During the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11th terror attacks at Ground Zero, a widow whose husband was killed in the attacks called for renewed accountability from the U.S. government regarding Saudi Arabia's alleged involvement. Terry Strada, national chair of the group 9/11 Families United, directly addressed U.S. leaders present, including Vice President JD Vance and four former presidents, demanding that they "stop lying" about Saudi Arabia's role in the attacks.
"For 25 years, administration after administration, including leaders in front of us today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families," Strada stated from a televised podium. "It has been one betrayal after another."
Strada specifically appealed to former President Trump, urging him to tell the Saudi government that "if they want to be friends with the USA, they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we have all been suffering through."
Another victim’s family member echoed this sentiment, calling on Trump to "release the unredacted files that implicate Saudi Arabia while what’s left of the victims’ families are still alive to see it." This plea was met with applause from the attendees.
Fifteen of the 19 individuals who hijacked the planes used in the 2001 attacks were Saudi citizens. However, the Saudi government has consistently denied any official responsibility or state involvement. A 2004 report by the 9/11 Commission stated it found "no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded [al Qaeda]," the group responsible for the attacks. The commission did, however, describe Saudi Arabia as "a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism."
9/11 Families United identifies itself as a coalition of victims' families and survivors seeking answers to unresolved questions surrounding the tragedy, particularly concerning Saudi Arabia's potential role.