Rumsfeld: We did not play down 9/11 threat

Senior White House officials have leapt to George Bush's defence after accusations he could have prevented the terror attacks on September 11.

Defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of state Colin Powell both denied reports President Bush played down the danger from al Qaeda.

Mr Rumsfeld told an independent commission he knew of "no actionable intelligence since 20 January 2001 that would have allowed the US to attack or kill Osama bin Laden".

General Powell told the hearing Mr Bush had always sought to "destroy" al Qaeda whereas Bill Clinton had only tried to contain the terror network. He added that Mr Bush had told him: "I'm tired of swatting flies."

The commission today questions former White House counter-terror chief Richard Clarke, who claims Mr Bush ignored the threat from Bin Laden and then tried to blame 9/11 on Saddam Hussein.