Look how many numbers are in 2.3 trillion…..13….this amount of missing taxpayer money could have ended world poverty 100 times over!!!
Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld did not reveal that the Pentagon had lost $2.3 trillion the day before the September 11, 2001, attacks, contrary to posts shared online that misrepresent his remarks about missing financial audit trails. The figure had been mentioned by the Department of Defense more than a year earlier.
Posts on Facebook sharing the claim include an image that reads,
Never forget! September 11, 2001 | Facebook
September 10 2001. Donald Rumsfeld held a press conference to state that the Pentagon was missing more than $2,300,000,000,000 but the next day something happened and everybody forgot.”The posts misrepresent remarks made by Donald Rumsfeld, who was serving at the time as the secretary of defense under former U.S. President George W. Bush, in a speech, opened a new tab on Sept. 10, 2001.
At the 14:15 mark, Rumsfeld says, “Our financial systems are decades old. According to some estimates, we cannot track 2.3 trillion dollars in transactions. We cannot share information from floor to floor in this building. Because it’s stored on dozens of different technological systems that are inaccessible or incompatible.”Yes, you’re referring to a
speech given by Donald Rumsfeld on September 10, 2001. At the 14:15 mark, he indeed mentioned that “Our financial systems are decades old.” He also highlighted the challenges faced by the Pentagon, including the inability to track $2.3 trillion in transactions due to outdated systems12.
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While he did make the remarks the day before 9/11, it was not the first time this amount was brought up.
In his speech on September 10, 2001,
Donald Rumsfeld addressed several critical issues facing the Pentagon:
- Bureaucratic Inefficiencies: He emphasized the need to overhaul the Pentagon’s bureaucracy, which he described as wasteful and inefficient.
- Financial Management: Rumsfeld highlighted the outdated financial systems, mentioning the inability to track $2.3 trillion in transactions.
- Defense Modernization: He stressed the importance of modernizing the military to better address contemporary threats.
- Organizational Reform: Rumsfeld called for significant organizational changes to improve the Department of Defense’s overall effectiveness.
These points underscored his broader agenda to transform the Pentagon and improve its operational efficiency.
Is there a particular aspect of his speech that interests you more?An audit report, opens new tab (page 4 of the pdf) released on Feb. 25, 2000, about financial statements for the fiscal year 1999 by the Office of the Inspector General at the United States Department of Defense says, “For the accounting entries, $2.3 trillion was not supported by adequate audit trails or sufficient evidence to determine their validity, $2 trillion was not reviewed because of time constraints, and $2.6 trillion were supported.”
In a July 2000 statement, opens new tab (page 9) , Robert J. Lieberman, Assistant Inspector General at the time, also mentioned the $2.3 trillion number saying that the amount was “unsupported by reliable explanatory information and audit trails or were made to invalid general ledger accounts.” The United States Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
VERDICT
Misleading. The DoD had mentioned this number, which reflects transactions that could not be tracked, more than a year earlier. 2.3 trillion dollars missing and the Pentagon had no idea where this money had gone!Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld did not reveal that the Pentagon had lost $2.3 trillion the day before the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Yes, The next day was 9/11/2001!
Ashly’s World of Poems · Ashly Kocher · ·
September 10, 2001…..
Everything was normal when we all went to bed
Woke up in the morning doing our daily routines
Shower
Breakfast
Walk the dogs
Feed the cats
Commute to work
Never fearing the worse could possibly happen….
We all know, and will never forget, where we were when the news hit
I, myself, was home sick from school, waking up not understanding what was happening….
NYC was hit tragically, millions in danger, from around the world
Many people commuting from many neighboring states
Talking to their loved ones along the way
Never realizing that would be the last time when they said “I love you” and “goodbye”
Everyone held their breath when the first plane hit, thinking it was a freak accident
A few moments later, another plane hits the other tower
It had felt like time stopped and everything was frozen
Debris and smoke filled the air, silent screams of confusion and fear were felt as if we all were there
People running to save their lives, others froze who were shocked and surprised
Emergency crews risked their lives, to help wounded people and others in the line
So many hopeless people lost hope, they fought hard but didn’t survive
September 11, 2001 we all will never forget everyone who lost their lives
Never seeing it coming, as two planes collide
Into the Twin Towers in NYC taking so many precious lives….
Things about 9/11 that still don’t make sense.
Story by Stars Insider
The September 11 attacks had a profound impact on the world as we know it. Global security and foreign relations have been greatly affected ever since the four coordinated terrorist attacks were carried out on American soil. Changes in airport security, such as stricter TSA regulations, have become a permanent part of air travel, while unrelated fields, like medical research and domestic policy, have also felt the negative effects over the decades.
This event has been researched and documented from seemingly every possible angle for the past 20-plus years, and yet there are still some parts of the tragedy that remain unknown or debated. Intrigued? Click through this gallery to discover the questions about that fateful day that remain unanswered.
Airport security
Before 9/11, airport security was shockingly lax, allowing hijackers to easily exploit weaknesses. Knives were allowed on flights, no IDs or boarding passes were required, and only basic metal detectors were used, despite previous hijackings that should have prompted stricter regulations.
Security hesitancy
While previous hijackings prompted some changes in security, airports remained hesitant to implement strict measures, fearing they would scare away travelers. Security was designed to be almost invisible, which led to vulnerabilities that the 9/11 attackers exploited.
Early warnings
The CIA was aware that an attack on US soil was imminent months before 9/11. They had intelligence that pointed to a major strike, but their warnings were ignored. A notable warning in August 2001, titled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US,” was dismissed by the administration.
Dismissal ©Getty Images
Despite the CIA’s efforts, their warnings were not heeded by the Bush administration, possibly due to overconfidence. Officials believed they were adequately handling the situation, while the CIA alerts were treated as background noise.
Miscommunication
The failure to prevent 9/11 was partially due to miscommunication and bureaucratic mismanagement among US intelligence agencies. The CIA and FBI had different focuses and lacked a central coordinating body to share information effectively.
Disjointed intelligence
At the time, the CIA was focused on international threats alone, which left them blind to domestic risks. In the meantime, the FBI lacked the means to assess the danger posed by foreign terrorist groups.
NORAD’s response
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was tasked with defending US airspace, yet it failed to intercept any of the hijacked planes. Many questions have arisen as to how such a highly coordinated attack went undetected by one of the world’s most sophisticated defense systems.
Radical groups
Domestically, law enforcement allowed radical groups to operate within the US largely unchecked before 9/11. Existing laws could have shut down these groups, but prosecutors often considered such cases not worth the effort, leading to growing threats within the country.
Domestic terrorism threats
US intelligence had long known about domestic terrorism risks but failed to address them. Reports dating back decades revealed that the country was ill-prepared to handle such attacks, yet little was done to enact or enforce policies that could prevent such threats.
Flight 93
Flight 93, the fourth plane hijacked on 9/11, is known for crashing in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to retake control. Its intended target was likely the US Capitol, though Osama bin Laden had originally preferred to attack the White House.
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Heroic actions
The actions of Flight 93’s passengers, who stormed the cockpit after learning of the other attacks, have become a symbol of heroism. Their efforts prevented further destruction, though the exact target still remains a matter of investigation and speculation.
Intervention
Many others have debated whether Flight 93 was deliberately shot down by the US military. The wide debris field and the initial ambiguity surrounding military orders that day have created much speculation about the true nature of the crash.
See also: What would the US be like today if 9/11 never happened?
Health consequences ©Getty Images
The health consequences of first responders at the World Trade Center on 9/11 have also been heavily debated. First responders have suffered long-term health issues, including cancer, respiratory diseases, and PTSD.
Cognitive decline
Cognitive decline among 9/11 first responders is becoming increasingly common decades later. Research indicates that many responders, now in their fifties, show brain deterioration typical of individuals much older, including severe cases of dementia.
Toxic dust
A Stony Brook University study from 2014 to 2023 confirmed a correlation between toxic dust exposure at the World Trade Center and the development of dementia among first responders. The study is a starting point for understanding these conditions, but more research is needed.
The use of torture ©Getty Images
In the wake of 9/11, American intelligence agencies engaged in torture at Guantanamo Bay and other secret prisons, using methods like waterboarding and sleep deprivation. These practices, often ineffective, have left lasting trauma on prisoners and violated international human rights laws.
Ineffectiveness
The torture carried out by US officials post-9/11 did little to provide useful intelligence and instead damaged the country’s reputation. By declaring the prisoners “unlawful enemy combatants,” the Bush administration was able to bypass the Geneva Conventions, sparking global controversy.
Human rights violations
Despite efforts to close Guantanamo Bay, the prison remains open. The use of torture by the CIA has stained the US’ global standing, with human rights organizations still unable to fully receive answers for the abuses that occurred.
Delayed trials
Over two decades after 9/11, key figures accused of orchestrating the attacks have yet to stand trial. Five men charged with planning the attacks have been held since the early 2000s, but their cases have faced numerous legal and logistical delays.
Legal complications
The trial process for 9/11 suspects has been delayed by numerous factors, including the inadmissibility of evidence obtained through torture. President Barack Obama’s attempt to move one trial to federal court was blocked, and military tribunals have proven controversial.
Omar al-Bayoumi
One of the lingering mysteries of 9/11 is the role of Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who helped two hijackers find housing in California. Though evidence suggests he may have known about the attacks, his exact involvement remains unclear.
Ties to Saudi intelligence
Omar al-Bayoumi (Arabic: عمر البيومي, romanized: ʿUmar al-Bayyūmī; born c. 1958) is a Saudi national with alleged links to two of the 9/11 hijackers in the United States. Files of the U.S. FBI, dating to before the attacks, demonstrate that he was a Saudi Arabian intelligence agent. Some believe he was a paid informant, while others (including families of 9/11 victims) have accused the Saudi government of financing the attacks. No official ties have been confirmed.
Transparency
In the decades since 9/11, calls for transparency regarding Saudi Arabia’s potential involvement have grown. Some documents related to the attacks remain heavily redacted, fueling theories that the US government may be protecting its ally from scrutiny.
Delay in declassifying documents ©Shutterstock
The delay in declassifying 9/11-related documents has sparked speculation about why the information was hidden in the first place. Some theorize it is to protect Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, though the Saudi government has denied involvement and supports declassification.
Financial transactions
Prior to the 9/11 attacks, there was a surge in financial transactions that some have interpreted as insider trading, speculating that certain individuals may have had foreknowledge of the attacks. Investigations into these financial activities have been inconclusive, but many questions still remain.
Building 7 collapse ©Public Domain
One of the most perplexing questions revolves around the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC 7). Unlike the Twin Towers, it was not directly hit by planes but collapsed hours after the main attacks.
Official explanation
The official explanation for Building 7’s collapse cites fire-induced structural failure, but skeptics question the sudden, symmetrical nature of its collapse, and have compared it to controlled demolitions.
Perception of safety ©Getty Images
The public perception of safety was drastically changed due to 9/11. To this day, psychologists are still unravelling the unknown impact that the event had on civilians, and how it has shaped a more security-conscious world.
Sources: (Grunge) (BBC) (The Washington Post) (National September 11 Memorial & Museum) | See also: What would the US be like today if 9/11 never happened?
National September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York City, New York ©Nino Marcutti/Alamy Stock Photo
This moving tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks is built where the World Trade Center’s twin towers once stood. Waterfalls cascade into vast pools, the walls of which are inscribed with the names of those who died in 2001. More than 400 swamp white oaks trees, selected for their resilience, surround the pools, creating a serene place of reflection among the high-rises of New York City.
Never forget: 9/11 remembrance ceremony happening today (youtube.com)
Pandemic
Attempts to prosecute 9/11 suspects were further stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed jury selection and pretrial hearings. As of 2024, plea deals have fallen through, and the already complicated legal proceedings have been prolonged further.
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50 Predictions Analyzing America’s Future in the Next 50 Years (msn.com)
