One Republican lawmaker on Wednesday urged the release of a secret portion of the congressional 9/11 report, arguing that keeping it classified could “jeopardize national security.”
Appearing on CSPAN’s Washington Journal, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said that he read the so-called 28 pages of the 9/11 inquiry, and claimed they could provide “recourse” to the victims of the terrorist attacks.
The pages were classified by the Bush Justice Department shortly after the full report was finalized. Many who are familiar with the section, including the co-chair of the commission that drafted the study, former Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.), claim the text reveals Saudi involvement in the terror plot.
“One of the arguments that I’ve made for releasing that report is so that you can discover the chain of culpability or liability for the victims,” Rep. Massie said Wednesday. “They really have no recourse right now and I think these 28 pages can help them.”
The congressman didn’t provide any details of what’s in the document. He said, however, that claims about its release harming national security are overblown.
“Grownups can read this report and see that its not going to jeopardize our national security,” Massie said. “It may damage our relations with other countries—so be it, the truth needs to get out,” he added.
The House of Representatives is currently considering the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—a military policy bill crafted annually by Congress. Massie said it was a shame that many of his fellow members have not read the 28 pages in order to make an informed vote on the NDAA.
“They’re crafting policy ostensibly to prevent another 9/11. Well, if you don’t know what caused the first 9/11 how are you going to prevent another one,” he stated.
To even read the document, Rep. Massie noted, he had to make an appointment with the House Intelligence committee, which only has one copy of the report available. He was then escorted to a soundproof room three floors underground where he was allowed to read the section. On Capitol Hill, the chamber is known as a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility). He said he was not allowed to take any notes.
The Obama administration has claimed that it is interested in releasing the secret pages, and that a declassification review process is underway by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In recent weeks, however, the White House has followed the lead of CIA Director John Brennan in discrediting the information contained in the 28 pages.
“Those 28 pages are essentially unvetted law enforcement and investigative materials,” administration spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters earlier this month.
A report by the Guardian last week shed light on some of the information that’s likely contained in the secret section. Newly declassified files from the 9/11 commission reveal a number of prominent individuals affiliated with the Saudi Arabian government who were questioned by investigators preparing the report. The documents implicated a former Saudi diplomat who allegedly had ties to two of the hijackers, and more than a dozen other Saudis, including two naval officers, suspected of being involved in the plot.
In a 2003 memo, investigators stated that they were unable to follow up on a lot of questions due to “political, economic or other considerations.”
Raising the stakes over the release of the 28 pages, the Senate on Tuesday passed legislation that would allow victims of terrorism on US soil to sue foreign governments found to be culpable. Should the classified portion of the report be released, 9/11 families may find evidence to file suit against the Saudi government.
The White House intends to veto the legislation, alleging that it could harm relations with allies and put the US in jeopardy of being sued in foreign courts. Saudi Arabia has threatened to pull roughly $750 billion currently parked in US treasures if the bill becomes law.
But critics of the legislation can breath a little easier following a last minute change to the bill that granted the administration the power to derail certain lawsuits. The legislation stipulates that the Attorney General can intervene in a case and seek a stay if the Secretary of State deems that the defendant country is “working in good faith” to resolve the claim.
