Osama bin Laden was seeking to attack the United States on the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, intelligence officials said on Thursday, citing handwritten journals and other documents that were recovered in the former al-Qaeda leader’s compound.
The journals and documents show that bin Laden was pursuing new means of attacking U.S. targets, including attacking trains and going after small cities.
However, over time, “Bin Laden got lazy and complacent,” a senior U.S. intelligence official told the Post.
“I don’t think he thought he would meet his maker in that house. And he certainly didn’t make any preparations,” the unnamed source added.
Officials said that in the countless documents, bin Laden offered a more overall direction for al-Qaeda than focusing on day-to-day operations. “We’re not going to find operational manuals or Excel spreadsheets,” the source said.
Other than the United States, there was mention of al-Qaeda’s plans to target hubs in the U.K., according to the Daily Telegraph. Plans drafted up in January call for “one or more attacks against Europe, including the U.K.”
The journals and documents show that bin Laden was pursuing new means of attacking U.S. targets, including attacking trains and going after small cities.
However, over time, “Bin Laden got lazy and complacent,” a senior U.S. intelligence official told the Post.
“I don’t think he thought he would meet his maker in that house. And he certainly didn’t make any preparations,” the unnamed source added.
Officials said that in the countless documents, bin Laden offered a more overall direction for al-Qaeda than focusing on day-to-day operations. “We’re not going to find operational manuals or Excel spreadsheets,” the source said.
Other than the United States, there was mention of al-Qaeda’s plans to target hubs in the U.K., according to the Daily Telegraph. Plans drafted up in January call for “one or more attacks against Europe, including the U.K.”
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