CIA declassifies Al-Qaeda briefs with pre-9/11 warnings

The CIA released more than 70 presidential intelligence briefs related to Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden on Friday, the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The agency said the release gives new transparency on presidential intelligence publications from the years before the attacks and the day after them. It said the documents show CIA analysts' changing understanding of Al-Qaeda and efforts to warn about bin Laden's attack planning despite limited and imperfect information.

One partly redacted brief dated September 10, 1998 said Al-Qaeda "may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city." Another partly redacted brief, dated December 4, 1998, said bin Laden "and his allies are preparing for attacks in the US, including an aircraft hijacking."

The briefs cover a period beginning during Bill Clinton's presidency and continuing into George W. Bush's presidency. Bush was in office when 19 Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four airliners on September 11, 2001.

Two planes hit the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, a third hit the Pentagon and a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back.