Trump says he will look into 9/11 families' request to release Saudi Arabia records
Quick Look
- President Donald Trump said he will consider requests from families of Sept.
- 11 victims to declassify records that could reveal Saudi Arabia's alleged role in the 2001 attacks, during which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals.
- The families have long accused Saudi extremist leaders of aiding the hijackers, a claim the Saudi government denies.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers in the September 11, 2001 attacks were Saudi nationals. Families of victims have long alleged that extremist religious leaders in Saudi Arabia gained influence in the Saudi government and aided the hijackers, a claim the Saudi government has consistently denied.
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will look into requests from families of Sept. 11 victims to release records that could shed light on Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the attacks 25 years ago.
Several families have long alleged that a group of extremist religious leaders in Saudi Arabia gained influence in the Saudi government and aided the hijackers. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, but the Saudi government has long denied any involvement in the attacks.
The families have asked Trump to declassify and release the relevant records. Asked about it Sunday during his trip to Ireland, the president said he would consider it.
“I’m going to look at it when I get back,” Trump said just before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington after a weekend in Ireland. “I know they asked me Friday.”
The relatives of 9/11 victims have been engaged in a lengthy legal battle against the Saudis. One of them, Terry Strada, called on Trump during the remembrance in New York City on Friday to “tell the Saudis to stop lying.”
Strada, who lost her husband Tom Strada on 9/11, said U.S. presidents had chosen “to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families.”
Strada, who was one of the 9/11 family members who read aloud the names of victims at this year’s remembrance, added that the current administration should “stand with the families, stand with the survivors.”
“It has been one betrayal after another,” she said. “President Trump can still change that.”
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
President Trump will review the request to declassify 9/11-related records after returning from his Ireland trip
Likely · Within days
Open Questions
- What specific records do the families seek to have declassified?
- What evidence, if any, exists of Saudi government involvement in the 9/11 attacks?
- Will Trump follow through on his statement to look into the request after returning to Washington?
