By DEVORAH HALBERSTAM and JOSEPH BILLY, JR. – NY Daily News
This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and while our nation has done incredible work in building intelligence capacity, securing our infrastructure and coordinating our response capabilities, we sadly continue to make the same mistakes, causing ourselves to ask the question: When will we get it right? A peaceful protest turned violent accomplished what the hijackers of United Flight 93 may have been setting out to do — attack one of our nation’s most symbolic targets, the Capitol Building. But this time, it was not Al Qaeda looking to do the damage, but our own countrymen.
From all accounts, the intelligence leading up to Jan. 6 was there. The drumbeats were plentiful, and not only on social media but from more obvious signals which made no secret of what was to come. Tracking this type of intelligence provides law enforcement with the ability to prepare for the worst, but unfortunately no one adequately prepared. There was no robust defense of the building; employees and Congressmen were not relocated swiftly; and pleas for law enforcement and National Guard support were only made after it was too late.
Sure, we have built a 9/11 museum in New York, a memorial at the Pentagon and, in Pennsylvania, a memorial to the those killed in United Flight 93. Almost every law enforcement person, from federal to state to local, wears a pin on their collar that says, “Never Forget.” And yet the most important lessons were never learned or applied in real-time. Before the eyes of the whole world, our law enforcement response was a total failure.
The lessons of 9/11 were not meant to be documented in a handbook to be distributed to graduating classes of law enforcement academies and collect dust on the shelves of long-ago heroes. They were meant to teach us how to respond in a moment’s notice, from attacks by enemies beyond our borders, to terrorists within.
We are quick to perform so-called after-action reviews of failures once an event has ended, but regrettably this event highlights our continued vulnerabilities, and especially to our adversaries who are continually looking for ways to attack us. Throughout the history of the United States, there have been many precedents of failing to be prepared until it was too late to do anything about it. We must ask ourselves how many more times we will continue to make the same mistakes?
Halberstam was appointed to the first New York State Commission on Terrorism by Gov. George Pataki in 2001. Her son Ari was murdered in a terrorist attack on the Brooklyn Bridge. Billy served as the assistant director of the FBI Counterterrorism Division from 2006 to 2008 and as the special agent in charge of the FBI New York Counterterrorism Division following the attacks of 9/11. The opinions expressed are his and not that of the FBI or other government agency.
Certainly the premier Law Enforcement agencies know what’s going on.
They choose to let it play out–often times with people who are paid informants.
The system is corrupt and is not interested in protecting us–they’re interested in politics.
It makes for good TV news to claim a bunch of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. However, dig deeper into the background of those who were accused. Many of them are playing for both sides of the game.
Don’t fall for what the news spoon feeds you.
What do you mean what the news spoon feeds you? Mrs. Halberstam is a expert in this field, she researches this and talks to other experts and to imply that she is merely being brainwashed by mainstream media is insulting. Please everyone, lets trust our experts.
Exactly
You’ve nailed this. Mrs Halberstam is an expert on law enforcement and an advocate for our community and for all the jews
OP here.
Did NOT mean to disparage Ms. Halberstam in any way whatsoever or challenging her viewpoint.
Simply stating that the Government law agencies will know something is afoot but they pick and choose what to go after.
Look at BLM RIOTING and LOOTING where nothing was done. Look at all the attacks against Jews in NYC where there was no effort to stop it.
They know what’s going on–they sit on information and use paid informants which is the epitome of dishonesty.
“The government “ in power during the 1/6 insurrection was Trump. So Trump played politics by knowingly allowing a riot to be carried out by people masquerading as Trump supporters to make Trump look bad? Or Trump had no idea of what was going on inside his own agencies? What a huge failure in leadership on his part, if your theory is true.
Try dusting off your copy of the Constitution (despite the fact that it was written by old white men who weren’t “woke”), and you’ll discover that the Capitol is part of a different branch of government, the legislative, while the president is head of the executive. Your fantasies of monarchy aside, we have something called separation of powers.
Sadly, in many instances the “errors” could be attributed to negligence and apathy stemming from people who are entrenched in their bureaucratic positions, and have very little care for society. This is at best.
In some worse cases, it may almost be intentional. Sabotage, may not appear pleasing to the citizen, but it has a wonderful benefit for the political crony.
It’s an arbitrary thing to connect two separate events. 9/11/01 was one day with many horrific events; 1/6/21 was another day with arguably ugly (and illegal) human behavior on display. I fail to see a connection as it regards to planning and prevention. 1/6 was the direct result of the President’s stoking coals into flames. Kinda difficult to blame different agencies for action or lack thereof towards one direction when their commander in chief has an opionion that slants to another direction. BUT – I will not argue this post writer’s underlying opinion: That America still has much room for… Read more »
The reason why the terrorist attack on January 6th was treated differently is because the terrorists were white. Had they been black or Muslim, the security and law enforcement, the number of arrests and fatalities, all would have been increased. The true problem in this country stems from white supremacy. It has invaded our law enforcement, our government, our schools, and the very foundations of this country since its founding. We must deal with white supremacy. We must educate ourselves and our fellow citizens. We must vote out those who preach intolerance and hatred. We must raise our children to… Read more »
What kind of cool aid have you been drinking? Had the rioters been black or Muslim they would have been able to do whatever the beep they wanted, as they did throughout the summer. Don’t distort facts to meet your twisted agenda
How can you say such rubbish? The term White supremacy is being used as a weapon to incite black people against white people. That is racism the other way around. That’s how pogroms happened in the past against yidden. The true problem is people not taking ownership of their own responsibilities. Blaming Others for their failures and dysfunctions. And expecting others to clean up their mess.
That’s why the blm riots were supported and barely anyone arrested for the most most violent behavior, but when whites did it they are going after them?
U call that White supremacy???
If we want to stop making the same mistakes, then we must address the true threat facing America: white supremacy. Only through obliterating this secondary virus will we be able to heal and move forward as a country.
Alongside black supremacy or criminality whatever you want to call it . I’m bipartisan and to me, I’ve seen violence from whites and blacks
Define white supremacy, please.
Dangerous ideas such as that career criminals high on drugs, who are attacking their own (former) girlfriends, shouldn’t be held up as role models and given funerals in solid gold caskets. Dangerous ideas such as that burning down and looting businesses (including black-owned ones) isn’t really about achieving justice. Dangerous ideas such as that the deaths of thousands of blacks at the hands of other blacks isn’t a concern, only the far fewer ones killed by whites. Why, these ideas are so “white supremacist” that people of all races subscribe to them! So there’s obviously “multiracial Whiteness,” as we were… Read more »
Before you say such things, check your facts. Whether you like it or not MORE people of color are killed by police. Also as a Jew you should be sympathetic to minorities because YOU understand Also You, frum chabad yidden, not to believe every conspiracy theory. Did you hear that Jews control our every move? It’s true I saw it on a Facebook group. I mean cmon
For Jews living in New York, the biggest threat is black supremacy. None of the dozens of attacks on Jews in NY over the last few years have been by the far right.
Nice opinion piece, but I think it’s also about time that the community take a long hard look in the mirror and ask ….where is the communal leadership??
That’s correct – “leadership” …. not folks who write opinion pieces and complain after these events; but folks who are proactive and willing to be be front and center before these events happen. That what leadership is all about – and it’s not about photo ops !
No way they would stop it,in fact,they purposely put in place less security measures than on a regular day.
And who do you think was responsible for security of the Capitol on 1/6? Where was the president?
While the Capitol, and its police, are run by the legislative branch.
The “American Public” & the “Average American” are led by elected officials who do not embrace the thoughts, values and and definitions of justice and law of their constituents. Those elected can not acknowledge these disparities and continue to be elected or re-elected. Thus, intelligence data is not, necessarily, the problem. The problem is the absence of leadership, regardless of party.
Mayor Guilliani (hope I’ve spelled that right) is sticking to his knowledge of who perpetrated the attack on the Capitol on January 6th. He is also standing by the overwhelming evidence and proof he investigated and assembled about he election. He has publicly repeated that the leading organizers and rioters are from the Left and that, at least, one of their main leaders was arrested and released even though he was filmed in the center of the attack. Is it that no lessons were learned or that the attack was deliberately planned with permission from certain powers that be? Regardless,… Read more »