On the eve of 9/11, a federal magistrate judge directed the Saudi Arabian government to make some two dozen current and former officials — including Prince Bandar and his chief of staff — available for depositions regarding their knowledge of the 9/11 attacks. The daughter of Prince Bandar, the former ambassador to the U.S., is Princess Reema bint Bandar, the current ambassador.
There is ample evidence of Saudi involvement, including financial support to several of the hijackers and coordination with Saudi intelligence agents, such as Omar al-Bayoumi, who is named by the judge as one of the people who is to be made available to be deposed.
Her order reports that evidence presented to her “indicates that Prince Bandar likely has firsthand knowledge ... [of] the role that [imam Fahad] al-Thumairy was assigned by the Kingdom and the diplomatic cover” he enjoyed. Al-Thumairy met with two of the hijackers in his mosque.
