CIA declassifies documents warning of the 9/11 tragedy
Declassified CIA files show the White House repeatedly received warnings about al-Qaeda's intentions to attack, yet the tragedy of September 11, 2001, still occurred.
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on September 11 released over 100 pages of daily intelligence briefings previously sent to former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, focusing on the threat from the terrorist organization al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden in the years leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The release of these documents is considered a historic and significant decision, as the CIA has always rigorously protected intelligence briefings sent to the president, considering them among the most sensitive classified materials.
The documents reveal continuous warnings over the years that Osama bin Laden was considering carrying out an attack on US territory or against US facilities abroad.
Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in a video released by the Pentagon in May 2011. Photo: Reuters
Intelligence information indicated that he intended to attack a commercial center in Washington D.C., acquire materials for nuclear bomb construction, conduct chemical weapon attacks, or kidnap Americans.
One warning sent to Mr. Clinton was in the final part of a September 10, 1998 intelligence report, which stated that a group linked to the al-Qaeda leader "might be planning to use a U.S.-bound airliner bomb to attack a U.S. city."
The last notable warning from the CIA before the tragedy was issued on August 6, 2001, with the title Bin Laden determined to strike in America. The report stated that al-Qaeda members had resided or traveled in the US for years, assessing that the group "appears to maintain a support network that could help carry out attacks."
Information from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the time also indicated "signs of suspicious activity related to preparations for hijackings or other forms of attack, including reconnaissance of federal buildings in New York."
The report stated that 70 comprehensive field investigations "related to bin Laden" were underway in the US at the time. However, the document admitted that "we have not been able to verify" some of the most serious threats, including a 1998 intelligence report stating that bin Laden wanted to hijack a US plane.
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The world-shaking attack 20 years ago
America's day of attack. Video: USA Today
However, these warnings did not help change history. On September 11, 2001, the world-shaking terrorist attacks occurred.
Four planes were hijacked. Two crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, one hit the Pentagon in Washington, and the fourth, believed to be heading for the Capitol, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers bravely fought back against the terrorists. The tragedy killed nearly 3,000 people.
The 2004 report by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States concluded that the intelligence community had repeatedly warned of the threat from al-Qaeda, but they failed to fully assess and communicate the scale and urgency of the danger.
The fragmented intelligence system also prevented experts in different agencies from effectively connecting the pieces of information.
Fire and smoke billow from the north tower of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks. Photo: AP
According to researchers at the time, this was also a period of extreme instability for the CIA, as the agency had not yet clearly defined how to redirect its operations or what issues to focus on after the Cold War.
"Even though parts of the agency were sounding the alarm about the threat, the CIA was still a very large organization," commented Jeffrey Rogg, a historian of the intelligence community at the University of Texas at Austin.
Thanh Tam (According to CNN, AFP)
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Demon BoyScary! Just two civilian planes caused more destruction than hypersonic missiles or GPU57 bombs.
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ReplyReport violation3h ago
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ComedianWere there any consequences for ignoring the warnings?
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ReplyReport violation1h ago
thyhoangBecause of this incident, I had to postpone my flight there for over a month. I thought it would be chaotic there, but when I arrived in the city, I didn't feel like there had been a crisis. Everyone was very busy and life was normal.
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ReplyReport violation2h ago
pttam.135Perhaps US officials did not think al-Qaeda could carry out such a terrible terrorist attack.
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ReplyReport violation2h ago
kietdiachatOnly after the event occurred was the intelligence considered accurate; before that, it was just suspicion.
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ReplyReport violation3h ago
thanhtam.muget05That attack was the first time I heard the word "terrorism." Every time I see images of America that day, it feels terrifying.
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