On the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 museum and memorial attack in New York City on September 11, the families of the 9/11 victims paid tribute to their loved ones.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
- U.S. officials vowed on Monday to review classified documents related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to see which ones could be made public.
- The FBI stated that they “will roll out such information as soon as possible.”
- The FBI’s promise is part of a legal battle launched by the relatives of the victims on September 11 against Saudi Arabia and other countries they believe are accomplices.
U.S. officials vowed on Monday to review classified documents related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to see which ones could be made public—a repeated request from the relatives of some victims.
The FBI stated in a letter to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York that it “has decided to review” its previous privilege of not disclosing certain sensitive documents and will “determine other information suitable for disclosure.”
The letter stated that FBI agents “will roll out such information as quickly as possible.”
The FBI’s promise is part of a legal battle launched by the relatives of the victims on September 11 against Saudi Arabia and other countries they believe are accomplices.
In the legal battle, successive US governments have invoked state secrets in order not to disclose some documents.
However, Biden said in a statement that he welcomed the documents submitted by the court.
He said: “My government is committed to ensuring the maximum degree of transparency required by the law, and adheres to strict guidelines…in terms of invoking the privileges of state secrets.”
The United States is preparing to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, and plans to hold a solemn ceremony in New York. Biden will attend.
Relatives of some victims, survivors of the attack and members of the rescue team issued a letter last week stating that Biden will not be welcomed at the commemoration “unless he fulfills his promise.”
The letter requested that “all the documents and information accumulated by our government during the investigation” be published, and they said these documents and information link Saudi Arabia to the attack. According to US media reports, about 1,700 people signed the letter.
The court documents released on Monday were met with suspicion by the victims’ relatives.
“Unfortunately… we have heard a lot of empty promises before,” said Brett Eagleson, the son of the 9/11 victim.
He said in a statement that US authorities and the FBI “can take immediate action to provide documents.”
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