US warns of climate of terrorist threats as the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 approaches

The US government again warned this Friday against the existence of a terrorist “acute climate of threat” just under a month after the twentieth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Home security secretary amended anti-terrorism alert bulletin who in January first warned of internal threats after supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol.

In the text, National Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, warned that the 9/11 anniversary and religious holidays could “serve as a catalyst for acts of selective violence.” by local terrorists, individuals and groups involved in the violence, as well as those inspired by foreign terrorists and other “evil foreign influences”.

Mayorkas indicated that these actors increasingly use online forums to disseminate “violent extremist stories” and promote such activities.

The bulletin also notes that “on the eve of the anniversary of the September 11 attacks”, Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (Aqpa) published the first English copy, in four years, of its propaganda magazine “Inspire”.

This, in the opinion of the official, “shows that foreign terrorist organizations continue efforts to inspire US-based individuals sensitive to violent extremist influences ”.

According to the Secretary of Homeland Security, extremist attacks causing many victims have historically targeted places of worship, as well as commercial facilities or crowded meetings.

For him, warned that the reopening of institutions, including schools, as well as dates of religious significance that will take place in the coming months could provide opportunities for acts of violence, but he said “credible or imminent threats” have not yet been identified.

In addition, he stressed that the emergence of variants of covid-19 and the possible reinstatement of health restrictions to prevent its spread may serve as a “justification” for those interested in the commission of attacks.

About 3,000 people have been killed in attacks orchestrated by the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

DECLARE 9/11

The United States announced this week that it will review its files on the 9/11 attacks to determine if it can still declassify, under pressure from relatives of the victims.

The announcement is coming three days after hundreds of survivors and relatives of the victims of the attacks asked the President of the United States, Joe Biden, not attending the 20th anniversary commemoration events next month, unless new material about what happened is released sooner.

“My government is committed to ensuring the maximum transparency possible under the law”Biden said in a statement.

The president assured that the US Department of Justice had committed to “Carry out a new examination of the documents” which the Government has kept confidential so far, “and do so as quickly as possible”.

Biden did not say whether this review would end before the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks..

Several members of Congress and victims’ associations have for years called for more transparency on US documents on the attacks, who have refused to declassify all of the country’s presidents so far.

During your election campaign, Biden has vowed to release as much information as possible, but families of the victims say he has so far ignored their requests about it., Yes they are sure the government has documents that implicate Saudi officials in acts of terrorism.

In his statement, Biden acknowledged that relatives of those who died that day “They have been pursuing justice and accountability for 20 years”, and that it “welcome” the demands of these activists.

But he also repeated that respect the guidelines established under the administration of Barack Obama (2009-2017) which make it possible to restrict the publication of documents if the Government considers that they disclose “state secrets”.

This lowers the expectations of a spectacular reveal, especially before the twentieth anniversary of the attacks is celebrated in just one month.

Brett Eagleson, who lost his father Bruce in the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, said last week that the families of the victims are “frustrated, tired and saddened” by US government secrecy.

In an interview with the channel NBC News, Eagleson downplayed the possible effect of a review like the one Biden announced on Monday, saying his predecessors also announced the same investigations and used them as “delaying tactics”, but ended up “protecting the Saudi government”.

Around 3,000 people have been killed in attacks orchestrated by the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda on the World Trade Center in New York, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, in Pennsylvania.

(With information from EFE and AFP)

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