(2004-04-12) Pre Wtc Memo Released

The declassified presidential daily intelligence briefing from Aug. 6, 2001 (a month before the World Trade Center attacks) was released by the George W Bush White House. Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US (Osama Bin Laden)

David Corn gives some of the history of the briefing. The existence of the August 6 PDB was first revealed by CBS News' David Martin on May 15, 2002. But Martin's report only referred to the PDB in one sentence that noted the PDB had warned that an attack by bin Laden could involve hijacking U.S. aircraft. CBS did not report the title of the briefing or any other material it contained... And several days after the PDB story broke, Ari Fleischer, then Bush's press secretary, told reporters that the headline on the document was "Bin Laden Determined To Strike the United States." That is, he had changed an "in" to a "the"--an alteration of significance, since the White House line has been that the pre-9/11 chatter had the administration looking for attacks on targets outside the United States.