The Unknown Known Page #2

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That's how our day began

on September 11th.

They had hit the center

of economic power in New York,

and they then had hit

the center of military power

at the Pentagon.

You need to find out

what had happened.

What was it?

I got up and

went down the hall, and...

on my floor,

until the smoke was so bad

I had to get outside.

Then I went downstairs and

outside and around the corner,

and here were pieces of

that American airlines airplane

just spread all over the apron,

all over the grass.

Flames and smoke,

people being brought out

of the building

who were injured

and burned and wounded.

The first responders

really hadn't arrived yet.

There were

very few people there.

How do you think

that they got away with 9/11?

It seems amazing in retrospect.

Everything seems amazing

in retrospect.

Pearl harbor seems amazing

in retrospect.

It's a failure of imagination.

It's not as though you aren't

aware of possibilities,

but you tend to favor

some possibilities

more than others.

And it's enormously important

to have priorities.

What are you gonna worry about?

What is it you want to do?

What are you gonna

be prepared for?

And you have to pick and choose.

Well, to the extent

you pick and choose

and you're wrong...

...the penalty can be enormous.

"September 30, 2001."

Memorandum.

Title:
"Strategic thoughts."

"The U.S. strategic theme

should be aiding local peoples

to rid themselves of terrorists

and to free themselves

of regimes

that support terrorism.

The regimes of such states

should see that it will be fatal

to host terrorists

who attack the United States.

The United States government

should envision

a goal along these lines.

New regimes in Afghanistan

and another key state or two

that supports terrorism.

Syria out of Lebanon.

Dismantlement or destruction

of weapons of mass destruction

capabilities.

If the war does not

significantly change

the world's political map,

the U.S. will not

achieve its aim."

On my orders,

the United States military

has begun strikes

against Al-Qaeda

terrorist training camps

and military installations

of the Taliban regime

in Afghanistan.

In relatively short order,

a matter of weeks,

Kabul was occupied,

the Taliban was defeated

and run out of the country

in large measure,

and a lot of Al-Qaeda

were killed.

Osama Bin Laden escaped

into Pakistan eventually.

The target of the

largest manhunt in history

still eludes capture.

Cave by cave, for any sign

of Osama Bin Laden,

dead or alive.

The high probability that

Osama Bin Laden is still alive.

With Afghanistan's

porous borders,

it's possible Bin Laden

has already slipped

out of the country.

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