Former Egyptian Interior Minister: We Gave CIA Early Warning about 9/11

Former Egyptian interior minister Habib Al-Adly, speaking at his trial, said that Egypt had warned the CIA and the FBI that a huge terror attack was being planned against the U.S. According to Al-Adly, the agencies at first denied having received the warning, but eventually admitted it, "but said the warning hadn't been in writing." His statement was broadcast by the Egyptian Sada Al-Balad TV on August 9, 2014.

Habib Al-Adly: "In May 2001, we received information about a huge terror attack to be perpetrated against the US. This information came from inside the Al-Qaeda den. Such information does not come from just any collaborator. We were told that America would be subject to a huge terror attack. We conducted an analysis and tried to verify this, and ultimately, we were convinced that an attack was being prepared. I said to President (Mubarak): 'I have information that a huge terror attack will be carried out in the US.' He asked me: 'What should we do?' I said: 'I think we should tell them.' He said okay. We invited the CIA and FBI, and told them we had information that this was going to take place. They thanked us. In August of that year, we received information that the attack had entered the operational phase. Preparing an operation of such magnitude requires time. We were told that the attack had entered the operational phase. We had a recording of our conversation with our source. I told the president that the information had been verified, and that we should notify the Americans. He agreed, and we invited them again, and told them that the attack had entered the operational phase. They said: 'Okay, thank you.' Then the attack on the World Trade Center took place. That was the attack.

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"In 2002, when President Mubarak traveled to America, he asked President Bush why they did not heed our warning about the attack. Bush asked: 'What attack?' Mubarak answered: 'Against the WTC.' Bush said 'We didn't get it.' Mubarak answered: 'Yes, you did.' When Bush said that this never happened, Mubarak said to me: 'Habib, did we warn them or not?' And I said we did. I told him that we had warned the CIA, and he said that he would tell them. The CIA told Bush that they had received no warning about the attack, but Mubarak insisted that we had warned them. Finally, they admitted that it was true, but said the warning hadn't been in writing."