After an executive order by President Joe Biden, the FBI has released a newly declassified document. About September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and allegations of Saudi government support for hijackers.
The report is partially redacted to 16 pages. It is released on the 20th anniversary of the attack’s details. The report highlighted the contacts between the hijackers and several Saudi officials. But it did not draw a definitive conclusion whether the government in Riyadh was complicit in the attacks.
Earlier this month, Biden ordered the Department of Justice to review documents from the FBI’s probe into the attacks for declassification and release.
Earlier, President Joe Biden ordered to review the document from the FBI probe for declassification and release.
The victim’s families and relatives were demanding more information for years about what the FBI discovered in its findings. They were expecting that the document would show Saudi Arabian authorities supported the incident.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Kingdom has long said it had no role in the attacks. The Saudi embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment sent out of hours late on Saturday.
A U.S. government commission in 2004 found no evidence that Saudi Arabia directly funded al Qaeda. The group was given safe haven by the Taliban in Afghanistan at the time. It left open whether individual Saudi officials might have.
In a statement issued on Sept. 8, the embassy said Saudi Arabia has always advocated for transparency around the events of Sept. 11, 2001. And welcomes the release by the United States of classified documents relating to the attacks.
“As past investigations have revealed, including the 9/11 Commission and the release of the so-called ’28 Pages,’. No evidence has ever emerged to indicate that the Saudi government or its officials had previous knowledge of the terrorist attack. Or were in any way involved,” the embassy’s statement said.
In a statement on behalf of the organization 9/11 Families United, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed on Sept. 11, said the document released by the FBI on Saturday put to bed any doubts about Saudi complicity in the attacks.
“Now the Saudis’ secrets are exposed and it is well past time for the Kingdom to own up to its officials’ roles in murdering thousands on American soil,” A victim’s wife said in a statement.