Families of victims from the September 11 attacks expressed strong disapproval on Tuesday regarding President Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, amidst allegations of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the attacks.
Terry Strada, the national president of the 9/11 Families Coalition, shared with The Hill, “The Crown Prince doesn’t understand the pain of the 9/11 families. He’s actively trying to undermine our efforts to reveal substantial evidence that the Saudi government has connections to al-Qaeda and the hijackers, even harboring past operatives.”
Strada emphasized, “We’re not accepting this narrative. Our Congressional allies aren’t buying it, and neither are the American people.”
Her comments followed Prince Bin Salman’s statements during a press conference, where, responding to an ABC News inquiry about the outrage from 9/11 families, he said, “My heart aches for the families of 9/11 in America.” He also made accusations that Saudi adversaries were meddling in U.S.-Saudi relations.
In the meeting, Bin Salman noted that U.S. and Saudi intelligence had discovered that Osama bin Laden was recruiting Saudis to incite discord between the nations. The Saudi government is seeking to end a civil lawsuit initiated by the victims’ families.
During their discussions, Trump and the crown prince focused on arms and technology agreements, including the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia. Trump is set to participate in the U.S.-Saudi Business Forum at the Kennedy Center the following day.
The meeting drew criticism as well due to Prince Bin Salman’s alleged role in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi regime, was killed in the Saudi embassy in Turkey in October 2018, with U.S. intelligence suggesting the crown prince approved the operation.
Trump had defended Bin Salman in the past and reiterated on Tuesday that the prince had “no knowledge” of the murder. He remarked to reporters, “Khashoggi was a very controversial figure. Many people disliked him. Whether you loved him or not, things happen. But he didn’t know anything about it, so there’s no need to embarrass your guests with those questions.”
In response to Khashoggi’s murder, Bin Salman stated that Saudi Arabia had launched an investigation, indicted five individuals for murder, and commuted their death sentences to long-term prison terms.
Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatul Khashoggi, expressed on social media, “There is no justifiable reason to kill my husband.” She added, “While Jamal was brave and transparent, many disagreed with his views on press freedom. The crown prince said he was sorry and wanted to meet with me to apologize and offer compensation.”
