PRESS RELEASE

Congressmen Jones and Lynch Increase the Pressure on Obama To Release the 28 Pages on Saudis and 9/11 Terrorism

April 16, 2014 (EIRNS)—In an April 10 letter to President Barack Obama, Reps. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) called on Obama to declassify and release the 28 redacted pages from the Joint Congressional Inquiry into the 9/11 attacks—which are widely reported elsewhere, to deal with the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"The information contained in the redacted pages is critical to U.S. foreign policy moving forward and should thus be available to the American people," said Jones in an April 14 press release announcing the letter. "Furthermore, the survivors of the 9/11 attacks and families of the victims have waited 12 years to learn all the facts concerning that tragic day. It is my hope that President Barack Obama will recognize the importance of this issue and provide these individuals with the closure that they deserve."

The letter notes that Obama on two separate occasions, in 2009 and in 2011, was asked by 9/11 victims’ families to release the 28 pages. "Having read these pages ourselves, we believe that the information they contain is crucial to providing the American people—particularly the survivors of 9/11 and those who lost loved ones—with the full truth surrounding this tragic attack on our country."

The letter acknowledges that the authors are aware of national security concerns regarding the 28 pages, but, they note: "Having read the classified information, we believe that releasing it will not cause harm to U.S. intelligence sources and methods. Indeed, we consider this to be a matter of providing the American people with all the facts regarding 9/11 and bringing closure to the many individuals who lost family and friends in the attacks or survived the attacks themselves." They then note that they have introduced H.Res. 428, urging Obama to release the 28 pages, and that this resolution has garnered bi-partisan support, and is backed by former Senator Bob Graham, who chaired the Joint Congressional Inquiry into 9/11, and who is also seeking declassification of the suppressed pages.