9/11 widow files lawsuit against Saudi Arabia

Stephanie DeSimone alleges Saudi Arabia of providing material support to al Qaeda for more than a decade

Despite warnings from Saudi Arabia of ‘“disastrous consequences” from a United States law allowing 9/11 victims to sue the Kingdom, a 9/11 widow has become the first person to file a lawsuit against KSA.

Stephanie DeSimone was two months pregnant when her husband, Navy Commodore Patrick Dunn, was killed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Only two days after the Congress passed the law, DeSimone filed a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia claiming the Kingdom is partially responsible for her husband’s death.

DeSimone alleged that Saudi Arabia provided material support to al Qaeda for more than a decade, mindful of the terror group's plan to attack the US.



"Absent the support provided by the Kingdom, al Qaeda would not have possessed the capacity to conceive, plan, and execute the September 11 attacks," the documents read.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs - which include DeSimone's daughter - suffered "severe and permanent personal injuries" and seek unspecified compensation.



Last week the US Congress voted to override President Barack Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which allows Americans to sue a foreign state for acts of terrorism.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia warned of “disastrous consequences” from the law, in a major spike in tension between the longstanding allies. Even the KSA's Gulf allies have lined up beside Riyadh to criticise the law.

This article originally appeared on CNN