9/11 has shown the defenselessness of the world in the face of terrorism. Though developed countries spend enormous funds on intelligence services (emerging countries also do, but as they are less attractive targets for terrorists, their intelligence services are less aware of terrorism), the attacks have illustrated how easy it is to break down the most powerful and well fixed intelligence service in the world. According to the 9/11 commission's report, the cost of the attacks to their authors was in range of $400000-600000, less than a million dollars! (total US intelligence budget for fiscal year 1998 was $26.7 billion).

The investigations show that the hijackers did not fit into the "general model" of suicide terrorists, being fully-formed well-educated adults. Probably that was one of the key reasons for the CIA to miss them on the attack preparation stage.

The official timeline of the day shows total lack of coordination between aircraft crews, dispatchers and air defense force. Neither party was ready to react to the threat adequately.

Has something changed since then? I am sure that yes. I am sure that it is absolutely impossible to replicate 9/11 attack today. If you do, you will be caught yet at the airport on the boarding stage. If not, the pilot will do his best to prevent you from directing the aircraft to the critical locations. If you come out to kill the pilot, the air force will shoot the aircraft down in minutes.

However, I am also sure that the terrorists will never resort to such kind of attacks again. They are not idiots, and they understand that intelligence services do learn from their mistakes. Instead, they will search for another hole in the defense system and try to exploit that one. And I am not sure that the CIA (or any other intelligence service) will be there to handle that newly discovered hole at once.

Photo: Recently built World Trade Center, 1976