Throughout the past 18 months, the National Archives has been quietly releasing documents from the 9/11 commission that ended its investigation in 2004.
The documents focus on the investigation into allegations of the Saudi Arabian government’s involvement with 9/11.
The papers already released by the National Archives include transcripts of interrogations of a Saudi diplomat and records of the panel’s trip to Saudi Arabia to meet face to face with believed co-conspirator of the 9/1 hijackers.
A former commission staff member told the Guardian the documents contain much of the same information, and more, than the “28 pages” which are a section of the commission report that have been kept confidential and are highly debated.
Some members of the commission, as well as the pubic have been calling for the release of these papers since 2004, due to the speculation they contain important information about Saudi Arabia’s involvement with the hijacking.
The Editorial Board believes despite the American people’s fatigue toward the ongoing discussions as to who is to blame for 9/11, and the United States souring relationship with Saudi Arabia, the 28 pages should still be released for transparency’s sake.
The documents that have already been released point to connections between the 9/11 hijackers and Saudi Arabian government officials.
These allegations are expanded upon in the 28 pages, according to previous Republican Commissioner and former navy secretary John F Lehman, the Guardian reported.
The Commission’s final report in 2004 did not find any meaningful connections between the Saudi Arabian government and the hijackers, but Lehman told the Guardian May 12 many leads were not followed all the way through at the time of the final report.
That is why he believes the 28 pages should be released, to reopen those investigations.
The final report, which was seen by many as an exoneration of Saudi Arabia, has been criticized by family members of 9/11 victims and others, and activism surrounding the release of the 28 pages began almost as soon as the final report was released.
The website 28Pages.org is a hub of activism, with a statement from Congressman Thomas Massie on the first page claiming that the confidential pages made him “rethink everything.”
The commission is split as to whether or not the release of the pages would benefit the American public.
Some say it would put a needless strain on America’s already deteriorating relationship with Saudi Arabia, because of the way it supposedly casts Saudi Arabia in a negative light.
Others, however, like Lehman, said they feel the people deserve to have access to the much contested truth behind 9/11.
The Guardian reported President Obama was close to deciding whether or not to release the pages, and we hope he does.
We understand the desire not to rock the boat with Saudi Arabia, but we feel enough time has passed now to eliminate outright panic or outrage from either country.
At this point, it is just time release the truth so that the families and the country and can lay this matter to rest to the best of our abilities.
