CIA rebuffs panel criticism

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) defended itself against criticism in commission report and said it had warned of the possibility of terrorists using hijacked planes before the 2001 attacks took place.

‘‘CIA regularly reported on threats to civil aviation including hijacking,’’ a CIA official said to a group of reporters before the report’s release.

The commission investigating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks slammed the agency’s methods as ‘‘Cold War’’ and bemoaned the lack of any expansion in the CIA’s paramilitary operations in the face of potential terrorist attacks. —(Reuters)