CIA Releases 71 Secret 9/11 Briefs on 25th Anniversary

The CIA on Friday made public 71 formerly classified intelligence reports dating from early 1998 through the morning after the Sept. 11 attacks, in what Director John Ratcliffe described as the biggest-ever declassification of presidential daily briefs connected to the 2001 terrorist strikes.

The release came as memorial ceremonies were held nationwide to mark 25 years since al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners, killing 2,977 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in a Pennsylvania field. Of the 71 documents, 69 had never before been seen by the public. Nearly all remain partially redacted.

"Twenty-five years ago, the 9/11 attacks struck a blow to our nation, but they did not break us," Ratcliffe said in a statement. "Generations of CIA officers have since dedicated their careers to securing justice for our fallen Americans and ensuring al-Qaeda would never again harm our country."

The records reveal that senior intelligence analysts had been tracking Osama bin Laden's movements and sounding alarms about growing threats for years before the attacks, even as key details about timing, scale, and method remained out of reach. The earliest document, dated Feb. 13, 1998, noted that bin Laden and fellow extremists had convened to discuss obtaining chemical, biological, and nuclear materials. A fatwa issued that same month urged Muslims to strike American citizens and interests around the world.

A memo dated Sept. 10, 1998 — three years before the attacks — warned that al-Qaeda "may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city," while noting the intelligence offered no conclusive picture of a specific operation. Bin Laden's preferred target, the document said, was Washington. A December 1998 brief described how operatives had conducted what appeared to be a trial run at a New York airport and that some members of the network had received hijack training.

As the summer of 2001 approached, the threat picture darkened. A July 24 memo noted that an anticipated bin Laden-directed attack had been postponed but that preparations for other strikes "may still be in train." An August 2001 brief flagged suspicious activity on U.S. soil consistent with pre-attack preparations — including surveillance of federal buildings in New York — and noted that the FBI was actively pursuing roughly 70 bin Laden-related field investigations across the country.

A report delivered to the White House at 4 a.m. on Sept. 12, 2001, and included in Friday's release, stated that the attacks had been planned for roughly two years and that knowledge of the plot had been "widely known" in extremist circles. It also indicated bin Laden may have relocated to Kabul to avoid a dispute with Taliban leader Mullah Omar over the operation.

At the Ground Zero memorial in Lower Manhattan — attended by all four living former presidents as well as Vice President JD Vance — relatives of victims used the occasion to press for greater accountability from Saudi Arabia. Terry Strada, widow of 9/11 victim Tom Strada and national chair of 9/11 Families United, addressed the crowd, arguing that "administration after administration" had opted to shield the Saudis rather than stand with the families.

"Tell the Saudis to stop lying," Strada said, drawing applause from the crowd. "Tell them if they want to be friends with the USA they cannot continue to deny all of this."

A nephew of victim Lisa Marie Terry added his voice to the appeal: "President Trump, you are our last hope. Release the unredacted files that implicate Saudi Arabia while what's left of the victims' families are still alive to see it."

The White House said in a statement Friday afternoon that the administration is "leading the most transparent administration in history" and that Trump had authorized the declassification of hundreds of pages of documents tied to the attacks. A coalition of families continues to pursue a lawsuit against the Saudi government over its alleged role. Saudi Arabia denies any involvement.

President Trump spoke at the Pentagon, where he described the attacks as "true evil" and drew a direct connection to the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran. "We will never, ever forget. That's why we fight today," Trump said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also speaking at the Pentagon, said the U.S. has "laid waste" to the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism over the past six months.

Separately, the State Department announced rewards of up to $10 million for information on senior al-Qaeda leaders, including Sayf al-Adl and two others, that the government says remain based inside Iran.