Bush expected to release 'Bin Laden' report

US: US President George Bush, who has fought aggressive battles to maintain the secrecy of presidential documents, was yesterday…

US: US President George Bush, who has fought aggressive battles to maintain the secrecy of presidential documents, was yesterday expected to release what Vice-President Dick Cheney has called "the family jewels" - one of the ultra-secret daily briefings given to the president by the CIA.

The presidential daily briefing (PDB) of August 6th, 2001, is at the centre of the controversy over what the White House was told before September 11th about the possibility of al-Qaeda attacks in the US.

The memo, presented to Mr Bush while he was on holiday at his Texas, ranch, appears to be the highest-level warning he received that a large-scale attack was possible.

In her testimony on Thursday before the national commission investigating the attacks, Dr Condoleezza Rice, Mr Bush's national security adviser, said the briefing largely provided "historical information" about al-Qaeda's operations.

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But she confirmed it did say the FBI had seen "suspicious activity in the US consistent with preparations for hijacking".

The commission, after fighting for months with the White House simply to be able to see the PDBs, has now asked that the August 6th document be declassified and released to the public.