John Brennan, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), stated in an interview with Al Arabiya that the release of 28 pages from a confidential congressional report will show that the Saudi government and its officials had no role in the September 11, 2001 attacks. According to Reuters, in this interview on June 12, he said, 'I believe these 28 pages will be released, and I support their release. Everyone will see the evidence that shows the Saudi government has no connection [to these attacks].' He emphasized that the commission investigating the 2001 attacks 'thoroughly' examined all these allegations and concluded that 'there is no evidence that the Saudi government, as an entity, or any of its senior officials, as independent individuals, supported the September 11 attacks.' Previously, Bob Graham, a former senator and senior member of the commission investigating the attacks, suggested that the White House might decide on the release of the pages and documents in June (this month). At the end of September, allegations were raised regarding the 'support' of Saudi officials for the September 11 attacks. At that time, John F. Lehman, a Republican politician and former member of the congressional commission, reported 'clear evidence' indicating that 'individuals from the Saudi government' were part of the network supporting the hijackers on the day of the attacks. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that could allow the families of September 11 victims to sue the Saudi government. According to this bill, if it is proven that a country played a role in a terrorist incident, the victims' families can claim damages against that country. During the consideration of this bill, several lawmakers in the House of Representatives accused Saudi Arabia of 'supporting' terrorism. However, this bill must be signed by the President of the United States after final approval in Congress. The U.S. government has stated it will veto it. It was reported that Riyadh threatened the U.S. government and Congress that if its name was mentioned in connection with the September 11 attacks, it would sell $750 billion of its assets in the United States. The Saudi foreign minister has denied the published reports in this regard. Reports indicate that of the 19 perpetrators of the September 11 attacks, 15 were Saudi nationals. Saudi officials have consistently denied involvement in these terrorist attacks. In this context, Adel al-Jubeir called the reports of Saudi financial threats against the U.S. 'ridiculous.'
Brennan: Evidence Proves Saudi Government Had No Role in 9/11 Attacks
John Brennan, the CIA director, asserted that the release of 28 pages from a congressional report will exonerate Saudi Arabia from any involvement in the 9/11 attacks. This comes amid renewed allegations and a Senate bill allowing victims' families to sue Saudi Arabia, which the U.S. government plans to veto. The situation highlights ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia regarding accountability for terrorism.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
John Brennan stated that the upcoming release of 28 pages from a congressional report will clear Saudi Arabia of any involvement in the 9/11 attacks. This comes amid renewed allegations and legislative efforts to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for terrorism.
- The U.S. Senate passed a bill allowing 9/11 victims' families to sue Saudi Arabia, which the U.S. government plans to veto.
- 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 attacks were Saudi nationals.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The 9/11 attacks have long been a contentious issue regarding Saudi Arabia's alleged connections to terrorism, especially given the nationality of the hijackers. The 28 pages refer to previously classified information that has been the subject of much speculation.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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