NORAD Simulated Pentagon Plane Crash Before 9/11

​NORAD Exercises (1999–2000):
NORAD conducted exercises two years before 9/11 (1999–2000) that simulated hijacked airliners crashing into U.S. targets, including a rejected plan to use the Pentagon as a mock target (deemed "too unrealistic" at the time).
These drills tested procedures for detecting, identifying, and intercepting hijacked planes.
Public vs. Official Statements:
President George W. Bush and other officials repeatedly stated that the government "did not foresee" terrorists using planes as weapons.
The exercises suggest at least some awareness of the concept within military planning circles, even if not explicitly linked to terrorism.