(Ken Silva, Headline USA) More than 3,000 9/11 family members have reportedly signed a letter to both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, demanding that they hold Saudi Arabia for its role in the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history.
“The pledge, with over 3,000 signatories, asks that you commit to not endorse any normalization deal involving Saudi Arabia unless it fully addresses the role of the Saudi Arabian government in the 9/11 attacks,” Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, said in his letter, which was reported by Fox News Digital.
9/11 families wrote a letter to Trump, telling him not to deal with the Saudis until they address their role in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks pic.twitter.com/hlSdldYhYt
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) September 11, 2024
“With the 23rd anniversary approaching, a time that marks the loss of 2,977 of our family members and loved ones, we hope you will take this opportunity to join with us in our quest for justice and accountability.”
This 9/11 anniversary comes after a year of damning evidence was revealed against the Saudis was revealed in civil court. That evidence included a long-suppressed video showing Saudi intelligence asset Omar al-Bayoumi “casing” Capitol Hill in June 1999—months before al-Qaeda made the decision to include Washington DC in its terrorist plot. Numerous investigators believe the Capitol building was the target of Flight 93, which instead crashed in Pennsylvania.
More recently, last month it was revealed that sketches plotting the 9/11 attack belonged to al-Bayoumi.
Pretty interesting development in the long-running 9/11 civil litigation. It was revealed earlier this month that attack plans pictured on the left belong to the man on the right–a Saudi agent and alleged CIA asset pic.twitter.com/wNTvS0GTpB
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) August 15, 2024
Families of 9/11 victims argued in a 71-page brief filed on May 7 that al-Bayoumi operated under the directions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Along with “casing” the Capitol, he served as the handler for two of the hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar.
“The evidence is clear that Saudi Arabia deployed its officials and agents to serve in an illegal government enterprise that was extensively intertwined with terrorism, so that the agents were acting within their core mission when they helped integrate the hijackers into the United States,” 9/11 plaintiffs said in a May 7 court brief.
But despite that evidence, Saudi officials have been welcomed into the U.S. with open arms. Saudis even visited New York City this week, ahead of the 23rd anniversary, to meet with golfer Tiger Woods and the PGA Tour.
“Tomorrow, we commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, yet here we are today, in New York City, down the street from Ground Zero, and the PGA Tour and Tiger Woods are negotiating with them,” Eagleson said on Tuesday in a separate letter.
From @eaglesonbrett’s group: https://t.co/yYb0oNgO15 pic.twitter.com/Kjq5rroFS1
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 10, 2024
The Saudis lack of accountability may be due to their cozy relationships with the U.S. deep state. A 2017 FBI report, which was filed as evidence in the civil lawsuit earlier this year, said al-Bayoumi was operating directly under then Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan Alsaud—a close friend of the Bush family.
Additionally, new evidence in recent years has suggested that not only was al-Bayoumi a Saudi agent; he was also an asset of the CIA. That information has been coming from the proceedings against 9/11 defendants at Guantanamo Bay.
According to Office of Military Commissions investigator Don Canestraro, at least two FBI agents told him that the CIA had attempted to recruit two of the hijackers as informants. The CIA was directing its recruiting efforts through al-Bayoumi, according to Canestraro.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.