Timeline of Warnings to Feds of Possible Attacks
May 16 -- What did the Bush administration and other parts of the federal government know about possible threats to U.S. interests before Sept. 11? And when did officials know of warnings? Below is a timeline of key dates.
April 18, 2001: Federal Aviation Administration issues an advisory. "The FAA does not have any credible information regarding specific plans by terrorist groups to attack U.S. civil aviation interests ... Nonetheless some of the current active groups are known to plan and train for hijackings ... The FAA encourages U.S. carriers to demonstrate a high degree of alertness."
June 22, 2001: FAA issues an information circular to private air carriers. "Although we have no specific information that this threat is directed at civil aviation, the potential for terrorist operations, such as an airline hijacking to free terrorists incarcerated in the U.S., remains a concern."
June 26, 2001: State Department issues a worldwide caution to Americans traveling or living abroad.
End of June, 2001: Counterterrorism Security Group (CSG) meets to discuss possible threats.
July 2, 2001: As a result of the CSG meeting, the FBI releases a memo about threats overseas. In a message to law enforcement agencies, FBI says there were threats to American interests overseas and that a domestic strike could not be ruled out.
July 2, 2001: FAA issues an internal communication that says a terrorist convicted in a plot to disrupt the millennium had intended to use explosives in an airport terminal.
July 5, 2001: Bush asks National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to see what was being done about various concerns.
July 6, 2001: Counterterrorism Security Group meets again and suspends nonessential travel of U.S. counterterrorism staff because of concern about potential attacks in Paris, Turkey and Rome.
Mid July, 2001: Concern addressed about specific threat against President Bush at G-8 summit in Genoa, Italy, which brought together eight countries with the most powerful economies.



