The single greatest structural problem for Sept 11 was the lack of Arab speakers in the intelligence services over the previous fifteen years, not to mention the obsession of the incoming Republican administration with missile defence, Iraq, and other irrelevancies.

This "wall" business is likely the usual bitching of government for the widening of their powers in domestic surveillance.

It is not clear to me (maybe someone can explain it) what the nature of the "wall" is in America. Having a "wall" between intelligence services and the police is very, very important in democratic societies. The potential for the "criminalization" of anti-government protest is always a threat. One would have thought that ordinary conspiracy to murder in common law would have been a reasonable reason for the CIA to alert the FBI, had they had such information.

yours,

Peter T.