The 9/11 attacks are termed as the most horrendous terrorist attacks ever. The attacks changed how the world and US viewed terrorism as and increased their intolerance towards the ghastly acts of terrorism. Though the attacks of 9/11 are blamed on Al-Qaeda led by Osama Bin Laden, there were certain decisions and failures by US intelligence agencies like FBI and CIA that contributed to the success of these attacks, which claimed thousands of innocent lives.
The two premiere intelligence agencies of US, FBI and CIA had clear communication and coordination failure that was unearthed in the future investigations.
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The FBI, in 2000, sought information regarding one of the prime perpetrators, Khallad bin Attash, of the attacks from the CIA to which the CIA responded saying that they had no information. After the attacks of 9/11, the CIA gave the FBI surveillance pictures (that it had since January 2000) of Khallad in Kuala Lumpur at what turned out to be the 9/11 planning meeting (Freedman 2010). There were several other critical pieces of information that failed to cross over from the intelligence community. This clearly goes on to show that the communication between the two agencies and intelligence community failed miserably and this failure prompted and facilitates the worst terrorist attacks ever in human history.
The attacks could definitely have been avoided and the planners could have been put behind the bars in the year 2000 only. Had the intelligence agencies been more vigilant, co-operative and professional, this communication lap could have been avoided. This not only would have saved the twin towers, which signified the resilience and prowess of US, but would also have saved many innocent lives which were scarified in the name of revenge. This indeed would not have lead to US’s war on Afghanistan and hence would have saved more lives, both of Americans and Afghanis. The world would have escaped of an act that shook it to the core and lead to much more, which cost this world even dearly and lead to divisions and hatred between communities which would take years to mend.
Works Cited
Freedman, Daniel (2010). What really lead to 9/11?.
Forbes, Retrieved March 29, 2013, from
http://www.forbes.com/2010/09/08/september-11-al-qaeda-government-
opinions-columnists-daniel-freedman.html
