Clear the Skies: 9/11 Air Defense

The strategic response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 is thoroughly analyzed in this riveting hour-long BBC documentary examining the events of 9/11 from the angle of U.S. domestic defense, beginning at 8:30 a.m., shortly before the first hijacked jet struck the World Trade towers, and ending late that afternoon when President Bush safely returned to Washington, D.C. Dozens of startling details are revealed: only four Air Force fighters were available to defend the entire northeastern United States; the blast doors in the North American Air Defense command center, deep within Colorado's Cheyenne Mountain, were closed for the first time since operations began in 1966; and President Bush angrily assured reporters aboard Air Force One that "two-bit thugs" would not keep America down (in a candid off-the-record remark). What emerges is the sobering conclusion that America was unprepared for this "new kind of war." But Clear the Skies also demonstrates how efficiency prevailed under extreme circumstances, as a step-by-step analysis of the day's events (using file footage, photos, and dramatic reenactments) shows how the protection of America's executive chain of command was 100% successful. A solid addition to the many DVDs that chronicle 9/11 from a variety of perspectives, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Shannon)