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o'neill's life and career
a chronology of his life related features

A Letter to Lou Gunn
On his last day at the FBI, O'Neill sent this e-mail to the father of one of the sailors killed in the USS Cole attack.

1997 Speech to National Strategy Forum
O'Neill's subject was domestic and international terrorism and its global reach.

His Congressional Testimony
In November 1995, O'Neill testified about the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction.

Cooperation and Teamwork in a Multi-police Environment
In this speech to the Spanish Police Foundation on July 10, 2001, O'Neill asked the audience, "How much more successful could we all be if we really knew what our agencies really knew?"

 

O'Neill's story, as drawn from FRONTLINE's research, reporting, and interviews with O'Neill's friends and colleagues.

a 1997 interview

In this 1997 video interview, John O'Neill talks about the work of FBI agents, how he handles the emotional challenges of his job, and what he calls "ordered liberty" -- the delicate balance of national security and civil liberties.

anecdotes

Memories of O'Neill, recounted by friends and colleagues Clint Guenther, Fran Townsend, Barry Mawn, and Richard Clarke, offering glimpses of his personality, character, and working style.

O'Neill and the FBI

In many ways, John O'Neill was always engaged in a double war, says Valerie James. "He was fighting terrorism, and fighting his own people too." Here, friends and colleagues talk about the clash of personalities and politics that persisted throughout O'Neill's FBI career.

The John O'Neill I Knew

Impressions of a life, offered by seven of O'Neill's friends and colleagues.

Pursuing  Al Qaeda

Friends and colleagues discuss O'Neill's passionate pursuit of the Al Qaeda terrorist network, from 1995 and the capture of Ramzi Yousef to the summer of 2001.

The USS Cole Investigation -  Yemen, October 2000

Colleagues describe the obstacles O'Neill faced as on-scene commander in Yemen: a U.S. ambassador, uncooperative Yemeni officials, a hostile environment, and ultimately, the lack of support from FBI headquarters.

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