The US President Joe Biden has directed the Department of Justice and other agencies to "oversee a declassification review of documents" related to the FBI investigation.

The order requires the Attorney general  Attorney General Merrick Garland to make the declassified documents public within the next six months.

Biden said he had made a commitment to transparency when he ran for president. He said, as per his commitment to declassify the documents of the September 11 terror attacks in 2001, " I am honoring that commitment," as the 20th anniversary of the tragic day nears.

On Thursday, family relatives of 9/11 victims requested a US government watchdog to probe their allegations that the FBI lied about or destroyed information tying Saudi Arabia to the hijackers.

In a letter to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the request stated that "circumstances make it likely that one or more FBI officials committed willful misconduct with intent to destroy or secrete evidence to avoid its disclosure."

 

Victims' relatives are suing Saudi Arabia for suspected participation in the terrible assault, fueling the demand for additional information. The families have long voiced dissatisfaction with the number of papers that remain unavailable.

The lawsuit advanced significantly this year questioning the pledge of former Saudi officials, and family members have always viewed the release of declassified papers as a vital step in advancing their case.