Joe Biden Moves to Declassify Documents Relating to 9/11 Terrorist Attacks | US news

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US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order directing the FBI to declassify documents related to the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The order, which comes just over a week before the 20th anniversary, is a significant moment in a years-long battle between the government and victims’ families over what classified information could be released about the lead-up to the attacks.

Families have long sought information in hopes of implicating the Saudi government, with many coming out against Biden’s involvement in 9/11 if the documents remain classified.

Photo: People flee the fallen South Tower of the World Trade Center on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Pic: AP

Speaking Friday, the president pledged that his administration “will continue to treat members of this community with respect.”

The executive order states: “The significant events in question occurred two decades or more ago, and they relate to a tragic moment that still resonates in American history and in the lives of many Americans.

“It is therefore of paramount importance to ensure that the US government maximizes transparency, and to rely on grading only when narrowly designed and necessary.”

Directs the Department of Justice, and other executive agencies, to begin a review and declares that all declassified information must be disclosed within the next six months.

The move appears to have been welcomed by activists, with one hailing it as a “decisive first step”.

Photo: Firefighters walk down a street covered in dust and debris in lower Manhattan. Pic: AP

Brett Eggelson, whose father Bruce died during the attack on the World Trade Center, is now an advocate for the relatives of the other victims.

He said, “The first test will be 9/11, and the world will be watching. We look forward to thanking President Biden in person next week as he joins us at Ground Zero to honor those who died or were injured 20 years ago.”

Mr. Eggelson also said the families would monitor the process closely to ensure the Department of Justice was following its work and acting “in good faith”.

However, the practical effect of the order and any documents it may reveal are not entirely clear.

In the past two decades, the information that has been made public, including by the 9/11 commission, has revealed many Saudi entanglements but has not proven government complicity.

A long-running lawsuit in New York federal court aims to hold the Saudi government accountable and alleges that Saudi officials provided significant support to some of the hijackers before the attacks.

Image: The Department of Homeland Security has warned of terrorist attacks as the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches

Earlier this year, the lawsuit took a major step forward by questioning former Saudi officials under oath.

Victims’ family members have long viewed the disclosure of declassified documents as an important step in establishing their case.

Fifteen of the hijackers were Saudis, as was Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaeda network was behind the attacks.

The Saudi government has denied any connection to the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

Last month, the Department of Justice revealed that the FBI had recently completed an investigation examining some of the 9/11 hijackers and potential co-conspirators, and that it was working to provide more information.

Under the terms of the executive order, the FBI must complete a declassification review of documents from this investigation by September 11.

Additional documents, including phone and bank records and reports with investigation findings, will be reviewed with an eye for disclosure over the next six months.

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