Representative Anna Paulina Luna on X revealed that major declassification of files regarding 9/11 will take place today. These files comprise more than 170,000 pages of health and safety records.
Declassification and release of more than 170,000 pages
Anna heads the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Records. She is actively advocating for these documents to be released to the public. Upon asusming her role, she explicitly mentioned 9/11 files as a primary target. She maintains that the victims’ families have the right to access this information, noting that have received more information from foreign intelligence agencies than from their own government.
Today’s declassification is likely to focus on the toxicity of the air quality around Ground Zero following the attacks. In a follow-up post, she wrote that the documents should be released around 1:30 PM EST.
The 9/11 file declassification has been a source of massive controversy. Over the years, the public has pushed for these documents to be released. The full truth regarding foreign state-involvment and intelligence failures has been withheld by the administration for nearly 25 years. In the past decade, survivors of 9/11 and victims’s families have initiated civil lawsuits against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, the state has used “State Secrets Priviliege” to withold documents from being presented in court.
History of 9/11 record releases
Following public pressure, the 9/11 Commission published its first definitive public report in 2004. However, it was heavily redacted. Millions of source pages, critical interview transcripts and intelligence memos were not released due to national security claims. In 2021, the Biden administration compelled the FBI to declassify information through an executive order. The resulting files, which were supposed to reveal a link between 9/11 hijackers and foreign nationals, were heavily redacted as well.
Days ago, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released 170,000 pages of 9/11 records. The records concerned air toxicity and cover-ups at Ground Zero. The documents revealed that federal officials knew about the risks of toxic substances released by the fires at Ground Zero. Despite having this information, the state assured rescue workers and residents that the air was safe to breathe.
The poor air quality caused a surge in cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer among survivors and first responders. According to records, more firefighters died from 9/11-related illnesses than the number of responders who were killed on the day of the attacks.
