WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.740 Welcome to the Deep Dive. We're here to take 00:00:01.740 --> 00:00:04.200 world -shaping events, look closely at the evidence, 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:06.419 the reports, the facts, and give you a really 00:00:06.419 --> 00:00:08.839 comprehensive understanding. And today we're 00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:11.720 tackling a subject with immense weight, one that 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:14.800 reshaped the 21st century, the September 11 attacks. 00:00:15.609 --> 00:00:18.109 9 -11. Yeah, it's a topic many people know, but 00:00:18.109 --> 00:00:21.370 the sheer complexity, the architecture behind 00:00:21.370 --> 00:00:23.449 it is often missed. Exactly. This isn't just 00:00:23.449 --> 00:00:25.670 about that one morning. It's about years of planning, 00:00:25.969 --> 00:00:29.510 intelligence failures, and consequences that, 00:00:29.629 --> 00:00:32.890 frankly, are still unfolding. Our mission today 00:00:32.890 --> 00:00:35.250 is to really explore that whole structure. And 00:00:35.250 --> 00:00:37.789 the scale? Even now, it's just hard to fully 00:00:37.789 --> 00:00:40.609 grasp. It remains the single deadliest terrorist 00:00:40.609 --> 00:00:44.570 attack in history. The numbers are stark. 2 ,996 00:00:44.570 --> 00:00:49.070 total deaths. That includes 2 ,977 victims, civilians, 00:00:49.450 --> 00:00:52.229 emergency responders, and the 19 hijackers. And 00:00:52.229 --> 00:00:54.030 it was the coordination that amplified the terror, 00:00:54.090 --> 00:00:55.810 wasn't it? Absolutely. The plan involved four 00:00:55.810 --> 00:00:58.310 commercial jets, carefully chosen for maximum 00:00:58.310 --> 00:01:01.030 fuel, maximum impact. Two aimed right at the 00:01:01.030 --> 00:01:03.270 heart of American economic power, the World Trade 00:01:03.270 --> 00:01:06.030 Center towers. One hit the Pentagon, the symbol 00:01:06.030 --> 00:01:09.090 of U .S. military might. And the fourth, Flight 00:01:09.090 --> 00:01:12.989 93. It crashed in Pennsylvania. Only because 00:01:12.989 --> 00:01:15.489 the passengers and crew fought back. They prevented 00:01:15.489 --> 00:01:17.510 what investigators believe was an attack aimed 00:01:17.510 --> 00:01:19.469 at the U .S. Capitol, maybe even the White House. 00:01:19.930 --> 00:01:22.620 Incredible bravery. So for you listening, this 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:25.120 deep dive is designed to go beyond the headlines, 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:27.540 beyond the common narrative. We're going to focus 00:01:27.540 --> 00:01:30.420 on the specifics, the motivations, which were 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:33.180 complex, sometimes contradictory, the intelligence 00:01:33.180 --> 00:01:35.700 breakdowns that allowed this to happen. And the 00:01:35.700 --> 00:01:38.760 lasting human cost, the economic fallout, things 00:01:38.760 --> 00:01:41.280 we are absolutely still dealing with today. Okay, 00:01:41.340 --> 00:01:43.640 so where do we start? We have to begin with the 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:47.519 origins, the genesis of this plot. Who was behind 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:50.079 it? Right, the architects. When you talk 9 -11, 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:52.859 Osama bin Laden, OBL, comes to mind immediately. 00:01:53.099 --> 00:01:55.579 He was the leader, the orchestrator. But his 00:01:55.579 --> 00:01:57.219 messaging right after the attacks is interesting. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:00.200 Initially, he denied it. On September 16, 2001, 00:02:00.420 --> 00:02:03.019 he put out a statement saying, basically, I didn't 00:02:03.019 --> 00:02:05.519 do this. Which seems strange in hindsight, but 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:08.240 it was probably strategic. It didn't last. By 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:11.500 November 2001, U .S. forces found that videotape 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:13.979 in Afghanistan. The one where he admits knowing 00:02:13.979 --> 00:02:17.060 about it beforehand. And sort of celebrating 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:20.199 it. Exactly. He said it benefited Islam greatly. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:24.080 But the really public direct claim of responsibility 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:26.759 that came much later. Right before the 2004 U 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:28.659 .S. election, wasn't it? He released a tape saying 00:02:28.659 --> 00:02:31.340 he personally directed the hijacker. Yes. Which 00:02:31.340 --> 00:02:34.180 tells you something about how he saw these attacks, 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:38.520 not just religious acts, but as tools for political 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:41.180 influence, too. So if bin Laden was the leader, 00:02:41.259 --> 00:02:43.919 who was the planner, the guy drawing the blueprints? 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:47.169 That would be Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He's widely 00:02:47.169 --> 00:02:49.129 considered the principal architect. He was the 00:02:49.129 --> 00:02:50.770 one who actually came up with the idea of using 00:02:50.770 --> 00:02:53.270 planes as missiles. Correct. He conceived the 00:02:53.270 --> 00:02:55.409 plot and pitched it to bin Laden, apparently 00:02:55.409 --> 00:02:58.090 back in 1996. And KSM wasn't new to this kind 00:02:58.090 --> 00:02:59.849 of thing. He was involved in the first World 00:02:59.849 --> 00:03:02.949 Trade Center bombing in 93. And crucially, the 00:03:02.949 --> 00:03:05.710 Bojinka plot. That's key context. Remind us about 00:03:05.710 --> 00:03:09.289 Bojinka. That was mid 90s. 1995. It was an incredibly 00:03:09.289 --> 00:03:13.150 ambitious plot. The plan was to bomb 11 or more 00:03:13.150 --> 00:03:20.159 airliners over the Pacific, basically. Wow. So 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:23.159 he already had experience with complex, coordinated 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:26.979 attacks involving airplanes. Exactly. Majinka 00:03:26.979 --> 00:03:29.360 failed because of an accidental fire in Manila, 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:32.479 but it showed KSM's thinking, his logistical 00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:34.939 capabilities. It was sort of a precursor to 9 00:03:34.939 --> 00:03:37.180 -11. And KSM later admitted his role. Oh, fully. 00:03:37.379 --> 00:03:40.300 At his military commission hearing in Guantanamo 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:43.460 in 2007, he confessed to planning 9 -11 from 00:03:43.460 --> 00:03:47.370 A to Z. The sources are clear. He, bin Laden, 00:03:47.550 --> 00:03:49.949 and maybe three others knew all the operational 00:03:49.949 --> 00:03:52.629 details. So you have the leadership, the planner. 00:03:52.830 --> 00:03:54.729 What about the guys who actually carried it out? 00:03:54.969 --> 00:03:57.150 The hijackers. The selection process there was 00:03:57.150 --> 00:03:59.210 also very deliberate. Bin Laden specifically 00:03:59.210 --> 00:04:02.189 picked the key members of the Hamburg cell. Mohammed 00:04:02.189 --> 00:04:05.030 Atta, Marwan al -Shahizi, Adjara, Ramzi bin al 00:04:05.030 --> 00:04:07.030 -Shib. Right. Why them? Because they were educated. 00:04:07.229 --> 00:04:09.610 They spoke English fluently and critically. They 00:04:09.610 --> 00:04:11.789 had lived in the West. They knew how to blend 00:04:11.789 --> 00:04:13.669 in, how to operate without raising suspicion. 00:04:14.009 --> 00:04:15.810 They were the perfect cover. Essentially, yes. 00:04:15.949 --> 00:04:17.970 For the pilots and the team leaders needed to 00:04:17.970 --> 00:04:20.230 infiltrate the U .S. in flight schools. Okay, 00:04:20.290 --> 00:04:23.449 so that's the who. Let's get into the why. What 00:04:23.449 --> 00:04:25.850 were the stated motivations? You find these laid 00:04:25.850 --> 00:04:28.490 out in bin Laden's fatwas, right? Yes, the 1996 00:04:28.490 --> 00:04:31.529 and 1998 fatwas, and then summarized again in 00:04:31.529 --> 00:04:35.170 his 2002 letter to the American people. It's 00:04:35.170 --> 00:04:37.389 a complex mix. What were the main points? What 00:04:37.389 --> 00:04:40.000 grievances did they cite? While first and foremost, 00:04:40.139 --> 00:04:42.680 U .S. support for Israel, especially with the 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:45.839 second Intifada kicking off in late 2000, bin 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:48.600 Laden argued American tax dollars funded the 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:51.279 tanks, the planes oppressing Muslims. So they 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:53.620 felt a proportional response was needed. A direct 00:04:53.620 --> 00:04:55.720 link between U .S. policy and the justification 00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:58.709 for attack. Explicitly. Second, and this was 00:04:58.709 --> 00:05:00.870 huge for bin Laden personally, was the presence 00:05:00.870 --> 00:05:03.509 of U .S. military bases in Saudi Arabia. The 00:05:03.509 --> 00:05:06.050 Holy Land. Exactly. Home to Mecca and Medina. 00:05:06.389 --> 00:05:09.250 From his extremist view, non -Muslim troops had 00:05:09.250 --> 00:05:11.490 no right to be permanently stationed there. His 00:05:11.490 --> 00:05:14.069 96 Fatwa demanded their immediate removal. So 00:05:14.069 --> 00:05:16.529 Israel policy, U .S. troops in Saudi Arabia. 00:05:16.889 --> 00:05:19.290 What else? The sanctions against Iraq, they were 00:05:19.290 --> 00:05:21.949 heavily condemned. Bin Laden spoke about the 00:05:21.949 --> 00:05:24.310 protracted blockade causing immense civilian 00:05:24.310 --> 00:05:27.250 suffering. So framing it as a defense of the 00:05:27.250 --> 00:05:29.769 broader Muslim world, not just Saudi Arabia. 00:05:29.949 --> 00:05:32.110 Right. Painting the U .S. as this oppressive, 00:05:32.129 --> 00:05:34.870 hegemonic power across the region. And then there's 00:05:34.870 --> 00:05:37.170 that specific inspiration Bin Laden mentioned 00:05:37.170 --> 00:05:40.149 later, the towers in Lebanon. Yeah, in that 2004 00:05:40.149 --> 00:05:42.670 tape, he said the idea to destroy the World Trade 00:05:42.670 --> 00:05:45.870 Center towers came to him back in 1982. 1982. 00:05:46.189 --> 00:05:48.750 During the Lebanon War, he witnessed Israeli 00:05:48.750 --> 00:05:51.649 jets bombing high -rise buildings in Beirut, 00:05:51.689 --> 00:05:54.149 and he said he wanted to punish the oppressor 00:05:54.149 --> 00:05:57.509 in kind, make America taste some of what we tasted. 00:05:57.730 --> 00:05:59.810 Which connects directly to the choice of targets. 00:06:00.089 --> 00:06:03.449 It does. He argued the WTC represented U .S. 00:06:03.449 --> 00:06:06.170 economic power. The Pentagon represented military 00:06:06.170 --> 00:06:09.240 power. therefore legitimate targets in his view. 00:06:09.379 --> 00:06:11.480 Who also claimed it wasn't an attack on women 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:14.100 and children. He did claim that, yes. But then 00:06:14.100 --> 00:06:16.660 in the same breath, he compared the 9 -11 strikes 00:06:16.660 --> 00:06:20.100 to the U .S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki. He asked 00:06:20.100 --> 00:06:21.980 rhetorically, you know, did those bombs distinguish 00:06:21.980 --> 00:06:24.759 between military and babies? So a contradiction 00:06:24.759 --> 00:06:27.540 there. A clear one. It highlights the justification's 00:06:27.540 --> 00:06:30.519 complexity. You have specific political demands. 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:33.459 Get troops out of Saudi Arabia layered onto this 00:06:33.459 --> 00:06:37.160 broader religious call for global jihad that 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:40.620 explicitly justifies mass civilian casualties. 00:06:40.860 --> 00:06:43.060 That's really key for you, the listener, to grasp. 00:06:43.259 --> 00:06:45.740 OK, let's move to the day itself. September 11th, 00:06:45.740 --> 00:06:48.800 2001. The mechanics of the attack were chillingly 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:51.540 effective. The choice of planes was deliberate. 00:06:51.819 --> 00:06:57.899 Four large jets. Two Boeing 757s, two 767s. Why 00:06:57.899 --> 00:07:00.620 those specifically? Long -haul flights, transcontinental. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:02.600 That meant they'd be loaded with the maximum 00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:04.459 amount of jet fuel, essentially turning them 00:07:04.459 --> 00:07:07.279 into massive flying incendiary devices. And they 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:09.560 got through security with weapons. Yes, but it 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:12.160 exploded the rules at the time. The primary weapons 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.660 were box cutters, utility knives, things with 00:07:14.660 --> 00:07:16.560 short blades that were actually allowed on planes 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:19.360 by the FAA before 9 -11. Unbelievable. They also 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:22.139 reportedly used mace or pepper spray, likely 00:07:22.139 --> 00:07:24.129 to control the flight attendants. near the cockpit, 00:07:24.310 --> 00:07:28.170 and crucially, fake bomb threats. Fake bombs? 00:07:28.310 --> 00:07:31.910 Yes. No trace of actual explosives was ever found 00:07:31.910 --> 00:07:34.730 on any of the plane wreckage. The hijackers announced 00:07:34.730 --> 00:07:36.670 they had bombs, which was a key psychological 00:07:36.670 --> 00:07:38.870 tool to keep passengers and crew from resisting. 00:07:39.089 --> 00:07:41.970 Made resistance seem futile. Okay, walk us through 00:07:41.970 --> 00:07:44.430 the timeline. It unfolds with terrifying precision. 00:07:44.730 --> 00:07:48.490 It starts at 8 .46 a .m. Eastern Time. American 00:07:48.490 --> 00:07:51.129 Airlines Flight 11. That's the one piloted by 00:07:51.129 --> 00:07:55.139 Mohammed Adda. Hits the North Tower. WTC 1, between 00:07:55.139 --> 00:07:58.800 floors 93 and 99. And initially there was confusion. 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:01.720 Was it an accident? A small plane? Nobody knew 00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:04.899 for sure. Until 17 minutes later, 9 .03 a .m. 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:08.220 United Airlines Flight 175 slams into the South 00:08:08.220 --> 00:08:11.800 Tower, WTC2, lower down between floors 77 and 00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:14.420 85. In that moment, seeing the second plane hit 00:08:14.420 --> 00:08:16.500 live on television. Yeah. That's when everyone 00:08:16.500 --> 00:08:18.660 knew. Absolutely. It was undeniable America was 00:08:18.660 --> 00:08:20.579 under attack. Then the focus shifts to Washington. 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:24.180 9 .37 a .m., American Airlines Flight 77 hits 00:08:24.180 --> 00:08:26.240 the Pentagon, crashes into the west side of the 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:28.100 building. The sources mention it hit near the 00:08:28.100 --> 00:08:31.040 first floor. Yes, and penetrated deep into the 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:33.879 structure, about 310 feet through the outer rings. 00:08:34.419 --> 00:08:36.679 That section had actually just been renovated 00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:39.799 and reinforced, which probably saved lives, prevented 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:41.940 a wider collapse. And then there's a fourth plane, 00:08:42.139 --> 00:08:45.240 United 93. Flight 93 is a different story, crucial 00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:47.759 turning point in the day. It took off late from 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:50.779 Newark, about 42 minutes behind schedule because 00:08:50.779 --> 00:08:54.200 of airport congestion. And that delay. was critical. 00:08:54.379 --> 00:08:56.919 Absolutely critical. The hijackers took control 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:00.740 around 9 .28 a .m. But by then, news of the World 00:09:00.740 --> 00:09:02.980 Trade Center attacks was already spreading. People 00:09:02.980 --> 00:09:05.379 on the plane were making calls. Dozens of them. 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:07.659 Passengers, flight attendants, people like Todd 00:09:07.659 --> 00:09:09.899 Beamer, Jeremy Glick calling family, airline 00:09:09.899 --> 00:09:12.399 officials. They learned what was happening in 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:14.379 New York. They realized their plane wasn't just 00:09:14.379 --> 00:09:16.399 being diverted. It was going to be used as a 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:18.399 weapon. And they decided to fight back. Yes. 00:09:19.019 --> 00:09:22.000 The cockpit voice recorder captures it. Starting 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:25.259 around 9 .57 a .m., you hear sounds of a struggle. 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:27.840 They used a food cart, apparently, to try and 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:29.980 break down the cockpit door. The famous phrase, 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:32.480 let's roll, comes from Todd Beamers' call. So 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:34.139 the hijackers knew they were losing control. 00:09:34.419 --> 00:09:36.720 It seems so. They started maneuvering the plane 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:41.159 erratically. Then, at 10 .03 a .m., they deliberately 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:44.100 crashed it into an empty field, a reclaimed coal 00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:46.580 mine near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Preventing 00:09:46.580 --> 00:09:48.580 it from reaching its target, which was likely. 00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:51.759 Based on KSM's later testimony and the plane's 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:53.940 trajectory, almost certainly the U .S. Capitol 00:09:53.940 --> 00:09:57.100 building, maybe the White House, those passengers, 00:09:57.240 --> 00:09:59.679 their actions were truly heroic. They absolutely 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:02.559 saved countless lives and prevented another symbolic 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:05.080 strike. While all this is happening, what's the 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:07.980 official response? It's rapid, but also chaotic. 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:11.559 At 9 .42 a .m., the FAA makes an unprecedented 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:15.120 move. They ground every single civilian aircraft 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:17.779 over the continental U .S. It's invoking Skatana, 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:20.519 right? Yes, Skatana. Security control of air 00:10:20.519 --> 00:10:22.779 traffic and navigational aids. It had never been 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:25.379 used nationwide before. It basically hands control 00:10:25.379 --> 00:10:27.799 of the airspace from civilian air traffic control 00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:29.879 to the military. So thousands of planes just 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:32.379 had to land immediately. Immediately. At the 00:10:32.379 --> 00:10:34.580 nearest suitable airport, imagine the chaos for 00:10:34.580 --> 00:10:36.799 air traffic controllers. But it effectively stopped 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:39.399 any possibility of further hijackings using commercial 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:41.720 planes that day. What about the military side? 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:46.159 NORAD? NORAD scrambled fighter jets, F -15s and 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:48.840 F -16s. But the system wasn't really designed 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:51.720 for this kind of threat. How so? It was set up 00:10:51.720 --> 00:10:54.580 to detect bombers coming in from overseas, not 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:57.200 domestic flights already inside U .S. airspace 00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.519 turning into weapons. There was immense confusion. 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:01.840 So they were too late. Critically late for the 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:04.899 Pentagon in Flight 93, they had only about nine 00:11:04.899 --> 00:11:07.299 minutes notice before the second tower was hit. 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:10.580 No effective notice before Flight 77 hit the 00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:13.960 Pentagon or Flight 93 went down. Did the order 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:16.779 come to shoot down hijacked planes? Yes, Vice 00:11:16.779 --> 00:11:19.820 President Cheney gave the authorization. But 00:11:19.820 --> 00:11:21.960 again, due to the communication delays and the 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:24.279 speed of events, it came too late to be acted 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:27.429 upon for Flight 77 and 93. And some of those 00:11:27.429 --> 00:11:29.529 fighter pilots took off without live missiles. 00:11:29.710 --> 00:11:31.629 That's one of the chilling details in the reports. 00:11:31.789 --> 00:11:33.909 Some pilots launched knowing they might have 00:11:33.909 --> 00:11:36.330 to intercept by ramming the hijacked airliner 00:11:36.330 --> 00:11:39.330 with their own jet. An incredible potential sacrifice. 00:11:39.710 --> 00:11:42.210 And amidst all this chaos in the U .S., we should 00:11:42.210 --> 00:11:44.830 mention Operation Yellow Ribbon. Yes, absolutely. 00:11:45.230 --> 00:11:48.169 Canada's response. With U .S. airspace closed, 00:11:48.490 --> 00:11:50.370 hundreds of international flights were diverted. 00:11:50.669 --> 00:11:53.250 Canada opened its airports and its communities, 00:11:53.490 --> 00:11:56.990 taking in 226 flights, thousands of stranded 00:11:56.990 --> 00:12:00.350 passengers. A remarkable act of support. Back 00:12:00.350 --> 00:12:02.789 in New York, the focus shifts tragically to the 00:12:02.789 --> 00:12:05.950 towers themselves. The collapses. The South Tower, 00:12:06.090 --> 00:12:10.110 WTC2, collapses first. At 9 .59 a .m., it had 00:12:10.110 --> 00:12:12.429 only been burning for 56 minutes. Even though 00:12:12.429 --> 00:12:15.549 it was hit second. Right. The North Tower, WTC1, 00:12:15.649 --> 00:12:18.549 which was hit first, stood longer. It collapsed 00:12:18.549 --> 00:12:21.950 later, at 10 .28 a .m., after burning for nearly 00:12:21.950 --> 00:12:25.259 102 minutes. What a difference in timing. It 00:12:25.259 --> 00:12:27.799 comes down to the specifics of the impacts. Flight 00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:31.360 175 hit the south tower lower down, faster, and 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:33.700 critically more towards a corner. Ah, so the 00:12:33.700 --> 00:12:36.200 damage was less symmetrical. Exactly. It caused 00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:38.460 a more uneven distribution of the load, weakened 00:12:38.460 --> 00:12:40.700 the core structure more quickly, leading to a 00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:42.860 faster failure compared to the north tower, which 00:12:42.860 --> 00:12:45.019 suffered a more central impact higher up. And 00:12:45.019 --> 00:12:47.139 that 17 -minute gap between the first hit and 00:12:47.139 --> 00:12:49.440 the second hit, that made a difference for evacuations. 00:12:49.850 --> 00:12:52.090 A huge difference, a life and death difference 00:12:52.090 --> 00:12:55.210 for hundreds. Because the South Tower was hit 00:12:55.210 --> 00:12:57.549 second, some people had already started evacuating 00:12:57.549 --> 00:13:00.389 before their tower was struck. Companies initiated 00:13:00.389 --> 00:13:03.710 their own evacuations. Some did, yes. Like AO 00:13:03.710 --> 00:13:06.610 Insurance, Fiduciary Trust, they saw what happened 00:13:06.610 --> 00:13:08.470 to the North Tower and told their people to get 00:13:08.470 --> 00:13:11.870 out, even before official orders came. And crucially... 00:13:12.409 --> 00:13:15.909 One stairwell in the South Tower, stairwell A, 00:13:16.129 --> 00:13:19.009 remained mostly passable even through the impact 00:13:19.009 --> 00:13:22.029 zone. So some people above the crash actually 00:13:22.029 --> 00:13:25.149 got out. A small number, incredibly. About 14 00:13:25.149 --> 00:13:27.330 people who were actually on the impact floors, 00:13:27.370 --> 00:13:29.850 plus others above, managed to make it down stairwell 00:13:29.850 --> 00:13:32.649 A. It was a miracle. But the official reports, 00:13:32.769 --> 00:13:35.289 like the 9 -11 Commission report, do criticize 00:13:35.289 --> 00:13:37.669 the delay in ordering a full evacuation of the 00:13:37.669 --> 00:13:39.690 South Tower immediately after the first plane 00:13:39.690 --> 00:13:42.549 hit the North Tower. That delay cost lives. And 00:13:42.549 --> 00:13:44.690 we can't forget the third collapse, 7 World Trade 00:13:44.690 --> 00:13:47.370 Center. Right. Often overlooked. A separate, 00:13:47.529 --> 00:13:50.549 47 -story building nearby. It wasn't hit by a 00:13:50.549 --> 00:13:52.389 plane, but it suffered heavy damage from falling 00:13:52.389 --> 00:13:53.649 debris when the north of the tower collapsed. 00:13:53.950 --> 00:13:56.870 And caught fire. Massive fires fed by the building's 00:13:56.870 --> 00:13:59.370 contents and ruptured fuel lines. It burned for 00:13:59.370 --> 00:14:02.370 hours and then collapsed completely at 5 .21 00:14:02.370 --> 00:14:05.129 p .m. that evening. Making it the first modern 00:14:05.129 --> 00:14:07.850 steel -framed skyscraper to collapse, primarily 00:14:07.850 --> 00:14:11.190 due to fire and debris damage. Another grim architectural 00:14:11.190 --> 00:14:14.470 milestone from that day. So, moving beyond the 00:14:14.470 --> 00:14:17.269 events of the day itself. Yeah. The aftermath. 00:14:17.350 --> 00:14:20.610 It's vast and it's still ongoing. Let's start 00:14:20.610 --> 00:14:22.830 with the immediate human cost. especially for 00:14:22.830 --> 00:14:25.149 the responders. The sacrifice was immense. We 00:14:25.149 --> 00:14:29.230 lost 343 firefighters from the FDNY, 72 law enforcement 00:14:29.230 --> 00:14:31.309 officers from the NYPD and the Port Authority 00:14:31.309 --> 00:14:34.370 Police, the PIPD, plus other emergency workers. 00:14:34.950 --> 00:14:38.330 414 total emergency responders at the WTC site 00:14:38.330 --> 00:14:40.549 alone. The deadliest day for both firefighters 00:14:40.549 --> 00:14:43.250 and police in American history. By far. And for 00:14:43.250 --> 00:14:44.909 those trapped above the impact zones, especially 00:14:44.909 --> 00:14:46.730 in the North Tower, where all stairwells were 00:14:46.730 --> 00:14:48.429 severed, escape was impossible. Which led to 00:14:48.429 --> 00:14:50.649 those horrific scenes of people falling or jumping. 00:14:50.929 --> 00:14:54.730 Yes. Estimates are over 200 people fell or jumped 00:14:54.730 --> 00:14:57.049 from the towers. It's an unbearable thought, 00:14:57.230 --> 00:14:59.570 but it speaks to the absolute desperation, the 00:14:59.570 --> 00:15:02.490 heat, the smoke, escaping the fire versus the 00:15:02.490 --> 00:15:05.899 fall. Horrifying choice. The image of the falling 00:15:05.899 --> 00:15:08.899 man really captures that moment. And even identifying 00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:12.139 the victims became a massive long -term challenge. 00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:15.299 Huge. The destruction was so intense, the city 00:15:15.299 --> 00:15:17.980 recovered about 10 ,000 unidentified bone and 00:15:17.980 --> 00:15:20.740 tissue fragments, even today with advanced DNA 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:23.340 technology. Some victims are still unidentified. 00:15:23.580 --> 00:15:26.639 As of 2025, yes. Around 40 % of the World Trade 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:29.159 Center victims, that's over 1 ,100 people, remain 00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:31.720 unidentified. The work continues trying to match 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:34.120 fragments to DNA profiles. And there was controversy. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:36.299 about where those unidentified remains are kept. 00:15:36.419 --> 00:15:38.759 Yes, a long -running painful issue for some families. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:41.340 The remains are held in a repository under the 00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:44.019 control of the NYC Medical Examiner, located 00:15:44.019 --> 00:15:46.299 within the foundation area that also houses the 00:15:46.299 --> 00:15:49.139 9 -11 Museum. Some families felt strongly they 00:15:49.139 --> 00:15:51.220 should be interred above ground, perhaps in a 00:15:51.220 --> 00:15:53.960 separate tomb. Beyond the immediate deaths, there's 00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:56.470 the health crisis. This is critical. Absolutely 00:15:56.470 --> 00:15:58.629 critical. The collapse of those massive towers 00:15:58.629 --> 00:16:02.830 created this plume of toxic dust that blanketed 00:16:02.830 --> 00:16:05.250 lower Manhattan. Hundreds of thousands of tons 00:16:05.250 --> 00:16:08.389 of debris. Filled with over 2 ,500 contaminants. 00:16:08.409 --> 00:16:11.350 Pulverized concrete, glass fibers, asbestos, 00:16:11.350 --> 00:16:16.309 lead, mercury, dioxins, benzene. Known carcinogens. 00:16:16.590 --> 00:16:19.149 And people were breathing this in for months. 00:16:19.549 --> 00:16:21.750 Yes. While the initial cleanup was happening, 00:16:21.889 --> 00:16:23.769 and even after people started returning to work 00:16:23.769 --> 00:16:26.309 and lived downtown, the EPA declared the air 00:16:26.309 --> 00:16:29.590 safe to breathe in June 2002, nearly 10 months 00:16:29.590 --> 00:16:32.230 later. A declaration that was heavily criticized 00:16:32.230 --> 00:16:35.129 later. Highly contested, yes. Because thousands 00:16:35.129 --> 00:16:37.309 of people, residents, students, office workers, 00:16:37.470 --> 00:16:39.250 and especially the cleanup and recovery workers 00:16:39.250 --> 00:16:41.830 at Ground Zero were exposed for prolonged periods. 00:16:42.210 --> 00:16:44.269 And the long -term health consequences are devastating. 00:16:44.629 --> 00:16:46.889 They are. Studies found that essentially all 00:16:46.889 --> 00:16:48.769 the rescue and recovery workers studied suffered 00:16:48.769 --> 00:16:51.070 impaired lung function. We've seen significantly 00:16:51.070 --> 00:16:53.649 elevated rates of many types of cancer, respiratory, 00:16:53.909 --> 00:16:56.289 digestive, blood cancers, plus chronic conditions 00:16:56.289 --> 00:17:00.019 like asthma, GERD, PTSD. There was even concern 00:17:00.019 --> 00:17:02.299 about effects on babies born to mothers exposed 00:17:02.299 --> 00:17:04.869 during pregnancy. Yes, scientific speculation 00:17:04.869 --> 00:17:07.569 and ongoing research into potential negative 00:17:07.569 --> 00:17:10.589 developmental impacts for children who were in 00:17:10.589 --> 00:17:12.970 utero during the exposure period in lower Manhattan. 00:17:13.329 --> 00:17:15.289 And this is where we see a really stark difference 00:17:15.289 --> 00:17:18.029 between outcomes, depending on the agency involved, 00:17:18.210 --> 00:17:21.329 right? The FDNY versus the PAPD. It's a crucial 00:17:21.329 --> 00:17:23.890 comparison, highlighting the impact of leadership 00:17:23.890 --> 00:17:27.569 and equipment decisions. Look at the FDNY. By 00:17:27.569 --> 00:17:30.529 2023, the fire department had lost roughly the 00:17:30.529 --> 00:17:36.160 same number of members to 9 -11 relief. That's 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:38.500 unbelievable. The death toll effectively doubled 00:17:38.500 --> 00:17:41.539 over 20 years due to illness. It's a slow -motion 00:17:41.539 --> 00:17:45.000 tragedy unfolding over decades. Cancers, respiratory 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:47.880 failure. But the Port Authority police, the PEPPD, 00:17:48.099 --> 00:17:50.640 had a different experience. Significantly different. 00:17:50.740 --> 00:17:53.500 Far fewer long -term illness deaths relative 00:17:53.500 --> 00:17:56.480 to their numbers on site. Why? The sources point 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.359 to decisions made by their chief at the time, 00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:00.940 Joseph Morris. What did he do? Within 48 hours, 00:18:01.099 --> 00:18:03.420 he secured and distributed high -quality industrial 00:18:03.420 --> 00:18:06.559 -grade respirators to all PAPD officers working 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:09.640 at Ground Zero. And importantly, he limited the 00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:12.880 rotation. He kept the same core group of officers 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:15.299 doing the most dangerous recovery work, ensuring 00:18:15.299 --> 00:18:18.019 they had the best protection consistently. Whereas 00:18:18.019 --> 00:18:20.220 other agencies rotated more people through the 00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:22.460 site without that level of protection. Exactly. 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:26.200 Agencies like the FDNY and NYPD had thousands 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:28.380 of personnel rotating through, especially in 00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:30.559 the early days and weeks when the dust was thickest, 00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:34.119 often without adequate respiratory gear. The 00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:37.000 difference in long -term health outcomes is tragically 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:40.619 clear. It raises a difficult question. How many 00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:42.500 lives might have been saved in the long run? 00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:45.039 if everyone had received that level of protection 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:48.240 immediately. It's a profound question about prioritizing 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.079 responder safety, even amidst catastrophe. There 00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:53.160 was eventual legal help, though. The Zadroga 00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:55.859 Act. Yes, the James L. Zadroga 9 -11 Health and 00:18:55.859 --> 00:18:58.779 Compensation Act passed in 2010. It allocated 00:18:58.779 --> 00:19:01.920 billions, initially $4 .2 billion, for medical 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:04.440 monitoring, testing, and treatment for responders 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:07.019 and survivors. And the Victim Compensation Fund 00:19:07.019 --> 00:19:09.710 was reauthorized. Yes. Critically, it's been 00:19:09.710 --> 00:19:12.630 extended essentially permanently until 2090, 00:19:12.789 --> 00:19:15.170 which acknowledges that these illnesses can take 00:19:15.170 --> 00:19:17.730 decades to develop. It provides crucial financial 00:19:17.730 --> 00:19:20.609 support for those suffering. Shifting gears to 00:19:20.609 --> 00:19:24.250 the economy, the attacks sent immediate shockwaves 00:19:24.250 --> 00:19:26.630 to the financial system. Absolutely. The New 00:19:26.630 --> 00:19:29.470 York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, they all closed. 00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:32.480 Didn't reopen until September 17th. And when 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:34.960 they did reopen. A massive sell -off. The Dow 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:37.240 Jones Industrial Average had its biggest one 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:39.700 -week point drop in history up to that point. 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:43.619 About $1 .4 trillion in market value just vanished 00:19:43.619 --> 00:19:46.319 in days. But the longer -term economic cost is 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:48.759 much, much bigger, isn't it? Yeah. Tied to the 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:51.160 response. Exponentially bigger. The attacks were 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:53.579 the direct catalyst for the U .S. wars in Afghanistan 00:19:53.579 --> 00:19:56.359 and Iraq. Add to that the massive increase in 00:19:56.359 --> 00:19:58.589 domestic homeland security spending. How much 00:19:58.589 --> 00:20:00.750 are we talking? The Costs of War Project at Brown 00:20:00.750 --> 00:20:03.329 University estimates the total cost through FY 00:20:03.329 --> 00:20:06.730 2020 or so at a minimum of $5 trillion. Some 00:20:06.730 --> 00:20:09.609 estimates go even higher now. $5 trillion. It's 00:20:09.609 --> 00:20:11.569 almost impossible to comprehend. Where did that 00:20:11.569 --> 00:20:14.339 money go? It's not just the immediate cost of 00:20:14.339 --> 00:20:16.839 military operations, though that's huge. It includes 00:20:16.839 --> 00:20:19.880 long term costs like veterans care, medical treatment, 00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:22.460 disability benefits for hundreds of thousands 00:20:22.460 --> 00:20:24.859 of service members, which will continue for decades. 00:20:25.099 --> 00:20:27.480 It includes interest paid on the money borrowed 00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:30.000 to fund the wars and the cost of creating and 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:32.119 running the entire Department of Homeland Security, 00:20:32.299 --> 00:20:35.660 the TSA. It's a vast ongoing economic drain. 00:20:35.819 --> 00:20:38.849 And policy wise. The changes were swift and dramatic. 00:20:39.029 --> 00:20:41.569 Huge shifts. The creation of the Department of 00:20:41.569 --> 00:20:44.609 Homeland Security itself in 2002. It merged 22 00:20:44.609 --> 00:20:46.890 different federal agencies. It was the biggest 00:20:46.890 --> 00:20:49.069 government reorganization since the Defense Department 00:20:49.069 --> 00:20:51.569 was formed after World War II. And the USA Patriot 00:20:51.569 --> 00:20:54.089 Act. Yeah. Passed very quickly after 9 -11. Just 00:20:54.089 --> 00:20:57.069 weeks later, yes. Sold as essential for preventing 00:20:57.069 --> 00:20:59.759 future attacks. But hugely controversial. Civil 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:02.240 liberties groups raised major alarms. What were 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.900 the main concerns? The core issue was the expansion 00:21:04.900 --> 00:21:06.920 of government surveillance powers with reduced 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:10.259 oversight. Things like Section 215 allowing access 00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:13.279 to any tangible things, including business records, 00:21:13.460 --> 00:21:16.059 library records, without showing probable cause 00:21:16.059 --> 00:21:19.339 related to a specific crime. And roving wiretaps. 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:21.819 Right. Allowing surveillance to follow a person 00:21:21.819 --> 00:21:25.059 rather than a specific phone line. and lowering 00:21:25.059 --> 00:21:27.299 the legal standard required for certain types 00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:29.420 of foreign intelligence surveillance inside the 00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:32.460 U .S. Critics argued it blurred the lines between 00:21:32.460 --> 00:21:35.200 foreign intelligence gathering and domestic law 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:37.980 enforcement, potentially violating privacy rights 00:21:37.980 --> 00:21:41.119 and chilling free speech, all with less judicial 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:43.900 review. Globally, the reaction was also immediate. 00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:47.380 NATO invoked Article 5. For the first and only 00:21:47.380 --> 00:21:50.180 time in its history, Article 5 states that an 00:21:50.180 --> 00:21:53.529 attack on one member is an attack on all. That 00:21:53.529 --> 00:21:55.349 collective defense commitment paved the way. 00:21:58.670 --> 00:22:01.450 The Taliban for sheltering al -Qaeda. Correct. 00:22:01.670 --> 00:22:04.190 The invasion of Iraq in 2003, though, that's 00:22:04.190 --> 00:22:06.109 a different and much more controversial part 00:22:06.109 --> 00:22:07.990 of the aftermath. Because there was no proven 00:22:07.990 --> 00:22:11.029 link between Saddam Hussein and 9 -11. None whatsoever, 00:22:11.269 --> 00:22:13.309 despite the Bush administration's claims and 00:22:13.309 --> 00:22:15.549 the fact that, as polls showed at the time, something 00:22:15.549 --> 00:22:18.130 like 70 percent of Americans incorrectly believe 00:22:18.130 --> 00:22:20.710 Saddam was involved. That distinction is crucial. 00:22:20.950 --> 00:22:23.250 And when we talk about the cost of these wars, 00:22:23.470 --> 00:22:26.750 the human cost is staggering. Beyond staggering, 00:22:26.970 --> 00:22:29.390 the Costs of War Project estimates that between 00:22:29.390 --> 00:22:33.500 4 .5 and 4 .6 million people have died. Directly 00:22:33.500 --> 00:22:35.700 and indirectly as a result of the post 9 -11 00:22:35.700 --> 00:22:39.940 wars. 4 .5 to 4 .6 million. Yes. In Afghanistan, 00:22:40.140 --> 00:22:42.779 Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other war zones 00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:45.599 drawn into the conflict. That includes combatants, 00:22:45.660 --> 00:22:48.000 civilians killed directly in fighting, but also 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:50.539 the much larger number of indirect deaths from 00:22:50.539 --> 00:22:53.519 war related causes. Displacement, destruction 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:55.859 of infrastructure, loss of access to food and 00:22:55.859 --> 00:22:58.680 water, disease, injury. It's a devastating human 00:22:58.680 --> 00:23:01.880 toll. OK, so given this immense ongoing cost. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:05.000 human, economic, political decide. It forces 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:07.019 us back to the question, how did this happen? 00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:09.859 How did a plot this complex succeed? We have 00:23:09.859 --> 00:23:11.500 to talk about the intelligence failures. This 00:23:11.500 --> 00:23:13.359 is absolutely central to understanding 9 -11, 00:23:13.480 --> 00:23:15.420 and the key concept that emerges from all the 00:23:15.420 --> 00:23:17.640 investigations is the wall. The wall between 00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:20.119 intelligence agencies. Primarily between the 00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:23.039 FBI, focused on domestic law enforcement, and 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:26.079 the CIA, focused on foreign intelligence. Attorney 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:28.920 General John Ashcroft himself called it the single 00:23:28.920 --> 00:23:31.779 greatest structural cause for the failure. What 00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:35.460 exactly was this wall? Was it... Actual policy. 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:37.900 Yes, it stemmed from Justice Department policies 00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:41.619 put in place around 1995. The idea initially 00:23:41.619 --> 00:23:44.880 was to protect civil liberties, to prevent intelligence 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:47.619 methods used against foreign spies from being 00:23:47.619 --> 00:23:50.680 used improperly in domestic criminal cases. But 00:23:50.680 --> 00:23:53.619 the effect was disastrous. It meant crucial information 00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:56.299 simply wasn't shared. Agencies weren't allowed 00:23:56.299 --> 00:23:58.660 to talk to each other effectively, even when 00:23:58.660 --> 00:24:00.220 dealing with the same threats. They couldn't 00:24:00.220 --> 00:24:02.259 connect the dots. And there were specific instances 00:24:02.259 --> 00:24:04.950 where this failure was critical. Glaring instances. 00:24:05.170 --> 00:24:08.230 The CIA knew that two known al -Qaeda operatives, 00:24:08.349 --> 00:24:10.890 Nawaf al -Hazmi and Khalid al -Midhar, were potentially 00:24:10.890 --> 00:24:13.049 dangerous. They tracked them to a meeting in 00:24:13.049 --> 00:24:15.369 Malaysia. They knew they had U .S. visas and 00:24:15.369 --> 00:24:17.390 were traveling to the United States. Two of the 00:24:17.390 --> 00:24:19.829 future 9 -11 hijackers. Two of the hijackers 00:24:19.829 --> 00:24:22.609 on Flight 77, which hit the Pentagon. The CIA 00:24:22.609 --> 00:24:24.430 knew they were in the country for months before 00:24:24.430 --> 00:24:27.869 9 -11. And they didn't tell the FBI. They actively 00:24:27.869 --> 00:24:31.039 refused to share the information. The 9 -11 Commission 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:33.900 report details how an FBI agent detailed to the 00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:37.200 CIA's Alex Station, the bin Laden unit, literally 00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:39.859 asked permission to inform FBI headquarters that 00:24:39.859 --> 00:24:42.559 these known terrorists were likely inside the 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:44.819 U .S. And the answer was no. The answer from 00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:47.859 a CIA supervisor was reportedly, this is not 00:24:47.859 --> 00:24:50.660 a matter for the FBI. It's genuinely shocking. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:54.000 Information was siloed so tightly it became useless. 00:24:54.420 --> 00:24:56.420 Were there other warnings that were missed? Yes. 00:24:56.539 --> 00:25:01.059 The Phoenix memo. July 2001, an FBI agent in 00:25:01.059 --> 00:25:03.400 Phoenix wrote a memo to headquarters. He noticed 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:05.799 a pattern of men with potential ties to extremist 00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:07.940 groups taking flight lessons at an Arizona school. 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:10.779 He specifically mentioned Osama bin Laden and 00:25:10.779 --> 00:25:12.920 suggested the FBI canvass other flight schools 00:25:12.920 --> 00:25:15.859 nationwide. And that warning was ignored. Largely 00:25:15.859 --> 00:25:18.559 dismissed at FBI headquarters. Seen as speculative, 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:20.960 not prioritized. Then there was the president's 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:24.700 daily brief in August 2001. August 6, 2001. The 00:25:24.700 --> 00:25:26.980 PDB, a highly classified intelligence summary 00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:34.799 for the president. It explicitly mentioned FBI 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:37.640 information about suspicious activity consistent 00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:41.059 with preparations for hijackings. It talked about 00:25:41.059 --> 00:25:43.519 surveillance of federal buildings. It didn't 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:46.519 name the time or place, but the threat was clear. 00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:50.400 So the pieces were there, but the system failed 00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:52.380 to put them together. That was the core finding 00:25:52.380 --> 00:25:55.440 of the 9 -11 Commission report in 2004. They 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:58.359 concluded it was a failure of imagination, policy, 00:25:58.680 --> 00:26:01.160 capabilities, and management across the board. 00:26:01.299 --> 00:26:03.180 Which brings us to another layer of accountability, 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:06.200 the question of potential foreign government 00:26:06.200 --> 00:26:08.779 support, specifically regarding Saudi Arabia. 00:26:09.180 --> 00:26:11.240 Right. This has been a major point of contention 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:14.180 for years, centered initially around those 28 00:26:14.180 --> 00:26:16.799 redacted pages from the Congressional Joint Inquiry 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:18.700 Report. Those pages were eventually released. 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:21.759 Yes, in 2016. While they didn't provide a smoking 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:23.940 gun of official Saudi government involvement, 00:26:24.359 --> 00:26:26.819 they detailed numerous contacts and potential 00:26:26.819 --> 00:26:28.880 links between Saudi officials or individuals 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:31.440 connected to the government and some of the hijackers, 00:26:31.460 --> 00:26:34.119 particularly the two who were in San Diego. Bahazmi 00:26:34.119 --> 00:26:36.839 and Al -Midhar again. Yes. And the release of 00:26:36.839 --> 00:26:39.559 those pages, combined with ongoing efforts by 00:26:39.559 --> 00:26:42.839 victims' families, led to the passage of JOSTA. 00:26:42.980 --> 00:26:45.180 The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. 00:26:45.339 --> 00:26:48.480 Passed in 2016, overriding a presidential veto. 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:51.460 JOSTA was crucial because it amended the law 00:26:51.460 --> 00:26:53.519 to allow lawsuits against foreign governments 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:55.519 if they were found responsible for terrorist 00:26:55.519 --> 00:26:58.859 acts on U .S. soil. It stripped away some sovereign 00:26:58.859 --> 00:27:01.359 immunity protections. So families could sue Saudi 00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:04.390 Arabia directly. Correct. And the focus of that 00:27:04.390 --> 00:27:06.970 ongoing lawsuit centers on individuals like Omar 00:27:06.970 --> 00:27:10.049 al -Bayoumi. Who was he? A Saudi national living 00:27:10.049 --> 00:27:12.569 in San Diego who provided significant help to 00:27:12.569 --> 00:27:14.390 al -Hazmi and al -Mithar when they first arrived 00:27:14.390 --> 00:27:16.390 in the U .S., helped them find an apartment, 00:27:16.609 --> 00:27:18.970 open a bank account, basically get settled. And 00:27:18.970 --> 00:27:20.970 there was evidence linking him to Saudi intelligence. 00:27:21.329 --> 00:27:24.089 Newly declassified FBI documents released around 00:27:24.089 --> 00:27:27.329 2021 and 2022 described al -Bayoumi as having 00:27:27.329 --> 00:27:29.470 received funds from Saudi government entities 00:27:29.470 --> 00:27:32.279 and potentially being a paid agent or... co -optee 00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:34.539 of the Saudi General Intelligence Presidency. 00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:37.160 Video evidence also showed him meeting with the 00:27:37.160 --> 00:27:39.920 hijackers. So this evidence forms the basis for 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:42.720 the ongoing legal case. It provides the plaintiffs, 00:27:42.759 --> 00:27:44.940 the victims' families, with the grounds under 00:27:44.940 --> 00:27:47.559 JOSTA to pursue their claim that individuals 00:27:47.559 --> 00:27:50.099 connected to the Saudi state provided material 00:27:50.099 --> 00:27:53.140 support to the hijackers. Saudi Arabia, for its 00:27:53.140 --> 00:27:55.559 part, has always vehemently denied any official 00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:58.839 involvement. It's a complex, ongoing legal battle. 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:01.500 What about the terrorists who survived or were 00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:04.519 captured? Obviously, the 19 hijackers died. Bin 00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:07.700 Laden was killed in 2011. What about KSM? Khalid 00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:10.019 Sheikh Mohammed, the architect, along with four 00:28:10.019 --> 00:28:12.220 other co -conspirators, were captured and are 00:28:12.220 --> 00:28:14.920 held at Guantanamo Bay. And their trial. It seems 00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:16.750 like it's been going on forever. It has been 00:28:16.750 --> 00:28:19.069 stalled for well over a decade. The military 00:28:19.069 --> 00:28:20.809 commission proceedings have been bogged down 00:28:20.809 --> 00:28:23.490 in pretrial motions, largely concerning the admissibility 00:28:23.490 --> 00:28:25.849 of evidence obtained through harsh interrogation 00:28:25.849 --> 00:28:28.710 methods often described as torture. So no verdict 00:28:28.710 --> 00:28:31.490 yet? No. And what's interesting is the recent 00:28:31.490 --> 00:28:34.970 back and forth over plea deals. In 2023 and into 00:28:34.970 --> 00:28:38.049 2024, there were reports that prosecutors were 00:28:38.049 --> 00:28:40.470 negotiating deals where KSM and others would 00:28:40.470 --> 00:28:43.069 plead guilty and receive life sentences, taking 00:28:43.069 --> 00:28:45.690 the death penalty off the table. To finally resolve. 00:28:45.710 --> 00:28:48.750 the case. Possibly. But those potential deals 00:28:48.750 --> 00:28:50.930 were recently blocked, reportedly by the Secretary 00:28:50.930 --> 00:28:53.970 of Defense. So the prospect of capital trials 00:28:53.970 --> 00:28:56.769 executions is back, meaning these legal proceedings 00:28:56.769 --> 00:28:59.970 could drag on even longer. It's source of immense 00:28:59.970 --> 00:29:02.529 frustration for many victims' families seeking 00:29:02.529 --> 00:29:06.769 finality. Hashtag Tag Six. Conclusion, an enduring 00:29:06.769 --> 00:29:09.670 legacy. As we wrap up, let's look at the physical 00:29:09.670 --> 00:29:12.559 site in New York. Mayor Giuliani famously pledged 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:16.119 right after the attacks, we will rebuild. A powerful 00:29:16.119 --> 00:29:18.279 statement at the time. And largely the World 00:29:18.279 --> 00:29:19.779 Trade Center site has been rebuilt, although 00:29:19.779 --> 00:29:22.059 it took many years. One World Trade Center, the 00:29:22.059 --> 00:29:25.200 main tower. Opened in 2014. Yes, standing at 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:29.019 that symbolic height of 1 ,776 feet. Several 00:29:29.019 --> 00:29:33.380 other major office towers, 3WTC, 4WTC, 7WTC are 00:29:33.380 --> 00:29:35.720 complete and occupied. But not all of them. No, 00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:38.119 the Plan 2 World Trade Center tower remains unfinished, 00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:40.319 scald for years due to leasing issues. So even 00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:42.240 physically, the rebuilding process reflects the 00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:44.440 long shadow of the event. And the memorials are 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:47.559 incredibly powerful places. Deeply moving. The 00:29:47.559 --> 00:29:50.099 National September 11 Memorial and Museum at 00:29:50.099 --> 00:30:00.259 Ground Zero, with the two reflecting... There's 00:30:00.259 --> 00:30:14.960 the Pentagon Memorial, too. It's a very quiet, 00:30:15.019 --> 00:30:17.799 contemplative space. And that bronze sphere that 00:30:17.799 --> 00:30:20.579 stood between the towers, it survived. The sphere 00:30:20.579 --> 00:30:23.279 by Fritz Koenig miraculously recovered from the 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:26.000 rubble, damaged but largely intact. It became 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:28.220 this incredible symbol of resilience and now 00:30:28.220 --> 00:30:30.240 stands in Liberty Park overlooking the memorial 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:33.200 site. So thinking about this whole deep dive, 00:30:33.400 --> 00:30:36.099 the planning, the attacks, the failures, the 00:30:36.099 --> 00:30:38.900 immense aftermath, what's the enduring legacy? 00:30:39.390 --> 00:30:41.369 Well, the immediate response was to build this 00:30:41.369 --> 00:30:45.089 huge new security architecture. DHS, TSA, the 00:30:45.089 --> 00:30:47.829 Patriot Act, expanded surveillance, all designed 00:30:47.829 --> 00:30:50.950 to prevent another 9 -11 to make America impenetrable 00:30:50.950 --> 00:30:53.930 to external threats. A massive focus on security 00:30:53.930 --> 00:30:56.529 and counterterrorism. Absolutely. But as we've 00:30:56.529 --> 00:30:59.710 discussed, if you connect that focus to the data, 00:30:59.890 --> 00:31:03.789 the cost has been enormous. The $5 trillion plus 00:31:03.789 --> 00:31:07.230 price tag for wars and security. The 4 .5 million 00:31:07.230 --> 00:31:10.130 or more lives lost, directly or indirectly, in 00:31:10.130 --> 00:31:12.589 those post -9 -11 conflicts. And the domestic 00:31:12.589 --> 00:31:15.869 cost? The health crisis for the responders? The 00:31:15.869 --> 00:31:17.849 failure, in some cases, to protect them from 00:31:17.849 --> 00:31:20.109 the toxic environment at ground zero, leading 00:31:20.109 --> 00:31:22.609 to this second wave of deaths from illness. It 00:31:22.609 --> 00:31:25.009 creates this undeniable tension. Was the response, 00:31:25.170 --> 00:31:27.450 the overwhelming focus on eliminating external 00:31:27.450 --> 00:31:30.230 threats and projecting power globally, properly 00:31:30.230 --> 00:31:32.470 balanced? I'm also against the staggering cost 00:31:32.470 --> 00:31:34.789 of the wars that followed. And balanced against 00:31:34.789 --> 00:31:36.829 the fundamental duty to protect the health and 00:31:36.829 --> 00:31:39.470 safety of our own citizens, the responders who 00:31:39.470 --> 00:31:41.809 rushed into danger on 9 -11. It's a critical 00:31:41.809 --> 00:31:43.650 question for you, the listener, to consider. 00:31:43.789 --> 00:31:45.930 Did the choices made in the name of security 00:31:45.930 --> 00:31:48.569 after 9 -11 fully account for all the potential 00:31:48.569 --> 00:31:52.309 consequences, both abroad and at home? What unexamined 00:31:52.309 --> 00:31:54.970 costs are still accumulating today in terms of 00:31:54.970 --> 00:31:57.710 national debt, ongoing health problems for survivors 00:31:57.710 --> 00:32:00.549 and responders, regional instability fueled by 00:32:00.549 --> 00:32:03.779 those wars, erosion of civil liberties? The legacy 00:32:03.779 --> 00:32:06.519 of 9 -11 isn't just a memory of that day. It's 00:32:06.519 --> 00:32:09.599 woven into the fabric of the 21st century, with 00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:12.559 consequences still unfolding, costs still being 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:15.279 paid. A truly sobering look at the architecture 00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:18.440 of terror, failure, and the incredibly complex 00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:20.259 aftermath. Thank you for taking this deep dive 00:32:20.259 --> 00:32:20.660 with us.