9/11 widow delivers scathing attack on Saudis

Riyadh accused on live TV of ‘fomenting a rancid culture of anti-American terrorism’

PUBLISHED : 11 Sep 2026 at 20:45

NEW YORK - A family member of one of those killed in the Sept 11, 2001 attacks unleashed a searing criticism of Saudi Arabia live on US television during the reading of victims’ names at the 9/11 Memorial on Friday.

The attacks were carried out by mostly Saudi hijackers orchestrated by mastermind Osama bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi who founded Al-Qaeda. Washington maintains strong military and diplomatic ties with the kingdom.

Tom Strada’s widow Terry, the national chair of 9/11 Families United, said “you are missed more with each year that passes, but how can it be 25 years and still we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder?”

“Yes, we finally made it into a court and have proved that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fomented a rancid culture of anti-American terrorism around the globe, and then sent its agents to support the radical Islamist hijackers so they could attack you and all of our loved ones,” she said in the remarks carried on live broadcasts.

The reading of names is a sombre, annual ceremony at Ground Zero in New York and is usually entirely apolitical, making Strada’s comments a jarring exception.

Strada was referring to a lawsuit brought against Saudi Arabia’s authorities by 9/11 Families United that alleges the kingdom supported the attackers.

“For 25 years, administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with a 9/11 family,” Strada said as former presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden looked on.

Strada called on current US President Donald Trump to act.

“President Trump can still change that. Tell the Saudis to stop lying. Tell them that if they want to be friends with the USA, they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we have all been suffering through,” she added.

“Vice President (JD) Vance, thank you for being here today. Please carry that message back.”