Saudi Arabia must face U.S. lawsuits over September 11 attacks

[webfact]

Saudi Arabia must face U.S. lawsuits over September 11 attacks

By Jonathan Stempel

 

FILE PHOTO: New York City Firemen (FDNY) pauses at the edge of the reflecting pool at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum during ceremonies marking the 16th anniversary of the attacks in New York, U.S., September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday rejected Saudi Arabia's bid to dismiss lawsuits claiming that it helped plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and should pay billions of dollars in damages to victims.

 

U.S. District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan said the plaintiffs' allegations "narrowly articulate a reasonable basis" for him to assert jurisdiction under a federal law, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act.

 

Saudi Arabia had long had broad immunity from Sept. 11 lawsuits in the United States, before the U.S. Congress in September 2016 overrode a veto by President Barack Obama to allow such cases to proceed.

 

Lawyers for Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

The Saudi government has long denied involvement in the attacks, in which hijacked airplanes crashed into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania field. Nearly 3,000 people died.

 

Daniels has overseen litigation against Saudi Arabia by the families of those killed, roughly 25,000 people who suffered injuries, and a variety of businesses and insurers.

 

"We're delighted that Judge Daniels denied Saudi Arabia's motion to dismiss," James Kreindler, a lawyer for many of the plaintiffs, said in a phone interview.

 

"We have been pressing to proceed with the case and conduct discovery from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, so that the full story can come to light, and expose the Saudi role in the 9/11 attacks," he added.

 

In two decisions, Daniels also dismissed claims by various plaintiffs against several other defendants, saying he lacked jurisdiction.

 

Among these defendants were two Saudi banks, National Commercial Bank and Al Rajhi Bank, and Saudi Binladin Group, a construction company controlled by the bin Laden family.

 

They were accused of knowingly providing material support to Osama bin Laden or al Qaeda, in the form of funds and financial services, to carry out the attacks.

 

The case is In re: Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 03-md-01570.

 

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-29

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.

[Scott]

Troll posts removed.

[Krataiboy]

This is a can of worms I can't wait to see opened.

[Rumbleg]

This could only be Lawyer driven.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm glad to see the case going forward. And I'll be interested to see/hear what evidence the plaintiffs can uncover and present in court to make their case.

 

Oddly, somehow, the above Reuters report fails to mention that most of the hijackers ended up being Saudi citizens.  That doesn't prove the SA government was complicit. But it does make for an intriguing circumstance.

 

[Trouble]

7 hours ago, Rumbleg said:

This could only be Lawyer driven.

How right you are.  This is a bunch of bottom feeding lawyers who could care less about the truth and see Saudi Arabia as a golden egg.  If Saudi Arabia was smart they would pull out any government assets in the USA and not bother even going to court. These lawyers are going after anyone who might remotely have a connection, even if the connection is not nefarious.

[Rimmer]

An off topic troll post has been removed

[mrwebb8825]

On 29/3/2561 at 11:34 PM, Trouble said:

If Saudi Arabia was smart they would pull out any government assets in the USA and not bother even going to court. These lawyers are going after anyone who might remotely have a connection, even if the connection is not nefarious.

The new leader of Saudi Arabia IS smart though. Remember all those rich folks recently grouped and arrested? Want to bet they get thrown under the US lawyer bus as secretly funding the whole thing withOUT the government's knowledge? Saudi's new leader (king?) comes out smelling like a rose for handing them over and since he has already siphoned off most of the money the lawyers will get a win but not much of a payday. 

[metisdead]

Off topic deflection posts have been removed as well as the replies. 

[cabinfever]

2 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

The new leader of Saudi Arabia IS smart though. Remember all those rich folks recently grouped and arrested? Want to bet they get thrown under the US lawyer bus as secretly funding the whole thing withOUT the government's knowledge? Saudi's new leader (king?) comes out smelling like a rose for handing them over and since he has already siphoned off most of the money the lawyers will get a win but not much of a payday. 

I'll take that bet and give you 100 to 1 odds to boot.

[HLover]

Who's paying for the lawyers?