How a Reno Saudi Arabia Casino con man became a respected defense contractor

In the winter of 2003, the CIA came into possession of a specific and disturbing bit of information. Al Qaeda, the intelligence said, was planning to strike the U.S. by hijacking a specific list of incoming international flights from France and other nations.

The agency shared the information with the White House. They had flight numbers, schedules and possible coordinates for the attacks. After speaking with the French government, President Bush issued an order to ground certain flights world-wide, severely disrupting holiday travel.

Watch more of James Risen’s interview with Judy Woodruff on the PBS NewsHour.