After years of demands from 9/11 families, lawmakers and some counter-terrorism experts, the House Intelligence Committee has released 28-pages of declassified information detailing the alleged connection between the 9/11 hijackers and the Saudi Government. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, two were once accused of being Saudi intelligence officers.
The previously classified pages are a chapter of larger report that was published in 2002 after a joint, bipartisan investigation into the terror attack by the House and Senate. Many lines in the declassified version are still redacted.
Investigations conducted numerous investigations after 2002 did not find any evidence based link between the Saudi government and the 9/11 hijackers.
Subsequent investigations have 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 “28 pages” released, from the joint committee’s 838-page report.
2005 CIA IG Report: "No evidence that the Saudi Government knowingly and willingly supported al-Qa'ida terrorists" pic.twitter.com/UmYJF5Ddbf
— Saudi Embassy (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) July 15, 2016
Saudi Ambassador to the United States Abdullah Al-Saud says the U.S. ally welcomes the release of the pages and hopes the issue can now be put to rest.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the release of the redacted pages from the 2002 Congressional Joint Inquiry. Since 2002, the 9/11 Commission and several government agencies, including the CIA and the FBI, have investigated the contents of the ‘28 Pages’ and have confirmed that neither the Saudi government, nor senior Saudi officials, nor any person acting on behalf of the Saudi government provided any support or encouragement for these attacks," Al-Saud released in a statement. “Saudi Arabia has long called for the release of the classified ‘28 Pages,’ We hope the release of these pages will clear up, once and for all, any lingering questions or suspicions about Saudi Arabia’s actions, intentions, or long-term friendship with the United States. Saudi Arabia is working closely with the United States and other allies to eradicate terrorism and destroy terrorist organizations.”
You can read all of the pages here.