NYC-WTC_000152373

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Frist, Republican of Tennessee. Mr. bin Laden’s great achievement

SOME EXPERTS SAY “That is a product of about 15 years of neglect.” In-a report issued la e within the terrorist world has been to forge alliances with other Islamic extremist groups under the umbrella

B.S. IS VULNERABLE assassinations. There have been an array of un­ successful attempts to target Mr. bin of Al Qaeda, providing them financ­ ing, training and a sanctuary in Af­ ghanistan, while encouraging coordi­ nated action. TO A GERM ATTACK Laden and disrupt or destroy Al Qaeda, American officials say. The Clinton administration even consid­ The United States had only a hazy

understanding of Mr. bin Laden’s ered mounting a secret effort to steal growing significance before 1996, LACK OF PLANNING CITED millions of dollars from the bin Lad­ when an Al Qaeda insider, Jamal en terrorist network by siphoning it Ahmed Al-Fadl, defected to the Unit­ out of the international financial sys­ ed States and began to describe the tem, but discarded the scheme be­ extent of Mr, bin Laden’s plans and Many Question Public Health cause of objections from the United objectives. Based largely on Mr. al- States Treasury about the implica­ Fadl’s information, a federal grand Infrastructure’s Ability to tions for world finance. jury indicted Mr. bin Laden on ter­ The United States launched cruise rorist conspiracy charges in June Deal With Bioterrorism missiles against a meeting Mr. bin 1998, just two months before the twin Laden was believed to be attending, bombings of the American Embas­ encouraged Mr. Massoud and other sies in Kenya and Tanzania. By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG Afghan leaders to try to capture him, The embassy bombings forced WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 — The and received a secret report from Washington to recognize that Mr. bin United States is inadequately pre­ one Afghan group last year about its Laden had become a major national pared to confront bioterrorist at­ failed attempt to assassinate Mr. bin security threat. Sometime after the tacks, according to a broad range of Laden. bombings, the C.I.A. began its efforts health experts and officials. The na­ The United States also led an inter­ to work with Mr. Massoud against tion must develop new vaccines and national effort to shut down Afghani­ Mr. bin Laden, American officials treatments, they say, but it must also stan’s airline, which American intel­ said. fortify its fragile public health infra­ ligence officials believed was being The officials declined to provide structure, the first line of defense in used by Al Qaeda to ship money and many details of the effort. But offi­ detecting and containing biological personnel around the world, while cials say that C.I.A. officers secretly threats. _ _________ also pressuring other nations to ar­ traveled to Mr. Massoud’s mountain Bioterrorism — the intehtfonal re­ rest and disrupt Ai Qaeda cells. stronghold in northern .Afghanistan lease of potentially lethal viruses or “This was a top priority for us and opened talks in an effort to fash­ bacteria into the air, food or water over the past several years, and not a ion an anti-bin Laden alliance. supply — poses daunting technical day went by when we didn’t press as Current and former officials said challenges, and experts say it would hard as we could,” said Samuel R. that Mr. Massoud was promised be difficult to carry out a successful Berger, national security adviser in large sums of money if he and his attack. Still, many believe it is inev­ the Clinton administration. “But this rebel fighters could find a way to get itable that someone will eventually is a tough, tough problem. 1 think we to Mr. bin Laden. Short of capturing try it in the United States. were pushing it as hard as we could. the terrorist leader, Mr. Massoud In the weeks since the Sept. 11 And I think the Bush administration was asked by the C.I.A. to provide attacks on the World Trade Center is handling it in a smart way.” intelligence from inside Afghanistan and the Pentagon, much of the dis­ But until the devastating attacks about Mr. bin Laden and his organi­ cussion about bioterrorism has cen­ on New York and Washington, the zation, officials said. tered on a shortage of antibiotics and American-led efforts to hunt Mr. bin It remains unclear even today vaccines. But the bigger problem, Laden lacked the sense of urgency whether Mr. Massoud — more inter­ officials agree, is a lack of basic that prevails today. Ainerican intelli­ ested in toppling the Taliban — ever public health infrastructure and pre­ gence and law enforcement officials made a serious effort to go after Mr. paredness that could thwart a terror ! grew complacent about the threat of bin Laden. He would have faced attack or limit its effects. ' a domestic attack by Al Qaeda, failed enormous obstacles in doing so, con­ Doctors are poorly trained to rec- 1 by their own admission to share in­ sidering that Mr. bin Laden was ognize symptoms of infection with j formation adequately or coordinate based in territory controlled by the possible biological weapons, like ■ their efforts, and were caught by Taliban and its military forces. plague and anthrax, which can re­ surprise on Sept. 11. The effort to work with Mr. Mas­ semble the flu. Many of the nation’s Washington did not build a strong soud followed the most direct and hospitals lack necessary equipment international coalition to focus on open American effort to kill Mr. bin — in some cases even simple tools defeating Al Qaeda, which was seen Laden. It came on Aug. 20, 1998, twc like tax machines — to receive or by other nations largely as an Ameri­ weeks after the embassy attacks in report information in an emergency. can problem. Banks in Europe and East Africa. President Clinton or­ Though a number of federal agencies the Middle East repeatedly balked at dered cruise missile strikes on a have established bioterrorism re­ American pressure to cut off Al complex near Khost, Afghanistan, sponse teams and procedures, and Qaeda financing, while wealthy indi­ where the C.I.A. had learned that Mr. there has been steady improvement viduals in Persian Gulf states — bin Laden was scheduled to be meet­ in laboratory facilities around the sometimes in the guise of donating to ing with 200 to 300 other members of country to test and identify biological Islamic charities — continued to pro­ Al Qaeda. agents, the result is a patchwork, set vide financial support to Al Qaeda. against a larger patchwork of cities, At the same time, Al Qaeda was counties and states with their own rapidly evolving into a larger and reporting requirements and plans. “For bioterrorism, the No. 1 inade­ quacy, if you had to rank them, is the more complex terrorist threat, mak­ ing it difficult for the United States to keep up with its scope and abilities. KWTimiis inadequacy of our public health in­ frastructure,” said Senator Bili q 2001 Pooe I oP3 NYC-WTC_000152422