Federal judge rejects Saudi Arabia's efforts to dismiss 9/11 lawsuit

A US federal judge in New York has rejected Saudi Arabia's efforts to dismiss a lawsuit, allowing the families of 9/11 victims to sue the kingdom. The judge found it 'more likely than not' that there was a connection between two Saudi government employees and the assistance they allegedly provided to the hijackers. The ruling specifically cited credible evidence concerning Omar al-Bayoumi and Fahad al-Thumairy, who were allegedly employed by Saudi Arabia to assist the attackers. This decision denies Saudi Arabia's claim of sovereign immunity and opens the country to a potentially embarrassing and costly civil court case after a 23-year legal battle by the victims' families.