Baku, September 12, AZERTAC
Newly declassified documents show that, three years before 9/11, US intelligence officials were discussing the possibility that al-Qaeda "may fly an explosive airplane into a US city", BBC reported.
On Friday, the 25th anniversary of hijacked planes being crashed into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, the CIA released 71 daily presidential briefs spanning from early 1998 to the day after the attacks.
Another document, dated 12 September 2001, said the plot's existence was "widely known" in extremist circles.
President's Daily Briefs are among the most secretive intelligence analyses in the US government, and typically remain classified for 40 or 50 years after publication.
"Twenty-five years ago, the 9/11 attacks struck a blow to our nation, but they did not break us," CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement.
"Generations of C.I.A. officers have since dedicated their careers to securing justice for our fallen Americans and ensuring Al Qaeda would never again harm our country," he added.
Of the 71 documents published by the CIA, 69 have never been seen by the public.
The briefs - many still heavily redacted - were created during both the Clinton and Bush administrations.
Source: azertag.az
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