Prior to his death earlier this year, Osama bin Laden was exploring plans to target President Barack Obama on the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to multiple reports.
A raid of bin Laden's Pakistan compound in May reportedly turned up documents showing that the al Qaeda leader had his sight set on attacking the president. CBS News reports:
A U.S. official confirmed to CBS News correspondent Bob Orr Friday that intelligence gathered during the May 2 raid on bin Laden's compound in Pakistan revealed that the al Qaeda head discussed with his operations planners a wide array of potential attacks against the U.S. and senior American officials.
On the heels of the raid, the AP reported that the Navy SEALs involved in the operation helicoptered out of the compound with documents, computer files, and additional information that they hoped would provide intelligence to bolster the fight to weaken and destroy the larger al Qaeda network.
According to reports released on Friday, the documents show plans were being taken under consideration to attack Obama while he was traveling by aircraft. Officials told ABC News that Air Force One and Marine One were discussed as potential targets.
The documents reportedly suggest that General David Petraeus was another potential target for an attack on September 11 of this year. CNN reports that Petraeus declined to comment on the matter through a spokesman on Friday.
The Washington Post recently reported on some of the revelations from materials collected at bin Laden's compound:
Toward the end of his decade in hiding, Osama bin Laden was spending as much time exchanging messages about al-Qaeda’s struggles as he was plotting ways for the terrorist network to reassert its strength.
Over the past year, the al-Qaeda leader fielded e-mails from followers lamenting the toll being taken by CIA drone “explosions” as well as the network’s financial plight, according to U.S. officials who have completed an exhaustive review of the trove of bin Laden files collected at his compound after the May 2 U.S. raid that killed him.
This is a developing story... More information to come...