USA: RELATIVES AND VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS LAUNCH LAWSUIT AGAINST BANKS, ISLAMIC CHARITIES AND MEMBERS OF SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY WHO THEY ACCUSE OF FINANCING AL QAEDA NETWORK

Record ID: 355452

  • Title: USA: RELATIVES AND VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS LAUNCH LAWSUIT AGAINST BANKS, ISLAMIC CHARITIES AND MEMBERS OF SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY WHO THEY ACCUSE OF FINANCING AL QAEDA NETWORK
  • Date: 16th August 2002
  • Summary: (U6) WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (AUGUST 15, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. SLV NEWS CONFERENCE AND REPORTERS; MV FAMILY MEMBERS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACK VICTIMS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. SOUNDBITE (English) RONALD MOTLEY, PLANTIFFS LAWYER, SAYING "This lawsuit is being brought to make accountable those who have knowingly participated, aided and
  • Embargoed: 31st August 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA4B0BXSWFUQ1T13KFWP3YHTGPB
  • Story Text: Surrounded by relatives and victims of the September
    11th attacks, lawyers in Washington DC have announced the
    launch of a lawsuit worth more than 500 billion dollars
    against banks, Islamic charities and members of the Saudi
    royal family they accuse of financing the al-Qaeda network.

    The lawsuit has been filed by more than 600 family
    members together with victims, firefighters and rescue workers.

    The group, calling themselves "Families United to Bankrupt
    Terrorism", are suing three members of the Saudi royal family,
    seven international banks, eight Islamic charities, and the
    government of Sudan for allegedly bankrolling Osama bin Laden
    and the Taliban.

    "This lawsuit is being brought to make accountable those
    who have knowingly participated, aided and abetted, the
    funding of al Qaeda and the Taliban," said Ron Motley, lead
    counsel for the Plaintiffs.

    Matt Sellitto, whose 23-year-old son died in the World
    Trade Centre attack, said: "the people who aided and
    abetted, and allowed them to do this are more wrong. It
    doesn't matter if the weapon of choice was a gun, a bomb, a
    box cutter, a pen used to write a check, or a computer mouse
    clicked to transfer funds."
    "The banks, so-called charities, and the individuals named
    in this action have the blood of my son on their hands, and
    they have the blood of more than 3,000 precious, irreplaceable
    people on their hands, and we will hold them accountable."
    Lawyer Allan Gerson who is also part of the the legal
    team assembled to work on the case, said the case would
    resemble a suit he brought against the Libyan government over
    its role in the 1988 Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie which
    claimed 270 lives.

    The relatives and victims at the press conference said
    they were not taking legal action for a sense of closure. They
    said that while compensation for their losses was a major
    reason, more importantly, they are taking this action in an
    attempt to "bankrupt" those who helped finance the attacks to
    make sure they don't have the resources to keep financing
    terrorism.


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