A few weeks before the 9/11 attack in 2001, former President George W. Bush was debriefed with a top-secret document entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.” according to The New York Times. The Bush administration ignored the significance of the document, saying it was an assessment of al-Qaida's history rather than a warning of the terrorist attack. 

Three years later the White House declassified the daily brief after being pressured by the 9/11 Commission, who looked into the attack. When paired with other daily briefs predating Aug. 6, the Times said the administration's reaction can only be seen as significant negligence. One brief warned of a terrorist operation currently operating in the U.S. while another called the attack "imminent."

 

Read the full story at the New York Times here. 

Reach Executive Producer Gracie Zheng here.