The US president is also reacting to criticism from relatives who threatened not to come to the memorial services if certain content is not disclosed. This could be done within six months.
US President Joe Biden has instructed the Justice Department and other agencies to investigate the release of classified documents related to the September 11th terrorist attacks. An ordinance obliges Justice Minister Merrick Garland to publish relevant documents in connection with the investigation into the attacks within the next six months, said Biden. Information should not remain classified if the public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to national security, the order said.
“When I ran for president, I pledged to ensure transparency in the release of documents relating to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America,” Biden said in a statement. With a view to the 20th anniversary of the attacks, he now wants to keep this promise. Previously, some families of the victims had threatened not to show up for the 20th anniversary commemorations if Biden did not release documents.
They were primarily concerned with documents that shed light on the role of Saudi Arabia in the attacks. Families of victims of the terrorist attacks have long wanted to hold the Gulf state accountable. The background to this are allegations against the country of having had connections with the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. The majority of the attackers were also Saudi citizens.
On September 11, 2001, Islamist terrorists piloted three hijacked aircraft into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. Another hijacked plane crashed in Pennsylvania. Around 3,000 people were killed in the attacks.