September 11th families suing Saudi Arabia back in federal court in Lower Manhattan
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Families of the September 11th attack victims were back in federal court in Lower Manhattan Wednesday in their long-running attempt to hold Saudi Arabia legally accountable for the World Trade Center attacks.
Judge George Daniels will soon decide whether he will allow their lawsuit against Saudi Arabia to move forward.
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has tried to squash all evidence and all efforts in this case for the past 23 years," said Juliette Scauso. "And it's been absolutely agonizing."
Juliette lost her dad, Dennis Scauo, a members of the FDNY, during the September 11th attacks.
She was among the hundreds of 9/11 relatives who attended Wednesday's hearing.
"What we've uncovered, with no help from our FBI and no help from our own government, is that they had a significant amount of help, and that help came in the form of the Saudi government," said Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice.
The 9/11 families obtained home video, unsealed in federal court last month, of a Saudi national named Omar al-Bayoumi.
The plaintiffs allege al-Bayoumi was a Saudi government asset who provided logistical support to the two lead hijackers, including filming a video casing the U.S. Capitol in 1999 as the attacks were being planned.
The Capitol has long believed to have been one of the intended targets of the September 11th hijackers.
The video was revealed in court along with other evidence. The tour included views of security setups, entrances and exits, and other details.
"This is information that this country, the American public, has never seen," said Eagleson.
The Saudi government has denied involvement.
Even though Saudi government attorneys say al-Bayoumi helped the hijackers get an apartment and open a bank account, he had limited involvement with them, calling the gestures customary in Islamic culture.
The Saudi government filed motion to dismiss the lawsuit ahead of Wednesday's hearing.
For the 9/11 families, being in court means a chance to finally get answers - and, hopefully, justice - after more than two decades.
"We all show up whenever we can to fight for our our loved ones," said Juliette Scauso. "And that's all I can really do for my dad, and try to keep his memory alive."
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