Newsweek is revisiting crucial events leading to the September 11 attacks for its 25th anniversary. Become a Newsweek Member to receive daily entries by email.
Yesterday’s Highlight: An agent issued a warning on domestic threat possibilities twelve days before 9/11.
August 31, 2001
President George W. Bush returned to Washington, D.C. after a month in Crawford, Texas. CIA director George Tenet resumed intelligence briefings with Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney at the White House. Notably, Tenet did not mention Zacarias Moussaoui’s arrest. The 9/11 Commission noted no discussions occurred regarding domestic terrorism threats over the next few days.
A top classified news item that day was the resignation of Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal al-Saud, head of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence service. Despite a recent term extension, his unexpected resignation shocked the CIA. This was the first time in decades that a senior prince was removed.
Prince Turki had a tense relationship with Crown Prince Abdullah, who effectively led the country since 1995 after King Fahd’s severe stroke. The resignation was initially unlinked to terrorism or Abdullah’s dissatisfaction with Turki’s handling of related issues. However, it seems this was likely the reason for his removal.
Prince Turki held a close relationship with the CIA for years. He supported Afghan resistance against the 1979 Soviet invasion, facilitated Saudi funding for Arab fighters, and served as the main link with a young Osama bin Laden. Turki and bin Laden reportedly formed an agreement in the late 1990s to avoid al-Qaeda attacks on Saudi domestic targets in exchange for support or tolerance.
During two attacks on U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia—the 1995 Riyadh military compound attack and the 1996 Khobar Towers attack—U.S. intelligence faced challenges due to insufficient Saudi cooperation. Prince Turki also obstructed terrorist financing investigations, especially regarding an al-Qaeda financial officer from Saudi Arabia. Despite these incidents, the United States did not apply significant pressure on Saudi Arabia, contrary to actions taken against Pakistan post-9/11.
Tomorrow’s Focus: Examine the advisories from Bill Clinton-era officials to utilize Ahmed Shah Massoud and the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance.
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