Breakdown: How America's Intelligence Failures Led to September 11

by Bill Gertz

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Bill Gertz uses his unparalleled access to America's intelligence system to show how this system completely broke down in the years, months, and days leading up to the deadly terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596987104
Publisher:	Skyhorse Publishing
Publication date:	03/28/2012
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

The list of Regnery authors reads like a "who's who" of conservative thought, action, and history.

Table of Contents

	Introduction: Breakdown	1
Chapter 1	The Osama File	7
Chapter 2	The Loud Bang No One Heard	21
Chapter 3	The DIA: Death by Bureaucracy	39
Chapter 4	The PCIA--Politically Correct Intelligence Agency	53
Chapter 5	The FBI: The Decline of Domestic Intelligence	83
Chapter 6	Congress and Destructive Oversight	105
Chapter 7	Technical Spying	127
Chapter 8	Nonsecurity	139
	Conclusion: The Way Ahead	157
Appendix A	The Trace	171
Appendix B	The Evidence	215
	Notes	257
	Acknowledgments	259
	Index	261

What People are Saying About This

Rush Limbaugh

What he's uncovered is shocking. He's done a great service for the people of this country.

Introduction

Best-selling author and award-winning investigative reporter Bill Gertz taps his inside sources in the Pentagon and the CIA to track the path of terrorism and terrorists in the United States. Gertz tells us who knew what-and how our military and intelligence agencies and officials had information that could have prevented September 11. Extensive material on Bill Clinton, and how his complete mismanagement of both our military and our intelligence agencies made us sitting ducks for this kind of attack. Gertz shows what's being done now behind the scenes for our protection, and the further steps needed to avoid future disasters.

Editorial Reviews

The hottest reporter in town...he breaks dozens of big stories every year, and he's read carefully by people who follow national security issues.

Washington Post

From the bestselling author of a scathing indictment of Clintonian foreign policy, Betrayal, comes an unbalanced but revealing expose on the mistakes, misdirections and blunders behind "the most damaging intelligence failure since Pearl Harbor." Gertz supports his argument that the intelligence community has "lost sight of [its] purpose and function" with interviews, news clips and almost 100 pages of government documents, some partially classified (a National Security Agency report reproduced within contains little but the date and the designation "TOP SECRET UMBRA"-the rest is "withheld at the request of U.S. intelligence officials"). He points a very stern finger at the FBI, the NSA and the CIA, "where preservation of the agency's budget takes precedence over its performance." In one confounding case, Gertz writes, veteran CIA field agent Robert Baer was investigated and nearly prosecuted by the FBI for planning an assassination of Saddam Hussein; when the CIA discovered their jig was up, they left Baer out to dry. But while the insights into a government overrun by bureaucracy can be fascinating (and infuriating), Gertz seldom assigns any blame toward either George H.W. or George W. Bush's policies in the Middle East. He saves his condemnation, instead, for the Clinton administration (again). This one-sided portrayal may leave the critical reader feeling as if only half the story is being told, as Gertz's strong conservative bent distorts what could have been an important and well-informed look at the terrorist disaster. (Aug. 25) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

The defense and national security reporter for argues that US intelligence bureaucracies have lost sight of their mission to support defense and national security objectives, and are now devoted to their own security. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews