CIA Director George Tenet provided a written statement for the 9/11 Commission on March 24, 2004. He wrote: “I placed terrorism prominently in every annual public testimony since 1997 to the appropriate Congressional Committees on the Worldwide Threat, as shown in a series of excerpts from my Statements for the Record. …February 1999: ‘On terrorism, Mr. Chairman, I must be frank in saying that Americans increasingly are the favored targets…there is not the slightest doubt that Usama Bin Ladin, his worldwide allies, and his sympathizers are planning further attacks against us…despite progress against his networks, Bin Ladin’s organization [al-Qa’ida] has contacts virtually worldwide, including the United States…he has stated unequivocally that all Americans are targets…we have noted recent activity similar to what occurred prior to the African embassy bombings…and I must tell you we are concerned that one or more of Bin Ladin’s attacks could occur at any time…Bin Ladin’s overarching aim is to get the United States out of the Persian Gulf, but he will strike wherever in the world he thinks we are vulnerable.’ “ [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– CIA, “Statement for the Record of the Director of Central Intelligence Before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” (Office of Public Affairs, CIA), The Central Intelligence Agency’s 9/11 File:, The National Security Archive, March 24, 2004