Saudi welcomes US release of classified documents of 9/11 attacks

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday said it welcomed the proposed release of classified documents by the US related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and expressed indignation that accusations persist of its connection to the hijackers.

Its embassy said in a statement that any allegation that Saudi Arabia is complicit in the September 11 attacks is categorically false.

As per a report by The Arab News, the statement by the Saudi Embassy in Washington came after President Joe Biden ordered the US Justice Department to review documents from the FBI investigation into 9/11 for declassification and release.

The embassy in the statement also said that the leadership of Saudi Arabia has consistently called for the release of all materials related to the United States' investigation of the attacks.

"The Kingdom has always advocated for transparency surrounding the September 11 tragedy. And as past investigations have revealed, including the 9/11 Commission and the release of the so-called "28 Pages," no evidence has ever emerged to indicate that the Saudi government or its officials had previous knowledge of the terrorist attack or were in any way involved in its planning or execution.

The statement said Saudi Arabia had "unwaveringly condemned" the attacks against the US, which it described as its close ally and partner.

It said the Kingdom has also suffered from the "evil" of Al-Qaeda's ideology and actions.

"Alongside the US, we have been Al-Qaeda's top target, even before the September 11 attacks. And alongside the US, the Kingdom has spared no effort in tackling the men, money, and mindset of terrorism and extremism in all its forms," the statement said.

Saudi Arabia is an essential counterterrorism partner to the US, the embassy added. The two countries have countered Daesh in Iraq and Syria, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Daesh in Yemen.

The cooperation has saved thousands of lives in the past 20 years by foiling terrorist plots and making the world safer, the statement said.

The statement said the full declassification of the documents, will end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom "once and for all."