2: 6. The 9/11 Failure and the Cold War Mindset Liza Mundy Book: The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA Leading up to 9/11, the women of Alec Station had been repeatedly warning that a
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6. The 9/11 Failure and the Cold War Mindset Liza Mundy Book: The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA Leading up to 9/11, the women of Alec Station had been repeatedly warning that al-Qaeda had the capability to attack the United States. On 9/11, the CIA learned of the attacks via CNN, confirming the women's "sick inevitability." While CIA Director George Tenet evacuated the headquarters due to the threat of a plane attack, the Counterterrorism Center staff remained at their posts, working 24/7 to prevent a second wave. The women faced a reckoning afterward, being blamed for failing to connect the dots, despite previous internal struggles to get their analysis published. Adding to the difficulty, the incoming Bush administration, composed largely of "Cold Warriors," struggled to recognize a stateless terror organization as a legitimate, existential threat, focusing instead on traditional state adversaries with armies and capitals. Furthermore, historical failures like the Waco incident made the Clinton administration hesitant to approve operations against bin Laden due to fears of collateral damage.
