The Justice Department has requested more time in deciding whether to refuse to release or finally hand over documents that could provide proof of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The request for the documents is part of the civil litigation brought by 9/11 survivors and family members in an attempt to hold Saudi Arabia responsible for their role in the attacks. The FBI protected documents could reveal specific details about Saudi officials’ connections to the hijackers. It's feared that states secret privilege could be invoked. The release of such information might strain the U.S. / Saudi Arabia relationship. Denying the request could “pit the administration and the FBI against the families of 9/11 victims and survivors, hundreds of whom delivered a letter to Mr. Trump recently urging him “to instruct Attorney General Barr not to invoke privileges and to give us the FBI documents so that we can finally learn the full truth and obtain justice from Saudi Arabia.””
Read Aruna Viswanatha, Alex Leary and Sadie Gurman’s article in The Wall Street Journal.