- NEW YORK (AP) - The kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, three Saudi princes and several Saudi financial institutions
were dismissed Tuesday as defendants in six civil lawsuits accusing them
of providing support to al-Qaida before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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- Judge Richard Casey said the president, not the courts,
has the authority to label a foreign nation a terrorist, though he said
he understood the "desire to find a legal remedy for the horrible
wrongs committed on Sept. 11, 2001."
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- The lawsuits alleged more than 200 defendants provided
material support to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. Defendants included al-Qaida,
its members and associates, charities, banks, front organizations, terrorist
organizations and financiers who allegedly supported al-Qaida.
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- The judge said the plaintiffs failed to provide sufficient
facts to overcome the kingdom of Saudi Arabia's immunity. He said Saudi
Arabia maintains it has worked with the United States to share information
in the fight against terrorism.
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- Among financial institutions dismissed as defendants
were Al Rajhi Bank, which has nearly 400 branch offices throughout Saudi
Arabia; Saudi American Bank, the second largest bank in Saudi Arabia; and
Arab Bank, which has headquarters in Egypt with branch offices throughout
the world.
-
- Casey said he found no basis for a bank's liability for
injuries resulting from attacks funded by money passing through it on routine
banking business.
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- The judge's documents did not identify the plaintiffs'
lawyers.
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