WASHINGTON (Web Desk) – Only two days after the US Congress passed the law, a 9/11 widow has become the first person to file a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia.
Stephanie DeSimone was two months pregnant when her husband, Navy Commodore Patrick Dunn, was killed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
Now, 15 years later, DeSimone filed a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, claiming the kingdom is partially responsible for his death.
In court documents filed Friday in Washington, D.C., DeSimone alleges Saudi Arabia provided material support to al Qaeda for more than a decade and was aware of the terror group’s plan to attack the US.
“Absent the support provided by the Kingdom, al Qaeda would not have possessed the capacity to conceive, plan, and execute the September 11th attacks,” the documents say.
The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiffs — which include DeSimone’s daughter — suffered “severe and permanent personal injuries” and are seeking unspecified compensation, CNN reported.
The documents go on to allege Saudi Arabia, through agents and purported charities, provided al Qaeda members with financial and other logistical support to carry out the attacks.
Last week the US Congress voted to override President Barack Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which allows Americans to sue a foreign state for acts of terrorism.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia warned of “disastrous consequences” from the law, in a major spike in tension between the longstanding allies. Even the KSA’s Gulf allies have lined up beside Riyadh to criticise the law.
