The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 left Americans wondering how such a breach of security could have occurred. Relatives and friends of the victims pushed for the creation of a National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States to investigate the government's preparedness for and response to the attacks and to provide recommendations for preventing future disasters. As Senior Advisor to the 9/11 Commission, Ernest R. May provides students with a firsthand account of the commission's methods and actions. His introduction, which describes the drafting process and the collaboration of the commissioners despite the bitter political divisions surrounding them, allows students to view the report as an historical document. The report itself has been carefully abridged for the classroom while preserving the essence of the complete version. A cast of characters, a glossary of political acronyms, a chronology, a selected bibliography, and questions for consideration make this edition ideal for students.
Gain a firsthand account of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks' methods and actions as 9/11 Commission Report with Related Documents walks you through the drafting process despite the bitter political divisions surrounding the commission.
Foreword
Preface
PART ONE
Introduction: The Making of The 9/11 Commission Report
The Politics of the 9/11 Era
The Creation of the 9/11 Commission
Battles between the Commission and the Administration
The Public Hearings of the Commission
The Commission Report
Shortcomings of the Report
Whats Missing?
Cast of Characters
Glossary of Acronyms
PART TWO
The Document: The 9/11 Commission Report
Preface
1. "We Have Some Planes"
Inside the Four Flights
Boston: American 11 and United 175 • Washington
Dulles: American 77 • Newark: United 93 • The
Hijacking of American 11 • The Hijacking of United
175 • The Hijacking of American 77 • The Battle
for United 93
Improvising a Homeland Defense
National Crisis Management
The President and the Vice President • United 93 and
the Shootdown Order
2. The Foundation of the New Terrorism
A Declaration of War
Bin Ladin's Appeal in the Islamic World
Islam • Bin Ladins Worldview • History and
Political Context • Social and Economic Malaise •
Bin Ladins Historical Opportunity
The Rise of Bin Ladin and al Qaeda (1988-1992)
Al Qaeda's Renewal in Afghanistan (1996-1998)
The Embassy Bombings
3. Counterterrorism Evolves
From the Old Terrorism to the New: The First World Trade Center Bombing
Adaptation -- and Nonadaptation -- in the Law Enforcement Community
The Justice Department and the FBI • Legal Constraints
on the FBI and "the Wall" • Other Law Enforcement
Agencies
…and in the Intelligence Community
The CIA • Clandestine and Covert Action •
Analysis • Early Counterterrorism Efforts
…and in the State Department and the Defense Department
The State Department • The Department of Defense
…and in the White House
…and in the Congress
4. Responses to al Qaeda's Initial Assaults
Before the Bombings in Kenya and Tanzania
Early Efforts against Bin Ladin • The CIA Develops a
Capture Plan
Crisis: August 1998
A Follow-on Campaign?
Covert Action
Searching for Fresh Options
"Boots on the Ground?" • The Desert Camp, February
1999 • Looking for New Partners • Kandahar,
May 1999
5. Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland
Terrorist Entrepreneurs
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed [KSM]
The "Planes Operation"
The Plan Evolves
The Hamburg Contingent
Mohamed Atta • Ramzi Binalshibh • Marwan
al Shehhi • Ziad Jarrah • Requirements for a
Successful Attack
6. From Threat to Threat
The Millennium Crisis
"Bodies Will Pile Up in Sacks" • Ressams Arrest
Emergency Cooperation • A Lost Trail in Southeast
Asia
Post-Crisis Reflection: Agenda for 2000
"Afghan Eyes"
The Attack on the USS Cole
Considering a Response
Change and Continuity
Early Decisions • Starting a Review
The New Administration's Approach
September 2001
7. The Attack Looms
First Arrivals in California
The 9/11 Pilots in the United States
The Fourth Pilot: Hani Hanjour
Assembling the Teams
Dissent within the al Qaeda Leadership • Moving to
Departure Positions
8. "The System Was Blinking Red"
The Summer of Threat
Zacarias Moussaoui • Time Runs Out
9. Heroism and Horror
Emergency Response at the Pentagon
10. Wartime
Immediate Responses at Home
Planning for War
"Phase Two" and the Question of Iraq
11. Foresight -- and Hindsight
Imagination
Historical Perspective • Understanding the
Danger • Institutionalizing Imagination: The Case
of Aircraft as Weapons
Policy
Capabilities
Management
Operational Management • Institutional
Management • The Millennium Exception
12. What to Do? A Global Strategy
13. How to Do It? A Different Way of Organizing Government
PART THREE
Related Documents
1. Declarations by Usama Bin Ladin, August 23, 1996; May 10, 1997; February 23, 1998
2. From The Presidents Daily Brief, December 4, 1998, and August 6, 2001
3. The 9/11 Commission, Final Report on 9/11 Commission Recommendations, December 5, 2005
Appendixes
A 9/11 Chronology (1978-2005)
Questions for Consideration
Selected Bibliography
Index