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Relatives of victims of the 9/11 attacks have long urged the release of the document, arguing Saudi officials had prior knowledge but did not try to stop the attacks.
Also read: 9/11 Attack Documents, FBI Suspects Involvement of Saudi Arabian Consular Officials
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers used in the 9/11 attacks were Saudi citizens.
Ahead of the declassification, the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington welcomed the release of the document and once again denied any connection between the Kingdom and the hijackers. The embassy described the allegations as false and malicious.
The document was declassified on the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on US soil — nearly 3,000 people killed — and is the first of several documents expected to be released.
Some of the victims’ families have pressured President Joe Biden to disclose the document, saying he should not attend Saturday’s memorial service in New York if he is not prepared to release it.
Most of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 attacks were citizens of Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden comes from an influential Saudi family and his organization is alleged to have received money from wealthy Saudis in the 1990s.
All of that has raised questions about whether there was any official involvement by the Kingdom in the attack—and whether successive US administrations have covered this up to protect its allies.
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