Widow Files 9/11 Lawsuit Against Saudi Arabia

A lawsuit has been filed against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of a Pentagon employee who was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Plaintiff Stephanie Ross DeSimone filed the 9/11 lawsuit on behalf of Patrick Dunn, a Navy commander who was killed in the September 11 attacks.

DeSimone was married to Dunn and was reportedly pregnant with their first child at the time of the attacks.

“Absent the support provided by the Kingdom, Al Qaeda would not have possessed the capacity to conceive, plan and execute the September 11th Attacks,” the 9/11 lawsuit alleges.

Last month, Congress passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which allows U.S. citizens to take legal action against foreign countries for physical injuries or death that occur in the United States that are caused by an act of international terrorism in the United States and a tortious act of the foreign state or any official, employee or agent of the foreign state.

President Barack Obama vetoed the act, but Congress voted to override the veto and passed the bill.

DeSimone takes issue with Al Qaeda, which was founded in 1989 by Osama Bin Laden and others, according to the 9/11 lawsuit.

“Al Qaeda was formed in the wake of the jihad against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan which served as a rallying point for Islamic extremists in the Middle East,” the 9/11 lawsuit states.

According to the 9/11 lawsuit, funding for Al Qaeda was acquired by diverting money from Islamic charities. DeSimone asserts that Al Qaeda received approximately $30 million per year.

“Al Qaeda’s development into a global terrorist network was funded primarily by the money and other material support it received from the Kingdom and purported charities acting as agents and alter-egos of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, many of which worked with the Al Qaeda leadership during the Afghan jihad,” the 9/11 lawsuit asserts.

DeSimone claims that the Saudi government encouraged the view that Western society, including the United States, was participating in a coordinated “Western Cultural Attack” on Islam and intended to destroy Muslim society. Therefore, the Saudi government embraced Al Qaeda and its affiliates, the 9/11 lawsuit asserts.

“These governmental agents served as the primary conduits for channeling financial, logistical, operational, and ideological support for Al Qaeda’s jihad for more than 20 years.”

The 9/11 lawsuit asserts that Saudi Arabia provided material support and financing of terrorism and that Saudi Arabia is liable for the September 11 attacks.

DeSimone asserts a claim for the wrongful death of her husband. She also asserts claims for survival, loss of consortium and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

DeSimone seeks damages for the mental anguish, pain and suffering, loss of her husband’s earnings and future earning potential and other costs she experienced due to Saudi Arabia’s “intentional, willful, reckless and careless actions.”

DeSimone is represented by Michael J. Miller and David J. Dickens of The Miller Law Firm LLC.

The September 11 Attack Lawsuit is Stephanie Ross DeSimone v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Case No. 1:16-cv-01944, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.