Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet released a written statement for the Joint Inquiry Committee on October 17, 2002. It read: “In the months leading up to 9/11, we were convinced Bin Ladin meant to attack Americans, meant to kill large numbers, and that the attack could be at home, abroad, or both. And we reported these threats urgently. Our collection sources ‘lit up’ during this tense period. They indicated that multiple spectacular attacks were planned, and that some of these plots were in the final stages.”
– CIA, “Written Statement for the Record of the DCI,” (before the Joint Inquiry Committee, CIA), The Central Intelligence Agency’s 9/11 File:, The National Security Archive, Oct. 17, 2002