What the CIA Didn’t Tell President Bush When He Returned From Vacation
Summary
When President George W. Bush returned to Washington, D.C. on August 31, 2001, the CIA director briefed him but did not mention a recent terrorism arrest or discuss domestic threats. On the same day, Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal al-Saud unexpectedly resigned as head of Saudi intelligence after 23 years, a move tied to tensions over handling terrorism and relations with Osama bin Laden.Key Facts
- President Bush returned from a month-long vacation on August 31, 2001.
- CIA director George Tenet resumed intelligence briefings but did not mention Zacarias Moussaoui’s arrest or domestic terror threats.
- Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal al-Saud resigned as head of Saudi intelligence, surprising the CIA.
- Prince Turki had led Saudi intelligence for 23 years and had close ties with the CIA.
- He helped manage Saudi support and financing for Arab fighters in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion.
- Prince Turki was believed to have had a relationship with Osama bin Laden, possibly an agreement to avoid attacks inside Saudi Arabia.
- Saudi cooperation with the U.S. was limited during investigations of attacks on U.S. sites in Saudi Arabia during the 1990s.
- The U.S. pressured Pakistan after 9/11 but did not issue similar warnings to Saudi Arabia.
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