US publishes 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 in 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 connections with the Saudi Arabian government".

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

US intelligence says the half-brother of terrorist Osama bin Laden, who worked for the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, has contact with the commander of the 9/11 hijackers, Mohammed Atta.

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

A phone book belonging to an al-Qaeda terrorist organization seized in Pakistan also contained the US phone number of a company called Colorado, which is 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 end."

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the classified document came from an independent investigation 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 work of US intelligence is "unacceptable" because these connections could "pose a serious security risk to the country".

The Bush administration believed that the documents needed to be classified to protect US intelligence sources. Bush also worried that releasing the entire document could have a negative impact on the alliance with Saudi Arabia.

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

According to VNE