Jones to Obama: Release the ’28 Pages’ and Ignore Lobbyists Working for Saudis

Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-NC), is urgently renewing his call for President Obama to release the 28 pages of the Congressional Joint Inquiry Into Intelligence Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 2001 so that the American people can know the whole truth about who financed the 9/11 attacks and President Obama can have the most fruitful trip to Saudi Arabia possible. 

Jones’ action comes amid press reports that Saudi Arabia has hired “an army of Washington lobbyists” to advance Saudi interests at the White House and on Capitol Hill.  Press reports speculate that one issue these lobbyists will be working against is legislation in Congress that could expose Saudi Arabia to litigation over the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.      

“I call on the President not to bow to the Saudi King and the Washington DC lobbyists who are making obscene amounts of money lobbying on the King’s behalf,” said Congressman Jones. 

“The 9/11 victims and their families deserve to know what’s in the 28 pages.  They deserve answers, not a cover-up. President Obama has promised the 9/11 families he would release the 28 pages and there isn’t a better time than now to do so.”

Many members of both the 9/11 Commission and the Joint Inquiry publicly support declassifying the 28 pages, along with a large bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress. Two years ago, Congressman Jones sent a letter to President Obama asking for the 28 pages to be declassified and the request was delegated to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. On Monday, President Obama told CBS News’ Charlie Rose that Director Clapper is close to deciding if the 28 pages should be declassified.

Last year, Congressmen Jones, Lynch, and Massie introduced H. Res. 14, a resolution to call on President Obama to declassify the 28 pages of the Joint Inquiry that were initially classified by President George W. Bush and have remained classified under President Barack Obama.  The resolution states that declassification of the pages is necessary to provide the American public with the full truth surrounding the tragic events of September 11, 2001, particularly relating to the involvement of foreign governments.