Obama Chooses to Protect Saudi Princes Against Suit by 9/11 Victims

Statement On Behalf of the 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism In Response to the Solicitor General's Refusal to Support The 9/11 Families' Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the Supreme Court. (In Re: Thomas E. Burnett, Sr., et al. v. Al Baraka Investment & Development Corp., et al., Case No. 03-CV-9849 (RCC)In Re: Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, MDL 1570) WASHINGTON, May 29, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement of 9/11 Family Members: Mike Low, Father of Sara Elizabeth Low, AA Flight 11; Bill Doyle, Father of Joseph M. Doyle, WTC North Tower; Tom & Beverly Burnett, Sr., Parents of Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., UA Flight 93; and Terry Strada, Wife of Thomas Strada, WTC North Tower on Behalf of the 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism in Response to the Solicitor General's Refusal to Support The 9/11 Families' Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the Supreme Court: Today (5/29/09) the Obama Administration filed in the Supreme Court a document that expressed the Administration's decision to stand with a group of Saudi princes and against the right of American citizens -- 9/11 family members -- to have our day in court. Let there be no doubt: The filing was political in nature and stands as a betrayal of everyone who lost a loved one or was injured on September 11, 2001. We are deeply dismayed by this decision, filed by the solicitor general of the United States in response to the Supreme Court's February 23, 2009 invitation for the government to express its views in the 9/11 families' request to appeal a portion of the case to the Court. The Administration's filing mocks our system of justice and strikes a blow against the public's right to know the facts about who financed and supported the murder of 3,000 innocent people. It undermines our fight against terrorism and suggests a green light to terrorist sympathizers the world over that they can send money to al Qaeda without having to worry that they will be held accountable in the U.S. Courts for the atrocities that result. The Administration apparently gave less weight to the principles of justice, transparency, accountability and security, which our case embodies, and more weight to political concerns and pleadings of a foreign government on the behalf of a handful of members of its monarchy and others who stand accused of financing the attacks that murdered our loved ones. Sadly, although the Administration's obviously politically based filing is merely informational and in no way binding on the Supreme Court, if the Supreme Court were to follow it, these people will avoid being held accountable not because they are innocent, but because they are royalty. The Administration's filing is all the more troubling in that it expressly acknowledges that the courts below applied incorrect legal standards in dismissing the Saudi defendants, but nonetheless argues that the case -- one that seeks to account for the terrorist attacks against America and the murder of our family members -- does not warrant the Supreme Court's time. Contrary to the view expressed by the Obama Administration in the solicitor general's filing, the victims of the September 11th attack deserve to have their claims decided under accurate legal standards. For all of these reasons, we urge the Supreme Court to reject the solicitor general's politically-premised filing, along with its wrongheaded priorities, accept our petition, and grant us our fundamentally American right to have our day in Court. SOURCE 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism # # # #

9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism

The case is a lawsuit on behalf of the families of the September 11 victims focusing on wealthy Saudi individuals, banks, corporations, and Islamic charities implicated in the financing of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. The suit is being brought in the individual names of the immediate family members of the 9/11 victims. The case will rest on the premise that those who finance the terrorist organizations are liable for the damages done by them. The case will represent the cutting edge of tort (civil justice) law. When someone causes an injury to another person, the legal profession calls such an act a "tort". A tort is committed when one person is injured because of the wrongful act of another. The purpose of tort law is to assign responsibility to the individual, group, or company responsible for causing such harm. The tort system is the most powerful tool civilized society has to promote safety. The aim of the lawyers bringing this lawsuit is no less than safety and freedom from terrorism by exposing its nefarious underbelly. The individuals, banks, corporations, and Islamic charities used by the terrorists to perpetuate the atrocities on 9/11 can and must be held accountable under the tort law system which has been expanded to encompass anti-terrorism. Once held accountable, they will never again be able to use their resources or services to aid terrorists in mass murder. Therefore, the ultimate aim of the litigation will be to bankrupt those individuals or entities that are currently funding terrorism to ensure that they will not be able to do so again in the future. The President and the Congress in enacting the post 9/11 "Patriots Act" urged victims to bring to American justice those who supported, aided, and abetted the 19 highjackers and bin Laden. Our case will do exactly this. A First-Rate Legal and Investigative Team to Make 9/11 Financiers Accountable

• The internationally recognized plaintiff's lawyer, Ron Motley, leads this litigation. He brings formidable experience in tort and international law to the litigation.
• Motley and his firm Motley Rice led the pioneering products liability litigation against the asbestos and tobacco industries and Firestone. Representing twenty-five states, the firm's effort resulted in the historic $246 billion dollar settlement against the tobacco industry.
• Two world class investigators head the experienced international team of researchers on the case against the sponsors of al-Qaeda.
• Jean-Charles Brisard is an expert on corporate and diplomatic intelligence. The French parliament and intelligence community commissioned his report entitled "The Economic Network of the Bin Laden Family", the most exhaustive study of the financial network of the Bin Laden organization ever written. This report was read before the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and delivered to President Bush in person by the president of France.

If you or your family member has been victimized by the September 11 attacks and you wish to join the suit, brought by the 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism, in order to hold those responsible for funding the terrorists accountable, please call the Motley Rice law firm at 1-800-7.... Joining the lawsuit will in no way jeopardize your right to receive aid from the federal 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Source Anti-Terrorism and Human Rights Litigation The ultimate goal of this landmark litigation is to bankrupt those individuals or entities that fund terrorism and hold them accountable under the civil justice system. More...