Twenty-five years is long enough: It is time for Trump to declassify the Saudi 9/11 files - opinion

Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, this opinion piece argues that US President Donald Trump should declassify remaining government files concerning possible Saudi involvement. It cites evidence from FBI investigations, a 2025 court ruling, and ongoing litigation by victims' families, asserting that the US-Saudi partnership should not prevent disclosure.

Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, this opinion piece argues that US President Donald Trump should declassify remaining government files concerning possible Saudi involvement. The article notes that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens and that evidence continues to emerge linking Saudi government personnel to assistance provided to the hijackers. It cites FBI records from Operation Encore, which focused on individuals including Omar al-Bayoumi, Fahad al-Thumairy, and Musaed al-Jarrah. An FBI assessment described al-Bayoumi as a paid 'co-optee' of Saudi intelligence. In August 2025, US District Judge George B. Daniels rejected Saudi Arabia's effort to have a lawsuit by victims' families dismissed, finding it 'more likely than not' that al-Bayoumi's encounters with the hijackers were not chance meetings. The families are now pressing Trump to declassify additional records, and members of Congress from both parties have joined the call. The article argues that the US-Saudi partnership should not prevent disclosure.

Twenty-five years is long enough: It is time for Trump to declassify the Saudi 9/11 files - opinion