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Osama Bin Laden Had India On His Attack List Years Before 9/11
Twenty-five years after 9/11, new CIA files reveal a hidden threat to India: Osama bin Laden’s network had identified India among the countries it intended to target.
11 September 2026 marked 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
The attacks took place in New York City, where two hijacked planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon, while a fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers tried to take control of the aircraft.
The attacks were carried out by 19 al-Qaeda hijackers. A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks.
But 25 years later, newly declassified CIA documents have revealed more about what US intelligence knew about Osama bin Laden and his network before 9/11.
India Was Among the Potential Targets
A CIA President’s Daily Brief dated 28 August 1998, titled “Bin Ladin Terrorist Network Still a Threat,” listed India among several countries where bin Laden intended to carry out attacks.
The list also included Pakistan, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Uganda and possibly Nigeria. However, the document does not name a particular Indian city or building, give a date for an attack, or provide a specific operational plan.
The CIA released 71 declassified President’s Daily Brief products related to bin Laden and al-Qaeda on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The documents cover intelligence reports from the years before the attacks.
What Happened Before 9/11?
US intelligence had been warning about the threat from bin Laden and al-Qaeda for years.
In September 1998, a CIA report warned that extremists might use an explosive-packed aircraft to attack a US city. The report also said bin Laden had expressed a preference for attacking the US on its own soil, particularly Washington.
In December 1998, another CIA report warned that bin Laden was preparing to hijack aircraft and carry out other attacks.
Then, on 6 August 2001- just 36 days before 9/11 - President George W. Bush received a briefing titled “Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US.” It said bin Laden had wanted to carry out attacks inside the US and included information about possible preparations for aircraft hijackings. However, the later White House fact sheet noted that the briefing did not specifically predict the 9/11 attacks or explain that planes would be used as weapons.
The Morning of 11 September 2001
At 8:46 am, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
At 9:03 am, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower.
At 9:37 am, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense.
At 9:59 am, the South Tower collapsed.
At 10:03 am, Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Passengers had learned about the other attacks and tried to take control of the plane.
At 10:28 am, the North Tower collapsed.
At the time of the first attack, US President George W. Bush was visiting Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. He was sitting with students when an aide told him about the second plane hitting the World Trade Center.
The India Connection
After bin Laden was killed by US forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011, US forces recovered a large collection of documents and other material from his compound.
The documents later released by US authorities showed that bin Laden closely followed developments related to Kashmir and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. They also showed that he followed the trial and activities of David Headley, who was involved in planning the Mumbai attacks.
Ilyas Kashmiri, the leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI), was also linked to David Headley. US and Indian investigations documented contacts between Kashmiri and Headley and allegations of plans for further attacks in India.
What Happened After 9/11?
After the attacks, the US began a major operation to find al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. The US focused on Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda was based and where the Taliban government had been providing bin Laden with a safe haven.
In October 2001, the US launched military action in Afghanistan. The Taliban government was removed from power, but the war continued for nearly two decades.
Bin Laden remained in hiding for almost 10 years before US forces killed him in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May 2011. The US later buried his body at sea from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
25 Years Later
To mark the 25th anniversary in 2026, a public art installation called “2,977 Lights” used 2,977 illuminated drones to recreate the outline of the Twin Towers over New York Harbor. Each light represented one person killed in the attacks.
Twenty-five years after 9/11, the newly released CIA files have added more information about the warnings that existed before the attacks and about the wider reach of bin Laden’s network — including the fact that India had already been identified as a potential target in a 1998 intelligence assessment.