Zeldin Says Missing 9/11 Report Pages Should Be Made Public

U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin said that the 28-pages of the congressional inquiry into the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that remain classified 15 years after the report was issued, should be made public in the interests of closure for the families of victims and the potential for future discovery of further information about the attacks.

Congressman Zeldin said that he has read the 28 pages recently, in a secure conference room at the Capitol Building. Careful not to discuss the information contained in the pages in detail, he said he thinks some of the content would be both calming to victims families and a potential source of further information about the terrorist plot.

“I think the victims’ families would like to know as much information as possible,” Mr. Zeldin said of the benefits to revealing thus-far classified pages in the report, which he was careful not to discuss in any detail. “I also believe that there is a benefit to the public from the vetting of that information that would take place. Where there are individuals or entities named, they may be inclined to respond in a way that would provide more information than there is known right now. But there are inherent risks to that as well.”

Some members of the former congressional commission that drafted the sprawling exploration of the domestic and foreign actions in the run-up to the attacks have called for the classified pages to be made public.

The pages are believed to explore the connection of Saudi Arabian officials to some outlets of Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization that planned and funded the attacks.

The issue of the declassified pages came up again recently amid congressional debate on a proposed law that would allow American victims of terrorism to sue foreign governments they see as responsible for allowing, or promoting, terrorism.

Some have surmised that the missing pages of the report would be damning to the Saudi government and may unleash a deluge of lawsuits, and threaten U.S.-Saudi relations.

The White House has said that President Barack Obama will make a decision this month about whether, or to what extent, the pages might be declassified.

“There appears to be momentum, and bipartisan support, that I think makes their release increasingly likely,” Mr. Zeldin said. “But some people still weigh everything in favor of not releasing them.”