Bush 'did not believe terror threat was urgent'

THE Bush administration's former counter-intelligence chief yesterday told a national commission investigating the September 11 attacks that the president did not take the threat of terrorism seriously enough.

It was also claimed that the CIA chief admitted more could have been done to foil the strikes.

Richard Clarke said the Clinton administration was deeply involved in tracking Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida organisation but that the Bush administration, which took office in January 2001, did not consider the issue urgent.