ABSTRACT
The quest to understand, and to lay blame for, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 began even before the fires stopped burning. Pundits, policy makers, and analysts alike have cast the net of responsibility widely. Presidents Clinton and Bush are excoriated for letting bin Laden slip through their fingers. The Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation are lambasted for dithering in the face of a looming threat. Other analysts look outside the United States, painting a picture of al Qaeda as a formidable adversary against which even the most robust counterterrorism program would fail.
