"The real question was, here we had this information, Bin Laden intends to strike in the United States. We knew they had struck before in 1993 at the World Trade Center in the first bombing of the trade center"

Richard Ben-Veniste's quote discuss the crucial moments leading up to the 9/11 attacks and the significance of intelligence and historical precedent in counter-terrorism. Ben-Veniste, a member of the 9/11 Commission, concentrates on the awareness and understanding of dangers posed by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The quote highlights 2 critical points: the existence of intelligence showing bin Laden's objective to target the United States and the prior history of such objectives manifesting into action, highlighted by the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Initially, the expression "Bin Laden plans to strike in the United States" symbolizes that intelligence firms had particular, actionable details about the capacity for an attack. This understanding, presumably originated from obstructed communications or informants, indicated a direct threat. The quote doesn't specify when this info was acquired nor does it detail the specific nature or timing of the intended strike, however it highlights that the intent of bin Laden and al-Qaeda to target U.S. soil was acknowledged.

Secondly, the referral to "they had struck before in 1993 at the World Trade Center" acts as an effective suggestion of past events that were potentially a sign of a more comprehensive pattern of behavior. The 1993 World Trade Center bombing, performed by jihadists with ties to al-Qaeda, was an explicit act of terrorism against the U.S., recommending a clear risk level that needed constant tracking and action.

Ben-Veniste's statement can be seen as a review of the pre-9/ 11 intelligence and security method, highlighting a viewed space between having critical intelligence and acting on it successfully. It suggests a requirement for proactive and integrated responses to such warnings, drawing lessons from prior occasions to reduce future dangers. The underlying message suggests that appropriate lessons were not drawn from previous occurrences, contributing to an environment in which al-Qaeda might effectively perform the 9/11 attacks.