Key facts
- Victims' families are calling for Saudi Arabia to be held accountable for alleged support of 9/11 terrorists.
- Terry Strada, chair of 9/11 Families United, stated that progress toward justice has been slow.
- A federal judge ruled in August 2025 that claims against Saudi Arabia could proceed to trial.
- The judge found that an imam and an accountant employed by Saudi Arabia likely had links to supporting two al-Qaida members.
- Other defendants, including al-Qaida, the Taliban, and Iran, have defaulted in the lawsuit.
- Recently revealed records purportedly bolster claims of Saudi complicity, including an alleged video of a kingdom agent casing the US Capitol.
Families of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks are expressing frustration over the perceived lack of accountability for Saudi Arabia's alleged support of the perpetrators. Terry Strada, national chair of 9/11 Families United, stated that it has "taken way too long" to achieve justice through the court system, describing the wait as feeling like "several lifetimes."
Saudi Arabia has consistently denied any role in the attacks. However, in August 2025, a federal judge in New York rejected the kingdom's bid to dismiss a civil lawsuit, ruling that the plaintiffs' claims were legally sufficient to proceed to trial. Judge George B Daniels noted that an imam and an accountant employed by Saudi Arabia likely had connections to supporting two al-Qaida members who came to the U.S. in early 2000 for English and flight lessons.
Other defendants in the litigation, including al-Qaida, the Taliban, and Iran, have already been found in default for failing to engage with the claims. As the 25th anniversary of the attacks approached, Strada called on Saudi Arabia to "stop lying and take responsibility."
Recent reports, citing newly revealed records, have purportedly bolstered claims of Saudi complicity. These include an alleged video of a kingdom agent surveying the U.S. Capitol, believed to be a target of one of the hijacked airliners, and a sketch detailing calculations for flying a plane toward a ground target. Strada described this evidence as "strong" and stated that "we are only getting more of it."
Beyond the lawsuit, Strada has also been a vocal critic of LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed golf tour. She disagreed with sentiments like those of golfer Brooks Koepka, who suggested moving forward with "peace and forgiveness." Strada emphasized the devastating personal impact of the attacks, stating, "My husband was dismembered. We don’t know where all his body parts landed. He has never been identified." She expressed some satisfaction that LIV Golf has faced financial struggles, attributing its initial investment to Saudi Arabia's attempt at "sportswashing."