An Open Letter to the U.S. Intelligence Community
By Sarah Adams, US CIA Officer
In the photo: Hassan bin Laden, son of Saad, and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid—meanwhile, counterterrorism funds continue to flow to Taliban’s Qatar office.
You know the signs. You’ve seen this movie before. And yet, here we are—again.
Another catastrophic attack from al-Qaeda is coming. The pieces are in motion. If we allow history to repeat itself, the failure will be etched in infamy—just like it was on September 11, 2001. Only this time, there will be no excuse.
We were promised the Intelligence Community (IC) had transformed after 9/11. That “Never Again” meant real reform. But what do we see instead? The same foundational cracks: failed collection, poor analysis, risk-aversion, and an unwillingness to name the enemy truthfully.
Here is the reality: the IC currently does not know who is leading either ISIS or al-Qaeda.
On the ISIS front, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the group's fifth emir, is the actual head of ISIS and is currently operating from inside Syria. Yet U.S. briefings continue to elevate Sheikh Abdul Qadir Mumin, a Somalia-based ISIS leader, as the face of the group. Wrong man, wrong country, wrong threat picture. This narrative keeps the American public in the dark believing they are safer than they are while the enemy plans its next move.
Similarly, the IC remains completely blind to the current reality of al-Qaeda and its leadership. The group’s real leader is Hamza bin Laden—alive and once again operating from Afghanistan. This isn’t some clerical error; it’s an intelligence failure.
While the public was told in 2019 that Hamza bin Laden was dead—a lie planted by none other than Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri—he was very much alive: hidden, protected, and poised to prove that the second and third generations of the Bin Ladens are far more lethal than the first. Before something catastrophic happens, it’s time to confront the reality of what Hamza, Saad, Abdullah, Osman, and nephew Hassan bin Laden are planning from inside Afghanistan.
The Taliban—in-laws to the Bin Laden family—played the IC. And you let it happen.
The IC allowed our enemies to run better deception campaigns than we’ve run counterterrorism operations. Instead of correcting course, too many inside the IC stay silent—watching the threat build, saying nothing, and choosing safety over duty.
And for anyone who needs a reminder of what real courage looks like, look no further than September 11th, 2001.
On that fateful day, a small group of ordinary Americans aboard United Flight 93 understood the gravity of the situation. They made a choice. They didn’t wait for orders. They didn’t say, “It’s not my job.” They didn’t demand full confirmation of the threat. They acted—and forced the plane down into a Pennsylvania field because they knew exactly what was at stake.
They gave their lives to stop a greater evil. And they did it with less intelligence and resources than you have at your fingertips right now. And the firefighters who ran up the stairs of the Twin Towers—they weren’t debating narratives or worrying about optics. They moved because they knew what had to be done. Why should we make heroes after an attack when we could have heroes now who do the right thing?
You know what’s coming. So decide: what are you going to do about it?
Are you standing up? Speaking out? Are you fighting to expose the lies the IC swallowed in Afghanistan and Syria? Or are you sitting quietly by, watching history repeat, knowing full well what’s coming—and watching U.S. counterterrorism dollars get diverted from the Taliban and poured into a plot against our own homeland?
The job of the intelligence community isn’t about politics, promotions, or protecting bad policy. It’s about protecting the American people.
If a handful of civilians on a hijacked flight could find the courage to stop an attack in real time—what excuse do you have, with all the intelligence, capabilities, and resources this nation can offer?
History is watching. So are your former colleagues—and, most importantly, the American people.
— A Note to the Public — Prepare now. Because if the IC refuses to course-correct, the responsibility to protect your community and your family may fall to you.
