On Wednesday, families of 9/11 victims announced they are moving closer to holding Saudi Arabia accountable for its suspected involvement in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Brett Eagleson, who lost his father John in the attacks, spoke at a New York City press conference, highlighting a “historic” ruling made by a judge two weeks prior. This ruling, he said, supports the long-standing lawsuit against the Saudi government, relying on what he described as “unprotected evidence.”
Eagleson mentioned that at least 13 officials from the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs had connections to the hijackers, stating their operations spanned from Saudi embassies to domestic locations in the U.S. He claimed there was a flow of support linking these officials to the hijackers directly.
Apart from this, Eagleson referred to two individuals he asserted were from a “former team” affiliated with the Saudi government, who allegedly aided Al-Qaeda in planning the attacks that resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths. The Saudi government has denied any such association.
Reflecting on the extensive legal battle, Eagleson expressed the pain and suffering experienced by their families over the past 24 years, saying what happened that day was horrific but what followed was a cycle of hatred. This sentiment fueled their pursuit of justice.
In a related development, Judge George Daniel from the Southern District of New York issued a detailed ruling where he concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe the referenced individuals had knowledge of aiding the hijackers, which aligns with claims that the Saudi officials were following higher directives from their embassy.
Judge Daniels noted, however, that there are unresolved facts and pending evaluations, suggesting the complexities involved in this case. Nonetheless, his ruling seems to pave the way for the lawsuit to advance to trial, which Eagleson affirmed with optimism during his press conference.
Eagleson emphasized that it’s high time for the nation to acknowledge what they’ve fought for over the years. He believes this ongoing pursuit of accountability serves as a tribute to the memories of their loved ones.
The 9/11 attacks involved 19 individuals associated with Al-Qaeda, orchestrated by Osama bin Laden, who hijacked four planes, leading to the tragic destruction of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. The attack resulted in 2,977 deaths, and five individuals face charges in a military court, currently detained at Guantanamo Bay.
