During the 25th anniversary ceremony for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at Ground Zero, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom Strada was killed in the World Trade Center, accused Saudi Arabia of fomenting a "rancid culture of anti-American terrorism" and criticized the U.S. government for allegedly protecting the kingdom.
Strada, who also serves as national chair of 9/11 Families United, stated that for 25 years, "administration after administration" has failed to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its alleged role in the attacks. She asserted that the kingdom "sent its agents to support the radical Islamist hijackers."
Strada specifically addressed Vice President JD Vance, who was present at the ceremony. She urged Vance to carry her message to President Donald Trump, asking him to "tell the Saudis to stop lying" and to "deny all of this" if they wish to be friends with the U.S.
"Vice President Vance, thank you for being here today. Please carry that message back. Stand with the families. Stand with the survivors. Stand with Americans," Strada said.
Her husband, Tom Strada, was working on the 104th floor of the North Tower when it was struck by American Airlines Flight 11. He had recently returned home with the couple's third child days before the attacks. He informed his wife he was heading toward the stairwell after the plane hit.
Since her husband's death, along with nearly 3,000 others in the attacks, Strada has become a prominent advocate for accountability and transparency regarding 9/11. She is among thousands of family members and survivors who sued Saudi Arabia, alleging the kingdom provided material support to al-Qaeda hijackers. The kingdom has consistently denied these allegations.
In August of the previous year, a federal judge found "reasonable evidence" that two Saudi government employees aided two hijackers who came to the U.S. in early 2000. Judge George B. Daniels allowed the lawsuit to proceed, denying Saudi Arabia's motion to dismiss.
For over a decade after 9/11, victims' families were prevented from suing foreign governments due to sovereign immunity. This changed in September 2016 when Congress passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). The law allows Americans to sue foreign governments accused of providing material support for terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Strada criticized former President Barack Obama for his initial veto of JASTA, arguing it threatened to remove immunity for foreign governments based solely on private litigants' claims. Congress overrode the veto days later, making JASTA law and enabling the lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, filed in March 2017, to move forward. The case is still pending in federal court.