A former US national security adviser to President Clinton is under criminal investigation by the US Justice Department after documents disappeared while he was reviewing what should be turned over to the 9/11 commission.

THE White House came out fighting yesterday after claims it did not consider the threat of terrorism an “urgent” issue in the months before September 11.

President Bill Clinton signed a secret directive in 1998 authorizing US efforts to capture or disrupt Osama bin Laden and his terrorism network, and several unsuccessful attempts were made, a person familiar with the effort revealed yesterday.