• Retired Willow Springs, Illinois Chief of Police Sam Pulia and his nephew, Chicago Police Sgt Daniel Pulia, place flags at the South Tower ahead of ceremonies to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. EPA
    Retired Willow Springs, Illinois Chief of Police Sam Pulia and his nephew, Chicago Police Sgt Daniel Pulia, place flags at the South Tower ahead of ceremonies to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. EPA
  • People visit the 9/11 memorial on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Manhattan, New York. EPA
    People visit the 9/11 memorial on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Manhattan, New York. EPA
  • A woman places flowers on the 9/11 memorial. EPA
    A woman places flowers on the 9/11 memorial. EPA
  • A man takes a moment to remember those who lost their lives in the attacks. EPA
    A man takes a moment to remember those who lost their lives in the attacks. EPA
  • A woman places flowers at the South Tower ahead of ceremonies to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. EPA
    A woman places flowers at the South Tower ahead of ceremonies to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. EPA
  • Claudia Castano speaks about her memory of her brother German who's name is etched at the Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. AFP
    Claudia Castano speaks about her memory of her brother German who's name is etched at the Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. AFP
  • People mourn at the 9/11 Memorial on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Manhattan, New York City, U. S. EPA
    People mourn at the 9/11 Memorial on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Manhattan, New York City, U. S. EPA
  • Members of the New York Police and Fire Department hold a flag for the national anthem during the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City. AFP
    Members of the New York Police and Fire Department hold a flag for the national anthem during the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City. AFP
  • Kirsten Gillibrand arrives at a ceremony at Ground Zero held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA, held in lower Manhattan, New York City.
    Kirsten Gillibrand arrives at a ceremony at Ground Zero held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA, held in lower Manhattan, New York City.
  • Police commissioner Dermot Shea arrives at a ceremony at Ground Zero held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA, held in lower Manhattan, New York. AFP
    Police commissioner Dermot Shea arrives at a ceremony at Ground Zero held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA, held in lower Manhattan, New York. AFP
  • An American flag placed along with a photo of the Twin Towers and the name Daniel P. Trant, a Cantor Fitzgerald bond trader that died during 9/11, before ceremonies to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York. AP
    An American flag placed along with a photo of the Twin Towers and the name Daniel P. Trant, a Cantor Fitzgerald bond trader that died during 9/11, before ceremonies to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York. AP
  • A 9. 11 Memorial staff member places a flag at the South Tower before ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the 9. 11 attack at the World Trade Center in New York which killed almost 3,000 people. EPA
    A 9. 11 Memorial staff member places a flag at the South Tower before ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the 9. 11 attack at the World Trade Center in New York which killed almost 3,000 people. EPA
  • A U. S. flag is seen on the 9/11 Memorial on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Manhattan, New York City, U. S. EPA
    A U. S. flag is seen on the 9/11 Memorial on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Manhattan, New York City, U. S. EPA
  • A NYPD Honor Guard marches in with a damaged American Flag at the South Tower before ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the 9. 11 attack at the World Trade Center in New York which killed almost 3,000 people. EPA
    A NYPD Honor Guard marches in with a damaged American Flag at the South Tower before ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the 9. 11 attack at the World Trade Center in New York which killed almost 3,000 people. EPA
  • New York police and firefighters hold a US flag as a band plays the US National Anthem at the National 9/11 Memorial during a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York. AFP
    New York police and firefighters hold a US flag as a band plays the US National Anthem at the National 9/11 Memorial during a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York. AFP
  • A 9. 11 Memorial staff member places a flag at the South Tower before ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the 9. 11 attack at the World Trade Center in New York which killed almost 3,000 people. AFP
    A 9. 11 Memorial staff member places a flag at the South Tower before ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the 9. 11 attack at the World Trade Center in New York which killed almost 3,000 people. AFP
  • Flowers placed at the name of Frank Spinelli at the 9/11 memorial during a ceremony at Ground Zero held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA, held in lower Manhattan, New York City, NY, USA. EPA
    Flowers placed at the name of Frank Spinelli at the 9/11 memorial during a ceremony at Ground Zero held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA, held in lower Manhattan, New York City, NY, USA. EPA
  • New York police and firefighters hold a US flag as a band plays the US National Anthem at the National 9/11 Memorial during a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York. AFP
    New York police and firefighters hold a US flag as a band plays the US National Anthem at the National 9/11 Memorial during a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York. AFP
  • A man places American flags on the South Pool of the 9/11 Memorial during a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, New York, USA,. EPA
    A man places American flags on the South Pool of the 9/11 Memorial during a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, New York, USA,. EPA
  • Family members sit on a bench that honors their loved one at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial opened in 2008, that commemorates the lives lost at the Pentagon and onboard American Airlines Flight 77, at the Pentagon in Washington. An American flag was unfurled at the Pentagon at sunrise on the morning of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks and is draped over the site of impact at the Pentagon. AP
    Family members sit on a bench that honors their loved one at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial opened in 2008, that commemorates the lives lost at the Pentagon and onboard American Airlines Flight 77, at the Pentagon in Washington. An American flag was unfurled at the Pentagon at sunrise on the morning of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks and is draped over the site of impact at the Pentagon. AP
  • A rose lays on a bench at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The nation is marking the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, when the terrorist group al-Qaeda flew hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center, Shanksville, PA and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. AFP
    A rose lays on a bench at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The nation is marking the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, when the terrorist group al-Qaeda flew hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center, Shanksville, PA and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. AFP
  • US Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff make their way to board a flight before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland . - Vice President Harris is heading to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to attend a 9/11 commemoration. AFP
    US Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff make their way to board a flight before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland . - Vice President Harris is heading to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to attend a 9/11 commemoration. AFP
  • US Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff make their way to board a flight before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. - Vice President Harris is heading to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to attend a 9/11 commemoration. AFP
    US Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff make their way to board a flight before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. - Vice President Harris is heading to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to attend a 9/11 commemoration. AFP
  • People attend a 9/11 commemoration ceremony at the Greek Orthodox St Nicholas National Shrine adjacent to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York. AFP
    People attend a 9/11 commemoration ceremony at the Greek Orthodox St Nicholas National Shrine adjacent to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York. AFP
  • People walk among the flags of the commemorative installation 'Waves of Flags' on the eve of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 at the Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. EPA
    People walk among the flags of the commemorative installation 'Waves of Flags' on the eve of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 at the Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. EPA
  • People sit in front of the 'Tribute in Light' installation in New York, commemorating the 9/11 terrorist attacks. AFP
    People sit in front of the 'Tribute in Light' installation in New York, commemorating the 9/11 terrorist attacks. AFP
  • The annual 'Tribute in Light' marking the the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre shines within lower Manhattan's skyline in New York. AFP
    The annual 'Tribute in Light' marking the the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre shines within lower Manhattan's skyline in New York. AFP
  • People hold candles in New York as they remember those who lost their lives in the attacks. AFP
    People hold candles in New York as they remember those who lost their lives in the attacks. AFP
  • People watch the cast of the Broadway musical ‘Come From Away' perform a free concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. AFP
    People watch the cast of the Broadway musical ‘Come From Away' perform a free concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. AFP
  • On the eve of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Friends of Flight 93 host the Luminaria Ceremony at Flight 93 National Memorial Plaza in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. EPA
    On the eve of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Friends of Flight 93 host the Luminaria Ceremony at Flight 93 National Memorial Plaza in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. EPA
  • Sergeant Edwin Morales holds a photo of his cousin, Rubin Correa from Engine 74, by the Tribute in Light installation in New York. Reuters
    Sergeant Edwin Morales holds a photo of his cousin, Rubin Correa from Engine 74, by the Tribute in Light installation in New York. Reuters
  • The Tribute in Light installation and World Trade Centre shine bright at night. Reuters
    The Tribute in Light installation and World Trade Centre shine bright at night. Reuters
  • A candlelight memorial remembers the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville. AP
    A candlelight memorial remembers the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville. AP
  • A flight attendant reads a card with flowers at the Wall of Names at the Flight 93 National Monument during the Luminaria Ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. AFP
    A flight attendant reads a card with flowers at the Wall of Names at the Flight 93 National Monument during the Luminaria Ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. AFP
  • Finley, three, runs among the 'Waves of Flags' installation at the Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. EPA
    Finley, three, runs among the 'Waves of Flags' installation at the Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. EPA

Gulf

Declassified 9/11 document shows no link to Saudi government

FBI report of an interview regarding the connections of two hijackers was released on 20th anniversary of the attacks

The National

September 12, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

The FBI has released a declassified document related to logistical support given to two of the Saudi hijackers in the run-up to the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The document details contacts the hijackers had with Saudi associates in the US but does not provide proof that senior Saudi government officials were complicit in the plot.

Released on Saturday on the 20th anniversary of the Al Qaeda attacks, the document is the first record to be disclosed since US President Joe Biden last week ordered a declassification review of material that had remained out of public view.

The partially redacted document is a summary of an FBI interview in 2015 with a man in frequent contact with Saudi nationals in the US who allegedly supported the first hijackers to arrive in the country before the attacks.

The document outlined contact between the hijackers and Saudi associates, but showed no evidence the government in Riyadh was complicit in the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

Saudi Arabia has long denied allegations that government officials were involved in the attacks.

The Saudi embassy in Washington said the kingdom welcomed and supported the full declassification of all records as a way to “end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all”.

“Since that horrific day 20 years ago, the leadership of Saudi Arabia has consistently called for the release of all materials related to the United States' investigation of the attacks,” the embassy said after Mr Biden ordered the Justice Department and other agencies to review and declassify the documents.

“The kingdom has always advocated for transparency surrounding the September 11 tragedy.”

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated the kingdom's position on Sunday, saying Saudi Arabia “demands the disclosure of all documents related to the events of September 11".

“The documents prove there is no relationship between the September 11 attacks and the kingdom,” Prince Faisal said.

The 9/11 Commission report in 2004 found “no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded” the attacks, although it noted that Saudi-linked charities could have diverted money to the group.

The release of the interview summary on Saturday night came hours after Mr Biden attended September 11 memorial events in New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia.

Three previous US administrations refused to declassify and release documents related to the case.

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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

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Rating: 3.5/5

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

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Updated: September 12, 2021, 1:28 PM
September 11 Attacks