HTA-0576: 9/11 Anniversary — Credible Terrorist Threat

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Summary

Henry discusses the credible terrorist threat reported in the lead-up to the 9/11 anniversary and ongoing security fears.

Full Transcript

00:00
The recent reporting of a credible terrorist threat leading up to this anniversary of 9-11 has revived fears that perhaps things aren't better, that we still are under the gun when it comes to terrorism.

00:12
I'd like to introduce you to two experts on this subject.

00:16
Terry Turchi and Kathleen Puckett are both former FBI workers,

00:23
and they were both involved in helping to find the Unabomber,

00:28
in helping to find the Atlanta Olympics bomber, Eric Rudolph.

00:33
They have a long history with the FBI,

00:36
and they wrote a book called Homeland Insecurity,

00:38
insecurity how Washington politicians have made America less safe.

00:42
So just for starters, things are better now aren't they?

00:46
They are better Henry. I think America is safer. I think that the public is much more alert and focused on terrorism.

00:52
Certainly government agencies are and when you take that combination

00:56
it really works and if you look at the last few years since 9/11 over 40 acts of

01:01
terror been prevented and it's because people have called

01:04
when they had suspicions. Did the politicians get to work on this? Do you think

01:07
that admittedly nothing's perfectly done by politicians or any of us, but have they made

01:13
a difference, do you think? The politicians have made a difference, but not always in a positive

01:17
way. I think that things are more divisive, as we all know, than they ever have been. Security

01:24
is something that is not necessarily everybody's own agenda. So the polarization that's taken place

01:31
American politics over the last even ten years after this great united example

01:38
didn't last very long after 9/11 and then the polarization after that and the

01:42
name-calling has kind of brought to fore the problem in Washington of their

01:47
inability to work together has as we point out in our book caused a lot of

01:53
the miscommunication luckily there are agencies who still do their jobs and the

01:58
public still works with the agencies that do their jobs so it's a that

02:03
communication is a lot better. Terry do you believe that the recommendations of

02:09
the 9/11 Commission were valid and are you concerned that so many of them were

02:13
not followed yet? I think they were valid and I think it's very important that we

02:18
return to those recommendations and the ones that haven't been implemented we

02:21
need to implement and if you look at for example the connectivity as far as

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communicating for first responders. Why we're 10 years out from 9/11 and that hasn't been

02:30
implemented is really beyond me. Look at the kinds of issues connected with border security

02:35
and immigration policies. As Kathy mentioned, politicians are fighting about these issues

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and what they should be doing is rolling up their sleeves and trying to resolve how we're

02:44
going to deal with this because we have a huge vulnerability there when you're talking about

02:48
our borders. Now, you were with the counter-terrorism unit in the FBI, both of you. Is it bigger

02:55
Is it better funded? Does it have better communication?

02:58
It's much bigger. It's better funded.

03:01
And I think it's much more focused on the mission

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because there are so many more people that realize what the threat is now

03:08
and know how to deal with it.

03:11
Let's go back to the principal motive.

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Why do terrorists act and how well have we responded to their motive?

03:17
That becomes the big issue, why terrorists act.

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Terrorists want to strike fear in the hearts of people, usually by big bombs.

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And their meaning is clear.

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They want to change fundamentally the way we live our life,

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our social, political, economic, and religious institutions.

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And if they can do that, then they start to think they're winning.

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And again, 10 years out, we have some real doubts in America

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as to our confidence in our institutions.

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So 9-11 has been, in a way, a double tragedy

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because not only was it such a horrible event and so many people died,

03:50
but also because it changed the way we live in many ways.

03:54
Exactly.

03:55
Okay.

03:55
Thank you both very much.

03:58
Terry Turchi and Kathleen Puckett,

04:00
they are both veterans of the FBI counterterrorism unit,

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and their book is called Homeland Insecurity.

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Thank you for your hands.

04:07
Marty, Isabel.

04:08
Okay.

04:08
Thank you, Henry.

04:09
And our coverage of the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks continues.

04:13
We want to take you to Ground Zero in New York for another live look there.