9/11 Terrorists Reported to Airport Officials before Attacks

911 Terrorists Reported to Airport Officials before Attacks

The words “we will never forget,” have remained the truth, as each year, since 9/11/2001, people gather in remembrance of everyone affected by the tragedy of senseless plane crashes. As the story developed live, years ago, this tragedy was labeled as a terrorist attack on America, and it’s sad to say, “hindsight is 20/20.”

Recently-released, eye-witness accounts have surfaced, revealing some terrifying discoveries: at least three people spotted al Qaeda hijackers casing security checkpoints at Boston’s Logan Airport months before the 9/11 incident. The eye witnesses even spoke up, but to their dismay, they were ignored. 9/11 Terrorists Reported to Airport Officials before Attacks

One of these witnesses, Stephen J. Wallace, a 17-year American Airlines technician, remembers the morning of May 11, 2001 vividly as he alerted Logan authorities that two men – one of whom was identified as Mohamed Atta – were acting suspiciously outside the main security checkpoint. Wallace said that one man was videotaping and taking photos of a flight boarding to Washington, D.C. and the checkpoint from about 25 feet away, while the other man was speaking loudly in Arabic on his cellphone. Wallace reported that this behavior lasted for at least 45 minutes.

Wallace approached the two men, pointing to a display of prohibited items and asked them if their bags contained any of this “stuff.” In response, the men grabbed their belongings and raced to another checkpoint. Wallace pursued them, alerting several authorities during the chase. However, authorities did nothing, even though they had the authority to investigate anybody. Two months prior to this incident federal authorities issued an airline advisory that al Qaeda terrorists are known to conduct surveillance before an attack.

The reality is that two terrorist hijackers were allowed to go through airport security without being stopped and asked for their names, tickets, driver’s license or passport, opening their bags or patting them down.

Could at least part of te 9/11 tragedy been prevented? It’s eerie to consider, isn’t it?

(Article image from worldmag.com and slide show image from Larry Bruce / Shutterstock.com)

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”