In his meeting with principals on September 17, 2001, “President Bush charged [Attorney General John] Ashcroft, [FBI Director Robert] Mueller, and [Director of Central Intelligence George] Tenet to develop a plan for homeland defense. President Bush directed Secretary of State [Colin] Powell to deliver an ultimatum to the Taliban along the lines that his department had originally proposed. The State Department was also tasked to develop a plan to stabilize Pakistan and to be prepared to notify Russia and countries near Afghanistan when hostilities were imminent. In addition, Bush and his advisers discussed new legal authorities for covert action in Afghanistan, including the administration’s first Memorandum of Notification on Bin Ladin. Shortly thereafter, President Bush authorized broad new authorities for the CIA.”
– 9/11 Commission, The 9/11 Commission Report, Page 333