According to a top secret report from Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet on March 19, 2004: “In the decade prior to the attacks on September 11, the Intelligence Community experienced a substantial decrease in personnel resources across the board. This reduction began in the wake of the demise of the Soviet Union and continued well into the mid-1990s, reaching its nadir in 1999. Overall Community resources were reduced [redacted] resulting in a substantial decrease in case officers in the field, closing of some stations, and significant reductions of analysts and support personnel.”
– CIA, “DCI Report: The Rise of UBL and Al-Qa’ida and the Intelligence Community Response,” (Draft, CIA Analytic Report), The Central Intelligence Agency’s 9/11 File:, The National Security Archive, March 19, 2004