The Looming Tower
FBI and CIA officers wage a bitter internal war while Osama bin Laden builds al-Qaeda into a global threat. Their refusal to share intelligence helps clear the path to the September 11 attacks. The Looming Tower follows FBI counterterrorism chief John O'Neill as he hunts Osama bin Laden after the 1998 embassy bombings and collides with a CIA that hoards its own al-Qaeda files. Working beside Arabic-speaking agent Ali Soufan, O'Neill chases leads from East Africa to Yemen and the USS Cole bombing, only to watch critical names and photos stay locked inside Langley. CIA analyst Martin Schmidt and his Alec Station team treat the Bureau as a rival rather than a partner, convinced that sharing will compromise sources. O'Neill’s abrasive style, multiple relationships, and willingness to bend rules further isolate him inside the Bureau. Soufan’s interrogations and cultural fluency keep producing