Former U.S. President Bill Clinton disclosed that the CIA abandoned a plan to target al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden before the September 11, 2001 attacks due to concerns over potential civilian casualties if the mission failed.
Clinton, now 80, spoke about the agency's decision in a radio interview with John Catsimatidis on 'The Cats Roundtable' on WABC, recalling his own experiences watching the 9/11 attacks unfold on television and realizing 'immediately' that bin Laden was behind them.
Plan Might Have Succeeded
Clinton explained that he had authorized the CIA to attempt to take down bin Laden, noting that while capturing him alive would have been ideal, the primary goal was 'to stop him.'
He expressed his fear and anger as the CIA halted the plan he believed had a chance of success, citing the agency's concerns over failing the operation and causing civilian casualties. 'They were afraid that if they missed, they would kill a lot of innocent civilians. They didn’t want to take the risk,' Clinton said.
Clinton shared that he didn't question the agency's decision at the time, recognizing bin Laden's determination and resources, saying: 'I wish we’d done more to get him... He was our biggest threat. I wanted to get him, and I did my best to achieve that.'
Bin Laden Behind the Attacks
He also recounted the moment he realized bin Laden was responsible for the 9/11 attacks, describing being in Australia when witnessing the second plane hit the World Trade Center on television.
With his daughter in lower Manhattan during the attacks, Clinton and his wife Hillary were gravely concerned for her as she was one of thousands urged to evacuate north by foot while they struggled to contact her.
'I was watching the TV in Australia when the second plane hit. I immediately said Bin Laden did it. They all looked at me and asked, how do you know?' Clinton explained, highlighting his belief that only Iran and bin Laden were capable of the attacks, with Iran quickly ruled out.
'I just knew it had to be him. And I knew he’d been planning to attack us for a long time,' Clinton added.
Bin Laden's Demise in a Covert Operation
Bin Laden was killed in a covert operation by U.S. special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, during President Barack Obama's tenure.
Discussing potential threats, Clinton remarked on the possibility of another terrorist attack on New York, urging continued vigilance and intelligence gathering.
'I think it’s entirely possible. We need to stay alert to this and ensure we get all the intelligence we can,' he said, noting that the U.S. is better prepared now than it was before 9/11 but warned against security lapses.
'If you’re running the country, you want to make big, good things happen and prevent big, bad things from happening,' Clinton concluded, supporting this path as vital for U.S. unity.