I sat down with former FBI Special Agent Harry Samit, the investigator who handled the Zacarias Moussaoui case in August 2001 — a case now widely seen as one of the key missed opportunities to prevent the 9/11 attacks.
In our conversation, Samit explains how the investigation began, why Moussaoui raised immediate concerns at the Minnesota flight school, and the internal obstacles that prevented the FBI from obtaining a search warrant before the attacks. He also describes what was discovered afterward and reflects on the broader intelligence limitations that shaped the events leading up to 9/11.
It’s a detailed, first-hand account of a critical moment in the lead-up to the attacks and of a warning that ultimately went unheeded.
