The US is days away from commemorating the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks in the country. In the hopes of making good on another campaign promise, US President Joe Biden has ordered the FBI to make a wide array of documents related to the 9/11 probe made public.
Biden signed an executive order Friday, directing the FBI to conduct a sweeping review and declassification of documents pertaining to the investigation into the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This comes as families of the 9/11 victims are looking to sue the Saudi Arabian government and as Biden is facing pressure from those families and from lawmakers to declassify the documents. The order comes as the 20th anniversary of the tragic incident is days away.
“As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the American people deserve to have a fuller picture of what their government knows about those attacks,” said Biden in the executive order.
The order said that the records would be disclosed by batches in the next six months except when legal counsel advises otherwise. The order also noted that while the information that could potentially be disclosed to the public may put national security at risk, there should be a balance between transparency and accountability.
“Information should not remain classified when the public interest in disclosure outweighs any damage to national security,” said the order. This also comes a month after lawmakers passed legislation to demand greater transparency regarding the 9/11 probe that was met with bipartisan support.
Families of the 9/11 victims have been demanding the declassification of Operation Encore, which was the FBI’s investigation into the possible involvement of the Saudi Arabian government. Riyadh is fighting the lawsuit made against them by the families in a court in New York.
As the COVID-19 pandemic goes on in the world, the US is now looking to get a headstart in preparing for another pandemic in the future. The Biden administration introduced a $65 billion plan that officials have said would be able to combat the next pandemic that may strike the country.
Office of Science and Technology director Eric Lander said during a conference call with the press that the US must prepare for any future viral threat. Lander added that the next pandemic would likely be very different from the current situation.


U.S.-Iran War Escalates: Marines Deploy, Strait of Hormuz Closure Drives Global Oil Crisis
Cuba-U.S. Military Tensions: Havana Warns It Is Ready to Defend Itself Against Potential American Aggression
Trump Issues 48-Hour Ultimatum to Iran Over Strait of Hormuz, Threatens Power Grid Strikes
Trump Signals U.S. Nearing End of Military Goals in Iran War, Shifts Hormuz Responsibility to Regional Nations
S&P 500 Rebounds After Netanyahu's Statements on Iran's Military Setbacks
Iran-Israel War Escalates: Long-Range Missiles, Nuclear Site Strikes, and Global Energy Crisis
Taiwan Strengthens Deterrence Amid Ongoing Chinese Military Threat
Trump White House Unveils National AI Policy Framework for Congress
Ukraine-U.S. Peace Talks Resume in Florida Amid Ongoing Russia-Ukraine War
Brazil's Haddad Leaves Finance Ministry to Run for São Paulo Governor
Israel Defies Trump's Warning, Launches New Strikes on Iran Amid Growing Global Energy Crisis
Ukraine-U.S. Peace Talks Continue in Florida as Zelenskiy Pushes for Diplomatic Progress
Ukraine-U.S. Peace Talks in Florida Target Ceasefire Framework and Defense Cooperation
Trump Links DHS Funding to Voter ID Legislation
Iran Threatens Gulf Infrastructure as U.S.-Israel War Enters Critical 48-Hour Window
Federal Judge Blocks Pentagon's Restrictive Press Access Policy
Australian PM Albanese Heckled at Sydney Mosque During Eid al-Fitr Prayers 



