On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Newsweek revisits the series of events progressing to the tragic incident. As America reflects, Newsweek’s daily entries provide intricate insights into how these events unfolded.
August 31, 2001: Presidential Briefings Resume
President George W. Bush returned to Washington, D.C. from his vacation in Crawford, Texas, marking August 31 as the day CIA Director George Tenet resumed morning intelligence briefings for him and Vice President Dick Cheney. Despite critical discussions, Zacarias Moussaoui’s arrest remained unmentioned, as highlighted by the 9/11 Commission. Additionally, domestic terrorism threats seemed absent from dialogues with the President.
Saudi Prince’s Resignation Raises Questions
Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal al-Saud’s resignation emerged as the day’s classified highlight. His departure, a surprise to the CIA, disrupted nearly 23 years of leadership over the Al Mukhabarat Al A’amah, Saudi Arabia’s external intelligence. While long-standing conflicts with Crown Prince Abdullah existed, immediate links to terrorism or dissatisfaction with Turki’s performance in counter-terrorism were not apparent.
Speculations suggest his exit was tied to issues concerning Osama bin Laden. Prince Turki played a pivotal role in supporting Afghan resistance against the 1979 Soviet invasion, involving Saudi financing of Western-backed fighters. This included dealings with bin Laden, advancing him within the Arab fighters’ hierarchy. Rumors imply an agreement between bin Laden and Turki during the late 1990s that kept al-Qaeda away from Saudi targets in return for passive governmental support.
Tension in U.S.-Saudi Relations
In two significant attacks on U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia — Riyadh’s 1995 military compound attack and the 1996 Khobar Towers assault — U.S. intelligence faced barriers due to inadequate cooperation from Saudi officials. The resistant stance continued with Saudi attempts to evade involvement in financing links to al-Qaeda, particularly concerning defected members returning to Saudi Arabia.
Post-9/11, the U.S. expectations from Pakistan did not parallel those from Saudi Arabia, despite challenges in diplomatic and intelligence cooperation stemming from the attacks.
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