Commentary: The logistics of actionable intelligence leading to 9/11

Studies in Conflict and Terrorism

Volumn 28, Issue 3, 2005, Pages 253-268

  Derksen, Kevin Michael ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 27944481749     PISSN: 1057610X     EISSN: 15210731     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/10576100590928133     Document Type: Review

References (75)

1. Bill Gertz, Breakdown: How America 's Intelligence Failures Led to September 11 (Washington: Regnery, 2002), pp. 146-147.
2. John K. Cooley, Unholy Wars: Afghanistan, America and International Terrorism, 3rd ed. (London: Pluto Press, 2002), p. 229.
3. For more information about Osama bin Laden, refer to Yossef Bodansky's New York Times Bestseller, Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America, 2nd ed. (Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 2001);
4. AbuKhalil's Bin Laden, Islam and America's New War on Terrorism (New York: Seven Stories Press, 2002); and ABC Frontline reporter John Miller's 1998 interview with Osama bin Laden.
5. Mike Boettcher, "Jordanian Intelligence Helped Thwart Attacks, Sources Say." CNN.com/World (19 November 2001): 2 pages. Online. Internet. 24 August 24, 2004. Available at (http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/11/19/ inv.jordan.intelligence/), p. 1.
6. An investigation commissioned by the United States House of Representatives titled, "Counterterrorism Intelligence Capabilities and Performance Prior to 9/11," found that practically eveiy counterterror agency used a different definition of terrorism or terrorist in 2001. A Report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Minority Leader July 2002. Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.globalsecurity. org/intell/library/congress/2002_rpt/THSReport071702.doc).
7. Paul R. Pillar, "Fighting International Terrorism: Beyond September 11th." National Intelligence Council. (28 November 2001): 7 pages. Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.odci.gov/nic/ speeches_beyondsept11.html), p. 2.
8. William Norman Grigg, "Could We Have Prevented the Attacks?" The New American (5 November 2001): 4 pages. Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2001/11-05-2001/ vol7no23_prevented_print.htm), p. 2.
9. Bojinka is a Yugoslav word that means "loud bang."
10. Ramsi Yousef's uncle, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), also contributed to the Bojinka plot. The 9/11 Commission Report described KSM as the "mastermind" of the 2001 attack on New York and Washington.
11. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 148.
12. The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon The United States. Authorized Edition (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 2004).
13. United States Central Intelligence Agency. "Speeches and Testimony: Unclassified Version of Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet's Testimony before the Joint Inquiry into Terrorist Attacks Against the United States 18 June 2002." Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.odci.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/2002/dci_testimony_06182002. html), p. 4.
14. United States Congress. "Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After The Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001. Report of The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence." Online. Internet. August 24, 2004. Available at (http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/24jul20031400/ www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/pdf/fullreport_errata.pdf), p. 138.
15. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 124.
16. For more information about Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, refer to Kegley's edited collection of essays; International Terrorism: Characteristics, Causes, Controls (New York: St. Martin's Press, Inc., 1990);
17. Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 (New York: Penguin Press, 2004), p. 561;
18. and "The United States Department of State's Patterns of Global Terrorism."
19. "The 9/11 Commission Report," pp. 262-263.
20. Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 (New York: Penguin Press, 2004), p. 561.
21. Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 (2004), p. 561. Ibid.
22. Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 (2004), p. 561. Ibid.
23. Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 Ibid, p. 562.
24. Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, p. 562. Ibid.
25. Col. Ed. Allen, "9/11 Bombshell - Bush Knew - Prez was Warned of Possible Hijackings Before Terror Attacks." The New York Post, 16 May 2002, All Editions: p. 001.
26. "The 9/11 Commission Report," p. 345.
27. "The 9/11 Commission Report," p. 262.
28. United States Congress. "Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After The Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001," pp. 33-34.
29. Dennis Laurence Cuddy, Cover-Up: Government Spin or Truth? (Oklahoma: Hearthstone Publishing, 2003);
30. Michelle Malkin, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists Criminals and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores (Washington: Regnery Publishing, 2002);
31. and John Miller and Michael Stone, The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, And Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It (Connecticut: Hyperion Press, 2002) agree that it was possible to prevent the September 2001 attacks.
32. John Miller and Michael Stone, The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, And Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It Ibid., p. 6.
33. John Miller and Michael Stone, The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, And Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It Ibid., p. 44.
34. John Miller and Michael Stone, The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, And Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It Ibid., pp. 129-130.
35. John Miller and Michael Stone, The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, And Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It Ibid., p. 134.
36. John Miller and Michael Stone, The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, And Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It Ibid., pp. 139-141.
37. For detailed information about the indictment against Zacarias Moussaoui, refer to United States Department of Justice. Indictment. The United States District Court For The Eastern District Of Virginia Alexandria Division United States Of America versus Zacarias Moussaoui, A/K/A "Shaqil," A/K/A "Abu Khalid Al Sahrawi," December 2001 Term. Indictment Defendant. Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/ moussaouiindictment.htm).
38. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 30.
39. Greg Gordon, "A Persistent Suspicion: Eagan Flight Trainer Wouldn't let Unease about Suspect Rest." The Minneapolis Star Tribune, 21 December 2001, Section A: News, p. 1.
40. Philip Shenon, "A Nation Challenged: The Suspect; Flight School Warned F.B.I, of Suspicions." The New York Times, 22 December 2001, Section B: National Desk, p. 1, col. 5.
41. Patrick Martin, "The Strange Case of Zacarias Moussaoui: FBI Refused to Investigate Man Charged in September 11 Attacks." World Socialist Web Site (5 January 2002): 5 pages. Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/jan2002/mous-j05.shtml), p. 2.
42. Mark Sawyer, "Connecting the Dots: The Challenge of Improving the Creation and Sharing of Knowledge About Terrorists." Journal of Homeland Security (July 2003). Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/Articles/Sawyer_Dots.html), p. 4.
43. Bromwich, "The Hard Work of Transforming the F.B.I.," New York Times, 2 June 2002, pp. 62-71;
44. United States Central Intelligence Agency. "Speeches and Testimony: Written Statement for the Record of the Director of Central Intelligence Before the Joint Inquiry Committee 17 October 2002." Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.odci.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/2002/ dci_testimony_10172002.html), p. 9.
45. For more information about the CIA's Counter Terrorist Center, refer to United States Central Intelligence Agency. "The War on Terrorism: DCI Counterterrorist Center" Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.cia.gov/terrorism/ctc.html).
46. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 33.
47. Martin, "The Strange Case of Zacarias Moussaoui," pp. 1-5.
48. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 33.
49. United States Central Intelligence Agency, "Press Releases and Statements: Statement by CIA Spokesman Bill Harlow, 19 September 2002." Online. Internet. August 24, 2004. Available at (http://www.cia.gov/cia/ public_affairs/press_release/2002/pr09192002.html), p. 1.
50. United States Central Intelligence Agency. "Speeches and Testimony: Unclassified Version of Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet's Testimony before the Joint Inquiry into Terrorist Attacks Against the United States 18 June 2002." Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.odci.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/2002/dci_testimony_06182002. html), p. 4.
51. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 46.
52. United States Central Intelligence Agency. Speeches and Testimony: "Unclassified Version of Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet's Testimony before the Joint Inquiry into Terrorist Attacks Against the United States," p. 5.
53. "Unclassified Version of Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet's Testimony before the Joint Inquiry into Terrorist Attacks Against the United States," Ibid., pp. 5-6.
54. United States Congress, "Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After The Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001," p. 25.
55. A fatwah is a legal statement issued by an Islamic religious lawyer known as a mufti.
56. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 84.
57. "The 9/11 Commission Report," p. 272.
58. United States Congress, "Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After The Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001," p. 102.
59. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 31.
60. "The 9/11 Commission Report," p. 236.
61. "Transcript of Usama Bin Laden Videotape," CNN.com, 13 December 2001, cited by Anonymous in Imperial Hubris (Washington, DC: Brassey's, Inc., 2004), p. 136.
62. "The 9/11 Commission Report," p. 265.
63. "The 9/11 Commission Report," Ibid., p. 272.
64. "The 9/11 Commission Report," Ibid., p. 348.
65. Richard A. Clarke, Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror (New York: Free Press, 2004), p. 238.
66. Imperial Hubris, p. 68.
67. "The 9/11 Commission Report," p. 250.
68. "The 9/11 Commission Report," Ibid., p. 354.
69. United States Department of Defense, "Report to the President on the Protection of U. S. Forces Deployed Abroad." Secretary of Defense, William J. Perry. September 15, 1996. Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/downing_rpt/report_f.html), p. 12.
70. United States Department of State, "Report of the Accountability Review Boards: Bombings of the United States Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on August 7, 1998." January 1999. Online. Internet. 24 August 2004. Available at (http://www.state.gov/www/regions/africa/ board_overview.html), p. 2.
71. United States Congress, "Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After The Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001," p. 337.
72. Gertz, Breakdown, p. 111.
73. Imperial Hubris, p. 153.
74. Imperial Hubris, Ibid., p. 241.
75. Imperial Hubris, Ibid., p. 135.