Before 9/11, Osama bin Laden had India on his list of potential targets: CIA files
India was among the countries that former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had considered targeting in a potential terrorist attack before the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, newly released CIA documents have revealed.
The US Central Intelligence Agency on Friday released more than 70 presidential intelligence briefs containing over 100 pages of material related to bin Laden, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York.
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One of the documents, a presidential intelligence brief dated August 28, 1998, said bin Laden was seeking to launch attacks in several countries, including India. The list also included Pakistan, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Uganda and "possibly" Nigeria.
Titled "Bin Ladin Terrorist Network Still a Threat", the brief has portions redacted, including the source of the intelligence. It does not specify a target in India, a date for a possible attack or details of any operational plan.
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"Bin Ladin's well-established infrastructure in North America, Europe, and East Asia lends credibility to reports that he also will target US interests in these regions," the document says.
The brief assessed that bin Laden and other terrorist leaders operating from Afghanistan had survived US strikes on the country and that "their communications network remains intact".
It also said al-Qaeda had resumed training at some camps, while preparations were underway to relocate others.
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According to the document, bin Laden was considering further attacks against the US and the UK around the time of US missile strikes on al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan.
The intelligence brief further warned that the al-Qaeda leader could "call on a network of individuals and allied groups in at least 60 countries to conduct attacks."
CIA warned of threat before 9/11
The collection of presidential intelligence briefs shows that the CIA repeatedly warned US presidents about the possibility of terrorist attacks between 1998 and 2001.
The documents span the administrations of President Bill Clinton and President George W Bush, covering the period before and around the September 11 attacks.
The CIA described the release as providing "unprecedented transparency on America's most sensitive intelligence publication from the years before and the day after one of the darkest moments in our history,".
What happened on September 11, 2001?
On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four commercial airliners in the United States.
Two planes were flown into the World Trade Centre's Twin Towers in New York, causing both buildings to collapse.
A third aircraft struck the Pentagon near Washington, while the fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control of the plane. The aircraft is widely believed to have been headed toward a target in Washington, possibly the White House or the US Capitol.