Trump to Consider Releasing More 9/11 Records
5 hours ago
President Donald Trump says he will consider requests from families of September 11 victims to release additional government records that could shed light on Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the terrorist attacks 25 years ago.
Trump addressed the request Sunday as he prepared to return to Washington following a weekend in Ireland.
“I’m going to look at it when I get back,” Trump told reporters, adding that he had learned of the families’ request on Friday.
Relatives of 9/11 victims have spent years seeking additional information about whether individuals with connections to Saudi Arabia provided assistance to the hijackers. Fifteen of the 19 terrorists who carried out the attacks were Saudi nationals.
The Saudi government has consistently denied any involvement in the attacks. Families of victims, however, remain engaged in a long-running legal battle seeking to hold Saudi Arabia responsible for alleged support provided to the hijackers.
The renewed request came during events marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks. At Friday’s remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed at the World Trade Center, publicly called on the Trump administration to release additional information and support families seeking answers about Saudi Arabia.
The CIA separately declassified dozens of presidential daily briefs on the anniversary, providing a new look at intelligence gathered about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida before September 11, 2001. The documents include warnings about potential hijackings and possible attacks inside the United States, though they did not appear to provide major new revelations about the planning of 9/11.
Trump has not committed to releasing the records requested by the families, but said he will review the matter after returning to Washington.
Trump addressed the request Sunday as he prepared to return to Washington following a weekend in Ireland.
“I’m going to look at it when I get back,” Trump told reporters, adding that he had learned of the families’ request on Friday.
Relatives of 9/11 victims have spent years seeking additional information about whether individuals with connections to Saudi Arabia provided assistance to the hijackers. Fifteen of the 19 terrorists who carried out the attacks were Saudi nationals.
The Saudi government has consistently denied any involvement in the attacks. Families of victims, however, remain engaged in a long-running legal battle seeking to hold Saudi Arabia responsible for alleged support provided to the hijackers.
The renewed request came during events marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks. At Friday’s remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed at the World Trade Center, publicly called on the Trump administration to release additional information and support families seeking answers about Saudi Arabia.
The CIA separately declassified dozens of presidential daily briefs on the anniversary, providing a new look at intelligence gathered about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida before September 11, 2001. The documents include warnings about potential hijackings and possible attacks inside the United States, though they did not appear to provide major new revelations about the planning of 9/11.
Trump has not committed to releasing the records requested by the families, but said he will review the matter after returning to Washington.