Intelligence Failure: From Pearl Harbor to 9/11 and Iraq
As the 9/11 Commission releases its full report of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, America Abroad examines the United States' key 20th-century intelligence failures, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the fall of the Shah of Iran, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Guests on this program include:
- Joseph Nye, Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
- Warren Rudman, former Vice Chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
- William Sessions, Former FBI Director
Garrick Utley narrates the program's history segment, an archival audio tour of intelligence assessments from Pearl Harbor through 9/11 and Iraq.
Ron Nessen examines CIA assessments before and during the Vietnam War, a time when the CIA produced largely accurate analyses that were pessimistic about US involvement and the prospects for victory.
In the wake of September 11th and the war on terrorism, Steve Roberts invites listeners to hear from Muslim-American recruits to the FBI and CIA on the challenges and rewards of their work.
Margaret Warner moderates a roundtable discussion on the future of intelligence assessment and reform in light of the lessons learned since the attacks on Pearl Harbor.