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

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the CIA has declassified 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 moments in US history.

The documents trace the evolution of CIA analysts' understanding of Al-Qaeda and their efforts to warn about potential attacks, despite limited and unclear information. For instance, a September 10, 1998, brief, with some parts redacted, stated that Al-Qaeda might fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city. Another dated December 4, 1998, also containing redactions, warned that bin Laden and his allies were preparing for attacks in the US, including aircraft hijackings.

The briefs span from the Clinton presidency to George W. Bush's, a period encompassing the September 11 attacks. The events of that day resulted in the collapse of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, the strike on the Pentagon, and the crash of a fourth plane in Pennsylvania, where passengers fought back against the hijackers. In response to 9/11, the US initiated military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, leading to protracted wars that claimed tens of thousands of lives.