25 Years Later: Remembering 9/11 With the CIA Official Who Was With The President
Charlie Rose: In-Depth Interviews of Americas BestSummary
Michael Morell, a former CIA official, reflects on the significant events surrounding the September 11 attacks and the subsequent hunt for Osama bin Laden. He recalls his role as President Bush's daily intelligence briefer on the morning of the attacks, emphasizing that there was no specific warning about terrorism in his briefing that day. Morell describes the moment he learned of the attacks while accompanying the president, noting that the initial assumption was a small plane accident until it became clear that it was a coordinated terrorist attack by al-Qaeda.
As the conversation shifts to the intelligence community's response, Morell discusses the strategic warnings about al-Qaeda that were largely ignored leading up to 9/11. He stresses that while the CIA had been vocal about the threat posed by bin Laden, the tactical intelligence necessary to prevent the attacks was lacking. Morell also addresses the failures of both the Clinton and Bush administrations to act on these warnings, suggesting that a lack of resources and political will contributed to the intelligence failures.
Morell details the decade-long pursuit of bin Laden, culminating in the successful operation that led to his death in 2011. He highlights the meticulous intelligence work that identified bin Laden's location in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and the careful planning that went into the operation. Reflecting on the broader implications of 9/11, Morell concludes that while the U.S. has made significant strides in counterterrorism, the nation must remain vigilant against emerging threats, particularly in the context of evolving technology and geopolitical tensions.
Show Notes
Michael Morell has been more than a man who had a front-row seat to history.Uploaded 11-09-26He was a participant in two monumental events as an official of the CIA.Morell spent more than three decades in the CIA and served as an analyst, Deputy Director, and twice as Acting Director.He was with President Bush on 9/11, 2001, as the President’s daily briefer when George Bush learned of the attacks.Morell was with President Obama 10 years later, on May 1, 2011, when the operation was launched that would kill Osama bin Laden.On this 25th anniversary of 9/11, it is an important moment to consider these two events and what has changed between then and now.We will talk about what intelligence agencies knew and should have known leading up to 9/11. We will talk about the events of 9/11 as the U.S. reacted to the attacks. We will talk about the search for and killing of Osama bin Laden, and we will consider the strength of terrorism and the defense against it 25 years after 9/11.Finally, we will ask if the United States has the intelligence service it deserves at a time of increased technology and weapons.Morell, now retired from the CIA, is an important voice in the conversation about national security. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Charlie Rose: In-Depth Interviews of Americas Best
Former CIA deputy director Mike Morell examines the national-security implications of a major immigration order.Uploaded 05-12-25Original Air Date: 2017/01/30 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Charlie Rose Global Conversation:Uploaded 24-04-26Ken Rogoff is a distinguished Professor of International Economics and Summa Cum Laude graduate of Yale, with a PhD in economics from MIT.Perhaps more interesting to some is that he is a brilliant grandmaster chess champion who had an extraordinary career, winning the U.S. Junior Championship before deciding at 18 to excel in economics. He served as chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. After teaching at Princeton, he is now the Maurits C. Boas Chair of International Economics at Harvard University.This is a moment to talk about global economics, as the war in Iran has caused huge swings in the price of oil, gasoline, and fertilizer.We will talk about many things, including the Iran war, the control of the Strait of Hormuz, the regime in Iran, and President Trump. Also the global economy, debt, the dollar, interest rates, the Federal Reserve, and the risks of artificial intelligence.I’m pleased to welcome back Ken Rogoff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Charlie Rose Global ConversationUploaded 27-03-26For more than four decades, Professor John J. Mearsheimer, from his position at the University of Chicago, has examined global power and America’s role in the world—often challenging traditional assumptions and language, and creating debate about the aspirations of great powers.He has suggested that nuclear weapons can enhance stability among nations and that the power of international institutions is limited. He has used the term “offensive realism” to argue that power is the critical factor in relationships among nations, largely setting aside moral considerations.Mearsheimer has written articles and books that have provoked controversy, especially The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.Other books include: The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities, Why Leaders Lie, Conventional Deterrence, Nuclear Deterrence, and Liddell Hart and the Weight of History.This is an important moment to consider the exercise of power—both militarily and economically—as war continues in Iran and Ukraine, and threats to sovereignty emerge elsewhere.We will consider many issues, including the status of the war in Iran, the possibilities of regime change, how to end the war, the strategies of the United States, Israel, and Iran, the competition between the U.S. and China, the U.S. and Russia, Europe and Russia, what might happen in Cuba and Latin America, and the nature of war itself as drones increasingly dominate warfare in Ukraine and Iran.Professor John Mearsheimer joins us from the University of Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
General Wesley Clark, Former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe // Ted Waitt, Chairman and Ceo, Gateway /// Jake Steinfeld, CEO, Body By Jake Enterprises / Founder, Major League LacrosseUploaded 25-08-07SUBSCRIBE to get the latest from Charlie Rose: http://bit.ly/CharlieRoseSUBSCRIBEConnect with Charlie Rose Online:Visit the Charlie Rose WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/CharlieRoseDotComLike Charlie Rose on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/CharlieRoseFacebookFollow Charlie Rose on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/CharlieRoseTwitterFollow Charlie Rose on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/CharlieRoseInstagramAbout Charlie Rose:Emmy award winning journalist Charlie Rose has been praised as "one of America's premier interviewers." He is the host of Charlie Rose, the nightly PBS program that engages America's best thinkers, writers, politicians, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, scientists and other newsmakers. USA Today calls Charlie Rose, "TV's most addictive talk show." New York Newsday says, "Charlie's show is the place to get engaging, literate conversation... Bluntly, he is the best interviewer around today."W. CLARK / WAITT / STEINFELD | Charlie Rosehttp://www.youtube.com/user/CharlieRose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bret Stephens is a popular opinion columnist for The New York Times. He has held the position since 2017.Uploaded 27-04-26He was previously a foreign affairs columnist and deputy editorial page editor at The Wall Street Journal. In 2013, he received the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. From 2002–2004, he was editor in chief of The Jerusalem Post in Israel.Stephens holds degrees from the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics.This conversation comes at a critical moment when Iran and America may resume negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, continue the ceasefire, and seek to find an end to the war, which began on February 28, 2026.We will talk of many things, including who is winning the war, the negotiations to end the war, opening the Strait of Hormuz, the price of oil and gasoline, Iran’s nuclear program, and the status of buried enriched uranium.Also President Trump’s war leadership and his conflict with Pope Leo, the war response of the regime in Iran, and the consequences of war.We will conclude with America at its 250th birthday and its relationship with Israel, NATO, European and Gulf allies, and adversaries including Russia and China, whose president—President Xi Jinping—is scheduled to meet with President Trump on May 14–15 in Beijing, China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices