Reply #96: bin Laden might be planning to hijack commercial airliners [View All]

[mr_pique]

the entire memo focuses on the possibility of terrorist attacks inside the US. The contents have never been made public. However, according to the 9/11 Congressional inquiry (they call it "a closely held intelligence report for senior government officials" presented in early August 2001), the memo includes at least the following information:

1. Bin Laden has wanted to conduct attacks inside the US since 1997.

2. "Members of al-Qaeda, including some US citizens, resided in or traveled to the US for years and that the group apparently maintain a support structure" in the US.

3. A discussion of the arrest of Ahmed Ressam (see December 14, 1999) and the 1998 US embassy bombings (see August 7, 1998).

4. Uncorroborated information obtained in 1998 that bin Laden wants to hijack airplanes to gain the release of US-held extremists such as Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman (see July 1990).

5. Information acquired in May 2001 indicating al-Qaeda is planning to infiltrate the US from Canada and attack the US using high explosives (see May 2001 (B)).

6. "FBI judgments about patterns of activity consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks."

7. The number of bin Laden-related investigations underway