The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, released declassified daily intelligence briefings provided to former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The release, marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks, includes 71 documents — 69 of which have never before been seen by the public.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe described the release as the single-largest disclosure of the agency’s analysis regarding the attacks. The declassified files include a briefing dated Sept. 10, 1998, which informed then-President Clinton that a group associated with Osama bin Laden "may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a U.S. city." While the 9/11 Commission noted the existence of this warning in its 2004 study, it was previously unclear whether the specific memo had reached the president's desk.
Other documents detail al-Qaeda's interest in acquiring nuclear materials, launching chemical attacks, or kidnapping an American citizen, whose name remains redacted in the release. A final pre-attack briefing on Aug. 6, 2001, titled "Bin Ladin Determined To Strike In US," reported that the FBI had indicated patterns of activity consistent with preparations for hijackings, including surveillance of federal buildings in New York. That memo also noted that 70 full field investigations related to bin Laden were underway at the time, though the agency stated it could not corroborate some "sensational" reporting.
Terry Strada, a widow of a 9/11 victim, spoke at a remembrance ceremony in New York City on Friday, accusing previous administrations of withholding evidence regarding Saudi Arabia’s alleged role. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. While the Saudi government has repeatedly denied complicity, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales stated that President Trump authorized the release of the documents — totaling more than 100 pages — to demonstrate transparency and honor the victims.
The release sets a rare precedent for the declassification of the President’s Daily Brief, which typically remains secret for 40 to 50 years. The documents confirm that while the intelligence community warned of threats from al-Qaeda, it lacked specific details regarding the scale or timing of the 2001 attacks. --- WHO: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Director John Ratcliffe, and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. WHAT: Declassification of 71 presidential daily intelligence briefings (more than 100 pages). WHEN: Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. WHERE: Washington, D.C. and New York City. WHY: To provide transparency regarding intelligence shared with the White House prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.