I have to say I know things like this (politics, personality clashs) happens everywhere. The big questions is how we can build government agencies to avoid it, like the founding fathers designed the federal goverment, check and balance kind of thing.

I'm afraid to say Bush's plan to build a super agency "Department of Homeland Security" will fall into this bureaucratic trap. What we need is different agencies to collect information on diverse sources and ways, not a centralized agency that one department chief that might fail spetacularly, like this documentary was pointing out.

I suspect that only if FBI had a Google-like engine installed to its internal classifed computer, someone would "link" all the dots together. I have no relationship to Google.com to sing its praise, but boy, that thing will find things you never expected.

tampa, fl

Dear FRONTLINE,

The program was outstanding. So outstanding in fact that I am in a state of rage I have not felt since 9/11/01.

How is it that people like Tom Picard and Ambassodor Bodine can run a professional out of a position that he exelled at, at a time when no one else at the top of the FBI even saw the clues? These same individuals did not even have the backbone to defend their position on your program, what cowards!

Frank Morse
dallas, tx

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you Frontline for helping me to see the answer to the question I have repeatedly asked myself since September 11th: "How could this happen...especially with all the intellegence this country must have?"

I'm comforted to know there was a John O'Neill looking out for us, yet sad that he's no longer here. A fascinating program and a fascinating man.

Edward Davis
charlotte, north carolina

Dear FRONTLINE,

I don't know why people are so amazed that this happened. Politics exist in any corporation. Also do values and morals, egos and envy. Our chains will always only be as strong as our links. We have seen this in all the recent greed scandels in corporate America

. Like the firefighters and police and those who cooperated in bringing down the plane in Shanksville he exhibited how unselfish the human spirit can be. We are all responsible no matter how big or small the parts we play. What we do everyday matters. That is the lesson, that has always been the lesson.

Debra Shea
pittsburgh , pa

Dear FRONTLINE,

Dear Frontline...

Well edited story involving those who would permit an interview... Very powerful... Thought provoking...

Back in 1957 I asked my dad what his concerns were about communism... His instant reply: "John, don't be too concerned about communism... Bureaucracy will probably end our way of life long before communism ever gets a Foot-hold here"...

John F. Campbell
milwaukee, wi

Dear FRONTLINE,

In 1999 I was Program Director for the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut. I organized a series of seminars on terrorism and Y2K.

A State Department Official was scheduled to speak to us about the foreign sources of terrorist threats. When this person was reassigned and became unable to speak to us at our September 1999 meeting, he suggested that I contact Special Agent John O'Neil. I called him at the New York Office and he agreed to come to New Haven to speak to us. He could not have been more accommodating and was pleased to come and speak to members of the law enforcement community.

On that night in 1999, Agent O'Neil laid out the connections between the helicopter's shot down in Somalia, the embassy bombings in East Africa, with Al Queda and finally Bin Ladden. He told us that Al Queda and Bin Laden were the single biggest threats to the United States in terms of terrorism.

Agent O'Neil told us about the excellent cooperation his agents had received from the Kenyan Police personnel and noted that fully half of the Kenyan Police officers who had helped in the investigative efforts had since died of aids.

We all enjoyed John O'Neill's company that evening and my wife and I dined with him. At the conclusion of the evening, we took him to the New Haven train station and he returned to New York. Perhaps he stopped at Elaine's on his way home.

I attended his funeral in Atlantic City as President of our Police Commissioner's Association. The Church was packed and it was a memorable service. The trip to the graveyard in was equally impressive. Three color guards were present. Along a stretch of country road leading to the cemetery a local fire department had all its apparatus out in front, all its personnel were turned out and saluting and the fire siren was sounding. It was a touching tribute.

Agent O'Neill was right and the threat is still there. Despite all the talk from the government, we are still unprepared to face this threat. Local and State Police Departments have not received the training and funding to cope with the new demand of being the front line defense against terrorism. There has not been enough done to ensure that there is communication flowing from the top down and the bottom up.

I sincerely hope that we are not lulled into a false sense of security by color coded alerts and assurances fro Washington. There is much left to be done.

Thank you to Frontline for this excellent piece of Journalism.

President Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut

Kevin Boyle
bridgeport, connecticut

Dear FRONTLINE,

After seeing the show regarding Mr. O'Neill, and many, many other shows, and "bits" of other information concerning red flags forewarnig 9-11. I have to ask myself....Where was our President? Why isn't someone asking Mr. Clinton....where were you, and your adminstration?

If the economy and the stockmarket can be blamed on our current President... then why isn't some dedicated journalist asking Mr. Cilinton some pointed questions?

L.B. Robertson
cookeville, tenn.

Dear FRONTLINE,

Frontline is an excellent program and the story of John O'Neill is one of its best. The lesson I took from this story is that the F.B.I. leadership at the very top is led by conformists, those people who will not risk their careers and cannot think or act outside the "box". Until unconventional thinkers, like Mr. O'Neill was, become accepted within the F.B.I. culture and appropriately utilized, things will not change. I fear the F.B.I. probably hasn't changed much since Sept. 11.

burnsville, mn

Dear FRONTLINE,

I just watched the "The man who Knew" and I feel exactly as I did on Sept. 11.

The fear is back full on, same feeling of complete vunerablility, now more than ever, complete loss of confidence in the ability of intelligence agencies to do what needs to be done to gather the information they need, process it correctly and to get it to the people who need to know. In other words, THEIR JOB!!

What was that restructuring plan that O'Neil had, that vanished into the oblivion know as Congress?? Did he take those ideas to the grave?? SAD!!! Sounds to me like they could have used a little input on restructuring.

When will we (in the FBI, CIA, DEA, FAA,(just as guilty!)etc) put our egos aside?!?!? National Security!!! This is the most important issue our country has.

Arthur Quinn Jr.
rochester, ny

Dear FRONTLINE,

First, I find that Mr. O'Neill was one very forward thinking person. The information provided in the telecast demonstrates his uncanny ability to snuff out terrorist cells and organizations, using any means provided of a long time Civil Servant and Law Enforcement Officer.

His linking of terrorist activity in geographically different areas to a single threat from a seemingly friendly location proves Mr. O'Neill has taken the time and spent many hours defining what modern anti-American semitism is about.

It is an absolute pity that his information fell upon politically deaf ears. Politics in the FBI, politics in Yemen, politics in the State Department are what fell him, in my opinion. I would hope that a career diplomat would have the common sense to understand that a terrorist attack on a US Naval vessel is in itself terrible, but when compounded with the tragic loss of life, the unwillingness to allow a fellow American problem-solver to properly conduct his duty is inexcusable.

What would that career (appointed) diplomat do if her son/daughter/nephew/niece were killed in a terrorist attack that could have been prevented through proper investigation? I am quite sure that it would be anything within her diplomatic power to have results otherwise.

Cliff Walls
terrytown, la

Dear FRONTLINE,

What a complicated mess the FBI is in. I want to know why up to this point nobody has been held accountable for their errors in judgement. Why personality conflicts played a greater role that the security of our nation. This is truely the tragedy here.

There is much work to do.

dix hills, ny

Dear FRONTLINE,

Their childish handeling of personal differences with Mr. O'Neill is a sad testament to what is wrong with governmental agencies that are ripe with personal ambitions but devoid of integrity and fidelity to its own agents and, in the final anaylsis, its citizenry.

I have personally met many "former" FBI agents who all have told me the same story: The FBI is a terrible place to work and is in need of a total transformation.

God help us all.

worcester, ma

Dear FRONTLINE,

Now I know why the intelligence failures happened--simple human jealousy and petty bureaucratic politics. That entrenched trio won their little campaign to oust O'Neill, and now we are at war. Congratulations.

s. burlington, vt

Dear FRONTLINE,

I lost my sister Laura Lee Morabito on September 11 when her flight, AA #11, was flown by Mohammed Atta into the World Trade Center North Tower. She sat in one of ten first class seats on that plane...

As I watched tonight, the PBS program outlining John O'Neils career pursuing Al Queda, I could not help but feel so very angry at the individuals within the FBI who became fixated on ousting John from the organization.

I recognize that individuals who have "sharp elbows" often create animosity among others BUT in an organization that is defending our country's freedom, they should give room to those who show a capability of getting the job done. It is sort of like tolerating an aggressive obnoxious Marine...you learn to accept it because those are the guys I want on the front line! John died on the front line...god bless him!

I wonder in a very cynical way whether the Ambassador to Yemen or the past Director of the FBI are happy with their decisons which now proved devastating to my family and thousands of others!

Craig DeFazio
selinsgrove, pa

Dear FRONTLINE,

I watched the show in disbelief as to how the FBI politics did everything to destroy and discredit this man! Maybe if he was allowed to do his job his way (as he had always done) 9/11 could have been avoided! I was in tears by the end... such a waste of lives!

Leslie Schofield
port jervis, new york