Supreme Court rebuffs 9/11 victims
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 9:39 pm
Supreme Court turns away 9/11 suit
against alleged Al Qaeda supporters
Lawyers for 9/11 victims sought to pursue what they said were the ‘principal financial
and operational supporters of al Qaeda.’ But lower courts dismissed much of their
lawsuit, and the US Supreme Court declined to get involved.
By Warren Richey
The Christian Science Monitor
Thousands of victims of the 9/11 terror attacks have lost their bid to revive a class-action lawsuit against various banks, financial officials, and members of Osama bin Laden’s family for allegedly providing material support to Al Qaeda.
The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a case examining whether lower courts properly dismissed a significant portion of their lawsuit.
The high court took the action without comment.
The justices had asked the Obama administration for its views on the case. US Solicitor General Donald Verrilli said in a filing last month that the court should reject the case.
Lawyers for those killed or injured or who suffered property damage in the hijack-terror operation sought to pursue what they said were the “principal financial and operational supporters of al Qaeda” during the period leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
They included several Saudi banks, Islamic charities, three financial institutions in Liechtenstein, four of Mr. bin Laden’s half brothers, and the family construction business, the Saudi Binladin Group.
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