Intelligence Failures or Misperceptions - Assignment Example

This failure led to the launching of an unprecedented Joint Inquiry by the Congressional intelligence committees, to investigate the records of the Intelligence Community regarding the 9/11 attacks and make recommendations for further legislative action (Week 8 Professor’s Wrap-Up Note). Another factor that supports intelligence failures claims that, although the Intelligence Community provided sufficient warning of an imminent attack in mid-2001 against the United States by Osama Bin Laden, the Community never learned of the plans for aircraft hijackings in advance, which occurred on September 11.

In addition, inquiries arose on whether the Intelligence Community failed to provide precise information about the ability of Iraqi to develop and use weapons of mass destruction (WMD), or whether the Administration of Bush systematically misused intelligence to acquire support for launching Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, as well as for continuing military operations in Iraq. As of today, the inquiry and research into both of the perceived major contemporary intelligence failures continue.

According to Paul Pillar's argument, the intelligence community was aware of 9/11 the threats and received many from al-Qaeda that they will attack America on American soil. Along with the high amount of threats received in the summer of 2001, Americans had several chances of taking out Bin Ladin. However, the president and the intelligence community failed to act aggressively on the threats. And in 1993 America was attacked by the bombing of the World Trade Center.  This is evidence of failed community intelligence and weakness or inexperience in leadership. Other similar examples include the decision to go to war with Iraq, which was a pure weakness and a failure in presidential leadership (Pillar, 2011).