CIA declassifies briefs about Al-Qaeda on 9/11 anniversary

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the CIA released over 70 presidential intelligence briefs related to Al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden. This release aims to provide unprecedented transparency into America's most sensitive intelligence from the years leading up to and following the darkest moment in US history.

The CIA stated that these products trace the evolution of analysts' understanding of Al-Qaeda and their efforts to warn of bin Laden's attack plans, despite having limited, vague, and imperfect information. For instance, a September 10, 1998 brief, parts of which were redacted, indicated that Al-Qaeda may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city.

Another December 4, 1998 brief, also redacted, claimed that bin Laden and his allies were preparing for attacks in the US, including aircraft hijacking. The released documents cover a period from the Bill Clinton presidency to George W. Bush's tenure, the time when 19 Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four airliners on September 11, 2001.

The attacks resulted in the collapse of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, the Pentagon being struck, and a fourth plane crashing into a Pennsylvania field after passengers resisted. Following the 9/11 attacks, the US launched military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, collectively known as the War on Terror, which have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.