrupt 179 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: their ability to move money and people around the globe. 180 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: We need to ensure that the key countries like Afghanistan 181 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:19,559 Speaker 1: and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are stable, capable, and resolute 182 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:24,680 Speaker 1: in opposing terrorism. We need to sustain a coalition of 183 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: nations that cooperates bilaterally and multilaterally with US in the 184 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: counter terrorism mission. We need a better dialogue between the 185 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: West and the Islamic world. We also highlight the need 186 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 1: to restrict and roll back the proliferation of the world's 187 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: most dangerous weapons. We need to put forth an agenda 188 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: of opportunity, economic, educational, political, so that young people in 189 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: the Arab and Islamic world have peaceful and productive avenues 190 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 1: for expression and hope. We need to join the battle 191 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: of ideas within the Islamic world, communicating hope instead of despair, 192 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: progress in place of persecution, life instead of death. This 193 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: message should be matched by policies that encourage and support 194 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: the majority of Muslims who share these goals. At home, 195 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: we need to set clear priorities for the protection of 196 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: our infrastructure and the security of our transportation resources. Should 197 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: be allocated based upon those priorities, and standards of preparedness 198 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: should be set. The private sector and local governments should 199 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: play an important part in this process. We need secure 200 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: borders with heightened and uniform standards of identification for those 201 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: entering and exiting the country, and an immigration system able 202 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 1: to be efficient allowing good people in while keeping the 203 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: terrorists out. If God forbid there is another attack, we 204 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: must be ready to respond. We must educate the public, 205 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: train and equip our first responders, and anticipate countless scenarios. 206 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: We recommend significant changes in the organization of government. We 207 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: know that the quality of the people is more important 208 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: than the quality of the wiring diagrams. Good people can 209 00:15:53,240 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: overcome bad structures. They should not have to day and night. 210 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: Dedicated public servants are waging the struggle to combat terrorists 211 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: and protect the homeland. We need to ensure that our 212 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: government maximizes their efforts through information sharing, coordinated effort, and 213 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: clear authority. A critical theme that emerged throughout our inquiry 214 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 1: was the difficulty of answering the question who is in charge? 215 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: Who ensures that agencies pool resources, avoid duplication, and plan jointly. 216 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: Who oversees the massive integration and unity of effort necessary 217 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: to keep America safe. Too often the answer is no one. 218 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: Thus we are recommending a National counter Terrorism Center. We 219 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: need effective unity of effort on counter terrorism. We should 220 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: create a National counter Terrorism Center to unify all counter 221 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 1: terrorism intelligence and operations across the foreign and the domestic 222 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: divide in one organization. Right now, these efforts are too 223 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: diffuse across the government. They need to be unified. We 224 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: recommend a National Intelligence Director. We need unity of effort 225 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: in the intelligence community. We need a much stronger head 226 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,679 Speaker 1: of the intelligence community and an intelligence community that organizes 227 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: itself to do joint work in national mission centers. We 228 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: need reforms of the kind the military had two decades ago. 229 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: We need a Goldwater Nichols reform for the intelligence community. 230 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: The intelligence community needs a shift in mindset and organization 231 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:06,719 Speaker 1: so that intelligence agencies operate under the principle of joint 232 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: command with information sharing as the norm. We need to 233 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: reform in the United States Congress. We need unity of 234 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: effort in the Congress. Right now, authority and responsibility are 235 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:29,679 Speaker 1: too diffuse. The Intelligence Committees do not have enough power 236 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: to perform effectively their oversight work oversight for homeland security 237 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 1: is splintered among too many committees. We need much stronger 238 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: committees performing oversight of intelligence, and we need a single 239 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:53,679 Speaker 1: committee in each chamber providing oversight of the Department of 240 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: Homeland Security. We need reform in the FBI. We need 241 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: us stronger national security workforce within the FBI. We do 242 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:11,640 Speaker 1: not support the creation of a new domestic intelligence agency. 243 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: What the f FBI needs is a specialized and integrated 244 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: national security workforce consisting of agents, analysts, linguists, and surveillance specialists. 245 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: These specialists need to be recruited, trained, rewarded, and retained 246 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: to ensure the development of an institutional culture with deep 247 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: expertise and intelligence and national security. We need changes in 248 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: information sharing. We need unity of effort in that task. 249 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: United States government has access to vast amounts of information, 250 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: but it has a weak process, a weak system of 251 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:10,680 Speaker 1: processing and using that information. Need to share must replace 252 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: need to know, and we need a better process for 253 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: transitions between one administration and another for national security officials 254 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: so that this nation does not lower its guard every 255 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 1: four or eight years. These and other recommendations are spelled 256 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: out in great detail in our report. We've made a 257 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: limited number of recommendations, focusing on the areas we believe 258 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: most critical. We are acutely sensitive to the need to 259 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 1: vigorously protect our liberties as we secure and guard our security. 260 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: We endorse many of the actions taken in the week 261 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: in the wake of nine eleven to facilitate government action 262 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: and information shared, but we stress that these measures need 263 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: to be accompanied by commitment to our open society and 264 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 1: the principle of review safeguards that are built into the 265 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: process and accompanied by vigorous oversight. We must, after all 266 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: is said and done, preserve the liberties that we are 267 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: fighting for. It wasn't long after the release of the 268 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: report that controversy would seep into the narrative. Critics claimed 269 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: the report was rife with inaccuracies, lacked factual basis, and 270 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,399 Speaker 1: claims of conflicts of interest. Some of those claims were 271 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: actually leveled by members of the commission. Other members of 272 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: the Commission claimed the recommendations were being ignored, and even 273 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: went on a nationwide tour to convince people and agencies 274 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 1: to adopt the recommendations. Chairman Kane and Vice Chairman Hamilton's 275 00:21:57,119 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: would go on to write a book about their experiences 276 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 1: and the frustrations over lack of cooperation from intelligence agencies 277 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: and misstatements by the f a A and the Pentagon. 278 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: Both men said the commission was set up to fail. 279 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: Captain Dale die as a retired Marine, a military consultant 280 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: and author, and one of the most sought after technical 281 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: advisors from motion pictures and television. He's also very well 282 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: informed and connected. I asked him if there was even 283 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,680 Speaker 1: a need for the Department of Homeland Security. I don't 284 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: think so. Um. Look, we're one of one of the 285 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: other things about Americans, as well as being blamers, Um, 286 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:47,440 Speaker 1: we're we're bureaucracy builders. I mean, part part of our 287 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, national character, I guess, is to say, well, 288 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: you know what we need here the greatest minds in 289 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,439 Speaker 1: the world. So let's go find them and we'll build 290 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,679 Speaker 1: some sort of bureaucracy and they'll study the question and 291 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: they'll tell us what to do. Um. The problem with that, 292 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 1: as is a problem with all bureaucracies, is it's become 293 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:16,120 Speaker 1: self perpetuating. And what happens is they grasp for power. Okay, 294 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: we're the we're the Department of Homeland Security. We will 295 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: rule your lives. This is the way this is going 296 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 1: to go. And that's that's entirely anti American. UM. I 297 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 1: didn't see the need for it. I still don't see 298 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 1: the need for it, frankly. But it is one of 299 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: those self perpetuating bureaucracies, and here we go, so we 300 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: need I think at this point we don't. We might 301 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: have needed an increased level of training and security and 302 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 1: that sort of thing for the for the normal security 303 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: people and at airlines and major travel hubs and that 304 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: sort of thing. I think I think we should have 305 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,440 Speaker 1: taken a lesson from the Israelites. Frankly, they're very good 306 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,080 Speaker 1: at this, UM. And and if it were me, rather 307 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: than say, okay, let's build a bureaucracy full of eggheads 308 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,400 Speaker 1: and experts who can study this problem, I would have said, 309 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: wait a minute, what are you guys doing over there 310 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: in Israel? You seem to do really well with this 311 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: sort of thing. And I would have either copied or 312 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: mimicked that and let it go. But that's not that's 313 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:22,199 Speaker 1: not in our American nature. UM. We liked to build 314 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: stuff and then okay, problem solved, And of course it 315 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:32,360 Speaker 1: never is. It just creates other problems. UM. So UM 316 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 1: Homeland Security t s AN I don't think so. We 317 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: could have done it better. In the last few years, 318 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: there's been a lot of controversy surrounding our intelligence services, 319 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: lack of trust, failures in communication, failures to work together. 320 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: How is our intelligence infrastructure? Do you think? Look, we 321 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: we needed a central collating an analysis point. We created one. 322 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 1: But in the process of doing that, I think we 323 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:08,399 Speaker 1: ignored the old bureaucratic in fighting. Well, I know something 324 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: you don't know, and that gives me a certain edge, 325 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,440 Speaker 1: that gives me a certain power. And that's rife, rife 326 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: throughout the American intelligence community, whether it's civilian intelligence or 327 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 1: military intelligen there's something like thirteen fourteen or fifteen separate agencies. 328 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:30,199 Speaker 1: I think we finally understood that that the material, the 329 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: product that is produced out of those intelligence agencies needs 330 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: to come under one umbrella. But look, intelligence gathering is 331 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: a dirty business. Even with all of the electronic gizmos 332 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: and satellites and surveillance techniques that we have, it's still 333 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 1: a dirty business. It's still about secrets. It's still about 334 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: I know something you don't know, and and because I 335 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 1: know that, and now I have access to power and 336 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: so on, and and that is the sort of thing 337 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: that that defeats a lot of our our intelligence efforts. 338 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 1: And you know, it's so simple. In many cases, it's 339 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: a matter of picking up a phone and saying, hey, 340 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: I got some stuff, what do you got? But we 341 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 1: don't want to do that because that's giving away. Um. 342 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: We're so clandestinely oriented about this sort of thing that 343 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 1: in many cases we defeat ourselves. The information that we've 344 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:41,680 Speaker 1: gathered through extraordinary effort never gets shared because we're afraid 345 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: of it being compromised. Well, look, a little compromise is 346 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: better than no information at all. Are we safer today 347 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:50,720 Speaker 1: than we were twenty years ago? You know, I was 348 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: afraid you were going to ask me that, Steve. And 349 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: I don't know the answer, my friend, I really don't. Um, 350 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: I think so, UM, I hope so. I hope we've 351 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: learned some things through this agony that we've been over 352 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: in uh in, in this century. I really do. UM. 353 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: I think it's important for us to understand that America 354 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:20,959 Speaker 1: is vulnerable and can be vulnerable. And the more we 355 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: screw up internationally, the more we allow China to do 356 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: what China is trying to do become the world power 357 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:36,120 Speaker 1: that the United States once was. The more we do that, UM, 358 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: I'm afraid our safety, which has improved certainly since nine eleven, 359 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: the safety of the individual on the street, living in 360 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,239 Speaker 1: l A or living in kia Kuk or wherever it is. 361 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: I think I think they are indeed safer right now. 362 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:59,160 Speaker 1: But if we continue to chase these sort of overseas involvements, Uh, 363 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: we're gonna sack pfies a great deal of that safety. 364 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: We're inviting higher, we're inviting spite. And the more we 365 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: do that, the more the people who are threatening our 366 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: safety are going to attempt to get to us. Look, 367 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: it's a great coup to be able to kick the 368 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: great Satan in the butt. America is a powerful country, 369 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: and anybody who can take a shot and that shot lands, 370 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: that's a great deal of prestige for those people. Um, 371 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: and we are vulnerable. But I think in direct answer, 372 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: we're a bit safer for mr and mrs on the 373 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 1: street than we were before nine eleven. Once again, Thomas Caine, 374 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 1: the chairman of the nine eleven Commission, his final words 375 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: on the day the Commission's report was released. We have 376 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: struck blows against the terrorists nine eleven. We have we believe, 377 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,719 Speaker 1: prevented attacks on the homeland. We do believe we are 378 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: safer today than we were in nine eleven, but we 379 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: are not safe. Thank you all. We do believe that 380 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: in this volume, our recommendations will make the American table safe. 381 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: So maybe the answer isn't with government officials, experts and politicians. 382 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: Maybe the answer hits a little closer to home. Do 383 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: you feel safer today than yesterday, than twenty years ago? 384 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: I'm Steve Gregory in Los Angeles, nine eleven, Two decades 385 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: Later is produced by Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez and 386 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: is a production of the k FI News department for 387 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: I Heart Media Los Angeles and the iHeart podcast Network. 388 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: The views expressed are strictly those of the guests and 389 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: not necessarily the hosts or employees of I Heart Media.