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Robert Mueller was the brand‑new Director of the FBI on 9/11 and led the Bureau’s investigation and post‑attack transformation.
His position on 9/11
Mueller was sworn in as the 6th FBI Director on September 4, 2001, just one week before the attacks.
When 9/11 happened, he was immediately responsible for directing the FBI’s criminal investigation into the attacks and coordinating with the White House, CIA, and other agencies.
What he did in the aftermath
He oversaw what’s often called the largest criminal investigation in U.S. history, reconstructing the hijackers’ identities, travel, financing, training, and network.
Under intense pressure from President George W. Bush and Congress, he began shifting the FBI from a mostly reactive law‑enforcement agency into a more intelligence‑driven counterterrorism service: reorganizing priorities, building information‑sharing structures, and expanding surveillance and counterterrorism programs.
Longer‑term 9/11‑related role
He testified to Congress and the 9/11 Commission about what the FBI knew before the attacks and the failures in intelligence and coordination.
Throughout his tenure (2001–2013), he repeatedly used 9/11 as the justification for expanded counterterrorism authorities (including NSA programs), arguing they were necessary to prevent another attack.