Biden Signs Order To Declassify 9/11 Investigation Documents
President Joe Biden has directed the public to declassify certain documents related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a helpful gesture to the families of the victims, who have long sought records hoping to implicate the Saudi government.
The order, a little more than a week before the 20th anniversary of the attacks, marks a key moment in a years-long conflict between the government and families over what confidential information about the attacks can be made public. That struggle was on display last month when several relatives, survivors and first responders came out against Biden’s participation in 9/11 memorial events if the documents were declassified.
Biden said Friday that he was making good on a campaign commitment by ordering a declassification review and pledged that his administration would “continue to respectfully engage with members of this community.”
“The significant events in question occurred two decades or more ago, and they concern a tragic moment that continues to resonate in American history and the lives of so many Americans,” the executive order said. “It is therefore important to ensure that the United States government maximizes transparency while relying only on narrowly tailored and classified classifications when necessary.”
The order directs the Justice Department and other executive branch agencies to initiate a declassification review, and requires that declassified documents be issued within the next six months.
Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, was among the victims of the World Trade Center and who is an advocate for relatives of other victims, called the action an “important first step”. He added that the families will be watching the process closely to ensure that the Justice Department follows and acts “in good faith.”
“The first test will be on 9/11, and the world will be watching. We look forward to thanking President Biden personally next week as he joins us at Ground Zero to honor those killed or injured 20 years ago,” Eagleson said.
Still, the practical impact of the executive order and any new documents it would yield were not immediately clear. Public documents released over the past two decades, including those of the 9/11 Commission, detail Saudi Arabia’s many complexities, but have not proven government complicity.
The long-running trial in federal court in New York aims to hold the Saudi government accountable and alleges that Saudi officials provided significant aid to some of the hijackers prior to the attacks. The trial took a major step forward this year, with the interrogation of former Saudi officials under oath, and family members who have long considered the disclosure of declassified documents a key step in making their case.
The Saudi government has denied any connection to the attacks.
Fifteen of the kidnappers were Saudi, as was Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaeda network was behind the attacks. The investigation in particular focused on the support given to the first two hijackers to arrive in the US, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, who also included Saudi citizens with ties to the Saudi government, who helped the men find and lease an apartment. helped to deliver. San Diego and Joe had previously attracted an FBI investigation.
Although many documents investigating possible Saudi ties have been released, US officials have long considered other records too sensitive to disclosure. On Thursday, the victims’ families and survivors urged the Justice Department inspector general to investigate the FBI’s inability to find the evidence they are seeking.
The Justice Department revealed last month that the FBI had recently completed an investigation investigating some of the 9/11 hijackers and potential co-conspirators, and was working toward providing more information.
Under the terms of the executive order, the FBI must complete its declassification review of documents from that investigation by September 11, which it refers to as a “subfile investigation.” Additional documents, including phone and bank records and investigative findings, to be reviewed for disclosure during the next six months.
