Victims' families challenge FBI handling of Saudi suspect tied to 9/11 hijackers

The short version

• FBI agents originally identified Omar al-Bayoumi as a key suspect after he assisted two al-Qaida hijackers in San Diego, but he was released in England and returned to Saudi Arabia.[ProPublica]
• Though the FBI insisted for years that Bayoumi aided the hijackers unwittingly, evidence seized in 2001 shows he acted as a Saudi intelligence asset linked to militant Islamists.[ProPublica]
• Representatives for 9/11 victims' families are demanding the Justice Department address what occurred with seized evidence and explain why Saudi suspects were not aggressively pursued.[ProPublica]
• The Saudi government continues to deny any involvement in the 9/11 attacks, pointing to past statements by U.S. intelligence agencies.[ProPublica]

Key facts

• Omar al-Bayoumi was identified by FBI agents as an important potential suspect who assisted two al-Qaida hijackers in San Diego.[ProPublica]
• Bayoumi was arrested in England at the request of the FBI, interrogated and released by British police, and subsequently returned to Saudi Arabia.[ProPublica]
• The FBI maintained for years that Bayoumi had encountered the hijackers purely by coincidence and was not an actual suspect.[ProPublica]
• Materials seized from Bayoumi in 2001 revealed he served as a Saudi intelligence asset and worked with clerics connected to al-Qaida.[ProPublica]
• Advocates for 9/11 families are urging the Justice Department to explain the handling of seized evidence and the lack of aggressive pursuit of Saudi suspects.[ProPublica]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• 25 Years After 9/11, Questions About the FBI’s Pursuit of Saudi Suspects in the Case Have Only GrownProPublica