I still lie awake at night thinking about everything that could have been, that wasn't done to stop 9/11. To the 9/11 families, I said, you deserve better from your entire government. All of us.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the deep regret and reflection on the failures that led to a tragic event, highlighting the need for accountability and support for those affected.
George Tenet's quote expresses a profound sense of personal accountability for the September 11 attacks, emphasizing the sleepless nights spent reflecting on the actions that could have prevented such a tragedy. By acknowledging the pain of the families affected, he advocates for a government that owes them better protection and vigilance, underscoring the responsibility of leadership during crises.
In practice
A speech about government responsibility during a remembrance ceremony for the victims of 9/11.
Here's the teaching point, if you're teaching kids about intelligence and policy: Intelligence does not absolve policymakers of responsibility to ask tough questions, and it doesn't absolve them of having curiosity about the consequences of their actions.
One mushroom cloud would change history. My deepest fear is that this is exactly what they [Al Qaeda] intend.
I derived my strength from daily mass and communion.
COULD I PASS A WEEK IN THE INSANE WARD AT BLACKWELL'S ISLAND? I SAID I COULD AND I WOULD. AND I DID.
Sometimes I hear the crowd cheering, and most of the time your body's on auto pilot, so sometimes even after I do a floor routine, I'm like, 'Did I really just do that?'
I'm not easily scared; from the age of 8, I learned what it means to have everything you know taken away and what it means to persevere. I approach politics the same way.
The McCarthy period came along...and many of the other scientists who had been working on these same lines gave up. Probably saying "Why should I sacrifice myself? I am a scientist, I am supposed to be working on scientific things, so I don't need to put myself at risk by talking about these possibilities." And I have said that perhaps I'm just stubborn... I have said "I don't like anybody to tell me what to do or to think, except Mrs. Pauling."
Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm.
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