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The lawsuit brought by 9/11 Families United accuses Saudi Arabia of supporting the attackers through its officials and agents.
A New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer plays Taps at the end of the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11. (AFP photo)
Relatives of those killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks have renewed accusations against Saudi Arabia, alleging that the kingdom supported the hijackers, as they urged US President Donald Trump to release unredacted files they say could shed further light on Riyadh’s role.
The accusations came at a 25th-anniversary remembrance ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial in New York on Friday, where Terry Strada, whose husband Tom died in the World Trade Centre, delivered a pointed message to Saudi Arabia and past US administrations.
“How can it be 25 years and still we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder?” said Strada, national chair of 9/11 Families United.
What The Lawsuit Alleges?
A lawsuit brought by 9/11 Families United accuses Saudi Arabia of supporting the attackers through its officials and agents.
The families allege that Saudi national Omar al-Bayoumi helped hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar after they arrived in California, including by helping them secure accommodation and providing other assistance.
They further allege that Bayoumi had links to Saudi intelligence and that Saudi officials, including Fahad al-Thumairy, provided support to the hijackers as part of a wider network.
The families’ case argues that Saudi authorities knew of and facilitated activities connected to the hijackers before the attacks. Saudi Arabia has denied involvement in 9/11.
‘Rancid Culture’ Of Terrorism
Strada accused Riyadh of fostering anti-American extremism and directly supporting the hijackers.
“Yes, we finally made it into a court and have proved that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fomented a rancid culture of anti-American terrorism around the globe, and then sent its agents to support the radical Islamist hijackers so they could attack you and all of our loved ones,” she said.
She also criticised successive US administrations, saying they had “chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with a 9/11 family”
Addressing Trump, who did not attend the New York ceremony, Strada said: “Tell the Saudis to stop lying. Tell them that if they want to be friends with the USA, they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we have all been suffering through.”
Quick Answers
Ask News18The lawsuit brought by 9/11 Families United accuses Saudi Arabia of supporting the hijackers through its officials and agents. Specifically, the families allege that Saudi national Omar al-Bayoumi, who had links to Saudi intelligence, helped hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar secure housing and other assistance in California. They also claim Saudi officials like Fahad al-Thumairy provided support as part of a wider network, arguing that Saudi authorities knew of and facilitated activities connected to the hijackers before the attacks.
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