2001, 9/11. Two planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center. A third plane crashes into the Pentagon. A fourth crashed far from the buildings, thanks to the sacrifice of its passengers. 2 977 people die, 6 291 are injured. Across the world, the shock is indescribable. In less than 24 hours, thanks to the identity of one of the pirates, the CIA identified the Al Qaeda terrorist organization. This organization and its leader, Osama bin Laden, had been on the radar of the secret services for years, but no one had imagined this scenario.
The USA sends a small armed group and drones to Afghanistan, an ally, to destroy the main terrorist cell. But the attack is too small. Not only did Bin Laden escape unharmed, but he was able to develop his “franchise” and carry out further attacks. It would take 10 years of tracking down and eliminating him.
A chilling but historically indispensable documentary
3 episodes. The first covers the bombings and the attack in Afghanistan. The second shows how a hidden Bin Laden manages to run his small terrorist enterprise through a series of attacks. The third reveals how he was found and the operation to neutralize him.
It’s impossible to remain neutral on such a subject. The documentary has the honesty to cover some of the not so glorious aspects of the American response, such as the torture at Guantanamo and the murder of everyone in the house where Bin Laden was found. But he doesn’t dwell on it. There’s the long, chilling list of facts about the attacks, and the coldly cruel methods of the terrorists. We learn how the American secret services organized and reacted, and why they had so much trouble when faced with an elusive enemy.
I was surprised that so many of the protagonists testified with their faces uncovered. Their courage is to be commended. For once, the series has the merit of shedding light on the thankless, invisible work of the men and women behind the scenes. The historical interest of this interesting and well constructed series is undeniable.