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WYDEN CALLS FOR DECLASSIFICATION
OF BIN LADEN
DOCUMENTS SINCE 1998
Senator says declassifying in “dribs
and drabs” reveals too little about Bush, Clinton administrations’
responses to al Qaeda threat
April 13, 2004
Washington, DC – U.S.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) this week called for the declassification
of “all documents distributed to or created by officials
of both the current and former [presidential] administrations
regarding the threat posed by Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda
organization, and the way in which policymakers perceived, considered,
planned and responded to this threat, dating back to the August
1998 bombings of the United States Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.”
In a letter to the president requesting the declassifications
Wyden, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence,
cited growing concern that declassifying documents selectively
and one by one might provide a politicized or incomplete view
of administrations’ knowledge of and response to the threat
posed by al Qaeda prior to September 11, 2001.
“I think it's time, for
the sake of the American people, to get all of this out in the
open,” said Wyden. “The alternative seems to be the
release of dribs and drabs of information that won’t shed
sufficient light on the history of this threat and our leaders’
response to illuminate it fully or to help America prevent another
tragedy.”
Wyden’s request to the
president calls for redactions in the declassified documents to
protect national security. The text of his letter follows.
********************************************************
The Honorable George W. Bush
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to request the
timely declassification of all documents distributed to or created
by officials of both the current and former Administrations regarding
the threat posed by Osama bin
Laden and his al Qaeda organization,
and the way in which policymakers perceived, considered, planned
and responded to this threat, dating back to the August 1998 bombings
of the United States Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These documents
should include all distributed intelligence reporting and analyses,
as well as e-mail, memoranda, minutes of deputies’ and principals’
meetings and other written documents and communications, with
redactions consistent with the protection of intelligence sources
and methods to protect national security. I believe that the declassification
of these materials can be accomplished to ensure that no cooperating
foreign intelligence service or asset working with the U.S. is
harmed by this release.
As a member of the Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence, I believe the timely declassification
of this material is necessary for a full public understanding
and discussion of the intelligence information available to policymakers.
The American people deserve to understand the factors involved
in responding to the threat posed by Osama bin Laden as well as
implications of the policy options available to and chosen by
decision makers.
I believe that the declassification
can be accomplished within 60 days but understand the complexity
and enormity of the task may require a request for additional
time for certain materials. Otherwise, under current executive
orders on classification, the American public will have to wait
25 years before this information is even considered for declassification,
and even then this material might not be released.
I believe that in order to win
the war against al Qaeda the American public, as well as government
officials, need to understand the full history of this dreadful
threat and our leaders’ response to it. An informed public
will be a full partner in the continuing effort to see that justice
is done in response to September 11, and to protect our citizens
from future attacks.
Sincerely,
Ron Wyden
United States Senator
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