The Man Who Knew (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ส.ค. 2021
- When the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, among the thousands killed was the one man who may have known more about Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda than any other person in America: John O'Neill.
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This 2002 FRONTLINE documentary chronicles John O'Neill's struggle to convince the FBI to pay attention to the threat posed by Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. The former head of the FBI's flagship antiterrorism unit in New York City, O'Neill had investigated the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Africa and the USS Cole in Yemen. For five years, he led the fight to track down and prosecute Al Qaeda operatives throughout the world. But he was a controversial figure inside the buttoned-down world of the FBI. O'Neill's critics contend that his personal failings proved fatal to his FBI career. His supporters, however, believe his main failing was refusing to conform to the standard-issue FBI mold.
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Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.
I just have to say I find it interesting that every person who blocked Mr. O'Neill and eventually ruined his career with the FBI all denied an interview in this documentary....to me that speaks volumes !
Yep.The blood is on the wall.
I wouldn't want railroaded into being blamed for such a tragedy just because I was doing my job holding a man accountable for his actions I mean even if the things he did were small an not really significant he still did things against protocol at work that ppl need held accountable for taking a car that ur not supposed to have letting a randomwomanin a safe house.carried and lost top secret documents I mean that's all things to be written up for at work ..no?
@@dark_sky_guybeing held accountable and being actively prevented from doing your job are two different things. At some point, you have to snap out of the “company” mindset and do what’s right. These people weren’t holding him accountable, they were impeding his work for their own benefit in the company. It’s not hard to see.
They were busy on social destruction of another.
This.
This is infuriating! Those in the FBI who ignored him should be ashamed. RIP John 💔
More than ashamed, they have the blood of all those killed on 9/11/2001on their hands.
Particularly 1 person!!
@@Roxy_Penny8889 nobody knew where the attack in America would take place. Even Bush didn't know where it was going to be but he knew something big was going to happen in the coming weeks
Ashamed? That’s all you think they should be? What about those who refuse to answer questions?
@@Roxy_Penny8889 Oh brother...no, they are obviously not nearly that competent.
John O'neil is a true hero in my eyes. He is the definition of the Army Values.
Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.
John O'Neil was a hero. Too bad that the FBI was so jealous of John and he proved them wrong. I'm really disgusted with the FBI who did that to such an intelligent man
Loyalty? I'm sure his wife and secret girlfriend for years would disagree. What's more, if someone is this profoundly dishonest in their own life, it's easy to dismiss them when they are adamant about the truth elsewhere. There's nothing heroic about someone who torpedoes the believability of his own critical work simply by failing to keep it in his pants.
Right after reading the book, I was so moved that my wife and I took a 900-mile weekend road trip to visit his graveside. Before we left, I called a grave stone company to see if they might have a location for his grave. He didn't provide the headstone, but he knew where the grave was located. It's a beautiful stone picturing the twin towers with the crest of the FBI overlaying the towers. Very moving experience for me. It is worth a visit if you are so inclined.
Can you share a picture of that
Oh wow.
@@hjz66 it's on findagrave
Thats a bit excessive
@mikeyj990ify I think not. I did it to pay my respects to a man I would never come across in my lifetime. A man that was doing all he could to protect me and you from people that have no problem with killing us and the more in the tally the better. He did bring grief upon himself and the FBI. I've read many books on many subjects and one thing in common is this. The troublemakers are a pain sometimes, but when your back is against the wall, this is the guy you want by your side. If FBI politics had gotten out of the way and let him follow his instincts, there may not have been a nine eleven.
John O’Neill died during the attack on 9/11. His body was found on Sept 21. Rest In Peace Agent O’Neill. Thank you for your dedication.
@@jeffdean7666 yes he was inside the WTC- doing what he did best- working.
@@OanhSchlesinger Yes, and many in offices don't do shit.
*HOW is it possible that I’m just learning about John O’Neil now in 2022?*
*Grateful I stumbled across this on TH-cam and now know who O’Neil was as a person, thank you.* 🙏🏻
@@endless031 great series
@@endless031 Thanks!
Great question!!!
I know!!!
One of many unsung heroes I expect, who dedicated their lives to the security of the nation.
There is a mini, very underrated TV Show about John that covers all this, and more, in detail. Very moving, very tragic, very real. For those inclined to see it, which I HIGHLY recommended doing so, the 9 episode series is called “The Looming Tower”. This man was a hero.
Based on the book by the same name.
thnx
Thank you, Mr. O’Neill. Thank you for sacrificing so much for us all. I will tell my children, now 8.5 yo and 3 mo, about you, your struggle, and your legacy. Thank you to all of your colleagues that supported you and fought the good fight. Thank you, Ms. James, for giving him the base of support, love and energy he needed to fight for us all for so long. I am so very sorry for the loss of John and the sustained grief his absence brings. Last, thank you John Jr., for sharing your daddy with the rest of us. I am so sorry for your loss.
The most horrific thing about this entire thing was John's ending. He was the one person who tried to warn everyone and yet he became a casualty of the thing that he pushed so hard for them to see.
Yeayea and aint it sad when all ppl know it BUT act Like nothing WAS happen’n In !! Aint it sad to know or how? Plzplz tell Lil me Will ya do that for Lil me? Plzplz do that fo Lil me right !? Or how?!!
Yeayea and aint it sad when all ppl know it BUT act Like nothing WAS happen’n In !! Aint it sad to know or how? Plzplz tell Lil me Will ya do that for Lil me? Plzplz do that fo Lil me right !? Or how?
Don't look up...
i HATE conspiracies but this is the one story that truly boggles my brain
@@tintinjailhouse1312 that's classified
It's funny how all the people who seemed to block O'Neil's job didn't agree to give an interview.
to me that automatically proves they are liars and are guilty
Yes, it is....Very suspect! RIP John O'Neil
Its proven by the outcome that John was right... What could they possibly say??
Makes you wonder if they were being paid by Bin Laden.
I was thinking the same thing.
This was highly educational and absolutely infuriating. The people who stood in the way of John doing his job have blood on their hands. If John had been in Yemen, he could've procured vital information and stopped everything from happening.
The biggest event of the 21st century could have never happened if one single person was allowed to do their job. Incredible to think about.
All it takes is one man in the right place to change history. I can't imagine what America would be like without a 9/11, where people would have just listened to John O'Neil. However, I do have reason to suspect that the planes just expedited a tragedy that could have happened in the future.
Fire Commissioner John O'Hagan pointed out the corners that were cut by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey during construction would make the buildings deathtraps in the case of a major fire. I can genuinely see why the truther movement started, the ridiculous controlled explosion theory, the way the buildings came down was due to engineering faults, and anything dealing with the Rockefellers means they have a lot of hush money and deep connections to suppress information and avoid the courtroom.
I’d say Covid was the biggest event of the century now instead of 9/11
@@nintendostyle3500two different centuries.
@@kathymateer 2001 and 2020 are both in the 21st century 🤨
@@user-en9wf1ps6y
Yea, because the people who say that kind of nonsense are conspiracy nuts.
Let's see now, which is more believable;
A; Some guy who was outspoken and stepped on too many toes in a massive goverment organization that's known for having a hierarchy that doesn't treat people who are outspoken and step on toes very well so he gets pushed to the side and no one will listen to him or...
B; He was a victim of yet another grassy knoll conspiracy that involves at least hundreds of people from different government agencies and no one has ever come forward from having a guilty conscience yet, because as we all know people are so good at keeping secrets especially one's that would involve the murder of thousands of their fellow countrymen, which one could it be?
🤔🤔🤔
'A house divided against itself, will fall'
I was asking myself "Why doesn't everyone know who this man is" and "he got closer than anyone else" but then I remembered how powerful the people who blocked him were. So that's by design.
Facts, it was definitely funded by U.S an orchestrated by Al Qadea
Mostly by people who in bed with Saudi Arabia royal family and had strategic interest in oil resources.
I mean he did great at his job. But the way he did his family… hmmm not a good man! I don’t care how well you do your job!
@@thomaspaine1776 exactly it’s all about money. Always will be…
We The People don't know about him because the masterminds who manipulated everything about 9/11 saw to it that everyone they used were eliminated. Who got off scott free murders and liars like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Guliani, and a slew of military and news media those paid off who have not one tenth the character that O' Neil had. Where does We The People think the 3.2 trillion dollars that was reported missing by Rumsfeld the night before 9/11 went....the money was to pay off the corruption that Deep Throat spoke about to Bob Woodward who investigated Watergate...... Deep Throat said the corruption goes everywhere. O'Neill was used and then eliminated in the very crime he was investigating..
Typical government more worried about about who gets credit than putting the right people in place.
The government must fail by design. This failure is then used to justify more government.
Sure, why analyze specific events when you can blame "the government". stupid.
@ p3arljam26, And that has not changed 20 years later. We are screwed.
@Stinky Piece of Cheese so are you, what's your point?
If you think that's just government then I'd like to know where you work, and join you.
Cmon ppl get the likes up! I don’t care if it’s 2023 this man’s story needs to be told and shared with the world. You don’t and will never know if the lives he saved over the yrs could’ve been yours or one of your loved ones.
Absolutely. Watch more of the past Frontline. Sad but true✨🇺🇸✨
@@-SupraMari0- That's not that deep, everyone understands it, moreover it doesn't relate to the comment or video. Check your ego
One of the things distinguishing this documentary is that the writers supplied Will Lyman, the narrator, with more than the usual amount of range and expressiveness in his script. Lyman took it and ran with it without losing his trademark controlled-yet-expressive VO style. Masterful!
Glad someone else appreciates Will Lyman! 😂
"When you run with the wolves, don't trip." That one kept me awake for hours.
It really sucks that this guy committed his life to his job, and got punished for it by the egotistical bureaucrats. He could have saved so many lives, instead he lost his own.
The irony! he was literally like the canary in the coal mine
Unfortunately that's not uncommon ...the FBI have been warned twice about the Boston Marathon bombers but didn't take it seriously. That said, the, FBI must be facing a huge volume of threats, many of which aren't credible and many of the ones they do succeed stopping, we never even get to hear about.
Every person who commits their life to their work gets screwed by those who don’t. Tale as old as time.
Puz for me those people are traitors.
O’Neill Rest EZ.... your HOME now.....
Louis Freeh, Tom Pickard and Barbara Bodine have all got blood on their hands. The incompetence shown by these three individuals is staggering. They should have been in the WTC the day it fell, their body parts returned to their families in a bag.
And the NY Times that abetted the smear-campaign against John.
I agree. I've been watching this film since 2003. This ONeil guy should have headed the FBI. J.Reno left him out to dry too. ✨🇺🇸✨
It’s enough that they showed Pickards picture here. He grabbed the suitcase because he knew what was in it and what it would mean to O’Niell’s career
John P. O'Neill is what I do call a real hero ... He should have won a posthumous medal because of his devotion to his job and his high intelligence vision. Unfortunatelly it looks like ego matters were stronger than protecting people. John's ending is a irony of faith.
Rest in Peace Sir.
I graduated high school with John. He always knew what he wanted, and that was to belong to the FBI. Our school prepared us to go out and make a substantial difference in the world.
Thank you for sharing. Read the book that told this story. I can be hyper critical of modern lawn enforcement, this man and his story makes me want to do better.
^law.
Apologies.
@@mindleft-buddy999 I've studied O'Neill, and happen to know he was all-out for good lawn care as well.
@@mindleft-buddy999 what is the book? I’m reading black banners at the moment after watching the looming towers, so far an incredible read.
Sure babe. Sure …….
This just makes me so angry, every American should know who this man was. God bless all the work he did to protect us, you are gone but not forgotten sir.
[Pro-conspiracy] So he knew beforehand about Ben Laden. Then they worked together, he went "working as chief security on both Wall trade center. In fact he is the one posing bomb on those towers just few months before 9/11.
Fact : it is so easy to build up a conspiracy theory just by watching the first 2 minutes of this documentary.
You are so naive, who do you think killed him, & who is behind the whole 911 thing, do you really think the men who were playing with the kid's toys really have the capability to do that to the US. The whole thing was an inside job & its very clear.
@@lionheart3567 my God I think it is time to give up on the US if this is the ignorance being bred
😂😂 why
They didn't even put up a plaque for him in his hometown.
Is this man's life not a movie in the making? He tried to convince his superiors of a danger than actually came to pass, and was ignored? That ended in his own death? Bureaucracy at its worst. You can't write this stuff.
When a man is obsessed because he loves his duty, one should listen. I speak of compassion and logic combined. Thank you Sir for your service.
A person*.
I’m 30 and I swear I hated Frontline as a kid but damn, it’s better than most streaming series’s
Lol remember when it would come on channel 7 and it was such a bummer? Now here we are taking notes
Yes but pbs in recent years has switched from reporting to giving personal opinions.
@@freedomforever1962 The irony is that you are regurgitating a talking point often spewed on right-wing opinion shows. PBS News Hour has consistently ranked one of the least biased news shows available. Considering that a 2014 Pew research study showed that only 15% of their audience self identified as conservative, perhaps bias is in the eye of the viewer?
If one is accustomed to listening to right-wing talking points all day, actual non-bias reporting may come off as alternatively biased ---while in fact the right-wing viewer has been programmed with propaganda for so long, they have a hard time discerning reality.
Watch the French series The Bureau
It's not as flashy as series like Homeland but it ryhmes for the mature mind.
Government should have honored John O Neil for all his work . RIP sir
So 9-11 could of had a chance to been prevented if people fucking cared to listen to John O’Neill. But fucking politics were more important. How sad.
@@stevendobkin1509 Wish they should have given some free hand to John O'Neil . 2996 lives would have been saved and still some of the civilians , fire fighters , cops etc struggling from the asbestos exposure
If they did that, in a way they'd be accepting their own failures, very difficult.
The gov is a bunch of criminals.
They will never do that. Doing so would be admitting their failure and bad judgement.
Why isn't this story better known? This was the first time I've ever heard about John O'Neill. Everyone should learn about this so it never happens again that someone like John is ignored and sidelined.
It's pretty well known.
This document is 15 years or older
Your comment is hideously self-indicting, bud.
Think about it for a sec.
The information about Agent McNeil is classified as "conspiracy theory" by those who don't want you to know about it.
This man had keen discernment and insight.
The cowards that need power because they are weak were afraid of John's wisdom.
Although an added tragedy of loss of the man who knew, we, the general public would not have known such details without such a documentary. Thank you to the entire team of people who produced this documentary. So well done.
Maybe there is hope for the lying manipulating mass media. I think some heads are going to roll at PBS.
I AGREE ALL WANT TO COME CLEAN
Yes! Of course our government would never tell us! I had never heard of him before. So sad and beyond frustrating. The older I get and the more I see, the less I trust our government.
Documentary well done, thank you muey.
The fact that I absolutely love Frontline now makes me feel so so old... LOL
Exactly. Used to be automatic change the channel status back in the day.
Welcome to the club. From reading rainbow to this. They pretty much raised me.
@Drop the Chalupa! yes that one was fantastic.
I used to watch since i was young eight or so at least Whenever my mom wasn't hogging the t.v watching her telenovelas.
hey man, you're not alone.
From the Challenger disaster to 9/11, it's tragic how many catastrophes are preceded by having everything we need to know in order to prevent it, but petty and mundane things get in the way. In the case of 9/11, it's heartbreaking that from this example all the way up to presidential briefings, the information was right there, waiting to be acted on.
This PBS doc and the one about a brother's Lockerbie justice quest are the best among quite a good collection on Frontline. I watched this one quite a few years ago and was shocked about John O'Neill's foresight within the agency that fell on deaf ears...but, more shocked regarding the irony of John's death after he left the FBI. A story that might have gone untold save for Frontline.
Ego. That’s what this boils down to. This man lived and breathed for that agency just to be killed by the very attack he was trying his damnedest to prevent. R.I.P. Mr. O’Neil.
Boils down to greed> Failing upwards is classic u$a FUBAR behavior in warmongering, banking, govt. Whatever does not challenge the system that assures symptoms like 911, the many wars in the M East.
@@Brianbeesandbikes the fastest way to transfer money from the middle class in the working poor is to spend it on the military.
When the middle class has more money, they spend it on things like college education, transportation, housing, that create more middle-class jobs.
When the wealthy have more money, they spend it on things that do not make many jobs. Gambling in the stock market makes almost no jobs compared to buying a house. Buying a mink coat creates many fewer jobs then paying for your clothing.
Military spending makes more money for the 1% for two reasons:
1. A huge proportion of military spending is spent on developing new technology. When you talk about investing in new technology you were talking about the stock. Almost all the profit from the stock market goes to the 1%.
The other way that military spending makes money for the 1% and not money to circulate in the middle class economy, is that the jobs in the military are very poorly paid. (I will also take a moment to note that not only are military jobs poorly-paid, you're likely to die while you are a military employee--in other words, the very worst type of job.)
Just a coincidence he was offered that particular job too...
🤔🤔😒💀
@@Madronaxyz thanks for this.... I learned a lot from this comment
The Diplomat who kicked him and the rest of the FBI out of Yemen, kept them from properly investigating the attack on the USS Cole, now teaches at an Ivy league college. The govt has clicks, no doubt.
ONeil's story also brings to light that the alphabet agencies do NOT work together, they are snobby competitors. The CIA and the FBI had the Intel and manpower to prevent 9-11.
The govt has known about the tension between the agencies since 1985, when the traitors were discovered in the FBI, CIA, and NSA, but the traitors were able to stay in the shadows, because the agencies were too prideful to think one of their own could be a traitor, and the others didn't share Intel to expose them.
Embarrassing how these agencies have operated. Probably still this way.
Unfortunately, I see this all the time, people with talent, like John O'Neill, being pushed aside by those in positions of power who fear for their own careers. It happens a lot in public administrations, but also in the private corporate world. Incompetence is better tolerated than swimming against the current.
It's even in the military. Its such a disease
Or people who just aren't as smart or creative as the people they supervise, which prevents them from seeing what their reports are trying to tell them. The saying, "Those who can't do, teach," is incorrect. A good teacher is an invaluable resource. However, I do believe in, "Those who can't do, manage." It's a job that people who are just the perfect balance of uselessness always get.
They said it well in the documentary : only people get promoted in bureaucracy who don’t cause problems but they don’t solve any problem either !
@paulmakinson1965 You hit the nail on the head!!
Absolutely
Unbelievable !!! A TRUE AMERICAN HERO
PBS documentaries and those science channels are my favorites on the whole Internet. And this one is just, mind-blowing. How real life stories can be so much more dramatic than fictions...
These PBS Frontline feature-length documentaries are just.... they're just mindblowingly fantastic! The are done so well, once you start watching, you can't stop and eventually are sad when you've reached the end. I have watched many of these and every single one I have watched multiple times. And I usually never watch something twice. That is just how good these are.
Thanks to the PBS Frontline team for creating those world-class works and sharing them.
I agree
I think Frontline and the fifth estate does the best research and it’s all facts !
Totally agree!
The PBS app is a treasure trove of tremendous documentaries
Love Frontline ! Everything is always so well done.
I'm Canadian. I saw this doc when it first came out about 15 years ago. Dismayed that such an expert in terrorism, his ear to the ground, was ignored. So much tragedy and ripple effect. For years. Gov't bureaucracy ignoring the voices and the signs. I still think of John O'Neill from time to time. He deserved more recognition. It was easy, and cynical, to overlook his findings. He'd left the FBI. Took all his findings with him to the WTC. Suggests he was going to keep investigating. Destroyed with him when both towers collapsed.
It came out 20 years ago.
@@squatch545 Ah... You like correcting others. "about 15 years ago" phrase used for an obvious reason. It's not about when it was shown. It's about the content.
@@alanab9674 Ok, fair enough.
@@squatch545 Thanks for your fair response. Happy New Year.
@@squatch545 that's not the point! It should have made headlines and been common knowledge! Not relegated to a PBS documentary and a bit of coverage just in The Times or The Post!
That moment when they said "to order a VHS copy of this" really brings to home 22 years ago.
But it still feels like yesterday...
I remember watching this when it first aired. It was still archived on PBS website years later and I watched it many times more. I went to high school with Barbara Bodine.
This is one of the most chilling documentaries I’ve ever seen.
@oisaveloy , thanks for the heads up 👍
@oisaveloy how is Amazon prime "free to watch"?
@oisaveloy wtf i just don't know that Amazon prime can be used without the monthly payment. I am the opposite of a truther if you were refering to that
Chilling documentary?...How so?
The film was great and totally follows this narrative - it was an absolute “pissing contest” by big egos as someone pointed out. Disastrous as it became tragic…
It's ironic that John O'Neill died that day as he predicted a major terrorist attack would happen. May he rest in peace. He was a great agent who stopped more tragedies like the 9/11 one.
O’Neill
@@x77punk77x thanks for the correction
They don't recognize him, because they were wrong. He should have a statue at the FBI.
I reckon if he survived he would have been a HUGE whistle-blower about everyone who ignored terrorist threats. The politicians and FBI wouldn't have liked that.
What a tragic story. The details of things he uncovered were terrifying, and the fact that he was murdered by the very people he was determined to stop…so sad. But I kind of think he knew that would happen, and that’s why he wanted to be there. To do what he could, and maybe send a loud and clear message to his former colleagues that they should have listened and taken him more seriously. He knew it would happen, and he went anyway.
We can't know his actual mindset/reasoning, I think it's best to avoid speculations.
@@yevgeniyaleshchenko849 they said he said so in the video when he blocked the first terrorist attack attempt. Said in this video that if something were to happen, he wanted to be there.
I feel like this too. And that is one of the most tragic theories. He had his fellow agents turn their back on him over clear jealousy of his brilliance and so he decided to take a job in the very location that his investigation led him too
It makes me want to cry
Betrayal. The ugliest stomach wrenching feeling in the world. Very sad.😔
The story of John O'Neil is compelling. And FRONTLINE is first class.
Just gave me chills as soon as they said he quit the FBI & went to work at the WTC.
Frontline is full of crap.
@@janlloyd6138 did you watch this one, Jan? While or prior to commenting here on the Frontline video? Or after watching it perhaps?
@@janlloyd6138 oh, hey. Jan. I just saw a comment of yours re: Putin - on another Frontline. And it has what seems to be your customary scatalogical references (bullshit, shit, crap, etc). For somebody so dismissive of the Frontline TV show, you sure are gravitating to its episodes.
tHE TERRORISTS WERE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. Govt. not someone in the mid east so he had nothing he could have dug up, he is a front for the Agenda in this country of getting people to think what they want the people to think. This way while fingers get pointed saying the FBI should have known about the threat from the MidEast it reinforces the govt. story that the terrorists caused this. Those buildings came down from a planned demolition with thermite only the military has access too. The steel beam were shipped to china three days later so they couldn't be tested. And it was prearranged for Bush to be up in the air so the chain of command to shoot those planes down couldn't be given. There is way to much evidence and lies to not know the govt. wasn't responsible and idiots like this dude and front line are just helping the story stay real and to keep a real investigation from opening up.
I'm stunned.
Sickened.
Twenty one years later I see this? Why was this not a world wide headline back in 2002? The egos that stood, full weight on this dedicated civil servant ... I just pray they still hear his voice resonating in their heads every September.
Every single year as summer days grind down and autumn closes in and leaves begin to fall, I hope his voice haunts them, every one and all.
Suppression. Just like now.
Because, USA, y’all.
The media isn’t here to inform you. It’s hard to convince you of their narrative.
Yes! Could not agree more. I'd say most of all that stupid B ambassador in Yemen refusing him back in & then making it her mission to destroy him. Why?! I hope her life is nothing but sleepless nights, & his spirit comes back & haunts her for many of them until the day she dies. She deserves no less.
I'll even go one further & say I hope they all burn in hell (along w/the 9/11 terrorists) for their ridiculous egos preventing him utilizing his obvious gift to get the job done & very likely prevent all those innocent deaths that tragic day including his very own.
Instead of keenly focusing on by far the most important goal - preventing another attack aimed at killing innocent Americans, like bratty children these bureaucratic idiots tunnel visioned on stifling someone clearly more capable & focused on reaching the end goal than they could EVER be. And they resented him for THAT? Who gives a damn who exposes & prevents a terrorist plot - the entire agency could've shared in the glory of preventing mass casualties. Shame on them to eternity!
And it's a very loud, very pissed off, "I told you so! I resign from the federal bureau of investigations!" /j
If they just would of let the man do his job who knows what changes would of been in our history as a country.
Of all the tragedies of 9-11, this one makes me the saddest, and the most angry.
He sounds like my kind of man to work with. A government officer who pushes hard to get things done and knows his field very well. Great guy to have on your team.
No, you'd be like all the rest: you'd find him a threat.
I know what it is to be John. I kept a company afloat doing a job well, efficient and really fast.
No one could do this job. I had real power, but I was ignored by all. I was given a free coffee though.
I don't recommend this company.
U are 100% right. It’s tragic how the FBI is made up of arrogant , grunge holding idiots. The results are of no cost to the big dog so they don’t give a shit. It’s no surprise that the fall of Comey & his goons happened. Fast forward to 2021 & we now have Americans left behind in Afghanistan & our president is MIA & VP has NEVER done anything about the Mexican crisis.we are at a crossroad and we ALL will pay the price for Biden & the Democratic Parties bad choices. God bless America.
@@theflaca think I met the guy who founded this company, wasn't impressed by him as a man.....
@@donnaryland9976 JOE BIDEN LEFT MY CAR WINDOWS DOWN IN THE RAIN AND KAMALA HARRIS ATE THE LAST SLICE OF PIZZA FACTS TRUTH LOOK IT UP MAGA
@@theflaca can u imagine what story will be told about 2020, the election, China’s viral attack on the World, open borders and Joe Biden. Wonder IF the truth exists by the MSM or if America is doomed. I’m SO thankful that God loves us. The only thing that doesn’t disappoint.
The stupid & conceited Yemeni "ambassador" should apologize at this Late Stage.
She owes the O'Neill estate as well as Americans a grave apology. Rest in Peace John O'Neill.
You were one of the few, the proud, and the very Brave...
This documentary is from 2002. Brilliant. Well done PBS. But how is it I have never heard of him?
Because they don't want you to know. I've been watching PBS for over 40yrs. Welcome to TRUTH. If they'd lie they would be sued✨🇺🇸✨
We love you John. There will be no one like you BIG DON. You’re so high now no one can touch you. Rest in peace.
People trying to one up one another rather than work together got a whole bunch of people killed👍🏾
Not true. The terrorists worked very well together.
@@thersten looks like people were more worried about being gossip girls and fighting over promotions rather than fighting terrorists 😔
You are both right. As it was a combination of both that allowed it to happen. To say it happened because of one thing is very narrow minded way to view things.
john O'Neil - 'i told you so' world champion
If all of the power trippers would have just let John do his job. John was the real captain and went down with the ship. RIP John.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TEACH CHILDREN THAT PERSONAL AMBITION IS THE HIGHEST VALUE.
What's tragic is that the people who disregarded John O'Neil will never pay a price. How they sleep at night, I hope they hear the screams of all the poor souls who lost their lives on 9/11 forever.
Failing upwards is classic u$a FUBAR behavior in warmongering, banking, govt. Whatever does not challenge the system that assures symptoms like 911, the many wars in the M East.
You're so right - except I do believe that people who disregarded Mr. O'Neill will pay a price when their lives on this Earth end. Pride cometh before a fall - and these people who blocked Mr. O'Neill (Amb. Barbara Bodine, especially) have blood on their hands.
The arrogant and narcissistic never lose sleep over anything.
Irony is doesn’t come close. He is a hero and he died fighting his battle.
I had no idea. Thank you for posting!
His colleague's father was right: all too often, it's the mavericks who have the understanding and insight lacking in those who are more "by the book".
Flair and instinct aren't something something taught and are often augmented by sheer hard graft but you either have it or you don't. He did - they didn't - but their petty resentments had the ears of the decision-makers.
Brief cases don't go walkabout of their own accord. Their petty gamesmanship caused America to go to war and he and the other people of the Twin Towers were first to pay the price..
We never miss FRONTLINE, always EXCELLENT and concise investigations and reporting!!
And lies. The USA trained and funded bin laden. His purpose was to influence their elections. But bin laden decided America didn't need to stick their nose in their affairs. Plus let us not forget the supposed terrorists lived with cia and fbi agents for over a year. Plus the two cia agents told the USA planned and executed 911. They were arrested, imprisoned and put on trial. They won. The USA lost. One committed "suicide". The other went public and gives lectures denouncing the USA. But the new Pravda censors all videos and contents which post any information on these cost cases.
Also let us not forget Oliver north warned against supporting bin laden and funding bin laden in congressional trials during the Iran contra affair. Then congress scolded north like a child for dare mending their great allies name publically and questioning it. No one was stopped to know America was finding and training him. I love how these people suddenly act like they didn't know who he was. Smh
Phillip, thanks for the feedback...
@@phillipstroll7385 how is the weather in Moscow ?
Gotcha
@@phillipstroll7385 You poor, deluded soul.
They should probably rename The Edgar Hoover building in Washington after this fine gentleman.
I agree it's a time for a change.
@@Luigi-lt2zz not just a time for a change but a dedication well-deserved!
That is a wonderful idea.
"They" good as killed him because he knew more than is diclosed in this show.
Great idea.
I blame Ambassador Bodine who didnt want John to go back into Yemen as to why his career came to an end!! SHE WAS THE ONE
Amazing Frontline documentary as usual.
It seems to me that the two people that have the most blood on their hands and haven't been truly called out and held accountable were Barbara Bodine and Tom Picard by not letting John do his job. Potentially because of Bodine and Picard's ego's and the people that listened to them 2,977 people lost their lives including John along with the countless lives lost during the 20 year war that started as a result, what an absolute disgrace.
Rest in Peace John O'Neil, you were right all along.
The irony that John O'Neill left the job at FBI and went to work as security consultant at WTC towers on the same week it crashed! This man is twice unlucky!!
The missing briefcase... who took it? How did it reappear hours later? Why didn't they say? Was it sabotage to hurt John O'Neil's career?
Seems to me like he was set up or they took advantage of the situation. Either way there was an agenda.
@@NDB82 yes it does seem like it. I always am amazed that these important details are either ignored or not talked about.
, It freaks me out too, because it seems as if the whole room of people must have known and participated in covering up the act. You just don’t take a person’s briefcase in a meeting like that and not be observed…I would think.
@@starrycrown agree. I think there so much we don't know,will never know. These things frustrated me,always left with more questions than answers.
He was set up. There should be an investigation.
For John O'Neil , I wish more people knew about him .
It would be great if someone would make a movie or mini series about him and everything in this documentary .
It is called The Looming Tower (from Wright's book of the same name) and starred Jeff Daniels as John, Michael Stuhlbarg as Clarke and Tahar Rahim as Ali Souffan. One of the best miniseries of the last 15 years.
Excellent , yet so maddening that this man was not appreciated enough.
Tom Picard was obviously envious of John, Picard’s is a disgrace, he probably took the briefcase too!
I wish Picard and Bodine feel tormented by guilt over the many deaths they may have caused. I know they don't but I hope they do.
The ego of picard and that woman embasador in Yemen are part of why thousands died. Im so sad and angry!
@@LeoCharles Absolutely, my thoughts exactly, ego should never override your professional and civil duties!
@@guffaw1711 Because of their egos American blood is on their hands!
@@guffaw1711 They don't give a shit and most of theee people are about their own paychecks and their livelihood.
It’s so sad to know the petty childish people in charge. I hope none of them ever have a peaceful nights sleep again. Especially the woman in Yemen.
Right? He tried to prevent 9/11 and protect us. He ended up dying that day. How f’ed up is that?
@@jennyfurr He had trouble with this woman in Yemen because he was attempting to prove that Israel did the USS Cole as a false flag. This is probably why he was really fired from the FBI. As LBJ said on the USS Liberty incident in 1967, " We will not embarrass Israel".
To me, the greatest lesson here is to recognize how large governmental bureaucracies, by their very nature, turn out to be incompetent to deal with the responsibilities they are assigned.Almost immediately upon their constitution, they develop interests that mitigate against their ability to succeed.
The personality characteristics of those like John O'Neil -- the characteristics that would enable the bureaucracy to succeed in its mission -- are the very characteristics that such bureaucracies are threatened by, and who they therefore actively shut down.
If a majority of Americans could become aware of the fact that U.S. government bureaucratic incompetence allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps we might have a chance to reclaim our country. But timing is everything. The time to know the facts in this documentary would have been immediately following Sept. 11, 2001 when everyone was still reeling from the incident. Of course, that was never possible except among the very bureaucrats responsible for the failure, and who therefore had an interest in keeping it quiet. (Consequently, those who refused to do interviews for the documentary).
As it is, this sort of people -- like the bureaucrats mentioned in this documentary -- are the ones now running our country. There's no need to wonder why it all seems to be slipping away. It's because of very smart people in high places who are more interested in their own personal aggrandizement than they are in the interests of those they are appointed to serve. That would be you and me.
This makes it all the more interesting that as a people we manage to develop intuitions of the true situation without actually becoming aware enough to do anything effective about it. We come up with slogans like "Drain the Swamp," without fully realizing that this is precisely what needs to be done, and doing it quickly.
Gubmint just wants your money
So Ego's got 3,000 people killed🤦
Exactly
O'Neil was a driven, intelligent man that was derailed by typical Washington sycophants. All of the waste since then is almost incomprehensible. I nearly died on the battlefield in Iraq, and like O'Neil, was ostracized and cast aside once I was no longer any "use" to the machine. I don't have all the answers, but the path our once great country follows now is very disheartening, and demoralizing. Great work by Frontline per usual, with clear and concise presentation.
Thank you for trying to serve and protect us. I’m sorry you were cast aside by the beast that is the military industrial complex. The same thing happened to so many members of my family. My generation will probably be the last to serve in my family for a while. Too many generations let down in a row.
One of the most dumbfounding pieces to me is the mediocre pay for arguably the most important job in existence despite a trillion dollar budget. Along with mistreatment of our veterans. Several of my family members have had to literally jump through hoop after hoop for something as important as healthcare.
I hope life is treating you kindly now and your days are brighter. Take care of yourself.
That's been going on for many , many years. Seems the country has always acted like this.
I appreciate your service. Thank you
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your sacrifice God bless you and all the soldiers 🙏🏽❤️
I’m sorry that happened to you. Truly I am. Thank you for your service.
I hope Freeh and Pickard never have a good nights sleep for the rest of their lives
those useless idiots kept their jobs when they should have been fired to let 9/11 happen. oh no. now they are going to investigate my porn watching activity.
How sad that due to egos a lot of people perished including the main protagonist. I do hope this episode is used to train future potential leaders as an abject lesson in how not to behave in similar circumstances.
What an excellent job Michael Kirk did on this program. Far more than outlining the basic facts, he captured the essence of the self- seeking, jealousy and pride of men and the tragedy that can befall the rest of us when they are the ones in leadership.
this dude is possibly the best narrator we could have the pleasure to listen to. keeps you involved , great voice. his name should be super thermite.
I've read about him in "The looming tower", the masterpiece about al-Qaeda and 9/11 written by Laurence Wright. Really this man's life was a tragedy, warned his superiors about incoming terrorist attacks, forced to resign from the job because of internal power struggle and then became the victim of an attack which he had tried so hard to prevent. Really he was a great man, keeping aside his personal life. Peace be upon him.
What do you also believe Mohammad attas passport was lying on the street under world trade in pristine condition lol..? I think there is more to this story than they telling us..I definitely think they new about it before hand
Yeah it's like he figured it was going to happen there specifically so he tried to position himself in a place where he could do some good. I mean there were alot of clues but the problem was that it was done through hijacking planes instead of a simple bombing like back in 93.
@@tobito3100 And thermite like the Oklahoma City bombing.
Just finished it. What great book!
@Kristina Turner Thermite never took down a building where do you get that stupidity from
Just heard a leading investigator speak these words.
“In the investigations trades, there is no such thing as a coincidence.”
This should be investigated further with no stone left unturned.
What a sickening series of events.
It is quite evident that John O’Neil’s thinking abilities were a direct threat to too many players in this world.
He was the best of the best. Sacrificed it all, for all of us. I will carry his memory in my heart forever. ✨🇺🇸✨
He lived a full and rewarding life by keeping his word. Sounds like someone I would like to have known.
Well, he died.
Go talk to a plant
@@michaelross1452 I talk to God. Do you?
What a sad infuriating story: classic story of the brash brilliant maverick set aside by weak leaders in the bureaucracy that needed him the most, at the time it needed him the most.
Thank you Mr. John, gracias. I hope we have people more like you around the world.
I’ve seen this several times now, such a good piece
This video, a Masterpiece. You don't destroy a Maverick", REST IN PEACE, SIR".
I love getting a notification for FRONTLINE, its like Chrismas morning when you were a kid!
I remember when I was a teenager I told my dad we were messing up by training Al Queida. He was military and he agreed with me. I felt that it would come back to haunt us. That was way back in the 80's. The day of 9/11 he called me and told me I was right.
It's not about you or whatever you were thinking.
Hope this is another reminder that we need to set aside differences and work together, because the enemy doesnt care which side of political aisle we reside
I'm almost 40 yo & this is my first time, hearing about this hero. We need more humans like him. May he RIP ❤
This particular episode when I fist saw it years ago .. haunted me so much & still does to this day. It’s compelling viewing how one man’s intuition could have prevented 9/11. But egos stepped in & blocked his safeguarding of a nation destined for a war that has been 20 years in the cleaning up.
This comes as no surprise to me. I mean it makes more sense this way. Almost ebery single person living anywhere carries a tracking device in their pocket. It would be harder to believe that no one knew.
Everyone knew it ... But the gov wanted to happen. There was nobody or nothing to prevent it. Period.😷
I can imagine that if he had managed to prevent 9/11 no one would ever appreciated it
Mawn didn't want O'Neal around because Mawn was in on it too
If this haunts you, watch the documentary A Good American, about Bill Binney... just another case of which 9/11 should have been prevented but ego and greed prevented the system that would have stopped the attacks.
Edit: the documentary is on TH-cam easy to watch.
Power struggles cost people their lives.
The dramatisation of this “The Looming Tower” was excellent
So many awesome documentaries to watch, thank you!
I know right. Gotta love PBS!!!
@Patrick I also donate to NPR. One of the very few unbiased on air not pushing a particular agenda.
It’s amazing humankind isn’t extinct because we would rather fight with each other than listen to each other. All that man wanted to do was prevent these acts and his higher ups would not listen to him. That is an absolute failure as leaders but hey that’s what our government is famous for especially now.
Because his higher ups were behind it.
SADLY, YOU ARE CORRECT. DEVASTATING.
@@ivedoneitall adzactly! Why would they not promote and listen to someone who proved he new what was happening! All they did was stop someone that was finding out to much and getting close to finding out his bosses were heading it all! So obvious it's laughable! Oh he misplaced a bag that's bad! 🤣🤣🤣 war on drugs was to get the poppy fields in Afghanistan to own the world morphine and herion trade and 911 was to get into Iraq to get oil that they stopped selling to u.s in dollars! How and who did it all like jfk we will never no but it's clear why it all was done! It's as clear as daylight!!
A movie should be made about this brave man.All the people who thwarted his efforts to stop terrorism im its tracks should be held responsible.
"I think what happens in the FBI,,, It's a very _militaryistic_ society..." What an expressive word!
This was one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen, on any topic. RIP John and all the other victims of 9/11 and other attacks by this hateful group.
Frontline does amazing works.
The one Frontline did on 2018 Camp Fire was absolutely riveting. It was the best documentary with real footage and people who went through Hell that day, losing everything and so incredibly close to losing their lives. It was PHENOMENAL.
By this hateful group, I assume you mean the perpetrators of the crime of 9/11. This was an incredible piece done here by Michael Kirk for Frontline. Now I suggest you watch Frontline's "Iran and Saudi Arabia - Bitter Rivals" and learn how the United States, Britain and France played a real part in helping to create the monsters of 9/11. You'll never look at things the same way again. Eyes wide open should be all our motto going forward.
Hansson, an FBI traitor, sold classified info to Russia for over a decade. Such info was sold to the terrorists behind 9-11.
Hansson went undetected for so long, because the FBI never wanted to accept it had a mole, it would mean one of them was dirty, just impossible in the eyes of the FBI.
It can be argued the FBI's worst enemy is itself. Letting Hansson be a traitor and ignoring and astrcising O'Neil is really what led to 9-11.
It scares me that Biden just went to Saudi Arabia and probably bought all the lies told to him. O'Neil was right to be suspicious of SA, since the terrorists of 9-11 were SA nationals. SA just tortured and killed a journalist about a year ago.
9/11 Trillions - follow the money is even better
As I watched The Looming Towers, one thing was clear to me. Nobody knows how horrible, difficult, nerve wrecking these type of jobs are. These jobs are not 9-5 jobs. They are 24/7 365. The level of stress is pretty high. I am sure that after having to leave, a part of him might had felt a big sigh of relieve. But once you developed a research mentality, you cannot stop that easy. If the withholding of information was true? Why they weren't punished for not fulfilling their jobs?
This is more than tragic and the government should be held accountable for all those lives that they could have saved including O'Neil's!!!😢😢😢
Thank you Michael Kirk. Fantastic work. Great information and insight. Tastefully done. ✨🇺🇸✨ Will be looking forward to more of your work. ✨