US to review 9/11 records with eye toward making more public
The Justice Department says it will work toward providing families of 9/11 victims with more information about the run-up to the attacks as part of a federal lawsuit that aims to hold the Saudi government accountable
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Justice Department said Monday that it would work toward providing families of 9/11 victims with more information about the run-up to the attacks as part of a federal lawsuit that aims to hold the Saudi government accountable.
The disclosure in a two-page letter filed in federal court in Manhattan follows longstanding criticism from relatives of those killed that the U.S. government was withholding crucial details from them in the name of national security.
Nearly 1,800 families, victims and first responders objected in a letter last week to President Joe Biden s attendance at memorial events as long as key documents remained declassified. Monday's move failed to placate at least some victims’ survivors, who said the FBI and Justice Department have already had years to review the documents.
In its letter Monday, the department said that the FBI had recently concluded an investigation that examined certain 9/11 hackers and potential conspirators, and that it would now work to see if information it had previously determined could not be disclosed may instead be shared.
“The FBI will disclose such information on a rolling basis as expeditiously as possible,” the Justice Department said.
Biden on Monday praised the Justice Department's action, saying his administration was “committed to ensuring the maximum degree of transparency under the law.”
“In this vein, I welcome the Department of Justice’s filing today, which commits to conducting a fresh review of documents where the government has previously asserted privileges, and to doing so as quickly as possible,” he said.
In a statement, Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, was killed inside the World Trade Center said that while he appreciated Biden’s acknowledgement of the families, “we have heard many empty promises before.”
He added: “We hope the Biden administration comes forward now to provide the information the 9/11 community has waited to receive for 20 years, so we can stand together with the president at Ground Zero on 9/11.”
____
Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.