Ex-Florida senator Bob Graham and former Nebraska senator Bob Kerrey said in sworn affidavits to a New York court they were certain of the links between the Saudi government and the attacks.
"I am convinced that there was a direct line between at least some of the terrorists who carried out the September 11th attacks and the government of Saudi Arabia," said Graham.
Graham led a joint 2002 congressional inquiry into the attacks in which al Qaeda militants hijacked four planes and crashed them into the World Trade Centre in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a Pennsylvania field. Almost 3,000 people were killed in the worst ever attack on American soil.
Kerrey, who served on a separate 9/11 inquiry, said in his own sworn statement last week that "significant questions remain unanswered about the role of Saudi institutions."
"Evidence relating to the plausible involvement of possible Saudi government agents in the September 11 attacks has never been fully pursued."
Families of the victims said Friday they welcomed the comments "strongly disagreeing with papers filed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi High Commission claiming that they had been 'exonerated' of any connection to the 9/11 terrorist attacks."
Saudi Arabia, now a key regional US ally in the fight against terrorism, has said the 9/11 commission's final report "found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution of senior Saudi individuals funded" al Qaeda, the New York Times said.
But in a statement Thursday the group, the 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism, "applauded" the statements by Graham and Kerrey which are part of a multi-billion dollar lawsuit before the court.
"The financiers and enablers of those who murdered our loved ones are still alive, well and capable of supporting terrorism. The trail back to them still points to Saudi Arabia," said Beverly Burnett.
Her son, Thomas Burnett, was killed when the passengers fought back against the hijackers, and their flight plowed into a Pennsylvania field.
"The families and survivors of the atrocities of 9/11 have not given up hope for justice. We are determined to expose the truth," she added.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals, and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was also a Saudi citizen. After years on the run, he was finally tracked down to a compound in Pakistan and killed in a US commando raid in May.
COMMENTS (8)
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Just need some more billions of dollars and cheaper oil.
US is a champion of lies and back stabbing. They can never be our friends, they are infidels of Islam. what they did in Iraq and Afghanistan and other Nations was just based on conspiracy theories and they were all lies but the world is quiet. They have killed more than 1 million in both Iraq and Afghanistan, those who were killed because of them were innocent women, children and men, young and old. But the world..... still silent. Now making another conspiracy against our Holy Land, we wont tolerate this, even if the wolrd is silent. More than 3 billion Muslims would defend the Holy land. We are not afraid of death, we fear only Allah. When a Muslim is born, the first word a Muslim hears in his ears is Allah-Ho-Akbar ( Allah is the Greatest). They will be defeated, Allah is with us, We believe in Allah, In Allah we trust. No matter what they have, all the B52's, jets, tanks, Bombs etc, they will be defeated. Allah-Ho_Akbar.
And how much the American have killed in the last decade in response to those 3 thousands???? Does anyone know?
When the Islamic world's leaders shall know it or don't want to know/understand intentionally or camouflaging despite knowing it very well that USA is the biggest and most dangerous enemy of Islam and the muslims and by any means US' leaders try their best and utmost to harm the muslims all over the world by using such these types of fabricated and false causes and reasons.
The 9/11 Commission Report is a farce !! It is very intriguing to see that the US has weird allies like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (well atleast the govt. recognises them to be) but has problem with Iran - a country which has a certain amount of self respect !!
@pervez i remembered too man and also they should ad those innocent peoples relatives who lost there lives in iraq and afghanistan from american misadventures.
So now the attack is on Saudi Arabia itself! Americans should know that 3 billion brave Muslims will lay down their lives to defend the honor of the Holy land.
.....I remember a TV news shot showing both walking hand in hand (literally) down the garden path, I think it was ........... so whats new ??