CIA files show Taliban warned Osama bin Laden after IC 814 hijacking
The CIA has released intelligence documents showing that the Taliban in Afghanistan warned Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to tighten his security after the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in late 1999. The warning appears in one of the Presidential Daily Briefs, or PDBs, prepared for then US President Bill Clinton.
The documents were part of 71 PDBs released on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. They include references to bin Laden's security concerns, his reported plans for attacks in several countries, warnings about possible strikes on US soil, and intelligence gathered in the run-up to and aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
A PDB dated January 3, 2000 said: "Taliban.. (redacted) last week warned Bin Ladin to step up his security in case the hostage crisis in Qandahar was used by (redacted) or \"other governments\" to send in (redacted) against Bin Ladin, (redacted) suggesting (redacted) remains a key supporter of Bin Ladin." Indian Airlines Flight 814 was hijacked on December 24, 1999, while flying from Kathmandu to New Delhi by Harkat-ul Mujahideen terrorists and was forced to land in Kandahar. The crisis ended on December 31, 1999, after India released three terrorists and handed them over to the Taliban.
Another PDB, presented to Clinton on August 28, 1998, said bin Laden intended to carry out attacks in Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, especially Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as well as India, Pakistan, Uganda and possibly Nigeria. It added that his established infrastructure in North America, Europe and East Asia gave credibility to reports that he would also target US interests in those regions.
The earliest document in the release was dated February 13, 1998. It said bin Laden and other Islamic extremists "met (redacted) and agreed to procure unspecified chemical, biological, and nuclear substances from open markets". The report also said bin Laden "has legitimate companies, business relationships, and a financial empire that could assist his pursuit of" such weapons.
A few of the released PDBs were prepared for then President George W Bush and dealt with preliminary findings from a US-Yemen investigation into the bombing of USS Cole in Aden on October 12, 2000. A separate PDB dated September 10, 1998 warned that extremists "may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city", while also saying that the available intelligence "provides no conclusive information on Bin Ladin's intentions for future attacks". The report said bin Laden "said his preferred option is to strike the US on its own soil in Washington".
The final document in the CIA release was dated September 12, 2001, a day after planes crashed into the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and an open field in Pennsylvania. The situation report said: "Mounting evidence indicates Sunni extremists in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf recently were aware Usama Bin Ladin-directed attacks were imminent." It added: "(Redacted) the existence of a probable operation was widely known among extremists in Afghanistan and speculated Bin Ladin may have relocated to Kabul to avoid conflict over his activities with the Taliban leadership in Kandahar." Overall, the released briefs trace what US intelligence was reporting on bin Laden's network, his threat perceptions and possible attack plans before and immediately after 9/11.
