RTVI Marks 25 Years Since the September 11 Attacks with Expert Analysis and Firsthand Accounts

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the nation marks 25 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks, RTVI has released a series of interviews and reports examining how the United States' national security landscape, aviation industry, and civilian life have been shaped by the events of that day. The coverage features former U.S. national security officials, aviation security experts, first responders, and medical professionals whose careers intersected with the attacks and their aftermath.

Evolving National Security Threats

Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told RTVI that the September 11 attacks led to a substantial restructuring of the Bureau's priorities, with resources redirected from organized crime and narcotics toward counterterrorism.

"Before 9/11, we had about seven groups working on organized and violent crime. After 9/11, that changed: about two groups remained on organized crime, and five moved to counterterrorism," Coffindaffer said. She cited the creation of the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) as one of the most significant structural changes, enabling federal, state, and local agencies to share intelligence. Coffindaffer noted that lone-actor attackers remain among the most difficult threats to identify in advance.

Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, who witnessed the Pentagon burning on September 11, 2001, told RTVI that while U.S. military operations reduced the global terrorism threat over the past two decades, the range of international security challenges has expanded. Bolton identified the deepening cooperation between Russia and China as a leading concern and pointed to what he described as an emerging tripolar nuclear dynamic, along with cyberwarfare and the continued relevance of nuclear, chemical, and biological threats.

"Permanent stability is not something we are going to have. Threats are always going to be with us. That is simply a reality that has to be understood," Bolton told RTVI.

The Transformation of Aviation Security

Jeffrey Price, University of Denver professor and owner of Leading Edge Strategies, told RTVI that the September 11 attacks led to a comprehensive restructuring of U.S. aviation security. According to Price, U.S. aviation security prior to the attacks stood at approximately three out of ten on his own scale, and has since risen to approximately eight.

Price cited the creation of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the transfer of passenger screening from airlines to the federal government, mandatory checked-baggage screening, and the expansion of the Federal Air Marshal Service from approximately 30 officers before the attacks to several thousand today. Price also identified emerging challenges, including insider threats, drones, and cyberattacks targeting airport systems.

Firsthand Accounts from Ground Zero

Michael Cooper, a former U.S. Army soldier and New York State National Guard member, told RTVI he arrived at the World Trade Center site within hours of the attacks. Cooper described the initial response and the National Guard's role in securing the perimeter. He said approximately one-fifth of the personnel he served with at the site and subsequently deployed to Iraq later lost their lives.

Michael Jones, now chair of emergency medicine at Montefiore Einstein Medical Center in New York, was a medical student volunteering with emergency services on September 11. He told RTVI he was dispatched to a triage center established at the South Ferry terminal, where he treated first responders — including one police officer he would encounter again ten years later on another emergency call.

Lisa Arkin, now head of the pediatric dermatology center at the University of Wisconsin, told RTVI that on September 11, 2001 she was working as an HBO editor for programs including The Sopranos and Sex and the City while volunteering at a children's hospital in the evenings. She said her experience helping to reunite separated families that day influenced her subsequent decision to pursue a medical career.

RTVI's Historical Coverage

RTVI's news team — then broadcasting as NTV International — reported live from Lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001. Footage produced by the RTVI crew was used by television networks worldwide, and the journalists who covered the attack were among the recipients of an Emmy Award for collective coverage.

About RTVI

RTVI is a leading international multiplatform Russian-language media outlet, broadcasting to audiences in 187 countries for over 25 years.

Media Contact:

RTVI Marketing & Communications

+1 929 4256503

[email protected] 

SOURCE RTVI