Biden moves to declassify records of Sept. 11 attacks

WASHINGTON — President Biden has directed the declassification of certain documents related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a supportive gesture to victims’ families who have long sought the records in hopes of implicating the Saudi government.

The order Friday, coming little more than a week before the 20th anniversary of the attacks, is a significant moment in a years-long dispute between the government and the families over what classified information about the run-up to the attacks could be made public. That conflict was on display last month when many relatives, survivors and first responders came out against Biden’s participation in Sept. 11 memorial events if the documents remained classified. Biden said he was making good on a campaign commitment by ordering the declassification review and pledged that his administration “will continue to engage respectfully with members of this community.”

“The significant events in question occurred two decades ago or longer, and they concern a tragic moment that continues to resonate in American history and in the lives of so many Americans,” the order states. “It is therefore critical to ensure that the United States Government maximizes transparency, relying on classification only when narrowly tailored and necessary.“

The order directs the Justice Department and other executive branch agencies to begin a declassification review, and requires that declassified documents be released over the next six months.

Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, was among the World Trade Center victims and who is an advocate for other victims’ relatives, commended the action as a “critical first step.” He said the families would be closely watching the process to make sure that the Justice Department follows through and acts “in good faith.”

Still, the practical impact of the executive order and any new documents it might yield was not immediately clear. Public documents released in the last two decades, including by the Sept. 11 Commission, have detailed numerous Saudi entanglements but have not proved government complicity.

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

The Saudi government has denied any connection to the attacks.

Fifteen of the hijackers were Saudi, as was Osama bin Laden, whose al Qaeda network was behind the attacks. Particular scrutiny has centered on the support offered to the first two hijackers to arrive in the U.S., Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, including from a Saudi national with ties to the Saudi government who helped the men find and lease an apartment in San Diego and who had earlier attracted FBI scrutiny.