Lawyers for Saudi Arabia argued Wednesday that the country fought against terrorism and al Qaeda, just like the United States, in the 1990s and should not be a defendant in lawsuits seeking over US$100 billion for relatives of people killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
U..S. District Judge George B. Daniels listened Wednesday to arguments about evidence in the two-decade-old Manhattan case.
Lawyers for relatives of 9/11 victims say that a group of extremist religious leaders in Saudi Arabia gained influence in the Saudi government and aided the 9/11 hijackers who flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Fifteen of the 19 Sept. 11 attackers were Saudis.
In lawsuits, hundreds of victims’ relatives and injured survivors, along with insurance companies and businesses, claim that employees of the Saudi government directly and knowingly assisted the attack’s airplane hijackers and plotters and fueled al Qaeda’s development into a terrorist organization by funding charities that supported them.
Some defendants, including Iran, the Taliban and al Qaeda, already have been found in default.
Lawyers for Saudi Arabia say the nation and the United States were partners in the 1990s against terrorism, al-Qaida and its founder, Osama bin Laden.
Attorneys Michael Kellogg and Gregory G. Rapawy, arguing on behalf of Saudi Arabia, said plaintiffs in the lawsuits had failed to generate sufficient evidence over the last four years of discovery to enable their claims to move forward.
Kellogg noted that Saudi Arabia in the 1990s stripped al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden of his citizenship and had taken more actions against him than any other country prior to the Sept. 11 attacks.
He said the suggestion that Saudi Arabia was behind the terrorism attacks was “truly without any basis in fact and quite contrary to all the relevant evidence.â€
Kellogg said the plaintiffs were “equating Islam with terrorism†and rejecting the fact that Saudi Arabia follows the tenets of Islam and rejects terrorism.
Rapawy noted that bin Laden in 1996 condemned Saudi Arabia and the U.S. He said the claims by plaintiffs were “long on assertions and short on evidence.â€
Attorney Gavin Simpson, arguing for the plaintiffs, said there was “substantial evidence, indeed compelling evidence†that a militant network of individuals in the United States teamed up with Saudi officials to aid hijackers who came to the United States in early 2000 to prepare for the attacks.
He showed the judge video clips of a Feb. 17, 2000, “welcome party†in California for two of the hijackers, saying 29 individuals were there who later helped the pair to settle in America and prepare for the attacks.
“The examples are abundant, your honour, of the support that was provided,†he said. “The purpose of this party was to welcome the hijackers.â€
He rejected Kellogg's claim that the plaintiffs have equated Islam with terrorism. “We have done nothing of the sort,†Simpson said.
Now-declassified documents show U.S. investigators looked into some Saudi diplomats and others with Saudi government ties who had contact with the hijackers after they arrived in the U.S. The 9/11 Commission report found “no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded†the attacks al Qaeda masterminded. But the commission also noted “the likelihood†that Saudi-government-sponsored charities did.
Daniels already tossed Saudi Arabia out as a defendant once, but Congress passed legislation that eliminated some defenses and enabled the Sept. 11 victims to reassert their claims. Saudi Arabia, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East, had lobbied against the new law.
Amid new polling indicating most Canadians support boosting Old Age Security (OAS) benefits by 10 per cent for seniors aged 65 to 74, a former Liberal finance minister and former Bank of Canada governor are warning the government not to pursue the policy change.
Defence Minister Bill Blair says Israel has the right to defend itself in 'a calibrated and proportional way' following Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on Tuesday.
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Three former Memphis officers were convicted Thursday of charges of witness tampering in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, and two were acquitted of federal civil rights violations in a death that sparked national protests and calls for broad changes in policing.
A Manitoba man convicted of murder 50 years ago has been acquitted. Clarence Woodhouse was found guilty in 1974 of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg.
A health official has confirmed a child in Ontario has died after they came in contact with a rabid bat.
Melania Trump revealed her support for abortion rights Thursday ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, exposing a stark contrast with her husband, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, on the crucial election issue.
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The River East Transcona School Division has filed a lawsuit against the City of Winnipeg regarding a fire at one of its schools in March 2022.
A Manitoba man convicted of murder 50 years ago has been acquitted. Clarence Woodhouse was found guilty in 1974 of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg.
When an Ontario doctor refused to sign off on a mammogram for 38-year-old Sidra Lone, the mother of four says she was left with no choice but to lie.
Three former Memphis officers were convicted Thursday of charges of witness tampering in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, and two were acquitted of federal civil rights violations in a death that sparked national protests and calls for broad changes in policing.
A TikTok content creator was arrested in Dallas this week and is facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of a Baton Rouge counsellor and life coach whose body was found on the side of a Louisiana highway over the weekend, law enforcement officials said Thursday.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles are reviewing new evidence in the case of the Menendez brothers, who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion more than 35 years ago, the city's district attorney said Thursday.
The Israeli military on Thursday warned people to evacuate a city and other communities in southern Lebanon that are north of a UN-declared buffer zone, signalling that it may widen a ground operation launched earlier this week against the Hezbollah militant group.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a 21-day ceasefire just days before he was assassinated by Israel.
Liz Cheney, one of Donald Trump's fiercest Republican antagonists, will join Democrat Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Wisconsin on Thursday aimed at reaching out to moderate voters and rattling the former president.
Defence Minister Bill Blair says Israel has the right to defend itself in 'a calibrated and proportional way' following Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on Tuesday.
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Hundreds of Saskatchewan nurses and their supporters rallied outside the legislative building on Thursday calling for action to ongoing staffing shortages and hospital overcrowding around the province.
When an Ontario doctor refused to sign off on a mammogram for 38-year-old Sidra Lone, the mother of four says she was left with no choice but to lie.
A health official has confirmed a child in Ontario has died after they came in contact with a rabid bat.
A hacking group tied to Russian intelligence tried to worm its way into the systems of dozens of western think tanks, journalists and former military and intelligence officials, Microsoft and U.S. authorities said Thursday.
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Rapper Eminem announced that his daughter Hailie Jade, 28, is expecting her first child via a new music video on Thursday for his song 'Temporary,' featuring Skylar Grey.
The federal criminal sex trafficking case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been assigned a new judge.
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The Competition Bureau says it's obtained a court order as part of an investigation into potential anti-competitive conduct by the Canadian Real Estate Association.
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The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.
Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north
What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
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On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
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A health official has confirmed a child in Ontario has died after they came in contact with a rabid bat.
A Cambridge, Ont. father wants answers after his adult son, who has autism, was arrested and charged with assault after an encounter with a jogger.
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Staff at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital (RUH) are calling for systemic changes just two days after its emergency room was more than three times above its capacity.
Staff at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert seized a sizeable load of contraband on Monday, according to the federal correctional service.
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A health official has confirmed a child in Ontario has died after they came in contact with a rabid bat.
Members of the Timmins business community learned more about the progress on the Eagle’s Nest Project, which is located within the Ring of Fire, north of Thunder Bay.
A fingerprint found on a detergent bottle at the crime scene matched second-degree murder suspect Felicity Altiman, a Sudbury court heard Thursday.
Coun. Sam Trosow admits he can’t be certain if it was a beer or a non-alcohol beer that he can be seen drinking during last week’s council meeting.
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The 36th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive kicked off Thursday with the goal of helping young families and children that face food insecurity issues in our community.
Governance, leadership, quality of care, operations, and financial performance are all concerns highlighted in a final report from an investigation into Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.
A 62-year-old man has been charged after police received a report about an employee stealing over $60,000 worth of materials from a Huntsville business.
A Barrie man faces multiple charges after being arrested in connection with a string of break-ins at local businesses earlier this week.
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The rabies-related death of a Brantford-area child is highlighting concerns Windsor-Essex health officials flagged following a rise in bat bites.
The Downtown Mission is looking to raise $50,000 during its annual 24-hour “Bench Talk†fundraiser, happening now outside its Ouellette Avenue location.
One person is dead after a floatplane carrying three people crashed Wednesday evening in a remote inlet on British Columbia's central coast.
Mounties in British Columbia say they've seized more than 30 tonnes of chemicals that investigators believe were to be used in the production of methamphetamine.
The B.C. New Democrats have unveiled their full campaign platform with plenty of election goodies in the 64-page document.
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It’s almost deadline day for Lethbridge residents interested in becoming members of one of the city’s boards, commissions and committees (BCCs).
Hearings on a proposed coal project in Alberta's Crowsnest Pass will go ahead despite legal challenges.
A Lethbridge man is facing several charges after a traffic stop led to the seizure of drugs and weapons.
A man charged with first-degree murder in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., doesn't have to sit in the prisoner's box when his trial begins next month, a judge with the Superior Court of Justice has ruled.
After receiving complaints about off-road vehicles, police in Greater Sudbury laid more than a dozen charges in a recent safety blitz.
Aiming to bolster public trust and accountability – and help with investigations -- police in Sault Ste. Marie have equipped their vehicles with cameras.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
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