An Enduring Skepticism: Unanswered Questions of 9/11

Introduction

More than two decades after September 11, 2001, the official narrative of the attacks remains shadowed by profound questions.¹ These questions center on political maneuvering and the integrity of the subsequent investigations.

This document provides a critical examination of those enduring questions. It analyzes the specific, unresolved issues that persist, grouping them by theme:

• The integrity of the key investigators and institutions.
• The documented intelligence failures.
• The chaotic events of the day itself.
• The unexplained connections that continue to fuel skepticism.

Questions About Investigation Integrity

The Mueller FBI’s Actions

Robert Mueller led the FBI during 9/11 and its immediate aftermath.² His later, controversial role heading the Trump-Russia investigation (labeled the “Russia Hoax” by critics ³) causes some observers to apply new scrutiny to his FBI’s handling of 9/11.⁴

Specific questions include:

• Why did the Phoenix Memo—an FBI field report warning of extremists in flight schools—die within his FBI? ²
• Why was WTC steel evidence removed and disposed of so quickly under his FBI’s jurisdiction, hampering the forensic investigation? ⁵
• What were the full findings regarding the Saudi flights authorized post-9/11? ⁶
• How effectively did his FBI handle the Anthrax investigation, which targeted leaders like Sen. Tom Daschle? ⁷ Were its ultimate conclusions, which blamed a lone scientist, fully verified? ⁸

The Zelikow Conflict & Commission Bias

The 9/11 Commission’s executive director, Philip Zelikow, had tight links to the Bush White House. He was a co-author with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.⁹

How could the Commission claim independence? Critics slammed this connection at the time.¹⁰ Did it effectively allow the White House to steer the investigation?

Political Pressure & Information Control

Key findings were kept secret for years. This includes the “28 pages,” a classified section of the 2002 Joint Inquiry that detailed potential Saudi links.¹¹

Was this secrecy due to legitimate security concerns? Or was it due to political pressure, perhaps involving figures like Jeff Sessions, who was in the Senate at the time? ¹²¹³

Furthermore, did the White House improperly limit the 9/11 Commission’s access or scope, as some alleged during the 2004 hearings? ¹⁴

Analysis of Intelligence Failures

The CIA/FBI Wall

Why, specifically, did the CIA not tell Mueller’s FBI that known terrorists Hazmi and Mihdhar were in the US until it was far too late? The 2002 Joint Inquiry called this failure “inexplicable.” ¹⁵

Flight School Failures

Why were flight schools not investigated aggressively before 9/11, despite FBI knowledge of extremist interest (like the Phoenix Memo)? ¹⁶ Why did the INS certify questionable schools? ¹⁷

Ignored Foreign Warnings

What specific intel did Abdullah Abdullah provide US officials in July 2001? ¹⁸ What concrete actions followed National Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Richard Clarke’s July 5th warning meeting? ¹⁹

NSA Deaf Spot

Why were crucial NSA intercepts not translated before 9/11? ²⁰

The “Back Off” Allegations

Who ordered intel to “back off” certain investigations pre-9/11, as alleged by figures like former U.S. diplomat Michael Springmann? ²¹ Why?

Sudan’s Offer

Why exactly was Sudan’s offer to extradite Bin Laden refused years earlier? ²²

Unresolved Events of September 11

NORAD’s Response

Why was the air defense response so seemingly ineffective? The 9/11 Commission found the response was “improvised and ineffective.” ²³

Official reports from NORAD and the FAA also contained conflicting timelines. These conflicts required the Commission to issue subpoenas to resolve.²⁴ Why was this response so slow compared to standard intercept procedures? Where are the complete logs?

Radar Evasion

How did large planes evade primary radar tracking for so long?

Passport Discovery

How did flimsy passports survive the WTC inferno intact? ²⁵ Who found them, when, and what was their condition?

Missing Black Boxes

Where are the recorders from all four planes? Recorders for Flight 77 (Pentagon) and Flight 93 (Pennsylvania) were reportedly recovered.²⁶ However, those for Flights 11 and 175 (WTC) were not.²⁷

Why was NTSB access limited? And why was there secrecy around transcripts, such as the FBI sealing the Flight 93 cockpit audio? ²⁸

CAPPS Boarding Failures

Why were flagged hijackers allowed to board? They had been identified by the CAPPS (Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System).²⁹ Who made the call? Where are the records?

The WTC Steel

Why the rush to remove and scrap crucial forensic evidence from Ground Zero? ⁵ Who ordered it?

Odd Connections & Unexplained Actions

The Saudi Flights

Who personally authorized the post-9/11 flights for Saudis and Bin Laden family members when US airspace was closed? What was the precise justification given at the time? ⁶

Visa Express Program

Why was Saudi Arabia alone given the “Visa Express” program? ³⁰ Why were flawed applications approved? ³¹

Pakistan’s ISI Link

What was ISI Director Ahmed discussing with Rep. Porter Goss and Sen. Bob Graham on the morning of 9/11? ³² What about the alleged $100k wire transfer to hijacker Mohamed Atta?

The Close Combat Training

Why did Ziad Jarrah receive lethal chokehold and knife training in Florida from Bert Rodriguez? ³³ Rodriguez is an instructor with unique military and Saudi connections, as noted by Jon Ronson.

Why did Jarrah share training manuals with Marwan al-Shehhi? ³³ Does the instructor’s background matter?

Ptech & Government Systems

What was the full story behind the Ptech software company? What about its sensitive government clients and alleged terror financing links? ³⁴ Was it a security risk?

Pre-9/11 War Plans

What is the documented origin of reports alleging that military plans for Afghanistan existed before 9/11? ³⁵

Florida National Guard Activation

Why was there a specific activation of the Florida National Guard for “terrorism” readiness on September 7, 2001?

Hijacker DNA IDs

Has every hijacker been positively identified via DNA, with public proof available? ³⁶

Conclusion: The Enduring Void

Decades later, as highlighted by recent reports (like the MSNBC piece on Ron Johnson April 21, 2025 ³⁷), these questions have not disappeared.

They persist because the original investigations were marked by perceived conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency.

This failure to provide a full and credible accounting left a void. That void continues to be filled by enduring skepticism and, increasingly, adoption into wider political grievances.

No problem. Here’s your updated research:

An Enduring Skepticism: Unanswered Questions of 9/11

Nov 1, 12:26 AM

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Before RussiaGate: Unanswered 9/11 Questions & the Figures Who Later Targeted Trump

The official 9/11 story has always been shadowed by intense political maneuvering and questions about the integrity of the investigation. TDS figures involved Robert Mueller and Jeff Sessions then became central to later political firestorms, like the Trump-Russia probe, leading critics to question if patterns of bias or “sketchy” behavior were present from the start. Add the chaos of the post-9/11 Anthrax attacks targeting leaders like Sen. Tom Daschle, and you have an environment ripe for suspicion. Here are the really interesting, specific questions that remain, viewed through that critical lens:

Questions About the Investigation’s Integrity & Key Players:

1. The Mueller FBI’s Actions: Robert Mueller led the FBI during 9/11 and its immediate aftermath. Considering his later controversial role heading the Trump-Russia investigation (labeled the “Russia Hoax” by critics), specific questions about his FBI’s handling of 9/11 gain new scrutiny for some observers: Why did the Phoenix Memo warning die within his FBI? Why was the WTC steel evidence removed and disposed of so quickly under his FBI’s jurisdiction? What were the full findings and actions taken regarding the Saudi flights authorized post-9/11? How effectively was the Anthrax investigation (targeting Sen. Daschle) handled by his FBI, and were its ultimate conclusions fully verified?
2. The Zelikow Conflict & Commission Bias: How could the 9/11 Commission claim independence when its director, Philip Zelikow, had such tight links to the Bush White House (Condoleezza Rice), as highlighted in 2004 reports (CNN)? Did this connection, slammed by critics at the time, effectively allow the White House to steer the investigation?
3. Political Pressure & Information Control: Were findings, like the “28 pages” on potential Saudi links, kept secret for years due to political pressure (perhaps involving figures like Jeff Sessions in his Senate role then, whose later actions as AG raised questions for critics) rather than legitimate security concerns? Did the White House improperly limit the Commission’s access or scope, as alleged during the 2004 hearings (CNN)?

About What Intelligence Knew (Or Didn’t Share):

1. The CIA/FBI Wall: Why, specifically, didn’t the CIA tell Mueller’s FBI that known terrorists Hazmi and Mihdhar were in the US until it was far too late?
2. Flight School Free-for-All: Why weren’t flight schools investigated aggressively before 9/11, despite FBI knowledge of extremist interest? Why did the INS certify questionable schools?
3. Foreign Warnings Ignored?: What specific intel did Abdullah Abdullah provide US officials in July 2001? What concrete actions followed Richard Clarke’s July 5th warning meeting?
4. NSA Deaf Spot?: Why weren’t crucial NSA intercepts translated before 9/11?
5. “Back Off” Order?: Who ordered intel to “back off” certain investigations pre-9/11, as alleged? Why?
6. Sudan’s Offer: Why exactly was Sudan’s offer to extradite Bin Laden refused years earlier?

About What Happened On September 11th:

1. NORAD’s Slow Motion: Why was the air defense response so seemingly ineffective compared to standard procedures? Why the conflicting timelines? Why weren’t jets faster? Where are the complete logs?
2. Radar Evasion?: How did large planes evade primary radar tracking for so long?
3. The Magic Passports: How did flimsy passports survive the WTC inferno intact? Who found them, when, and condition?
4. Missing Black Boxes?: Where are the recorders from all four planes? Why the limited NTSB access and secrecy around transcripts?
5. Boarding Passes: Why were flagged hijackers allowed to board? Who made the call? Where are the records?
6. The WTC Steel: Why the rush to remove and scrap crucial forensic evidence? Who ordered it?

About Odd Connections & Unexplained Actions:

1. The Saudi Flights: Who personally authorized the post-9/11 flights for Saudis/Bin Ladens when US airspace was closed? What was the precise justification given at the time?
2. Visa Express: Why was Saudi Arabia alone given this program? Why were flawed applications approved?
3. Pakistan’s ISI Link?: What was ISI Director Ahmed discussing with Goss/Graham on 9/11 morning? What about the alleged $100k wire transfer to Atta?
4. The Close Combat Training: Why was Ziad Jarrah getting lethal chokehold/knife training in Florida from Bert Rodriguez, an instructor with unique military/Saudi connections noted by Jon Ronson? Why share manuals with al-Shehhi? Does the instructor’s background matter?
5. Uri Geller & the Unconventional Intel World: Okay, it sounds strange, but the world surrounding intelligence agencies has demonstrably weird corners. Take Uri Geller: A recent documentary (“The Secret Life of Uri Geller,” reported in the Times of Israel) claims he actively worked as a spy using psychic powers for the CIA (who funded psychic research at SRI where Geller was tested) and possibly Mossad, with figures like Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly confirming his operational role. While Geller’s specific 9/11 premonition claims are debatable, the documented interest and alleged use of psychics by intelligence agencies adds a layer of verifiable high strangeness. What other unconventional avenues were explored or ignored by intelligence agencies in the run-up to 9/11, and could this focus on the fringe have created blind spots?
6. Ptech & Government Systems: What was the full story behind the Ptech software company, its sensitive government clients, and alleged terror financing links? A security risk?
7. Pre-9/11 War Plans?: What’s the documented origin of reports about Afghanistan military plans existing before9/11?
8. Florida National Guard: Why the specific activation for “terrorism” readiness on Sept 7th, 2001?
9. DNA IDs: Has every hijacker been positively ID’d via DNA, with proof available?

The Enduring Skepticism:

Decades later, as highlighted by recent reports (like the MSNBC piece on Ron Johnson April 21, 2025), these questions haven’t disappeared. Instead, they continue to fuel skepticism and are sometimes adopted into wider political grievances, suggesting the original lack of transparency and perceived bias left a void that has never been satisfactorily filled.

SOURCES:

GOP Senator Pushes Conspiracy Theory That 9/11 Was an Inside Job: ‘My Eyes Have Been Opened’

GOP Senator Pushes Conspiracy Theory That 9/11 Was an Inside Job: ‘My Eyes Have Been Opened’

Film says Uri Geller was a spy – The Times of Israel

https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-film-says-uri-geller-was-a-spy-for-cia-possibly-mossad

The Men Who Stare at Goats – Jon Ronson

The Terror Timeline: Year by Year, Day by Day, Minute by Minute: A Comprehensive Chronicle of the Road to 9/11–and America’s Response – by Paul Thompson

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