[Aljazeera] The US Justice Department is taking a fresh look at secret United States government documents about the September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda attacks with an eye to releasing more information to the public.The move, welcomed by President Joe Biden in a White House statement, comes as family members of many of nearly 3,000 victims of the 2001 attacks have demanded Biden act.
"As I promised during my campaign, my Administration is committed to ensuring the maximum degree of transparency under the law, and to adhering to the rigorous guidance issued during the Obama-Biden Administration on the invocation of the state secrets privilege," Biden said in a statement released on Monday by the White House.
"In this vein, I welcome the Department of Justice’s filing today, which commits to conducting a fresh review of documents where the government has previously asserted privileges, and to doing so as quickly as possible," Biden said.
In the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, family members of victims have sought to pressure Biden to declassify government documents that they contend will show Saudi Arabian leaders supported the attacks.