In the last two years, a US judge has ordered members of Saudi Arabia‘s royal family to be questioned over the catastrophic terror attacks in 2001 which changed the course of America’s foreign policy forever.
Of the 19 hijackers who took over the commercial aircrafts and crashed into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, 15 were Saudi nationals.
For victims of the 2,996 victims who lost their lives during the suicide terror attack planned by militant Islamic extremist network al-Qaeda, many are part of a lawsuit attempting to link 9/11 to Saudi officials.
We take a look into the widely-believed conspiracy that Saudi Arabia and its royal family are closely connected to the 9/11 terror attacks which changed the course of US history into the 21st century:
How many Saudis took part in 9/11?
Although the Saudi government has not been directly linked to the 9/11 attacks, 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals.
Aside from the 15 Saudi citizens, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Lebanon, and one was from Egypt.
The Saudi nationals who partook in the 9/11 attacks, hitting the North Tower, were: Abdulaziz al-Omari, Wail al-Shehri, Waleed al-Shehri, and Satam al-Suqami.
From the United flight 175, they were: Mohand al-Shehri, Hamza al-Ghamdi, and Ahmed al-Ghamdi.
Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud (pictured) – who was the kingdom’s US ambassador – had a man on his payroll who the FBI believed may have had ’50/50 chance’ of having ‘advanced knowledge’ of America’s most deadly terror attack
Mark Rossini, (pictured) who was an FBI counter-terror expert working in the CIA in 2001, tried to warn authorities in the summer months before the attacks that al-Qaeda operatives were in the US.
Omar al-Bayoumi (pictured) was a California-based Saudi spy who helped several 9/11 hijackers to find housing in San Diego ahead of the attacks. Bayoumi was on the payroll of Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud – who was the kingdom’s US ambassador
The American Airlines flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon, was made up of five Saudi men. They were: Hani Hanjour, Khalid al-Mihdhar, Majed Moqed, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Salem al-Hazmi.
United flight 93, which ended up crashing in Pennsylvania, was comprised of three Saudi men: Ahmed al-Haznawi, Ahmed al-Nami, and Saeed al-Ghamdi.
FBI documents released last year claims that at least ‘a dozen’ high up officials in the government were involved in supporting the hijackers.
The mastermind Osama bin Laden, who was behind the attacks, was from a prominent Saudi family and set up training camps in Afghanistan.
What is the Saudi connection with the terror attack?
There has long been conspiracy that there was a strong Saudi connection with the terror attacks on September 11.
In a dossier, it was revealed that California-based Saudi spy, Omar al-Bayoumi, helped several 9/11 hijackers to find housing in San Diego.
But more significantly, the declassified FBI document said that there was a ’50/50 chance’ he ‘had advanced knowledge’ of America’s most deadly terror attack.
Bayoumi was on the payroll of Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud – who was the kingdom’s US ambassador.
And in turn, the ambassador was close with President George Bush himself, visited the White House often and even gained the nickname ‘Bandar Bush.’
Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, (left) who was also the US ambassador, was close with President George Bush (center), and he visited the White House often and even gained the nickname ‘Bandar Bush’
Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud (pictured) was one of the people subpoenaed – but as of September 2021, he has not yet testified.
The link was revealed in a 510-page secret FBI report, written in 2017, which was declassified earlier this year.
This explosive potential connection was kept a secret from Congressional investigators, as well as more than 10,000 citizens who launched a federal lawsuit that attempted to link the 9/11 terror attack to Saudi officials.
The report was kept a secret by FBI and Justice Department until early 2022.
James Kreindler, one of the lead attorneys in a lawsuit brought upon by more than 10,000 9/11 victims and relatives against the Saudi government, said at the time: ‘It’s exactly what we’ve been saying.
‘Saudi government officials at a high level were integral to the 9/11 attacks.’
Mark Rossini, who was an FBI counter-terror expert working in the CIA in 2001, tried to warn authorities in the summer months before the attacks that al-Qaeda operatives were in the US.
His team, under Alec Station, did not tell the FBI when a team of terrorists entered the US in the months before 9/11. The information was only passed between the organizations a few weeks before the attacks, by which time many of the plotters had disappeared.
He told northjersey.com: ‘This latest report just shows what we have known all along, but disgustingly has taken 20 years to finally be disclosed.’
The Saudi government has denied involvement in the attacks.
What did the FBI conclude?
The FBI concluded that California-based spy Bayoumi regularly passed intelligence findings to US ambassador Bandar.
It said: ‘The information AlBayoumi (sic) obtained on persons of interest in the Saudi community in Los Angeles and San Diego and other issues, which met certain GIP intelligence requirements, would be forwarded to Bandar. Bander would then inform GIP of items of interest to the GIP for further investigation/vetting or follow up.’
Bayoumi met with two members of Bin Laden’s terror organization in early 2000, as they were preparing for the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, the report does not state if that information was passed on to Bandar.
A total of 2,996 victims lost their lives during the terror attack, which rocked the US and changed the course of American foreign policy forever
Khalid al Mihdhar and Nawaf al Hazmi were both well known al-Qaeda operatives before they joined the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 attack. They travelled from Bangkok in Thailand to Los Angeles, where they then met Bayoumi.
The two members who Bayoumi became acquainted with then traveled to New Jersey – where they met up with other 9/11 conspirators, opened bank accounts, and rented cars.
The FBI did not conclude if Bayoumi, now 63, ever knew that the two 9/11 attackers left California for New Jersey.
Bander, now 73, lives in Saudi Arabia after working for the head of the Saudi intelligence service and the Saudi National Security Council.
Why have judges subpoenaed Saudi princes?
In September 2020, two members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family were called to answer questions about the 9/11 attacks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ordered Saudi Arabia to make the royals, as well as other Saudi witnesses, including government officials, available for depositions.
Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud was one of the people subpoenaed – but as of September 2021, he has not yet testified.