US Department of Justice to reveal the name of Saudi official who helped

Washington: The US Department of Justice has announced that it would soon reveal the name of the Saudi official who helped the terrorists in the 9/11 attack perpetrated in the US, 18 years ago. The information came to light during a court session on Thursday. According to the law approved by the US Congress three years ago, lawsuits against Saudi Arabia over 9/11 terror attack have been filed in the US. Sources have informed that disclosing the identity of the alleged Saudi official is a part of the court hearing.

In 2016, the US Congress had passed a special law ‘The Justice against Sponsors of Terrorism Act’. As per this new legislation, the US citizens were entitled to file lawsuits against Saudi Arabia over 9/11 terror attack. Earlier to this, the US Congress had released a confidential report showing the relation between Saudi Arabia and the 9/11 terror attack. On the strength of the report and new US legislation, the hundreds of relatives of those US citizens killed in the terror attack as well as various groups had initiated a lawsuit in different courts in the country.

Saudi had vehemently opposed the law approved in the US Congress and the subsequent lawsuits. Furthermore, Saudi also threatened to sell US assets owing to this issue deepening the tension between Saudi and the US. Though US President Donald Trump has attempted to improve relations with Saudi, he has denied going back on 9/11 attack issue. During his campaign, Trump had strongly supported the ‘The Justice against Sponsors of Terrorism Act’ passed in the wake of the 9/11 attack.

In the last month, Donald Trump had caused a stir by making a shocking statement on the 9/11 attack. “It was not Iraq who was behind 9/11 attack. It were other people. And I think I know who the other people were. And you might also,” said Trump.

The terror attack in the year 2001, the ‘twin towers’ of the World Trade Centre in New York were razed to the ground. The attack, which is considered as the deadliest in human history claimed 2977 lives. US Congress has published a classified report linking Saudi with 9/11 attack.

Owing to the report mentioned above and the new law approved by the US Congress, the relatives of the victims of 9/11 alongside various groups, started filing lawsuits in the court.