In 2002, two years before the blockbuster 9/11 Commission report provoked by the events of that day, a bipartisan congressional task force published an 838-page report about how terrorists attacked America. But the account as released wasn’t complete: A 28-page
In 2002, two years before the blockbuster 9/11 Commission report provoked by the events of that day, a bipartisan congressional task force published an 838-page report about how terrorists attacked America. But the account as released wasn’t complete: A 28-page passage that might describe possible Saudi Arabian official connections to the terrorists was kept secret.
President George W. Bush ordered those pages be withheld, purportedly for fear their release could jeopardize America’s intelligence sources and methods. But there probably was another reason: to preserve official Washington’s relations with a longtime ally in the Middle East.
After the attacks, there was widespread suspicion the Saudis somehow aided al-Qaida kingpin Osama bin Laden and the plotters, possibly with financing. There were ample reasons for that suspicion. Among them: 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens. So was bin Laden.
Now, under pressure from Congress, the Obama administration says it soon might release at least part of the report. The Saudis said they would welcome the release of the chapter because it would “allow us to respond to any allegations in a clear and credible manner.”
We say, release the entire passage. Let all the facts come out. Free of selective editing by the Obama administration.
The Saudis have long denied any involvement in 9/11. The 9/11 Commission report in 2004 did not expose any direct Saudi government links to the attackers. But check this curious passage from Page 171:
“It does not appear that any government other than the Taliban financially supported al-Qaida before 9/11, although some governments may have contained al-Qaida sympathizers who turned a blind eye to al-Qaida’s fundraising activities,” the report said. “Saudi Arabia has long been considered the primary source of al-Qaida funding, but we have found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the organization. (This conclusion does not exclude the likelihood that charities with significant Saudi government sponsorship diverted funds to al-Qaida.)”
That’s not exactly an ringing exoneration.
The 28-page secret passage might not be conclusive. But it could shed more light on the Saudi government’s connections, if any, to the attackers. At the very least, releasing it will dispel the notion Riyadh and Washington have something terrible to hide.
The Saudis remain on the defensive about suspicions their country had a role in the Sept. 11 attacks. Case in point: The New York Times reports Saudi Arabia warned the Obama administration it will sell off up to $750 billion in Treasury securities and other assets in the U.S. if Congress passes a bill that would allow the Saudi government to be held responsible in American courts for any role in the 9/11 attacks. Sure sounds like someone is nervous about being sued by U.S. plaintiffs.
American intelligence agencies famously failed to connect the dots to prevent the attacks. The 9/11 Commission blamed the FBI, the CIA and other federal agencies for disastrous lapses. The missing chapter should help Americans learn if congressional investigators connected any other dots.
— Chicago Tribune
