New Evidence Reveals Al Qaeda's Assassination Attempt Against Pres. Clinton In 1996

The Telegraph is reporting that Osama Bin Laden may have been quite close to successfully carrying out an assassination attempt against President Bill Clinton in 1996. The President was in the Phillipines attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) and was supposed to meet a local politician by crossing a bridge in Manila.

At one point during his stay, he was scheduled to visit a local politician, his route taking him across a bridge in central Manila.

But as the presidential motorcade was about to set off, secret service officers received a "crackly message in one earpiece" saying intelligence agents had picked up a message suggesting an attack was imminent.

The transmission used the words "bridge" and "wedding" – a terrorists code word for assassination.

The motorcade was quickly re-routed and American agents later discovered a bomb had been planted under the bridge.

The subsequent US investigation into the plot "revealed that it had been masterminded by a Saudi terrorist living in Afghanistan – a man named Osama bin Laden".

Although al Qaeda members have admitted targeting Mr Clinton in the 1990s, no evidence has previously emerged suggesting the group's leader was involved or that the terrorists came close to succeeding.

This report, if true, would indicate that bin Laden was active earlier in targeting the US than previously considered.

The Philippines is home to another Islamist terror group, Jemaah Islamiyah, which has ties to al Qaeda. Several major al Qaeda plots have originated in the Philippines, including Operation Bojinka, which was a precursor to the 9/11 attacks. Bojinka was set to commence in January 1995 and included the mass targeting of planes flying from Asia to the US.