Did the FBI bury evidence of alleged Saudi agent’s role in 9/11?

What the report says

BBC World News reports that video evidence has emerged in a long-running lawsuit filed by families of 9/11 victims, focusing on Omar al-Bayoumi, a man accused by plaintiffs of helping two of the hijackers. The BBC says the material shows al-Bayoumi had extensive ties to Saudi government officials and had gone paintballing with someone later identified as an al-Qaeda leader. According to the report, this new material is presented as challenging al-Bayoumi’s repeated denials over the past 25 years that he was an extremist or worked as a Saudi spy.

The case is part of broader litigation alleging that Saudi Arabia was complicit in the attacks. The BBC says the lawsuit argues al-Bayoumi assisted two of the hijackers, though it does not say the claims have been proven in court. The piece frames the evidence as significant because it may affect how investigators and plaintiffs view the Saudi government’s possible connections to the 9/11 plot.

BBC World News notes that neither al-Bayoumi nor the Saudi government responded to its requests for comment. The FBI also declined to comment. More generally, the report adds to continuing public debate over unanswered questions surrounding the 11 September attacks and the extent of any foreign support networks, while stopping short of drawing its own legal conclusion.