This article and the accompanying video were first published by UCLA Spotlight.

AFTER SIX YEARS of intensive research, Zegart doesn't think U.S. intelligence agencies have learned the vital lessons of 9/11. But she doesn't agree with all the conclusions of the 9/11 Commission, either. Watch the dialog heat up as ex-CIA agent Larry Johnson questions Zegart about her research.

Amy Zegart is a UCLA faculty member and an expert on intelligence reform – named one of the “top 10” in that field by The National Journal.

Larry Johnson is a tough critic of his former agency, the CIA. He has voiced his opinions on NPR, CNN, Fox News, NBC’s Today Show and the BBC. Johnson's attitude can be summed up by the title of his blog: "No Quarter."

Our video brings Johnson and Zegart together to discuss the premise of her latest book, “Spying Blind: The CIA, The FBI, and the Origins of 9/11.” When Johnson questions Zegart, he’s not a talk show host lobbing softballs: he’s a tough, knowledgeable insider. So he strikes some sparks from Zegart: watch the video and see for yourself.

An associate professor in the School of Public Affairs, Amy Zegart worked on the National Security Council staff during the Clinton administration, served as a foreign policy adviser to the Bush-Cheney 2000 presidential campaign, and has testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Published: Monday, January 14, 2008