After more than 20 years, visual documentation was released to the general public on Wednesday for the first time proving the links between Saudi intelligence and the hijackers in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
This is a video that was submitted to the families of those who perished in recent terrorist attacks as part of their struggle to reveal the ties to Saudi Arabia.
The video, which was known to authorities but has been classified so far, shows two of the kidnappers - Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khaled al-Mahdar, at a party in 2000 held in their honor by a Saudi agent who was in the US at the time: Amar al-Bayumi.
According to the FBI, al-Biomi received a "monthly payment as a recruit from the Saudi intelligence service GIP, and the payment was transferred through the then Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bender bin Sultan," who was a member of the royal family and very close to the decision-making level in Riyadh.
The FBI's information was released as part of a document that was removed from classification along with the video as part of the implementation of President Joe Biden's presidential order to reveal as much as possible about possible ties between Saudi Arabia and the kidnappers.
These two hijackers, who were seen at a party held by the Saudi agent in their honor, took part in the abduction of Flight 77 of American Airlines, which crashed on the Pentagon.
The FBI concluded that on a daily basis, as part of Saudi intelligence, it actually provided a shell of support to the kidnappers to be conveniently absorbed into the United States. Among other things, it helped them rent apartments and open bank accounts.
In addition, the FBI wrote in the document that "the allegations about al-Bumi's involvement with Saudi intelligence were not proven at the time of the state investigation of the incidents (as part of the special investigation commission set up immediately after) but the information contained in the document confirms these allegations."
That is, it is likely to be a serious failure to locate espionage activity in U.S. territory prior to terrorist activity, at least in parts permitted for publication in the document.
If that's not enough, another recently published document states that there is a "50/50 chance of a daily knowledge of the plan to attack the United States on September 11."
Al-Bayumi was arrested shortly after the attacks by the British authorities, and during the arrest the documents and videos showing his connections to the Saudi royal house were also confiscated.
In any case, the video released this week clearly shows for the first time to the general public that at least two of the 19 hijackers in the attacks were in direct contact with a Saudi-activated source, although it is still unclear what al-Bumi knew about the attack and whether he shared it. The information with Riyadh.
In another video, al-Bayumi is seen embracing Anwar al-Awlaki, a Muslim extremist cleric who was in the U.S. at the time and was also in contact with the kidnappers. By the Americans, which suggests that it is possible that already while he was in the US he was identified with the terrorist organization.
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