25 years since the disaster that changed America: A special interview with the CIA director during 9/11
In a special interview with i24NEWS, Leon Panetta, the CIA director during the September 11 attacks, recounts the morning that changed America. Panetta describes the first moments of the attack, the decision to evacuate Congress, and the secret operation to kill Osama bin Laden. He warns that 25 years later, terrorism still threatens the United States, Israel, and their allies.
In a special interview with i24NEWS, Leon Panetta, who served as CIA director during the September 11, 2001 attacks, recounts the morning that changed America. Panetta says he was in Washington D.C. when a colleague received word of a plane hitting one of the World Trade Center towers. Within minutes, news came of a second plane, and it became clear it was a terrorist attack. Panetta immediately contacted members of Congress and ordered them to evacuate, fearing the Capitol could be the next target. He describes the shock and the wake-up call to enemies willing to kill innocent people. Later, Panetta discusses the CIA's secret operation to kill Osama bin Laden, years after the attack. He recalls the longest 20 minutes of his life, waiting for confirmation that the operation succeeded, until Admiral McRaven announced they had gotten bin Laden. Panetta emphasizes the importance of the success in proving to the world that terrorism cannot occur without a response. In conclusion, he warns that 25 years later, terrorism still threatens the United States, Israel, and their allies, and the war on terror is not over.