The Pursuit of Justice for 9/11
Friends,
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, victims' families are intensifying their efforts to hold the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accountable for its alleged role in the tragedy. Terry Strada, national chair of 9/11 Families United, utilized the 25th-anniversary ceremony in New York to publicly challenge U.S. leadership. Surrounded by four living former presidents and Vice President JD Vance, Strada condemned the long-standing U.S. policy of shielding Saudi Arabia, which she describes as a multi-administration betrayal of the victims and the American public.
Allegations of a Decades-Long Cover-Up
The core of the dispute involves evidence that suggests Saudi officials and intelligence assets provided essential support to the 9/11 hijackers. According to those leading the legal challenge:
• Systemic Withholding: Families argue that the FBI, along with the Bush, Obama, and Biden administrations, systematically withheld critical evidence from the public and the 9/11 Commission to protect the U.S.-Saudi relationship.
• Legal Breakthroughs: Despite repeated legislative and executive hurdles—including the vetoing of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA)—families have successfully moved their lawsuit into federal court. A judge has deemed their evidence credible enough to proceed toward trial.
• External Evidence: Much of the evidence, which remained suppressed for two decades, was only unearthed after legal discovery compelled the release of materials confiscated by international law enforcement agencies shortly after the attacks.
Calls for Presidential Action
Strada and other advocates are now shifting their focus to the current administration, urging President Donald Trump to leverage the evidence validated in court.
1. Demand for Transparency: Families are calling for the immediate release of all remaining unredacted files regarding Saudi involvement to ensure the truth is known while survivors are still alive.
2. Diplomatic Accountability: There is a clear expectation that the U.S. government should stop prioritizing diplomatic convenience over national security and justice. Proponents of the lawsuit argue that the current administration must now confront the Saudi government with the established facts rather than continuing the historical pattern of denial and protection.
In summary, the 25th-anniversary events have brought the lingering questions of state complicity back to the forefront of national discourse. The families' ongoing legal battle serves as a stark critique of decades of bipartisan U.S. foreign policy, asserting that the pursuit of truth and justice for 3,000 victims remains an unfinished and vital obligation of the American government.
This is why I am running for Congress: to make sure that the truth comes out for the American people. In order for us to move forward with a different relationship with that part of the world, we must come to terms with what actually happened. Uncovering the truth is absolutely critical so that we can put an end to this national trauma and finally move forward to the next chapter.
In Solidarity,
Gamy Emriquez, MPA
