WASHINGTON, Sept 7 (AFP) - Democratic Senator Bob Graham, who led a congressional probe of the September 11 strikes, charges that the FBI and White House worked to block an investigation into official Saudi links to two of the hijackers.
His accusations are detailed in his new book out Tuesday called "Intelligence Matters."
Graham said at a press conference Tuesday that if he had used in his book classified information to which he had access, the accusation on the Saudi link would have been "much more damning."
The congressional probe, which was co-chaired by Republican Porter Goss, who has been selected as the next CIA chief, determined that two Saudi agents living in California provided aid, including financial assistance, to two of the hijackers who took part in the attacks which claimed some 3,000 lives.
When commission staffers tried to hold meetings related to the investigation, they were stopped by the White House and FBI, Graham said.
"The FBI congressional affairs sent a letter to myself and Porter Goss stating 'the administration would not sanction a staff interview with the source nor agree to allow the FBI a subpoena on the source'," Graham said.
"The FBI-paid informant was in protected custody, the FBI were the only ones to know where to deliver a subpoena," he added, arguing: "The reason for this cover up goes right to the White House."