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The Path to 9/11

From Alfawiki
The Path to 9/11
Company typeTelevision miniseries
IndustryEntertainment
Founded2006; 20 years ago (2006)
ProductsTelevision drama
ParentABC (American Broadcasting Company)

The Path to 9/11 is a two-part miniseries that premiered on ABC in the United States on September 10 and 11, 2006, and was also broadcast internationally. This dramatic portrayal covers the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the sequence of events culminating in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The screenplay was crafted by Cyrus Nowrasteh and direction was led by David L. Cunningham, featuring performances by Harvey Keitel and Donnie Wahlberg.

With a budget of $40 million USD, the production was a collaboration between Marc Platt Productions, Nigel Lythgoe Productions, and Touchstone Television. It earned several Emmy Awards nominations and secured the 2007 Emmy for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing, alongside winning the 2007 Eddie Award for Best Edited Miniseries.

The miniseries sparked considerable debate upon release and was rebroadcast on September 11, 2021.

Plot

This miniseries dramatizes the lead-up to the September 11 attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda in 2001, starting from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and continuing through the destruction of the Twin Towers. The narrative centers on two principal characters: John P. O'Neill, the FBI Special Agent overseeing Al Qaeda investigations who perished during the attacks shortly after assuming the role of World Trade Center Director of Security, and a fictional composite CIA operative named "Kirk," who collaborates with American allies such as Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud in Afghanistan. Another character, "Patricia," a CIA analyst, offers insight from within CIA headquarters.

Events drawn from the 9/11 Commission Report are woven into the storyline, including portrayals of high-level discussions within both Clinton and Bush administrations. The concluding segment reconstructs pivotal moments from 9/11, such as the impact of the second plane on the World Trade Center, calls made by Tom Burnett, and John Miller's live reporting near Ground Zero. The series ends with an overview of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations and its assessment of governmental performance as of 2005.

Production history

The miniseries was developed by ABC utilizing sources like the 9/11 Commission Report, supplemented by interviews and news reports. Early announcements in the New York Post disclosed filming locations and revealed Harvey Keitel’s casting as John O'Neill. Initially referred to as Untitled Commission Report or Untitled History Project, production commenced in July 2005 with post-production targeted for completion by January 2006. Preliminary screenings were arranged for international broadcasters.

Per Advertising Age, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson advocated for this project after reviewing the 9/11 Commission Report. The White House requested airtime for a Presidential Address, which delayed the broadcast of part two by roughly twenty minutes in Eastern and Central time zones; aside from this, it aired without interruption.

Filming locations included Morocco, New York City, Toronto, Hamilton, Ontario, and Washington, D. C.. Notably, this production was among a select few granted permission to film at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Controversy and criticisms

ABC encountered considerable backlash from terrorism specialists and individuals portrayed in the miniseries The Path to 9/11 due to the inclusion of fabricated scenes, altered events, and inaccurate depictions. Numerous letters of objection were sent by figures such as Richard Clarke, Bruce R. Lindsey (CEO of the William J. Clinton Foundation), Douglas J. Band (Counselor to President Clinton), Samuel R. Berger, Madeleine Albright, John Beug, as well as Democratic lawmakers including John Conyers Jr., John Dingell, Jane Harman, and Louise Slaughter. Before the broadcast, some reviewers asserted that certain scenes were either invented or misrepresented actual occurrences.

9/11 Commission members

Members of the 9/11 Commission voiced concerns regarding the film’s fidelity to historical facts. Thomas Kean, the commission’s chair, accepted a dramatized portrayal suggesting the Clinton administration blocked a chance to eliminate bin Laden but remarked that "the facts are not definitive." He also requested modifications addressing grievances raised by former Clinton officials, which ABC was contemplating shortly before the airing.

Commissioner Richard Ben-Veniste criticized the miniseries for distorting information drawn from the official 9/11 Commission report.

Advance viewing copies selectively distributed

The pre-release debate focused on preview versions sent selectively to conservative political factions, talk show hosts, and bloggers, including radio host Rush Limbaugh and conservative commentator Michael Medved. Requests for advance copies from the offices of former President Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and Sandy Berger were declined. An incomplete cut was screened for select attendees at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, and participants at the Midwest Security and Police Conference in Chicago.

Jay Carson, spokesperson for Bill Clinton, confirmed that although Clinton’s office along with Albright and Berger sought preview copies, they were not provided. This exclusion prompted Albright and Berger to send letters to ABC questioning their omission and challenging the film’s accuracy.

Albright expressed particular concern over scenes depicting her as opposing a missile strike on bin Laden without prior notification to Pakistan and allegedly informing Pakistan despite military objections—assertions she labeled as false. She cited The 9/11 Commission Report in disputing these portrayals and underscored the necessity for faithful representation in a production of such prominence.

Criticisms of historical inaccuracy by FBI consultants

Two former FBI agents declined participation as consultants for the miniseries; one openly criticized it as fictionalized and erroneous. Thomas E. Nicoletti, initially engaged as a consultant, resigned citing numerous inaccuracies that went beyond acceptable dramatic license into factual misrepresentation. Retired FBI agent Dan Coleman also refused involvement after reviewing the script due to concerns over false depictions of deceased colleagues.

Alleged assassination opportunities not used by Clinton

The depiction of the Clinton administration drew criticism for inaccuracies. A prominent scene shows former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger hesitating to authorize a mission targeting Osama bin Laden, leaving the decision to former CIA Director George Tenet. In the original version, Berger abruptly ends a call with Tenet, who subsequently cancels the operation—a portrayal disputed as lacking factual support. Scriptwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh acknowledged improvisation in this scene, which was later removed from the U.S. broadcast. He defended condensing events spanning more than eight years into five hours of drama, admitting some conflation was necessary for narrative coherence.

Anti-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke denounced the film as "180 degrees from what happened," pointing out major inaccuracies: no U.S. military or CIA operatives were present in Afghanistan to locate bin Laden as shown; Ahmad Shah Massoud, leader of the Northern Alliance, was not near bin Laden’s location; and Tenet had refused to recommend a strike based on unverified intelligence.

9/11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste also confirmed that the phone conversation between Berger and Tenet was fictional.

Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA Bin Laden Unit during Clinton’s presidency, asserted that it was Clarke—not Berger—who opposed strikes on bin Laden. Scheuer recalled briefing Clarke and senior officials on a 1998 plan aimed at capturing bin Laden, which Clarke dismissed as an unauthorized assassination attempt by President Clinton.

Berger portrayal

The movie features dramatized sequences where CIA operatives try to link an assassin to National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, who is shown as indecisive before abruptly ending a phone call. Berger, later found guilty of unlawfully removing documents from the National Archives, vehemently challenged this depiction. The 9/11 Commission and figures such as Richard Ben-Veniste also disputed the scene’s factual accuracy.

Albright challenges her depiction

A controversial segment depicts Madeleine Albright declining to approve missile strikes on Osama bin Laden without Pakistan’s consent, which she ultimately secures despite military opposition. Albright refuted this portrayal, clarifying that as Secretary of State, she did not hold authority over military operations.

Errors in airline security portrayal

The film incorrectly shows American Airlines disregarding a security alert regarding hijacker Mohamed Atta; in reality, it was U.S. Airways involved, which merged with American Airlines in 2015. The 9/11 Commission Report indicates that Atta and his associates were flagged at various airline counters but successfully passed through security screenings. This mistake likely arose from narrative compression or insufficient verification.

In response to this misrepresentation, American Airlines announced intentions to pull their advertisements from ABC and contemplated pursuing legal measures.

Letter from Senate Democrats to ABC

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin, along with Senators Debbie Stabenow, Charles Schumer, and Byron Dorgan addressed a letter to Robert A. Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, stating:


Statement from Scholastic Press

Scholastic Press, which had circulated "educational materials" related to the film, removed these resources from their website on September 7 and replaced them with content emphasizing "critical thinking and media literacy skills."

Dick Robinson, Chairman, President, and CEO of Scholastic Press, remarked:


Cast and crew reactions

Harvey Keitel, portraying John P. O'Neill, revealed he was initially informed the script was a "historical" project but discovered numerous inaccuracies. By the time ABC attempted corrections, it was "too late." Two weeks prior to broadcast, he noted additional scenes required revision to prevent misrepresenting events. Keitel also recounted on-set disputes concerning factual correctness and expressed disagreement with some creative choices.

Producer Marc Platt acknowledged that parts of the script were based on a book co-authored by John Miller, an FBI assistant director for public affairs during the Bush administration, titled The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It.

Screenwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh described the production as "an impartial recounting of the events of 9/11."

Barbara Bodine’s criticism

On September 8, former Ambassador to Yemen Barbara Bodine penned an Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times condemning her depiction in the film. She rejected the portrayal of a clash between a resolute FBI agent and a bureaucrat more concerned with diplomatic issues than terrorism realities, stating, "I was there. I was the ambassador." The miniseries condensed Bodine’s involvement (played by Patricia Heaton) into a single extended scene portraying her as dismissive and antagonistic toward FBI investigator O'Neill when he arrived in Yemen in October 2000.

Criticism and Errors

Aside from dramatized elements, advance copies contained factual inaccuracies that sparked criticism over inadequate fact verification. For example, Madeleine Albright’s name was incorrectly spelled in a caption. Another error depicted a warning alert when Mohamed Atta boarded American Airlines Flight 11 in Boston; in reality, he boarded a connecting U.S. Airways flight departing from Portland, Maine.

During filming, Toronto news outlets reported that discarded medical records were used as props, leading to an inquiry by Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner. In response, producers destroyed the related footage and shredded the remaining documents.

Republican figure William Bennett demanded that ABC rectify the errors and called on conservatives to hold the network accountable.

On December 22, 2006, Media Matters for America designated ABC as the "Misinformer" of 2006 due to The Path to 9/11, criticizing the miniseries for:

...a two-part dramatization that assigned blame for the September 11 attacks to the Clinton administration while minimizing certain failures of the Bush administration prior to the attacks.

Advertising Inconsistencies

Within the United States, promotional materials described the film as a loose dramatization inspired by the 9/11 Commission Report. Conversely, international TV advertisements portrayed it as the "Official True Story." An Australian television guide initially labeled it as "the story of exactly what happened," later changing to "The thrilling dramatised investigation" closer to its broadcast date.

Claims of Non-Profit Organization Involvement

In 2006, journalist Max Blumenthal drew attention to links between David Loren Cunningham—son of Loren Cunningham, founder of the global mission group Youth with a Mission—and allegations concerning political motivations within the organization. David Cunningham sought to innovate film and television production through an affiliated entity named TFI (The Film Institute) under Youth With A Mission. Although these connections raised questions about possible influence on the miniseries, Lynn Green, Chairman of Youth With a Mission International, denied any financial backing or involvement in shaping content.

Conservative Endorsements

Prior to airing, conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt commended it as "a very accurate docudrama," dismissing objections as "self-serving complaints" and an "irrelevant distraction" fueled by what he described as "the deep anger of the Clinton political machine." Brent Bozell pointed out that officials from both Clinton and Bush administrations are critiqued, highlighting that the film underscores a persistent threat from adversaries regardless of leadership. He emphasized that the production "doesn't play favorites," acknowledging scrutiny directed at the Bush administration as well.[1] Hewitt added that the miniseries primarily seeks to illustrate "the fanaticism, the maniacal evil, the energy and the genius for mayhem of the enemy," rather than focusing solely on Clinton’s national security record.[2]

The miniseries has yet to be released on DVD. Writer and producer Nowrasteh attributed this delay to political pressure, suggesting efforts to protect Bill Clinton’s presidential legacy and shield Hillary Clinton during her 2008 campaign.[3] An ABC spokesperson confirmed in 2007 that there was "no release date at this time," declining further elaboration.[3]

Documentary revisits controversy

In August 2008, talk show host and documentary filmmaker John Ziegler, together with David Bossie from Citizens United, debuted the documentary Blocking The Path to 9/11, which Ziegler co-produced, wrote, and directed. This film reexamines the political disputes linked to the ABC miniseries The Path to 9/11. Utilizing interviews with the miniseries’ creators, archival news segments, and relevant footage, the documentary contends that claims of a hidden political motive were baseless and primarily originated from politicians of the Clinton administration worried about their historical image. It further asserts that Disney/ABC canceled plans for a DVD release due to pressure from Democratic figures, notably the Clintons; however, Disney/ABC denies these allegations, attributing the decision to commercial considerations.

Jeffrey Ressner of Politico observed that Blocking The Path to 9/11 echoed the original miniseries by introducing further inquiries and adding layers of complexity to the ongoing broadcast debate.

Awards

  • 2007 Emmy Award: Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie
  • 2007 Emmy Award nominations: Outstanding Casting; Outstanding Cinematography; Outstanding Main Title Design; Outstanding Music Composition (Original Dramatic Score); Outstanding Sound Editing; Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries or Movie
  • 2007 American Cinema Editors Eddie Award: Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Commercial Television

Ratings in the United States

During its premiere night, The Path to 9/11 drew fewer viewers than NBC's Sunday Night Football, which attracted 20.7 million viewers, while it tied with CBS’s rerun of 9/11 at 13 million viewers. On its second night, it again trailed behind an NFL doubleheader kickoff of Monday Night Football on ESPN, which reached an audience of 10.5 million households.

Ratings
Program/Network Rating Share
Sunday Night Football (NBC) 15.1 23
Path to 9/11 (ABC) 8.2 12
9/11 (CBS) 8.2 12

Cast

United States

  • Part 1: September 10, 2006, from 8:00 pm to 10:45 pm EDT on ABC
  • Part 2: September 11, 2006, from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm EDT on ABC
  • Part 2 (continued): September 11, 2006, from 9:20 pm to 10:17 pm EDT on ABC (following President Bush's National Address)

Due to the absence of sponsors, ABC presented the program without commercial interruptions. Viewers in Canada could also watch the broadcast via cable, satellite, and over-the-air signals in regions close to the US border.

Australia

  • Part 1: September 10, 2006, at 8:30 pm on Channel Seven
  • Part 2: September 11, 2006, at 9:30 pm on Channel Seven

Belgium

  • Part 1: September 13, 2006, at 9:05 pm on VT4
  • Part 2: September 20, 2006, at 9:05 pm on VT4
  • Parts 1–3: August 20, 2008, beginning at 9:10 pm on RTL-TVI

Croatia

  • Parts 1 & 2 aired March 6 and March 13, 2010, at 11:15 pm on Nova TV

Finland

  • Parts 1 through 5 broadcast November–December 2007 on MTV3

The miniseries was divided into five episodes for its Finnish airing instead of two.

India

  • Parts 1 & 2 shown September 10–11, 2006, at 9:00 pm on Zee Studio

Italy

  • Parts 1 & 2 broadcast March 13, 2007, on Sky

Japan

  • Parts 1 & 2 aired January 14, 2007, at 8:00 pm on Wowow
  • A summary episode was shown September 13, 2009, on TV Asahi

New Zealand

  • Parts 1 & 2 presented September 10–11, 2006, at 7:30 pm on TV One

Norway

  • Parts 1 & 2 aired January 3–4 and Part 1 was repeated on September 12, 2008, on TVNorge

South Africa

  • Parts 1 & 2 broadcast September 11, 2007, on M-Net

Spain

  • Parts 1 & 2 shown September 12, 2007, at both 10:00 pm and midnight on Antena 3

United Kingdom

  • Part 1 aired September 10, 2006 at 8:00 pm on BBC2
  • Part 2 aired September 11, 2006 at 8:30 pm on BBC2

BBC2’s broadcasts were also available via cable in Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

  1. ↑ A compelling "Path to 9-11"
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named whylefthate
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Blocking?
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