Osama bin Laden considered UK attacks before 9/11

Osama bin Laden considered launching attacks on the United Kingdom years before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, according to declassified CIA presidential memos. The documents, released by CIA director John Ratcliffe, indicate that Britain was on al-Qaida's list of targets as early as 1998.

Indications of UK Targeting

A memo dated August 28, 1998, titled "Bin Ladin Terrorist Network Still a Threat", stated that bin Laden was exploring options for further attacks against the US and the UK. While precise targets or timing were not specified, the memo was compiled following US cruise missile strikes on al-Qaida bases in Sudan and Afghanistan in retaliation for earlier bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Further intelligence at the end of 1998 suggested a significant near-term threat. A memo marked "Significant Near-Term Threat of Bin Ladin Attacks" stated: "We have strong indications that he would like to attack the US and allies such as the UK and Israel on their own soil." The document also noted that if these venues were perceived as too well-defended, bin Laden would target US and allied interests elsewhere. The memos also referenced planning to hijack aircraft in relation to impending anti-US terrorist operations.

London Operatives Detained

A separate document from August 1999 highlighted bin Laden's displeasure following the arrest of two key operatives based in London. The file stated that his organisation's capabilities had been affected by the detention of these senior figures. Bin Laden had reportedly expressed anger in interviews the previous year over the arrests of his chief procurement officer and the head of his organisation in the UK.

Recruitment in the UK

The released papers also identified the UK as a location for recruiting individuals for al-Qaida. A note from October 14, 2000, titled "Bin Ladin: Terrorist Network Active Despite Disruptions", explained that a surplus of Islamic militants, generated by worldwide recruitment for the conflict in Chechnya, were being drawn upon by bin Laden and other extremists for terrorism abroad. Mujahidin supporters were reportedly recruiting young Muslims in the UK, Pakistan, Turkey, and the Arabian Peninsula for training at camps affiliated with bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Post-9/11 Measures

The documents also touch upon the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, noting the disruption to air travel. In the days following the September 11 outrage, the UK and Belgium had banned commercial flights over central London and Brussels, respectively. The 9/11 attacks resulted in the deaths of 2,977 people, including 67 British citizens, when hijacked airliners struck the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

Osama bin Laden was killed in a US military raid in Pakistan in 2011. Previous reports have indicated bin Laden had prior knowledge of the July 7, 2005, London bombings and the foiled 2006 plot to detonate liquid bombs on transatlantic flights from the UK.