Families of victims of the September 11 terror attacks are preparing an aggressive campaign to block President Donald Trump’s authorization of civilian nuclear reactor projects in Saudi Arabia. The families, represented by “9/11 Families United” National Chair Terry Strada, contend that Riyadh remains untrustworthy and responsible for the murder of nearly 3,000 individuals without ever formally acknowledging culpability.
1+Advocates aim to utilize the formal congressional review process for the nuclear cooperation pact—which would clear the path for American firms to collaborate with the Saudis on multi-billion-dollar nuclear energy projects—as critical leverage to compel the Saudi government to admit involvement in the attacks. Concurrently, US lawmakers are demanding the White House declassify and release confidential “side agreements” struck with Riyadh.
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who has spent years pursuing the declassification of documents regarding Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in 9/11, announced that he will oppose or at minimum contest the nuclear agreement until the families’ outstanding legal claims are resolved. A coalition of victims’ relatives continues to pursue federal litigation against the kingdom, noting that 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in the attacks were Saudi nationals.
1+The Saudi government has consistently and vehemently denied involvement in the 9/11 attacks, insisting that its pursuit of nuclear energy is entirely transparent and peaceful. President Donald Trump indicated last week that he would “examine” the declassification of additional 9/11 files regarding Saudi Arabia, following an impassioned address delivered by Strada during ceremonies commemorating the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Strada, who lost her husband Tom in the attacks, emphasized that securing document releases alone is insufficient, urging President Trump to directly pressure the kingdom to halt its denial of responsibility. White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales stated that “the President will always honor the lost American heroes.”