A newly declassified chapter of a US report into 9/11 details potential links between the hijackers and the Saudi government.
The documents, posted on Friday by the House intelligence committee, outline possible connections between some of the attackers and a number of the kingdom's officials in the US.
But the report finds no smoking gun, making clear that the alleged ties, outlined in FBI and CIA intelligence reports, are unproven.
Politicians and relatives of victims have pushed for more than 13 years to get the 28 pages released from the congressional committee's 838-page report.
The declassified chapter says: "While in the United States, some of the September 11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government."
It adds: "The Joint Inquiry's review confirmed that the Intelligence Community also has information, much of which has yet to be independently verified, indicating that individuals associated with the Saudi Government in the United States may have other ties to al-Qa'ida and other terrorist groups."
A bereaved father mourns his son on the 9/11 attacks' 10th anniversary
The congressional panel made clear it had reached no conclusion as to the reliability of the FBI or CIA intelligence.
The report cites sources from within San Diego's Muslim community as alleging that two men who provided "substantial assistance" to hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi after they arrived in the US were Saudi intelligence officers.
One of the alleged Saudi intelligence officers possibly received a fake passport from his government's officials, and a "significant amount" of money from one its royals.
Intelligence also suggested Osama bin Laden's half-brother worked at the Saudi embassy in Washington DC.
A reported Saudi interior ministry official who stayed in September 2001 at the same Virginia hotel as Hazmi denied knowing the hijackers.
But the FBI "believed he was being deceptive", says the inquiry.
Former senator Bob Graham holds the still-classified 28 pages on 9/11
This person was suspected of faking a seizure during questioning and was able to leave the US despite FBI efforts to interview him again.
The report cites evidence that Mihdhar and Hazmi may have been in touch with an accredited Saudi diplomat at the consulate in Los Angeles.
Abdullah al-Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the US, said: "We hope the release of these pages will clear up, once and for all, any lingering questions or suspicions about Saudi Arabia's actions, intentions, or long-term friendship with the United States."
Other official US investigations found no evidence Saudi government officials supported the attackers.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens.
No comments:
Post a Comment