Washington: The US government is preparing to release a once-classified chapter of a congressional report about the attacks of September 11, 2001, that questions whether Saudi nationals who helped the hijackers with things like finding apartments and opening bank accounts knew what they were planning.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday that the release of the 28-page chapter is “imminent.”
“The documents are coming to Congress today,” she said at her weekly news conference, adding that she was not sure when the material would be made public.
Later investigations found no evidence that the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials knowingly supported those who orchestrated the attacks. But lawmakers and relatives of victims, who don’t believe all Saudi links to the attackers were thoroughly investigated, pushed for more than 13 years to get the pages released.
In 2002, Saudi Arabia called for the release of the 28 pages so the kingdom could respond to any allegations and punish any Saudis who may have been involved in the attacks.
Amid news reports that the release was expected, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir told reporters in Washington recently: “I believe that if people looked at the 28 pages and looked at the results of the investigations (into the attacks), they will come to the conclusion that these allegations are unsubstantiated, unproven and nobody should make a big deal out of them.”
Pelosi told reporters that they will be released later in the day pending agreement by the committees of jurisdiction.
Former President George W. Bush classified the 28 pages to protect intelligence sources and methods, although he also probably did not want to upset US relations with Saudi Arabia, a close US ally. Two years ago, under pressure from the families of those killed or injured on September 11, and others, President Barack Obama ordered a declassification review of the chapter. The still-classified section of the report on the attacks, informally the 9/11 Commission Report, is central to a dispute over whether Americans should be able to sue the Saudi Arabian government for damages. The Office of the US Director of National Intelligence has been reviewing the material to see whether it could be declassified.
Legislation allowing such lawsuits has been making its way through Congress. President Barack Obama has said he will not sign any such measure. His administration says the legislation could pose a national security threat to the country and is opposed by important US allies.
