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The other possible explanation is that it implicates high-ranking Saudi officials, which would make it politically problematic to maintain the existing diplomat
by wahern 7y ago
The other possible explanation is that it implicates high-ranking Saudi officials, which would make it politically problematic to maintain the existing diplomatic and security relationship. For example, while under seal it can't be used to civilly sue those officials, and it permits the DoJ to avoid prosecutions it might be politically forced to pursue. Such civil and criminal suits would disrupt the existing state of affairs. By keeping the secrets you keep closed the pandora's box of political pain, even though anyone who cares already knows what's in the box.
People outside the government have read the files. As the article says, lawyers for plaintiffs in the ongoing civil suit saga have seen them, as presumably would the judge. If the documents detailed criminal activity on the part of the U.S. government we'd have heard something about it by now.
- shiftpgdn 7y agoI'll be run out of town on a rail for this due to the Alex Jones association but what about the dancing Israelis? The limited amount of government documents released do genuinely seem to point to Israeli Mossad having some fore-knowledge of the attack.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- mirimir 7y agoYes, they were tailing the Saudis through the US. That was reported by Salon, within days after the attacks. But maybe they were helping the NSA and FBI. And perhaps someone made the call that it wasn't important enough to risk blowing some other operation.
- throwaway829 7y agoOver a 100+ Israel's were deported after 9/11, including the dancing Israelis. This news report, that came out shortly after 9/11, covered it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnWSNI7rKf0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnWSNI7rKf0 Haven't seen any reporting on it since.
- AnimalMuppet 7y agoThe other other possible explanation is that it would expose US intelligence-gathering methods and capabilities. US governments have been really sensitive about such things. It's not just one administration, either. Going clear back to World War II, they prosecuted a reporter for exposing that the US had broken Japanese codes. (I think in connection with Midway, maybe?) Fortunately, the Japanese didn't wake up from the exposure.
- cafard 7y agoYes over Midway. No they did not prosecute anyone over the codes. The attorney general wished to prosecute the publisher, Robert McCormick, but the Pentagon made it clear that this would confirm to the Japanese that the US did have the codes: letting it ride mean that the Japanese might take the story for idle brag.
- int_19h 7y ago"But the administration insisted in court filings that even its justification for that secrecy needed to remain secret. Four statements to the court by FBI and Justice Department officials were filed under seal so they could not be seen by the public. An additional five, including one from the CIA, were shared only with the judge and cannot be read even by the plaintiffs’ lawyers."