Report on 9/11 Suggests a Role by Saudi Spies
By JAMES RISEN and DAVID JOHNSTON
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 — The classified part of a Congressional report on the
terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, says that two Saudi citizens who had at
least indirect links with two hijackers were probably Saudi intelligence
agents and may have reported to Saudi government officials, according to
people who have seen the report.
These findings, according to several people who have read the report, help
to explain why the classified part of the report has become so politically
charged, causing strains between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Senior
Saudi officials have denied any links between their government and the
attacks and have asked that the section be declassified, but President Bush
has refused.
[snip]
Today, 46 Democratic senators asked that the deleted material be released,
saying the national security issues Mr. Bush cited as the reason the
material was classified could be addressed by careful editing. Republicans,
including Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, a former Intelligence
Committee chairman, have also called for its release.
Several Congressional officials familiar with the report say that only a
small part of the classified section dealing with the specifics of F.B.I.
counterintelligence and counterterrorism activities should remain
classified. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, said, "Keeping
this material classified only strengthens the theory that some in the U.S.
government are hellbent on covering up for the Saudis."
[cont.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/02/national/02SAUD.html?pagewanted=2&hp
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Bush Defends U.S. Justification for Iraq War
Wed Jul 9, 6:31 PM ET
Asked for the first time about the (Iraq) uranium issue,
Bush said: "There's going to be a lot of attempts to rewrite history."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&ncid=584&e=1&u=/nm/20030
709/pl_nm/iraq_bush_dc
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Bush Takes Responsibility for Uranium Claim in Speech
July 30, 2003, 8:37 PM EDT
Washington -- President George W. Bush for the first time Thursday accepted
personal responsibility for a now-discredited claim about Iraqi
uranium-shopping in his State of the Union speech, saying he was responsible
"for everything I say, of course, absolutely."
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/ny-usbush0731,0,269352
..story?coll=ny-lipolitics-headlines
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