Condoleezza Rice used the 25th anniversary of 9/11 for an unusually personal admission.
Speaking at the Pentagon memorial Friday, the former national security adviser said the officials charged with protecting the country in 2001 failed to recognize the threat in time to stop the attacks.
“Those of us in authority on that day did not see the nature of the danger in time to prevent the attack of 9/11,” Rice said.
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“We did what we knew to do, but by definition, it was not enough.”
Rice served as President George W. Bush’s national security adviser when al-Qaeda hijackers attacked New York, the Pentagon and Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001.
Her remarks Friday went beyond a historical assessment.
Addressing victims’ families gathered at the Pentagon, Rice said the failure remains personal.
“I will always carry deep personal remorse for the pain that you, the families of the fallen, still feel, and for the trauma that our country endured.”
Former Secretary of State @CondoleezzaRice apologizes for not preventing 9/11 attacks and reflects on the lesson learned: “Let us always remember that those who thought the world could be ruled by hate and fear were wrong.” pic.twitter.com/h2WPONAOzF
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 11, 2026
The 9/11 Commission later documented years of warning signs, intelligence failures, and missed opportunities across multiple administrations and government agencies before the attacks.
Its final report concluded that the country had not adequately adapted to the threat posed by al-Qaeda and described the failures before 9/11 as spanning imagination, policy, capabilities, and management.
More over at The New York Post:
Condoleezza Rice apologizes to families for failing to prevent 9/11 https://t.co/JLfqPoAseP pic.twitter.com/pfV9Ci2g5B
— New York Post (@nypost) September 11, 2026
