9/11 victims’ families demand justice and point to Saudi Arabia on the 25th anniversary
In the framework of the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 attacks, families of the victims raised their voices in New York to denounce the alleged complicity of Saudi Arabia in the attacks. During the solemn reading of the names, the demand for justice marked the day, urging U.S. authorities to confront the Saudi kingdom regarding its role in the tragedy.
To my husband, Tom Strada: you are missed with each passing day. But how is it possible that 25 years have gone by and we still have no justice for the role Saudi Arabia played in his murder?
Terry Strada, widow of one of the victims.
Terry Strada, who lost her husband in the fall of the Twin Towers, used her speech to question the stance of various administrations over the last two decades. The widow accused Saudi Arabia of promoting a culture of terrorism and of having provided logistical support to the hijackers who perpetrated the attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.
A direct claim to the current administration
The families’ message was directly addressed to the high-level figures present at the ceremony, including Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump. Strada emphasized that the current administration still has the opportunity to change the historical course of this case, urging leaders to demand transparency from Riyadh and to stop covering up the truth about the events that marked the nation.
The legal process and key evidence
Currently, a group of survivors and family members is maintaining a class-action lawsuit against Saudi Arabia. Although the case is at a complex stage, with a federal appeals court analyzing an appeal filed by the Saudi government, there are elements that the plaintiffs consider fundamental:
- The role of Omar Al Bayoumi, a Saudi citizen who resided in the United States between 1994 and 2001.
- The assistance provided by Al Bayoumi to two of the hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77, which struck the Pentagon.
- The documented links between Al Bayoumi, officials from the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, and key Al-Qaeda figures, such as Anwar al-Awlaki.
Despite the years that have passed, the pain of the families remains current, driven by the conviction that there are still responsibilities to be clarified in one of the darkest episodes in the modern history of the United States.
