(/)

File17isglimpse
intostillsecret28
pagesabout9/11

TOPICS

Yemen(/tags/yemen),
AlQaida(/tags/alqaida),
SaudiArabia(/tags/saudiarabia),
GeorgeW.Bush(/tags/georgewbush),
OsamabinLaden(/tags/osamabinladen),
September11attacks(/tags/september11attacks)
U.S.FederalBureauofInvestigation(/tags/usfede
Intelligenceagencies(/tags/intelligenceagencies)
BobGraham(/tags/bobgraham),
SaudiArabiagovernment(/tags/saudiarabiagove
AdelAlJubeir(/tags/adelaljubeir)

ByDEBRIECHMANN(/content/debriechmann)
Jul.2,20169:03AMEDT

2photos

(http://binaryapi.ap.org/859df89e90c94a72a083e2c8f4de8232/460x.jpg)
FILEInthisSept.11,2001,filephoto,
firefightersworkbeneaththedestroyedmullions,
the...Readmore
i

WASHINGTON(AP)Amidtheclamorayearago
torelease28stillsecretpagesofacongressional
inquiryintotheSept.11attacks,thegovernment
quietlydeclassifiedalittleknownreportlistingmore
thanthreedozenpeoplewhopiquedtheinterestof
investigatorsprobingpossibleSaudiconnectionsto
thehijackers.

Thedocument,knownas"File17,"offerscluesto
whatmightbeinthemissingpagesofthe
bipartisanreportabout9/11.
"MuchoftheinformationuponwhichFile17was
writtenwasbasedonwhat'sinthe28pages,"said
formerDemocraticSen.BobGrahamofFlorida,co
chairmanofthecongressionalinquiry.Hebelieves
thehijackershadanextensiveSaudisupport
systemwhiletheywereintheUnitedStates.
"File17said,'Herearesomeadditional
unansweredquestionsandhereishowwethinkthe
9/11Commission,theFBIandtheCIAshouldgo
aboutfindingtheanswers,'"Grahamsaid.

SaudiArabia'sForeignMinisterAdelalJubeir
deniesanyallegationsofSaudicomplicity,telling
reportersinWashingtonearlierthismonththat
thereis"notherethere."
FormerPresidentGeorgeW.Bushclassifiedthe
28pagechaptertoprotectintelligencesourcesand
methods,althoughhealsoprobablydidnotwantto
upsetU.S.relationswithSaudiArabia,acloseU.S.
ally.Twoyearsago,underpressurefromthe
familiesofthosekilledorinjuredonSept.11,and
others,PresidentBarackObamaordereda
declassificationreviewofthe28pages.It'sunclear
whenallorsomemaybereleased.
Thereportbythetworesearchers,oneofseveral
commissiondocumentstheNationalArchiveshas
reviewedandreleased,listspossibleleadsthe
commissioncouldfollow,thenamesofpeoplewho
couldbeinterviewedanddocumentsthe
commissionmightwanttorequestinlooking
deeperintotheattacks.
File17,firstdisclosedby28pages.org,anadvocacy
website,namespeoplethehijackerswerein
contactwithintheUnitedStatesbeforetheattacks.
SomewereSaudidiplomats,raisingquestions
aboutwhetherSaudiofficialsknewabouttheplot.
The9/11Commission'sfinalreportstatedthatit
found"noevidencethattheSaudigovernmentas
aninstitutionorseniorSaudiofficialsindividually

funded"alQaida."Thisconclusiondoesnot
excludethelikelihoodthatcharitieswithsignificant
Saudigovernmentsponsorshipdivertedfundstoal
Qaida,"thereportsaid.
Releasingthe28pagesmightanswersome
questions,butthedisclosurealsocouldleadto
morespeculationaboutthekeySaudifigures
investigatedbytheU.S.aftertheattacks.Alookat
someofthosenamedinthedeclassifiedreportand
whatthe9/11Commissionconcluded:
___
FAHADALTHUMAIRY
AnimamattheKingFahadMosqueinCulverCity,
California,alThumairywassuspectedofhelping
twoofthehijackersaftertheyarrivedinLos
Angeles.Hewasanaccrediteddiplomatatthe
SaudiArabianconsulateinLosAngelesfrom1996
to2003.
The9/11CommissionsaidalThumairyreportedly
ledanextremistfactionatthemosque.Hehas
deniedpromotingjihadandtoldU.S.investigators
thatheneverhelpedthehijackers.
ThecommissionsaidalThumairymetatthe
consulatewithOmaralBayoumi,aSaudinational,
inFebruary2000justbeforealBayoumimetthe
twohijackersatarestaurant.AlThumairydenied
knowingalBayoumieventhoughthetwotalkedon
thephonenumeroustimesasearlyas1998,
includingmorethan11callsbetweenDec.320,
2000.AlBayoumitoldinvestigatorsthose
conversationswereaboutreligiousmatters.
The9/11Commissionsaidthatdespitethe
circumstantialevidence,"Wehavenotfound
evidencethatalThumairyprovidedassistanceto
thetwooperatives."
ACIAdocumentdatedMarch19,2004,said
KhalladbinAttash,analQaidaoperativeand
suspectedplanneroftheUSSColebombingin
YemeninOctober2000,wasinLosAngelesfortwo

weeksinJune2000andwasseeninthecompany
of"LosAngelesbasedSunniextremists(redacted
section)FahadalThumairy."
OnMay6,2003,alThumairytriedtoreturntothe
U.S.fromSaudiArabia,butwasrefusedentryon
suspicionhemightbeconnectedwithterrorist
activity.
___
OMARALBAYOUMI
ASaudinationalwhohelpedthetwohijackersin
California.AlBayoumitoldinvestigatorsthatheand
anothermandrovetoLosAngelesfromSanDiego
sothathecouldaddressavisaissueandcollect
papersattheSaudiconsulate.Afterwardtheywent
totherestaurantinCulverCitywhereheheardthe
twohijackersspeakinginwhatherecognizedtobe
GulfArabicandstruckupaconversationwiththem.
Thehijackerstoldhimtheydidn'tlikeLosAngeles,
andalBayoumiinvitedthemtomovetoSanDiego.
Hehelpedthemfindandleaseanapartment.
Thecongressionalresearchers'reportsaid:"Al
BayoumihasextensivetiestotheSaudi
governmentandmanyinthelocalMuslim
communityinSanDiegobelievedthathewasa
Saudiintelligenceofficer."
The9/11CommissionsaidalBayoumiwasofficially
employedbyErcan,asubsidiaryofacontractorfor
theSaudiCivilAviationAdministration.The
commissionalsosaidthatafellowemployee
describedalBayoumiasa"ghostemployee,"
notingthathewasoneofmanySaudisonthe
payrollwhowasnotrequiredtowork.
HelefttheUnitedStatesinAugust2001,weeks
beforetheSept.11attacks.
The9/11Commissionsaiditdidnot"knowwhether
thelunchencounteroccurredbychanceorby
design."Thecommissionsaiditsinvestigatorswho
spokewithhimandstudiedhisbackgroundfound
himtobean"unlikelycandidateforclandestine
involvement"withIslamicextremists.

___
OSAMABASSNAN
AcloseassociateofalBayoumiwhowasin
frequentcontactwiththehijackersandlivedinan
apartmentcomplexacrossthestreetfromthemin
SanDiego.BassnanvocallysupportedOsamabin
Laden.
Thestaffers'foundthatBassnan,aformer
employeeoftheSaudigovernment'seducational
missioninWashington,receivedconsiderable
fundingfromPrincessHaifaalFaisal,wifeofPrince
BandarbinSultan,formerintelligencechiefinSaudi
Arabiaandthekingdom'sU.S.ambassadorfrom
1983to2005.Themoneywassupposedlyfor
Bassnan'swife'smedicaltreatments,andthe9/11
Commissionsaidtherewasnoevidencethemoney
wasredirectedtowardterrorism.
___
MOHDHARABDULLAH
Thestaffers'reportsaidAbdullahtranslatedforthe
twohijackersandhelpedthemopenbankaccounts
andcontactflightschools.Interviewedmanytimes
bytheFBI,Abdullahsaidheknewofthetwo
hijackers'extremistviewsbutsaidhedidnotknow
whattheywereplanning.
The9/11Commissionsaid:"Duringapost9/11
searchofhispossessions,theFBIfounda
notebook(belongingtosomeoneelse)with
referencestoplanesfallingfromthesky,mass
killingandhijacking.Further,whendetainedasa
materialwitnessfollowingthe9/11attacks,Abdullah
expressedhatredfortheU.S.governmentand
statedthattheU.S.brought'this'onthemselves."
Thecommissionalsolearnedofreportsthat
AbdullahbraggedtootherinmatesataCalifornia
prisoninthefallof2003thatheknewthehijackers
wereplanninganattackreportsthecommission
northeFBIwerenotabletoverify.
HewasdeportedtoYemeninMay2004afterthe
U.S.attorneyfortheSouthernDistrictofCalifornia
declinedtoprosecutehimonchargesarrivingout

allegedcommentsmadeinprison.

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