Fresh revelations from a U.S. court case have reignited debate over Saudi Arabia’s alleged links to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, more than two decades after nearly 3,000 lives were lost.
At the center of the storm is a newly surfaced 1999 video shot by Saudi national Omar al-Bayoumi, showing detailed footage of the U.S. Capitol and surrounding landmarks.
Speaking in Arabic, Bayoumi says, “I am transmitting these scenes to you from the heart of the American capital,” while documenting security posts and access points around the Capitol.
The video, turned over to the FBI shortly after 9/11, was never shared with key investigators or intelligence chiefs. Its emergence stems from a lawsuit by 9/11 victims’ families accusing Saudi Arabia of supporting the hijackers.
Retired FBI agents now say the video could have been crucial in building a case against Bayoumi, who lived in the U.S. under suspicious circumstances. Evidence suggests he was paid by a Saudi aviation company while operating as a Saudi intelligence asset, and had close ties to two hijackers living in San Diego.
A plane sketch and mathematical notes seized from Bayoumi’s UK apartment — believed to help calculate a descent onto a target — further deepen suspicions.
Former CIA counterterrorism analyst Gina Bennett concluded Bayoumi was “an al Qaeda facilitator,” providing material support crucial to the 9/11 plot’s success.
Saudi Arabia maintains its innocence, calling the video a tourist recording. The kingdom has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, with a U.S. federal judge expected to rule soon.
The FBI declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation, but questions linger over how critical evidence sat undisclosed for over 20 years — and whether more remains hidden.
