Inside the CIA and MI6 on 9/11 (w/ John McLaughlin, CIA Deputy Director on September 11th)

Part Two of our two-part series marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 reunites former leaders of the US and UK intelligence services, both of whom were in high office on September 11, 2001. Former deputy director of the CIA John McLaughlin joins former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove and co-host Kate McCann to give the insider’s perspective on the intelligence world’s response to the attacks. McLaughlin details what the CIA knew beforehand, the immediate aftermath inside CIA headquarters, and the rapid attribution to al-Qaeda. He also discusses the power of the US-UK "special relationship," the surge in CIA resources after 9/11, the Bush administration's push toward the Iraq War, the effects of the global war on terror on American civil liberties, and why the war in Ukraine is the single most important geopolitical issue today.

In this episode:

(00:00) Emotion is a Luxury in Intelligence

(01:53) John McLaughlin Introduction

(03:03) Pre-9/11 Threats

(07:17) Why Was 9/11 A Surprise?

(14:13) Considering the "What Ifs"

(15:52) M16 Rushes to DC

(22:46) CIA on 9/11

(25:12) Post-9/11 Intelligence Overhaul

(34:16) Origins of the Iraq Focus

(47:17) Legacy of 9/11 in America