“OUTRAGEOUS”: 9/11 Families Pack NYC Court as Saudi Arabia Fights to Avoid Trial Over Alleged Aid to Hijackers

Nearly 100 relatives of those murdered on Sept. 11, 2001, packed a federal appeals courtroom in lower Manhattan on Wednesday as Saudi Arabia sought to overturn a ruling that could finally force the kingdom to face trial over allegations that its government agents helped support some of the Al Qaeda hijackers.

The emotional hearing before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unfolded only blocks from Ground Zero, with families who have spent more than two decades pursuing the case watching as lawyers for Saudi Arabia again argued that the kingdom should be shielded from the lawsuit.

“It’s outrageous, after seeing the evidence of the direct link between the Saudi government agents and hijackers, for them to continue denying their culpability,” said Terry Strada, whose husband, Tom, was killed in the attacks.

“We’re hoping to finally see justice,” added Lisa Friedman, whose husband, Andrew, was killed on Sept. 11.

The dispute before the appeals court stems from a major August 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels, who rejected Saudi Arabia’s renewed attempt to have the case dismissed. Daniels found that the families had produced “reasonable evidence” concerning the alleged roles of Saudi nationals Omar al-Bayoumi and Fahad al-Thumairy in assisting two of the hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, after they arrived in the United States.

The ruling did not find Saudi Arabia liable for the attacks. Rather, it rejected the kingdom’s effort to end the case before trial, concluding that the evidence was sufficient for the litigation to move forward. Saudi Arabia appealed that decision, setting up Wednesday’s hearing.

The kingdom has repeatedly and emphatically denied any involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks, maintaining that it neither knew about the plot beforehand nor supported Al Qaeda. Saudi Arabia has also argued that it is protected from the lawsuit by the doctrine of foreign sovereign immunity.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has never supported its enemy, Al Qaeda, against its ally, the United States,” Gregory Rapawy, an attorney representing Saudi Arabia, told the court during the roughly 90-minute hearing.

The families contend that Congress substantially changed the legal landscape in 2016 with passage of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, known as JASTA, which created an exception to sovereign immunity for certain claims involving acts of international terrorism committed on American soil.

Gavin Simpson, an attorney representing the Sept. 11 families, argued that Saudi Arabia had “failed” to establish that it was entitled to be dismissed from the litigation.

When Simpson completed his presentation, several family members sitting in the gallery broke into applause, prompting Circuit Judge William Nardini to intervene.

“Please, this is not a moment for such things,” Nardini told the courtroom.

The long-running litigation, first brought more than two decades ago, focuses heavily on al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who was living in California before the attacks. The families allege that he was connected to Saudi intelligence and provided critical assistance to al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar, two of the eventual hijackers.

Among other things, al-Bayoumi helped the men find housing in the San Diego area after their arrival in California and assisted them as they settled into the United States. Plaintiffs have also pointed to his contacts with Saudi officials and other evidence they say undermines his longstanding contention that his encounter with the future hijackers was innocent.

More recent evidence has intensified scrutiny of al-Bayoumi. A video recovered by British authorities shows him filming the U.S. Capitol in 1999 while discussing aspects of the building and its surroundings. Lawyers for the families have argued that the footage shows al-Bayoumi “casing” the Capitol, while Saudi Arabia has disputed that characterization and maintained that the video was innocuous.

Investigators also recovered a drawing of an airplane in one of al-Bayoumi’s notebooks, accompanied by mathematical calculations. The families have cited expert analysis they say indicates that the calculations related to the trajectory of an aircraft toward a target. Saudi lawyers have offered a far more benign explanation, arguing that the sketch was connected to al-Bayoumi helping his son with schoolwork.

The FBI has also described al-Bayoumi in declassified material as an operative of Saudi intelligence, while al-Bayoumi has denied being a spy. He is believed to be living in Saudi Arabia.

Thumairy, the other Saudi national at the center of the lower court ruling, served as an imam at the King Fahad Mosque in Culver City, California, and was also employed by the Saudi government. The families allege that he and al-Bayoumi formed part of a network that assisted the hijackers after they reached the United States.

Daniels wrote in his 2025 decision that Saudi Arabia had failed to provide sufficient evidence overcoming the inferences raised by the plaintiffs regarding the two men’s activities. His ruling cleared a major legal hurdle that had kept the case from reaching trial for years.

Fifteen of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudi nationals. Saudi Arabia has consistently denied that its government had any role in planning or facilitating the attacks, which killed 2,977 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard the four hijacked aircraft.

Outside the courthouse Wednesday, the frustration among families extended beyond Riyadh. Several relatives called on President Trump to become personally involved and pressure Saudi Arabia to address the allegations against it.

“We’re all fed up. And it’s time that the president defended us,” said Aaron Sand, whose father, Eric, was killed when the Twin Towers were attacked.

“President Trump, I love ya, but you are not doing enough,” Sand added. “You have to prioritize the family members who were harmed, who lost loved ones because of this nation that claims to be an ally but is very much proving the opposite.”

Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, said families were exhausted by the years they have spent traveling to hearings and fighting to keep the case alive.

“Every single one of us is sick and tired of coming here and having to miss birthdays, anniversaries, special events, being with family, but we have to be in Washington. We have to be in New York City. We have to be fighting the Saudi government, who refuses to accept accountability,” Eagleson said.

“Saudi Arabia has spent years trying to avoid answering for what its own agents did in the lead-up to 9/11,” Eagleson added. “A federal judge has already reviewed the evidence and ruled that this case belongs in an American courtroom. We are asking the Second Circuit to uphold that decision so the families who have waited a quarter of a century can finally have their day in court.”

The families are also continuing to seek government records they believe could shed additional light on Saudi contacts and activities in the period before the attacks. Some relatives have accused the U.S. government of keeping relevant material secret even as the country marked the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 last month.

Victims’ relatives traveled from across the country for Wednesday’s arguments. Among them was Steve Milam, who flew to New York from Dallas. His brother, U.S. Army Major Ron Milam, was killed in the attack on the Pentagon.

“I’m just hoping the judges will see that it is necessary in order to help the families in their healing process that Saudi Arabia be held liable for the tragic loss of our loved ones,” Milam said.

The three-judge panel — Nardini and Circuit Judges Guido Calabresi and Eunice Lee — questioned lawyers for both sides but gave no clear indication of how it would rule. The court is expected to issue its decision in writing at a later date.

{Matzav.com}