Newly released CIA documents indicate that the Bill Clinton administration received intelligence three years prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks, warning that Osama bin Laden intended to use a bomb-laden plane to strike an American city. The September 10, 1998 report, headlined 'Bin Laden's Location and Intentions,' was prepared for senior officials and suggested Washington D.C. as a potential target, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Additional documents reveal that analysts informed the White House in July 1998 that a bin Laden attack on the U.S. was "plausible." Further intelligence in October 2000 stated that bin Laden remained "committed" to striking American targets, though specific timing and locations could not be determined.
The revelations emerged as former President Clinton attended the 25th anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero, an event that also included former Presidents Bush, Obama, and Biden. The timing of the release underscored the significance of the intelligence foreshadowing the attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.
Intelligence Before 9/11
The 9/11 Commission had previously referenced the 1998 memo, but its inclusion in the president's daily intelligence briefing was not disclosed until now. The CIA released 71 documents to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Former acting CIA chief Michael Morell told the Wall Street Journal that these documents demonstrate the agency provided "long and loud strategic warnings" that went unheeded by two administrations. However, some agency insiders suggest that the intelligence at the time was often based on "highly questionable sources," making it difficult for policymakers to act decisively without precise details on targets or timing.
One CIA analyst claimed that counterterrorism was not a presidential priority before 9/11, and the agency lacked sufficient resources to dismantle bin Laden's network. Bin Laden had been linked to significant attacks prior to 9/11, including the 1998 embassy bombings in East Africa and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole.
In contrast to the Clinton administration's intelligence, records show that during the George W. Bush administration, bin Laden was mentioned in at least 18 separate editions of the daily intelligence digest in 2001. Seven of these memos were delivered to President Bush in the weeks leading up to the attacks. One memo from July 24, 2001, noted the postponement of an "expected imminent" bin Laden operation, while cautioning that other attacks could still be underway.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe characterized the document release as a significant act of transparency honoring those lost on 9/11. Separately, on the anniversary, 9/11 widow Terry Strada publicly urged for the release of unredacted files concerning Saudi Arabia's alleged role in the attacks, calling for accountability from various administrations.