Justice Department To Review 9/11 Documents, Decide Whether To Make Them Public

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Monday it will review documents related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks following public pressure from victims’ families.

The DOJ, writing on behalf of the FBI, announced its move in a letter filed to two Manhattan federal judges overseeing a lawsuit brought by 9/11 victims’ families against Saudi Arabia for its alleged involvement in the attacks. The FBI will “identify additional information appropriate for disclosure,” according to the letter, and “disclose such information on a rolling basis as expeditiously as possible.”

The department’s decision comes amid public pressure from families of 9/11 victims, who sent a letter Friday to President Joe Biden asking him not to attend 20^th anniversary memorial services unless he declassified information related to Saudi involvement in the terror attacks. The families disputed the conclusions of the 9/11 Commission, which found no evidence of the involvement of Saudi officials, and believed the declassified documents would reveal Saudi Arabia’s connection to the attacks.

Several family members of 9/11 victims responded with skepticism to the DOJ’s announcement.