Biden directs declassification of documents about 9/11 attacks

Orders, come a little more than a week before the 20-year anniversary of the attack, is an important moment in many years of struggle between the government and the family regarding confidential information about the attack can be published.

President Joe Biden on Friday directed the declassification of certain documents related to terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, a supportive movement to the families of the victims who had long been looking for records involving the Saudi government.

Orders, come a little more than a week before the 20-year anniversary of the attack, is an important moment in many years of struggle between the government and the family regarding confidential information about the attack can be published. The conflict was on the last month when many relatives, survivors, and the first respondent opposed Biden’s participation in the 9/11 warning commemoration if the document remained classified.

Biden said Friday that he became good in the campaign commitment by ordering a declassification review and promised that his government “would continue to be involved with respect to members of this community.”

“Significant events in question occur two decades ago or longer, and they concern the tragic moment that continues to resonate in American history and in the lives of so many Americans,” executive orders countries. “Therefore it is important to ensure that the United States government maximizes transparency, only relying on classification when adjusted narrowly and necessary.”

Orders direct the Ministry of Justice and other executive branch institutions to begin declassification review and require that the declassified documents are released for the next six months.

Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, is among the victims of the World Trade Center and who are advocates for other victims’ relatives, praising the actions as “critical first step.” He said the family would observe the process to ensure that the Ministry of Justice followed and acted “in good faith.”

“The first test will be on 9/11, and the world will watch. We hope to be grateful to President Biden directly next week when he joins us at Ground Zero to respect those who die or injured 20 years ago,” Eagleson said.

However, the practical impact of the executive command and every new document that might produce is not immediately clear. Public documents were released in the past two decades, including the 9/11 commission, has detailed many Saudi attachments but has not proven government involvement.

A long-time lawsuit in the Federal Court in New York aims to hold accountability for the Saudi government and allege that Saudi officials gave significant support to several hijackers before the attack. The lawsuit took a big step forward this year with the question under the oath of former Saudi officials, and family members had long considered the disclosure of documents declassified as an important step in making their case.

The Saudi government has denied every connection with the attack.

Fifteen hijackers were Saudi, like Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda network was behind the attack. Certain supervision has centered on the support offered to the first two hijackers to arrive in the US, Nawaf Al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, including from Saudi National with a bond to the Saudi government who helped men find and rent a San Diego apartment and previously interesting FBI’s attention.

Although many documents that examine the potential for Saudi relations have been released, officials u.S. It has long considered another record that is too sensitive to disclosure. On Thursday, the victim’s family and victims urged Inspector General of the Ministry of Justice to investigate the obvious FBI inability to find the main pieces of the evidence they were looking for.

The Justice Department revealed last month that the FBI recently completed an investigation to examine certain 9/11 hijackers and potential co-conspirators, and that it worked to provide further information.

Under the provisions of the executive order, the FBI must be completed by September 11. Review the documents of the probe, referred to as “subfile investigations.” Additional documents, including each telephone and bank records and reports with investigative findings, must be reviewed with the eye for the disclosure for the next six months.