Federal judge allows 9/11 lawsuit against Saudi Arabia to proceed

ISTANBUL

A federal judge in New York on Thursday denied Saudi Arabia’s motion to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed by survivors and families of the victims of the September 11 attacks, allowing the case examining whether the Kingdom played a role in assisting the hijackers to move forward toward trial.

According to a CNN report, US District Judge George Daniels ruled that the plaintiffs' claims were sufficiently strong to proceed, rejecting Saudi Arabia’s argument that any alleged ties to the hijackers were innocent or coincidental.

The lawsuit alleges that Saudi officials helped establish a support network in the US that aided the 19 hijackers prior to their attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Saudi Arabia has consistently denied any involvement.

In his ruling, Daniels said the Kingdom’s explanations were “either self-contradictory or not strong enough” to dismiss evidence that two Saudi nationals -- Omar al-Bayoumi and Fahad al-Thumairy -- assisted the hijackers while they were in California.

Thumairy, a diplomat at the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles, is alleged to have served as a main contact for al-Qaida operatives, coordinating with Bayoumi to support the hijackers’ movements. The Kingdom maintains that Bayoumi was a student whose mosque congregants unknowingly helped the attackers.

Lawyers for Saudi Arabia cited Bayoumi’s 2021 deposition, earlier law enforcement interviews, and the findings of the 9/11 Commission Report, arguing that any support he may have provided was minor and unintentional.

Terry Strada, chair of 9/11 Families United, praised the decision, calling it “another powerful step toward justice.” She said the coalition is prepared to present its full body of evidence in court.

While the majority of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi citizens, the US government has maintained that al-Qaeda acted independently in orchestrating the attacks.