US releases Arab elements in 9/11 terrorist secret documents

The US government released part of the congressional investigation report on the world-shaking terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

The Twin Towers in New York were attacked during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. Photo: Tomatobubble.com

According to AFP, the secret document named "28 pages" has been kept secret for many years. The content of the declassified part of the document states that 15 out of 19 hijackers of Arab nationality who carried out the 9/11 terrorist attack had "contacted, received support and assistance from individuals who may have had ties to the Saudi Arabian government".

A man believed to be from the Saudi Interior Ministry in the eastern United States aroused suspicion when he suffered a seizure during an FBI interrogation about his ties to the hijackers. He fled the United States after being released from the hospital.

US intelligence says Osama bin Laden's half-brother, who worked for the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, has ties to 9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta.

In California, another alleged Saudi intelligence agent is also suspected of providing "substantial assistance" to two other 9/11 hijackers.

An al-Qaeda phone book seized in Pakistan also included the US phone number of a Colorado company linked to the Saudi Arabian embassy.

Responding to the reports, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said none of the terrorist groups had been proven to have ties to his government. "The matter is now closed. We hope that with the declassification of the documents, criticism of our country will cease."

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the classified document was from an independent investigative commission set up after the attacks and that it had "no clarity or conclusions" about the incident.

For years, the US Congress has expressed anger at the country's intelligence agencies for overlooking links between terrorists and Saudi Arabia. Congress has said the US intelligence agencies' work is "unacceptable" because these connections could "pose a serious security risk to the country".

The Bush administration had argued that the documents needed to be classified to protect US intelligence sources. Bush was also concerned that releasing the entire document could damage the alliance with Saudi Arabia.

President Barack Obama has decided to declassify the entire document. The revelations are likely to fuel new debates about Washington-Riyadh relations and Saudi Arabia’s role in fostering terrorism.

According to VNE