US intelligence agencies had
informants inside al-Qaida and, prior to September 11, eavesdropped on communications by its leaders that indicated an attack was imminent, a US newspaper reported today.
However, the agencies did not obtain information about specific dates or places that an attack could take place, according to USA Today, citing two anonymous US officials.
"Reports discussing the possibility of suicide bombings, plots to fly planes into buildings and strikes against the Pentagon, World Trade Center and other high-profile targets," as well as "electronic intercepts as late as September 10 of al-Qaeda members speaking cryptically of a major attack are among the documents," USA Todaysaid.
"Two US intelligence officials, paraphrasing highly classified intercepts, say they include such remarks as, 'Good things are coming,' 'Watch the news' and 'Tomorrow will be a great day for us'," according to the paper.
Transcripts of conversation intercepts are part of 13,000 pages of documents gathered by the National Security Agency, in charge of electronic security surveillance.
The officials added that a large part of the documents had not been translated prior to September 11th, due to a shortage of translators.
White House spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer declined to confirm the story, saying: "I will not discuss anything about American agents being possibly anywhere. That's not something I will ever do. It's not a topic I will ever get into."
The documentation is likely to figure in this week's congressional inquiries into how the CIA, FBI and other agencies failed to pick up signals on the eve of the attack.
AFP