US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has released 71 previously classified intelligence reports on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The documents shed new light on what US intelligence knew about al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden before and shortly after the attacks.
According to the CIA, the documents illustrate the challenges faced by intelligence analysts before the attacks, who were working with information that was often incomplete, vague and difficult to interpret while attempting to identify emerging threats.
Released on September 11, 2026, the documents are the CIA's largest declassification of analytical material related specifically to 9/11. More than 100 pages of intelligence analysis are now available to the public for the first time through the CIA's Electronic Reading Room.
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The documents include intelligence provided to President George W. Bush during the late summer and fall of 2001, covering the period immediately preceding and following the attacks. Among the most significant documents is the August 6, 2001, President's Daily Brief titled “Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US,” which outlined intelligence concerning the threat of potential al-Qaida attacks inside the United States.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe ordered the declassification as part of President Donald Trump's transparency initiative. Ratcliffe described the release as an act of “exceptional transparency” and said it was intended to honor those who lost their lives on September 11.
"25 years ago, the 9/11 attacks struck a blow to our Nation, but they did not break us. Generations of CIA officers have since dedicated their careers to securing justice for our fallen Americans and ensuring al-Qa'ida would never again harm our country," said Ratcliffe.
He added,"In the years that followed, numerous CIA officers made the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terror. We honor their memory and service through our commitment to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat those who wish to cause us harm."
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The newly accessible records are expected to serve as an important resource for researchers and historians examining how U.S. intelligence assessed the terrorist threat before and after one of the most consequential attacks in American history.
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