Videos link Saudi figure to 9/11, families say
Two videos seized in 2001 and unsealed in 2024 are now central evidence in an Oct. 7 Second Circuit appeals hearing where about 10,000 9/11 victims' relatives seek to hold Saudi Arabia legally accountable. The footage shows Omar al-Bayoumi filming what plaintiffs call a casing of the U.S. Capitol and hosting a Feb. 17, 2000 welcome party that briefly shows hijacker Khalid al-Mihdhar; a 2017 FBI memo reportedly placed al-Bayoumi on Saudi intelligence payroll. The 9/11 commission previously found no credible evidence linking him, and a seized notepad with a plane sketch was returned to al-Bayoumi in 2002 and is not produced in litigation.
Unsealed videos are central evidence in the Oct. 7 appeals hearing.
Context
Videos were seized by UK authorities in 2001 and unsealed in 2024. The appeals court will hear arguments on Oct. 7 about whether the suit can continue. The court could allow further litigation against the Saudi government.
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