U.S. flags are seen on the 9/11 Memorial on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 assaults in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 11, 2021.
Mike Segar | Reuters
The FBI on Saturday launched the primary doc associated to its investigation of the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults on the United States and allegations of Saudi authorities assist for the hijackers, following an government order by President Joe Biden.
Relatives of the victims had known as on Biden to skip memorial occasions to mark Saturday’s 20th anniversary if he didn’t declassify paperwork that they’ve contended will present Saudi Arabian authorities supported the plot.
The partially redacted 16-page doc launched by the FBI outlined contacts between the hijackers and Saudi associates, however no proof the federal government in Riyadh was complicit within the assaults, which killed practically 3,000 individuals.
Saudi Arabia has lengthy mentioned it had no function within the assaults. The Saudi embassy in Washington didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark despatched out of hours late on Saturday.
In an announcement issued on Sept. 8, the embassy mentioned Saudi Arabia has at all times advocated for transparency across the occasions of Sept. 11, 2001, and welcomes the discharge by the United States of categorized paperwork regarding the assaults.
“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 assertion mentioned.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers have been from Saudi Arabia. A U.S. authorities fee discovered no proof that Saudi Arabia immediately funded al Qaeda, the group given protected haven by the Taliban in Afghanistan on the time. It left open whether or not particular person Saudi officers may need.
The households of roughly 2,500 of these killed, and greater than 20,000 individuals who suffered accidents, companies and varied insurers, have sued Saudi Arabia searching for billions of {dollars}.
In an announcement on behalf of the group 9/11 Families United, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed on Sept. 11, mentioned the doc launched by the FBI on Saturday put to mattress any doubts about Saudi complicity within the assaults.
“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,” the assertion mentioned.
