A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that a long-running lawsuit by relatives of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks can proceed against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a decision family members called a "historic, landmark" step toward holding the government accountable.
Judge George Daniels of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York wrote in a 45-page opinion that the plaintiffs had presented enough undisputed facts, and a preliminary showing on some disputed facts, to permit the court to exercise subject-matter jurisdiction over claims that Saudi officials and entities aided the hijackers.
Daniels said a reasonable juror could infer that two individuals identified by the plaintiffs had at least some awareness they were supporting the hijackers and that they were following instructions from senior officials at the Saudi embassy. The decision said evidence linked at least 13 officials associated with the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs to activities in U.S. diplomatic facilities and to the movements and support of individuals connected with the plot.
Brett Eagleson, whose father John Eagleson was killed in the attacks, addressed reporters in New York on Wednesday and described the ruling as vindication of years of work by family members and lawyers. He alleged an "advance team" had been sent by the Saudi government to assist al-Qaeda operatives involved in the plot. Saudi officials have denied the allegations.
The judge cautioned that some disputed facts remain and that credibility determinations and weighing of evidence will need to occur at trial. But Daniels wrote that the entire body of undisputed facts, together with the court's preliminary assessment of certain contested facts, supported jurisdiction and allowed the case to move forward.
The ruling marks a major development in litigation that has stretched over two decades and survived numerous legal challenges and procedural rulings. Plaintiffs have long sought to establish that elements of the Saudi government provided material support to al-Qaeda operatives who planned and carried out the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon and in a field in Pennsylvania.
The attacks were carried out by 19 hijackers associated with al-Qaeda, led at the time by Osama bin Laden. In the years since, some suspects have been prosecuted in military commissions at Guantánamo Bay; others were tried in U.S. federal courts or remain subjects of ongoing investigations.
Legal analysts say Daniels' ruling increases the likelihood the case will proceed to trial, where witnesses and documentary evidence will be examined in full. The plaintiffs will face the task of proving, at trial, that the Saudi government or its agents knowingly provided support to those who carried out the attacks.
Saudi Arabia has consistently denied involvement in the plot. The government has not admitted liability and has disputed assertions tying senior officials to operational support for the hijackers. The court's decision does not determine liability; it allows the plaintiffs' claims to be litigated in federal court.
Family members said the ruling offers the possibility of accountability and closure after more than two decades of legal and political battles. The next steps will include pretrial proceedings, discovery, and, unless resolved beforehand, a trial in the Southern District of New York to address the merits of the plaintiffs' allegations.