President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday ordering the Justice Department and other federal agencies to pursue a declassification review of documents related to the FBI’s investigations of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The order, which comes just days ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 2001 attack that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people, requires Attorney General Merrick Garland to release declassified documents to the public throughout the next six months.
“We must never forget the enduring pain of the families and loved ones of the 2,977 innocent people who were killed during the worst terrorist attack on America in our history,” Biden said in a statement Friday afternoon.
The order, which acknowledges some information might merit continued protection in the interest of national security, asks agencies to consider “whether the public interest in disclosure of the information outweighs the damage to the national security that might reasonably be expected from disclosure,” according to a readout of the order obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Exceptions to the release of certain sensitive information include when “the strongest possible reasons counsel otherwise.”
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW 9/11 FILES REGARDING SAUDI ARABIA FOLLOWING FAMILIES’ CRITICISM
Breaking: Biden has signed an executive order directing DOJ and other agencies to oversee a declassification review of documents related to the FBI’s 9/11 investigations.
The order requires the Attorney General release the declassified documents publicly over the next 6 months.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 3, 2021
Following litigation brought by victims’ families against Saudi Arabia, the DOJ said in an Aug. 9 court filing the FBI “decided to review its prior privilege assertions to identify additional information appropriate for disclosure.”
The filing followed a statement released on Aug. 6 backed by 1,800 friends and family members of 9/11 victims, first responders, and survivors calling on Biden to skip tributes to the 20th anniversary of the attacks unless he releases documents they believe would shed light on Saudi Arabia’s alleged complicity.
“If President Biden reneges on his commitment and sides with the Saudi government, we would be compelled to publicly stand in objection to any participation by his administration in any memorial ceremony of 9/11, given its continuation of policies that thwart Americans’ rights to hold accountable those who, known evidence reveals, materially supported the 9/11 hijackers,” the group wrote early last month.
The president campaigned in 2020 on the promise of releasing previously classified 9/11 documents.
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The Washington Examiner contacted the White House but did not immediately receive a response.
