Sep 13, 2021
The Sept. 11 attacks exposed vulnerabilities in American antiterrorism policy and execution. The government and public wanted to know what went wrong and what could be done to prevent further attacks. To better answer these and other pressing questions, President George W. Bush and Congress established The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The 9/11 Commission would eventually present its 500-plus-page report to the nation in July 2004.
As part of a series marking the attacks’ legacy on government, GovExec Daily explores the military and foreign policy legacy of the American reaction to Sept. 11. Dr. Ron Sanders and commission members Dr. Christopher A. Kojm and former Ambassador Tim Roemer discuss their experiences with the commission, the restructuring of the intelligence community and the effects of the attacks on the national psyche that remain today.