If there was one act of terrorism that completely shook the entire world, that would be the 9/11 attack. The memory of the two planes crashing into the Twin Towers is forever etched in our minds. Was there a way that the attack could have been prevented?
In 1995, “The Wall” policy was created. This policy technically discouraged information sharing between the CIA and the FBI. This policy is said to play a critical role in the inability to stop 9/11 from happening.
Who is Ali Soufan?
Ali H. Soufan is a Lebanese-American born on 1971 in Beirut, Lebanon. He moved to the US and studied Political Science from Mansfield University.
In 1999, as an FBI agent, he was part of the investigating team for the Jordan Millennium Bombing plot. He discovered several documents from Jordanian intelligence just lying around in the CIA station. His discovery, embarrassed the CIA.
Soufan was also able to uncover crucial information about several terrorists plots which eventually pushed for transparency between departments. (Source: New Yorker)
Soufan on the CIA
Ali Soufan interrogated Abu Zubaydah of Al Quaida after the 9/11 attacks happened. During this interrogation, he was able to discover the true plotters behind the attack.
Soufan’s method of interrogation was quite different to what the CIA practices. He follows a rather old-school method; bonding with prisoners and treating them humanely. He even brought a plate of sugar-free cookies to a diabetic detainee.
Soufan often called out the CIA about their enhanced yet brutal interrogation techniques. He wrote a book called The Black Banners which contained his experiences as an FBI Agent. The CIA insisted on more than a hundred redactions after its publication.
Soufan left the FBI in 2005 and is running a consulting firm; the Soufan Group. (Source: Vanity Fair)
What Happened on 9/11?
Prior to the attacks occurring in 2001. There were several instances where the CIA had the opportunity to share information that may have been vital to managing the situation.
In addition to that, their methods seemed arbitrary to the detainees, they basically got nothing from them. If the CIA had not gotten in the way, the 9/11 attack could have been prevented.
Let’s look at the truth and let’s expose those people who lied for a long period of time to the American public about waterboarding and the efficacy of torture.
Ali Soufan
Six months after the attack, Abu Zubaydah was found in Pakistan. He was injured in the shootout but he was captured and flown back to the US for interrogation. (Source: Vanity Fair)
Zubaydah cooperated with Soufan and another FBI agent. The pair showed him photos of suspects on a hand-held and asked him to identify them. When they got to the photo of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Zubaydah revealed that he was the mastermind behind the attack on the twin towers.
We did not even know that Khalid Sheikh Mohammad was a member of al-Qaida. And now here’s Abu Zubaydah, telling us that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is actually the mastermind of 9/11.
Ali Soufan
(Source: NPR)