Bush Memo Included Possible Plot Warning [View All]

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http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/8400749.htm

Bush Memo Included Possible Plot Warning

JOHN SOLOMON

Associated Press


Some of the most current information in the so-called presidential daily briefing, or PDB, delivered to Bush on Aug. 6, 2001, came from reports U.S. intelligence had received in May 2001 about a possible plot for an explosives attack inside the United States, the sources told The Associated Press this week.

Also in August 2001, U.S. intelligence officials received two uncorroborated reports suggesting that terrorists might use airplanes, including one that suggested al-Qaida operatives were considering flying a plane into a U.S. embassy, current and former government officials said.

Those reports - among thousands of varied and uncorroborated threats received by the government each month - weren't deemed credible enough to tell Bush or his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, the officials said.

It also included the trips of suspected al-Qaida operatives, including some U.S. citizens, in and out of the United States. It suggested al-Qaida might have a support system in place on U.S. soil, the sources said.


A joint congressional inquiry report into Sept. 11 intelligence failures disclosed the May 2001 threat report last year but did not reveal it was included in Bush's briefing.