S/Arabia issues statement of innocence ahead of 9/11 documents release

Saudi Arabia Wednesday said it welcomed the release of classified documents related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people in the United States.

But Riyadh vehemently rejected any allegations that Saudi Arabia was complicit in the attacks, according to a statement by the Saudi Embassy in Washington.

“Any allegation that Saudi Arabia is complicit in the September 11 attacks is categorically false,” the statement read.

“As the administrations of the past four US presidents have attested, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has unwaveringly condemned and denounced the deplorable crimes that took place against the United States, its close ally and partner.”

Last week, US President Joe Biden ordered the Justice Department to review documents from the FBI’s investigation into the attacks to be declassified and released to the public.

In yesterday’s statement, the Saudi Embassy said Riyadh had “consistently” called for releasing all materials related to the US investigation.

“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 Saudi Embassy said. (Al-Arabiya News)