LINK TO 8/6/01 PDB: ""Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S."

FoxNews ^ | April 10, 2004 | White House Staff

[RobFromGa]

Q: Why was this PDB prepared?

DCI Tenet has already described the genesis of this PDB item in a letter to the 9-11 Commission dated March 26, 2004. This PDB item was prepared in response to questions President Bush asked his PDB briefer. The President had seen previous intelligence reports about possible al-Qa'ida threats to U.S. targets outside the United States. The President had asked whether any of the information pointed to a possible attack inside the United States. When this PDB item was presented to the President on August 6, 2001, his PDB briefer told him that it was prepared in response to the President's previous questions.

[RobFromGa]

Raw Data: Text of Released PDB

Saturday, April 10, 2004

The following is a redacted text of the presidential daily briefing from August 6, 2001:

Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.

Clandestine, foreign government, and media reports indicate Bin Ladensince 1997 has wanted to conduct terrorist attacks in the U.S. Bin Laden implied in U.S. television interviews in 1997 and 1998 that his followers would follow the example of World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef and "bringthe fighting to America."

After U.S. missile strikes on his base in Afghanistan in 1998, Bin Ladentold followers he wanted to retaliate in Washington, according to a [deleted text] service.

An Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) operative told [deleted text] serviceat the same time that Bin Laden was planning to exploit the operative'saccess to the U.S. to mount a terrorist strike.

The millennium plotting in Canada in 1999 may have been part of Bin Laden's first serious attempt to implement a terrorist strike in the U.S. Convicted plotter Ahmed Ressam has told the FBI that he conceived the idea to attack Los Angeles International Airport himself, but that BinLaden lieutenant Abu Zubaydah encouraged him and helped facilitate theoperation. Ressam also said that in 1998 Abu Zubaydah was planning hisown U.S. attack.

Ressam says Bin Laden was aware of the Los Angeles operation.

Although Bin Laden has not succeeded, his attacks against the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 demonstrate that he preparesoperations years in advance and is not deterred by setbacks. Bin Laden associates surveilled our Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam as early as 1993, and some members of the Nairobi cell planning the bombings were arrested and deported in 1997.

AI Qaeda members — including same who are U.S. citizens — have resided in and traveled to the U.S. for years, and the group apparently maintains asupport structure that could aid attacks.

Two Al Qaeda members found guiltyin the conspiracy to bomb our embassies in East Africa were U.S. citizens, and a senior EIJ member lived in California in the mid-1990s.

A clandestine sourcesaid in 1998 that a Bin Laden cell in New Yorkwas recruiting Muslim-American youth for attacks.

We havenot been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a [deleted text] service in 1998 saying that Bin Laden wanted to hijack a U.S. aircraft to gain the release of "Blind Shaykh" 'Umar' Abd aI-Rahman and other U.S.-held extremists.

Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns ofsuspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations forhijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance offederal buildings in New York.

The FBI is conducting approximately 70 investigations throughout the U.S. that it considers Bin Laden-related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our embassy in the UAE in May sayingthat a group or Bin Laden supporters was in the U.S. planning attacks with explosives.

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[FourtySeven]

B&B

[go star go]

Well. That pretty much made fools of the Demonrats on the commission didn't it...

[Pox]

As I expected, a big deal over nothing.

[Pukin Dog]

The Democrats were just rope-a-doped again.

[FourtySeven]

Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns ofsuspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations forhijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance offederal buildings in New York.

This will be a Dem talking point. But NOTICE the bold text.

This PDB does not indicate there will be hijackings that will be targeted at federal buildings in NY, it indicates that there may be hjjackings, OR, OTHER types of attacks, meaning, STILL: The concept of planes as missles had not been entertained.

Dems loose again.

[texasmountainman]

When President Bush gave orders to release the pdb, this is what he said "Release the pdb in pdf, asap and pdq, I am tired of all this bs from the sob's at the dnc.

[LADY J]

This actually reinforces my belief that the Clinton bunch has a lot to answer for!

This whole investigation is to try to find someway to lay the problem on the Bush administration. The RATS are traitors and are giving aid and comfort to the terrorists by playing politics with this.

[xzins]

Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns ofsuspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations forhijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance offederal buildings in New York.

The FBI is conducting approximately 70 investigations throughout the U.S. that it considers Bin Laden-related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our embassy in the UAE in May sayingthat a group or Bin Laden supporters was in the U.S. planning attacks with explosives.

So, here you are President Bush and you're told all this stuff.

You say, "Given this, what do we do?" Answer: We use our FBI to track all these guys down in the US. The FBI does this kind of thing inside our country.

So the Pres. says, "The FBI is already on it?" Answer: Yes, they're conducting 70 some odd investigations.

NOW: Whose responsibility is it at that point to insure that someone has not just lied or made a mistake about the 70 FBI investigations? Answer: Ultimately, the head of the FBI is the responsible party.

You can't be the President and be down in the weeds making sure that Agent W has gone to interview suspect Q.

[Reagan Man]

It's quite obvious, this PDB was a background memo and not a "threat warning" or even a "threat analysis". Nothing to it. However, this will probably send the librats into spin overdrive and give them endless talking points for the Sunday talk shows.

[Howlin]

CNN and MSNBC are saying this is bad for the president.

[don-o]

This whole investigation is to try to find someway to lay the problem on the Bush administration.

Ya think??

[hole_n_one]

Some creative headlines resulted when searching for articles using Google......

>PDB: Agents Were Probing Possible Plot Inside US
FOX News - 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON — President Bush's August 2001 briefing on terror threats included information that federal agents were investigating reports three months earlier ...

‘ Bush knew about Al Qaeda attacks before 9 / 11 ’
The Statesman, India - 1 hour ago
New York, April 10. — US President George W Bush was told more than a month before the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes that ...

¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ Bush warned of Sept 11 attack in August 2001 : report
Xinhua, China - 7 hours ago
¡¡WASHINGTON, April 10 (Xinhuanet) -- US President George W. Bush was told more than a month before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 ...

Claim Bush warned on terror plan Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - 7 hours ago PRESIDENT George W. Bush was warned more than a month before the September 11, 2001 attacks that Osama bin Laden's supporters planned to hijack aircraft to ...

US memo warned of Al Qaeda plan
ABC Online, Australia - 8 hours ago
President George W Bush was made aware that Al Qaeda was planning specific attacks within the US more than a month before the September 11, 2001 attacks ...

Bush knew about Al Qaeda plan'
Rediff, India - 9 hours ago
The warning came in a secret briefing that Bush received at his ranch in Crawford, Texas on August 6, 2001, an unnamed government official was quoted as saying ...

Published Reports Say Bush Was Warned About Al-Qaida in 2001
Voice of America, DC - 10 hours ago
Published reports say President Bush was told more than a month before the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 that the al-Qaida network was planning an ...

US memo 'warned' of al-Qaeda plot BBC News, UK - 9 hours ago A secret briefing given to President Bush in August 2001 warned that al-Qaeda was planning a bomb attack in the US, US media report. ...

Bush Was Warned of Possible Attack in US, Official Says New York Times, NY - 10 hours ago By ERIC LICHTBLAU and DAVID E. SANGER. ASHINGTON, April 9 — President Bush was told more than a month before the attacks of Sept. ...

'Bush knew of al-Qaeda attacks'

[don-o]

CNN and MSNBC are saying this is bad for the president. load dem talking points into A drive.

[Big Horn]

Would the stupid dims have grounded all planes for this?
They are total idiots along with the bs networks.

[FourtySeven]

NOW: Whose responsibility is it at that point to insure that someone has not just lied or made a mistake about the 70 FBI investigations? Answer: Ultimately, the head of the FBI is the responsible party.

Bingo!

[Jeff Gannon]

It clearly shows that the Dems on the 9/11 Commission are total fruads.

Even the MSNBC White House reporter babe can't spin it to make Bush look bad. She's trying though.

I'm sure David Gregory of Andrea Mitchell will be able to.

[Howlin]

I'm stealing that for my tagline!

[FourtySeven]

WOW!

You think those papers are going to print a retraction?

Everyone, hold your breath now!

[tkathy]

The DNC is trying its best to divert attention from the abysmal failures of the Clinton "do-nothing" years.

[Howlin]

Good lord:




‘Bush knew about Al Qaeda attacks before 9/11’

New York, April 10. — US President George W Bush was told more than a month before the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes that supporters of Osama Bin Laden planned an attack within the USA with explosives and wanted to hijack airplanes, according to a media report.

[avital2]

speaking of the Dems, does anyone know who the 5 members of the 9/11 Commission were who were there to hear the first Condi Rice testimony in private? all the Commission showed up for the cameras. just wondered who showed up to REALLY find out the FACTS.

[RBroadfoot]

THIS is the 8/6/2001 PDB that all the furor was over???!??!?!???!!!

It has so little substance that it's virtually irrelevant. I'm amazed that GWB did not want to release it; I guess he was more interested in the constitutional principle of separation of powers than he was in the politics.

This PDB does not indicate anything that a casual observer of the Middle East did not already know. After all, bin Laden had already publicly declared war on America and Americans everywhere! The first WTC bombing and the Millennium attempt were well-known history. Of course "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S."

[Howlin]

More:

Claim Bush warned on terror plan

11apr04

PRESIDENT George W. Bush was warned more than a month before the September 11, 2001 attacks that Osama bin Laden's supporters planned to hijack aircraft to strike within the US, according to the New York Times.

Citing an unnamed government official, the newspaper said the warning came in a secret briefing Bush received at his ranch in Crawford, Texas on August 6, 2001.

[CyberAnt]

I agree the dems lost this round!

I'm posting this info again - which I posted on another thread - because I have a couple of questions about the PDB somebody here might know the answers to:

"Fox has done a really good job of explaining what they thought the PDB said.

However, they STILL DIDN'T SAY WHEN THE INFO ABOUT CERTAIN ITEMS WAS PUT IN PDB FORM ORIGINALLY, AND THIS STILL BOTHERS ME.

1. In the item about the FBI saying there was suspicious activity at FEDERAL BUILDINGS in NYC - when was that info put in a PDB - certainly not for the first time on 8/6/01 - but BEFORE BUSH WAS IN OFFICE.

2. In the item about the possible hijackings (which is not a new thing at all), when was that information put in a PDB - certainly not for the first time on 8/6/01 - but BEFORE BUSH WAS IN OFFICE.

And .. Bob Graham has admitted the SENATE intel committee had the information some time ago! Before Bush was in office.

I want somebody to answer those 2 questions.

If we get those questions answered - it will point directly at the Clinton admin who HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO TAKE SOME ACTION - WHILE THE BUSH ADMIN HAD 1 MONTH.

Remember this historical info was given to Bush at his request because everything current he had received was in regard to overseas attacks - not attacks at home.

I submit that the chatter in the early summer was about overseas attacks on purpose - to steer us away from the attacks in the USA.

And .. as some on Fox pointed out today, even the hijackers didn't know what their assignment was going to be so how could they have been talking about it in the summer ..??"

[reformedliberal]

Why? (they must have some bogus rationale)

All I see is Mueller is going down.

[Thumper1960]

Liberals see things where they aren't. Abortion being a right to privacy issue, one example. In the PDB, one can find "Hijacking", "World Trade Center", "bin-Laden", "Federal buildings", "Washington", "terrorist strike in the US" and "New York". Picking out words, and with the benefit of hindsight, treasonous Liberals find a bat with which to beat upon Bush and thus consummate their orgasmic hatred with evil glee. There is, of course, 'no smoking gun' here. And, the Left has failed again to subvert American resolve in regards to the struggle to defeat terror.

[CyberAnt]

Actually, I think it's more of an attempt to rewrite WJC's legacy - for Hillary's run at the WH.

[Nita Nupress]

This actually reinforces my belief that the Clinton bunch has a lot to answer for!

Yes they do, don't they?

Clinton Denies Taped Bin Laden Admission, Blames 'Misquote'

[Howlin]

'Bush knew about Al Qaeda plan'

April 10, 2004 18:59 IST


US President George W Bush was told more than a month before the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes that supporters of Osama bin Laden planned an attack within the US with explosives and wanted to hijack airplanes,
according to a media report.

The warning came in a secret briefing that Bush received at his ranch in Crawford, Texas on August 6, 2001, an unnamed government official was quoted as saying by The New York Times on Friday.

---

U.S. news reports say a memo given to President Bush a month before the September 11 attacks warned that al-Qaida was planning an attack on U.S. soil.
The reports cite people familiar with an intelligence memo delivered to Mr. Bush on August 6, 2001.

---

Bush's 'al-Qaeda memo' released


Commission's key question: Could 9/11 have been stopped?
The White House has made public an intelligence briefing warning of a threat from al-Qaeda, written a month before the 11 September terror attacks.
The commission investigating the 9/11 attacks had pressed for the Bush administration to make the memo public.

"Bin Laden since 1997 has wanted to conduct terrorist attacks in the US," said the memo, written in August 2001.

The White House had said that the memo contained historical material about al-Qaeda and was not an imminent warning.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. when the poll numbers come out I wonder if they'll change their minds.

[texasmountainman]

Steal my line? My lawyer will contact you. His name is Ben, uh Ben something? Ben-Veniste!

[billb]

The DUers are absolutely crying about the PDB, the portions that were redacted, how can you trust Bush guys, etc. To paraphrase: No Smoking Gun and nothing of substance to latch on to.

[avital2]

wasn't Mueller on the job only a matter of days before 9/11? i think the FBI looks the worst, but i'm not sure he's going to take the fall. after all, the FBI had been shut out during the CLINTONE years, and was mainly a legal investigative body, not a domestic intelligence arm which it is now becoming.

[Pukin Dog]

The good news Howlin, is that FOX's lead over the other networks on the weekends is even larger than during the week. CNN and MSNBC collectively have less than 150 thousand people watching right now, while FOX has closer to 250K.

[CyberAnt]

Clarke! He told Condi that the FBI had 70 investigations already in progress. Nobody checked on Clarke's info.

[Howlin]

Oh shoot! ROFLMAO

[EllaMinnow]

Transcript is here, Meek.

[motife]

Washington Post, NY Times, CNN, are headlining it as if it said,

"Airplanes will be hijacked from Logan airport on Sept. 11th by Saudi nationals using box cutters as weapons. They will use the planes as missles and fly them into both of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the White House."

[ArmstedFragg]

The first two are examples of media cannibalism. They're reporting on what someone else is reporting.

[CyberAnt]

Hopefully, enough people will read the actual document and figure it out for themselves.

A threat assessment does not say, "suspicious activity" - it says certain activity is planned. Also, some of these items say they are uncorroberated. That's not a "threat assessment".

[hershey]

Fox News or maybe it was MSNBC was talking about this memo and mentioned that at the G-7 meeting earlier that year, there'd been a threat that an airplane might be used to crash into the building where they were meeting. The RATS are saying since the notion of using airplanes as bombs had come up months earlier, it's not true when Condi Rice and other admin. members say the idea of airplanes used as missiles was unknown. The point seemed to be that someone in the FBI had seen the original G-7 memo, maybe had dropped the ball and not passed the info. on. So investigations are going on.

[claudiustg]

Exactly what Condi Rice said it was.

[lilylangtree]

Fascinating.

[GailA]

First they squal for it to be released ASAP. When it is.......The RATS begin squaling that Dubya released this on Holy Saturday..whine when no one will be around tomorrow on Easter to watch them spin it on the Presitutes talk shows.

It still all boils down to slick willie and the church commission.

[InterceptPoint]

What about this one:

After U.S. missile strikes on his base in Afghanistan in 1998, Bin Laden told followers he wanted to retaliate in Washington, according to a [deleted text] service.

So 9/11 was bin Laden's answer to a Bill Clinton Fly Swat. The Clinton Administration should have know that they would provoke a response and they should have been preparing us to defend ourselves against that response. The ball was dropped well before the Bush Administration took over.

[Starboard]

ABC Online, Australia - 8 hours ago President George W Bush was made aware that Al Qaeda was planning specific attacks within the US more than a month before the September 11, 2001 attacks ...

I guess it all depends on what the meaning of the word "specific" is. In most dictionaries, the word "specific" means precise; definite; explicit. Liberals obviously have a broader interpretation of the word when it suits their purposes.

[LADY J]

Now I want to see the Republicans come out to defend GW like the RATS are defending Clinton and Clarke!

[Eva]

It is as Dr. Rice said, an historical review of what they knew about Al Qaeda and Bin Laden.

[CyberAnt]

"Mueller is going down"

How do you figure that. Mueller didn't even get into office until about 6 weeks before 9/11.

The FBI was more focused on Clinton's personal police work - like checking on Monica and Linda Tripp. I think the guy who held the office prior to Mueller should be called to account.