{"id":197596,"date":"2025-09-03T19:24:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T19:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/197596\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T19:24:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T19:24:17","slug":"federal-judge-in-nyc-lets-case-against-saudi-arabia-for-9-11-terrorist-attacks-advance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/197596\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal judge in NYC lets case against Saudi Arabia for 9\/11 terrorist attacks advance"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the 24th anniversary of the 9\/11 terrorist attacks<\/a> approaches, a case seeking to hold the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) responsible for financial and logistical support to the terrorists can move forward, a federal judge in New York has ruled.<\/p>\n

In a major milestone for the victims\u2019 families, Southern District of New York United State District Judge George B. Daniels has denied a motion by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to dismiss a lawsuit, arguing that nation\u2019s government supported two Al Qaeda terrorists as they prepared for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a historic win for the families,\u201d Brett Eagleson, a spokesperson for the families whose father was killed in the World Trade Center, told ProPublica<\/a>. \u201cThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is going to be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Law firm Kreindler & Kreindler, which represents 9\/11 victims, called this \u201ca historic ruling\u201d that the \u201cSeptember 11th victims are entitled to move on to the next phase of litigation\u201d and \u201cclaims will proceed to decision on their merits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since 2004, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has argued it is immune to litigation under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.\n<\/p>\n

This case focuses on actions by Afahad Thumairy, an imam, and Omar Al Bayoumi, listed as an accountant, who both had connections with hijackers Nawad Al Hazmi and Khalid al Mihdha \u2014 who were part of the group that crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.<\/p>\n

Justice Daniels concluded that Bayoumi and Thumairy took actions that helped hijackers as part of their work for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe credible evidence supports the conclusion that Thumairy was working together with Bayoumi to assist the hijackers,\u201d the judge said. \u201cThe total evidence creates a high probability as to Bayoumi\u2019s and Thumairy\u2019s roles in the hijackers\u2019 plans, and the related role of their employer, KSA.\u201d<\/p>\n

He referred to \u201cthe reasonable inference\u201d that \u201cBayoumi and Thumairy were coordinating with the Saudi government when providing assistance to the hijackers.\u201d Saudi Arabia has argued it was not a partner of al-Qaeda and any assistance these two provided was to Saudis seeking help with life in the United States.<\/p>\n

In 2015, the court ruled in Saudi Arabia\u2019s favor, stopping the suit due to immunity through the Foreign Service Immunities Act, which that nation argued provided immunity. A year later, Congress enacted the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, creating exceptions to immunity to allow 9\/11 suits against foreign states not designated state sponsors of terrorism.<\/p>\n

The Second Circuit vacated the 2015 decision, allowing the courts to consider the case under the new law.\n<\/p>\n

In 2018, a federal judge ruled that Saudi Arabia\u2019s \u201cdirect liability\u201d wasn\u2019t enough to trigger the new regulations, but that with \u201cvicarious liability,\u201d the court could take up the case as litigation continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is how and why the 9\/11 Families have gotten this far in our lawsuit against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,\u201d Charles Wolf, a 9\/11 activist whose wife Katherine was killed in the 9\/11 attacks, posted about law firm Kreiter & Kreiter\u2019s ongoing efforts. \u201cIt is worth pointing out that the current Saudi leaders had nothing to do with 9\/11, which happened 24 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Mihdhar, al-Qaeda members, helped carry out the 9\/11 attacks in 2000 after being sent to the United States to study English and take flight lessons.\n<\/p>\n

The hijackers on Jan. 15, 2000 arrived at Los Angeles International Airport and later met Afahad Thumairy, whose visa listed him as an embassy or consulate official, but worked as a imam at the King Fahad Mosque in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

According to the lawsuit, Thumairy received \u201csignificant funds\u201d from a member of Saudi Arabia\u2019s cabinet, which he said was used for mosque expenses. Thumairy allegedly told someone else to look after two \u201csignificant people,\u201d although he says he never told anyone to assist the hijackers<\/p>\n

The hijackers also met Omar Al Bayoumi, who attended various U.S. schools and worked as an accountant or \u201csenior data processing technician.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Both allegedly worked for Saudi intelligence, although they deny being intelligence operatives.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these connections raise questions on whether Bayoumi was truly employed as an accountant,\u201d the judge wrote of the links. \u201cHis general activity was inconsistent with his official employment titles, and his educational pursuits in the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bayoumi allegedly told London Metropolitan Police Services that he told the hijackers, \u201cIf you need help or something like that, just call me.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

He also took the hijackers to a bank to open an account and issued a check under his name to pay for their rent. The hijackers paid him back the same amount. Bayoumi said it was typical for members of the Islamic community to help newcomers by co-signing leases, but couldn\u2019t recall doing that for others.<\/p>\n

Bayoumi also organized a social gathering at the hijackers\u2019 apartment on Feb. 17, 2000. The plaintiffs also questioned why the terrorists went to California and whether it was because they had help there from Thumairy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes one wonder who in Los Angeles they hoped to see or what they intended to do there,\u201d Judge Daniels wrote in his ruling.\n<\/p>\n

The courts ruled that the plaintiffs\u2019 alleged facts were sufficient to show that Thumairy and Bayoumi and their \u201cagents \u201d were following instructions from more senior officials in the Saudi Embassy.<\/p>\n

Still, Judge Daniels said the plaintiffs hadn\u2019t conclusively proved the extent of the men\u2019s roles in supporting the terrorists and whether it went beyond helping new arrivals in the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is still a step too far to conclude that they were \u2018advance teams\u2019 KSA sent to provide support for the hijackers,\u201d Judge Daniels ruled. \u201cThe Court therefore does not have sufficient admissible evidence to decide whether Bayoumi and Thumairy deviated from their normal methods of performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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