Declassified CIA document warned Clinton admin in 1998 of possible plane attack

The CIA declassified 71 presidential daily briefing files on Friday, the 25th anniversary of September 11, revealing that the Clinton administration was warned in September 1998 about a potential plane attack by al-Qaeda. A brief titled "Bin Ladin's location and intentions" from September 10, 1998, stated that the group responsible for bombings in Africa "may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a U.S. city."

"In an act of exceptional transparency, we honor the memory of those we lost on that tragic Tuesday," stated CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Other documents detail al-Qaeda threats against Israel, including a March 9, 2000, assessment of a bin Laden cell planning attacks against Israeli interests abroad. The declassified collection also includes a December 4, 1998, brief mentioning a "senior bin Laden operative from Saudi Arabia" discussing possible attacks in the U.S., "perhaps including an aircraft hijacking."