Things about 9/11 that still don't make sense.

 

Airport Security

Before 9/11, airport security was surprisingly lax by today's standards. Passengers could bring sharp objects like box cutters on board, and airport screeners were often undertrained and underpaid. The hijackers exploited this by legally passing through security with tools they would later use to seize the planes. It’s still baffling that such simple weapons could bypass security and lead to such catastrophic events.

Security Hesitancy

Despite growing concerns about terrorism in the 1990s, there was hesitancy to tighten security measures at airports and in immigration. Political and economic concerns about slowing travel and trade often outweighed warnings about potential threats. This reluctance to act decisively allowed gaps in the system that attackers ultimately exploited

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Early Warnings

There were multiple early warnings from both domestic and international sources suggesting that al-Qaeda was planning an attack using planes. Some reports even mentioned the possibility of hijackings. Yet these warnings weren’t aggressively followed up. The sheer volume of intelligence combined with poor coordination led to them being overlooked or downplayed.

Dismissal

When key figures like Richard Clarke and the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center pushed urgent concerns about al-Qaeda, they were often sidelined or ignored. One infamous instance is President Bush receiving a memo titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." in August 2001, which was not met with significant action. The prevailing attitude seemed to be that an attack on American soil was unlikely.

Miscommunication

Government agencies like the FBI and CIA had pieces of the puzzle but failed to share crucial information with each other. The FBI knew some of the hijackers were in the U.S. training at flight schools, but that intelligence wasn’t passed along or acted upon. The lack of communication between agencies was a critical breakdown.

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Disjointed Intelligence

The intelligence community was fragmented, with each agency guarding its data. There was no central hub for integrating domestic and international threat intelligence. The 9/11 Commission later criticized this disjointed approach, saying that had the dots been connected, the plot might have been uncovered in time.

NORAD's Response

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) had protocols for hijackings, but they were designed for external threats, not planes being turned into missiles. On 9/11, they were unprepared for the kind of attack that occurred. Miscommunications and delays led to fighter jets being scrambled too late or sent in the wrong directions.

Radical Groups

The rise of radical Islamist groups like al-Qaeda was on intelligence radars for years, but their potential to inflict mass-scale harm on U.S. soil was underestimated. Analysts struggled to grasp how decentralized terrorist networks could pose a serious threat, often viewing them as regional problems, not global ones.

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Domestic Terrorism Threats

While the focus was on foreign threats, domestic terrorism was also on the rise, especially after events like the Oklahoma City bombing. However, these internal threats often received less funding and attention, leaving gaps in the overall threat assessment and national security strategy.

Flight 93

The crash of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania remains one of the most haunting parts of 9/11. Passengers, having learned about the earlier attacks, decided to fight back, forcing the hijackers to crash the plane before it could hit its intended target. The lack of a full investigation into the black box contents and cockpit recordings has left many with unanswered questions.

Heroic Actions

From firefighters rushing into collapsing buildings to ordinary citizens helping others escape, the heroism displayed on 9/11 was overwhelming. Many sacrificed their lives to save others, yet the full extent of their actions often goes underreported or forgotten amid the broader narrative.

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Intervention

Post-9/11, questions linger about whether stronger intervention policies could have prevented the attack. Critics argue that had the U.S. taken a more aggressive stance against al-Qaeda earlier—by striking training camps or freezing assets—the plot may never have reached execution.

Health Consequences

Thousands of first responders and residents around Ground Zero were exposed to toxic air and debris. In the years since, many have developed respiratory illnesses, cancers, and other health issues. Initially, officials claimed the air was safe, a claim that has been proven tragically wrong.

Cognitive Decline

Beyond physical ailments, studies show that many 9/11 survivors and first responders suffer from cognitive issues, including memory loss and PTSD-related symptoms. The psychological trauma of the day and its aftermath continues to affect mental health decades later.

Toxic Dust

The collapse of the Twin Towers released a massive cloud of dust containing asbestos, lead, mercury, and other dangerous substances. Despite early reassurances from the EPA, this toxic mixture has been linked to long-term illnesses, and efforts to treat or compensate victims have been slow and insufficient.

The use of torture

In the aftermath of 9/11, the U.S. government resorted to “enhanced interrogation techniques” on terrorism suspects, many of which are now widely regarded as torture. These methods, including waterboarding and stress positions, were employed in black sites and at Guantanamo Bay. The morality and legality of these actions have been fiercely debated, especially given that much of the intelligence gathered has been called into question for its reliability. Critics argue that torture not only violated international law but also eroded America's moral standing globally.

 

Ineffectiveness

Despite enormous investments in national security and intelligence, 9/11 exposed glaring vulnerabilities in the U.S. defense and intelligence apparatus. Agencies like the CIA and FBI had prior indicators of the plot but failed to connect the dots. Afterward, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the implementation of the Patriot Act aimed to prevent future attacks, but critics argue that these measures did not address the core failures of coordination and accountability.

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Human rights violations

The global war on terror led to widespread human rights abuses, including indefinite detention without trial, extraordinary rendition, and lack of legal representation for detainees. Guantanamo Bay became a symbol of these violations, where prisoners were held for years without charges or fair trials. These practices sparked international condemnation and raised concerns about the erosion of civil liberties in the name of security.

Delayed trials

Many 9/11 suspects, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have been in custody for over two decades without a trial. Legal delays, classified evidence, questions about torture, and procedural issues have contributed to the stalling of justice. This prolonged legal limbo undermines confidence in the U.S. judicial system and prolongs the suffering of both victims’ families and the accused.

Legal complications

Trying 9/11 suspects has been mired in legal confusion, especially regarding jurisdiction and admissibility of evidence obtained through coercive means. Military commissions, as opposed to civilian courts, were used in part to bypass standard protections—yet they have faced repeated legal challenges. The result is a convoluted legal process that has hindered resolution and accountability.

Pandemic

COVID-19 unexpectedly became another layer of delay in 9/11 trials, particularly at Guantanamo Bay. Hearings were postponed due to health risks, travel restrictions, and limited access to defense teams. This added yet another setback in already drawn-out proceedings, frustrating efforts to reach justice after nearly two decades.

Omar al-Bayoumi

Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who assisted two 9/11 hijackers upon their arrival in the U.S., remains a figure of intrigue. Though officially described as a “good Samaritan,” later investigations suggested deeper ties to Saudi intelligence. The FBI suspected he may have provided logistical support, raising questions about how much the Saudi government knew—or possibly facilitated—about the plot.

Ties to Saudi intelligence

Persistent allegations link Saudi officials to the 9/11 attackers, with 15 of the 19 hijackers being Saudi citizens. Declassified documents suggest certain individuals within the Saudi government may have had knowledge of or connections to the attackers. The extent of these ties remains murky, in part due to political sensitivities and longstanding U.S.-Saudi relations.

Transparency

The U.S. government’s response to 9/11 has often been criticized for a lack of transparency. From redacted investigation reports to secret detentions and classified evidence, the public has been left with an incomplete picture. This opacity fuels conspiracy theories and deepens public distrust in official narratives and institutions.

Delay in declassifying documents

Key documents related to 9/11 were kept classified for years, including portions of the 9/11 Commission Report and FBI files. It wasn’t until two decades later that President Biden ordered the release of some files, revealing previously unknown connections. The long delay has raised concerns that vital information was intentionally withheld to protect diplomatic or political interests.

Financial transactions

Unusual financial transactions in the days leading up to 9/11 have led to speculation about insider trading and foreknowledge of the attacks. Put options on airline stocks spiked suspiciously, but investigations by the SEC and 9/11 Commission found no conclusive link. Nonetheless, questions linger about whether financial markets reflected advance knowledge of the attacks.

Building 7 collapse

The collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 remains one of the most debated aspects of 9/11. Unlike the Twin Towers, WTC 7 was not struck by a plane, yet it fell at near free-fall speed hours after the initial attacks. Official investigations concluded fire caused the collapse, but skeptics argue that no steel-framed high-rise had ever collapsed from fire alone, fueling alternative theories.

Official explanation

The 9/11 Commission Report provided a detailed narrative of the attacks, yet many still view the official explanation as incomplete. Critics argue that key witnesses weren’t interviewed, some testimony was contradictory, and the report sidestepped uncomfortable geopolitical implications. While it remains the most authoritative account, questions about omissions and potential biases persist.

Perception of safety

Despite sweeping changes in security protocols and surveillance post-9/11, the perception of safety remains complicated. On one hand, there hasn’t been another attack on the scale of 9/11 in the U.S.; on the other, civil liberties have been curtailed, and fear-driven policies reshaped global travel and privacy norms. The balance between safety and freedom continues to provoke debate.