The declassification of dozens of American presidential documents 25 years after the September 11 attacks provides new details about Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaida network

Dozens of presidential documents declassified on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks present information gathered by U.S. intelligence services about Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaida network. The reports describe the organization’s financing, preparations for hijackings, and interest in chemical, biological, and “dirty bomb” weapons.

The documents show that, as early as 1998, officials were warning of possible attacks in the United States, including in Washington, and mentioned surveillance of federal buildings. In August 2001, the FBI was conducting approximately 70 investigations related to bin Laden. Most of the documents were redacted to protect sources and do not provide essentially new information, but they highlight deficiencies in data-sharing between the CIA and FBI, which later led to major reforms.