New 9/11 Evidence Links Suspect to Saudi, Al-Qaeda

Newly surfaced footage and evidence have revealed extensive connections between Omar al-Bayoumi, a central figure in a lawsuit brought by families of September 11 victims, and Saudi government officials, as well as his association with Anwar al-Awlaki, who later became a leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The material, obtained by a BBC investigation, raises fresh questions about why key evidence gathered by the FBI shortly after the 2001 attacks was not fully pursued. The footage, dating from 1997 or early 1998, shows al-Bayoumi and al-Awlaki participating in paintball sessions near San Diego. Some participants wore military fatigues and engaged in combat-style exercises, with shouts of "Allahu Akbar" heard as they charged into battle. FBI agents investigating al-Bayoumi after the September 11 attacks were reportedly told that some participants used these sessions to train for jihad. Al-Awlaki had existing connections to al-Qaeda operatives at the time. Another clip shows al-Bayoumi embracing al-Awlaki in January 1998. Additional footage documents al-Bayoumi meeting with officials and preachers linked to Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs.