The US House Intelligence Committee has warned that the next major terrorist attack against the United States may not resemble the hijackings of 11 September 2001 — and could instead exploit artificial intelligence, cyberattacks, biological threats, or strikes on critical infrastructure. The committee approved a landmark review report by voice vote at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, marking nearly 25 years since the attacks that killed close to 3,000 people.

What the Report Covers

The review examines whether the United States has fully implemented all 41 original recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, which issued its findings in 2004. It identifies current blind spots and tables 20 new recommendations to address vulnerabilities the original commission could not have anticipated. The task force was co-chaired by Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York and Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, signalling rare bipartisan consensus on national security priorities.

Key Threats Identified

Beyond traditional terrorism, the panel flags artificial intelligence, drones, unmanned systems, biological threats, attacks on telecommunications and the electricity grid, economic coercion, home-grown violent extremism, and asymmetric warfare as emerging national security dangers. The report specifically calls for preparations to address so-called 'Black Swan' risks linked to the rapid proliferation of AI — scenarios that are low-probability but potentially catastrophic.

New Recommendations

Among the 20 new recommendations, the committee calls for full implementation of a biometric entry-and-exit system for passport control comparable to the standard used by the European Union — a proposal that echoes longstanding concerns that stronger customs and immigration controls might have prevented several of the 11 September hijackers from entering the country. The panel also urges interoperable information-sharing systems across the US intelligence community, and closer coordination among intelligence agencies and federal, state, local, and tribal authorities.

Additional recommendations include reviewing intelligence-classification standards to reduce overclassification, reauthorising Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — which permits collection of electronic communications involving foreign nationals outside the US — and exploring the possible creation of a National Intelligence Reserve Corps. Mandatory training in handling classified material and counterintelligence is also proposed for all members of Congress and congressional staff holding security clearances.

Unfinished Business from 2004

The task force found that several original commission proposals remain incomplete. Notably, the 9/11 Commission had recommended merging the separate House and Senate intelligence committees into a single joint body — a structural reform Congress never adopted. The committee's failure to act on that recommendation has, critics argue, left coordination gaps that persist to this day.

What Committee Leaders Said

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford cautioned that the country could not repeat the 'failure of imagination' identified by the original 9/11 Commission. 'The next strategic attack against the United States may not involve hijacked airplanes,' Crawford said. The committee held consultations with victims' families, law-enforcement officials, and the Director of National Intelligence before approving the report. The reauthorisation of Section 702, in particular, is expected to reignite debate over the balance between intelligence gathering and civil liberties protections.

What Comes Next

The report's release comes as the United States approaches the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Whether Congress will act on the new recommendations — particularly the structural reforms it previously shelved — remains an open question. The creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center, both products of the 2004 commission, stand as benchmarks for what sustained political will can achieve; the current report tests whether that will still exists.