Twenty‑five years after the September 11 attacks, families of the victims are turning to Washington for answers. They have asked President Trump to declassify a cache of newly obtained records that they say provide compelling evidence of Saudi complicity.
New evidence fuels demand for transparency
The materials, uncovered in a lawsuit that alleges a Saudi national, Omar al‑Bayoumi, aided the hijackers, include a video that purportedly shows al‑Bayoumi “casing” the U.S. Capitol two years before the attacks and a sketch with calculations for navigating a plane to a ground target. One family member described the sketch as “smoking‑gun evidence.”
Families seek presidential action
Victims’ families, led by Brett Eagleson whose father died in the World Trade Center, have written to the White House and to members of the New York congressional delegation urging the administration to release phone logs and other documents tied to al‑Bayoumi and two of the hijackers. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R‑N.Y., a Trump ally, co‑signed the letter, saying the administration has a historic opportunity to provide transparency before the 25th anniversary.
Administration’s response
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told ABC News that President Trump is leading “the most transparent administration in history” and that his team is working diligently to identify records responsive to the families’ request.
Legal backdrop
Last year a federal judge ruled the families’ evidence was strong enough to move the case to trial, noting that the Saudis’ explanations were “self‑contradictory” and insufficient to overcome the inference that al‑Bayoumi assisted the hijackers. The judge also said the total evidence creates a high probability of al‑Bayoumi’s role and the Kingdom’s related involvement.
Saudi denial and counterclaims
Saudi officials have repeatedly denied any role, calling the Kingdom an “ally of the United States” and a “sworn enemy of al‑Qaeda.” Their attorneys dismissed the Capitol video as a tourist clip and the sketch as a high‑school math assignment belonging to al‑Bayoumi’s child.
Potential impact
Experts suggest the newly released documents could reshape public understanding of the attacks and the subsequent foreign‑policy decisions that followed. Daniel Benjamin, a former counter‑terrorism official, said the evidence forces a re‑examination of the narrative that the attacks were solely a non‑state actor operation.
The families continue to press for full disclosure, hoping the administration’s promised transparency will finally bring closure to those who lost loved ones on that tragic day.
Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.
