| Saudi Arabia Had Witnesses
Retire As Others Cite Immunity In Delayed 2001
Attacks Case
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
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SDNY COURTHOUSE,
May 21 –
In ongoing lawsuit "In Re
Terrorist Attacks on September
11, 2001," originally filed in
2003, the COVID 19 pandemic of
2020 continues to cause a
pause, one being used by the
Saudi defendants, it emerged
at a telephone conference with
some 300 attendees on May 21.
Inner City Press covered it.
U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn
initially had some technical
issues with her computer,
which she described as from
the era computers were first
invented. But then things got
going.
lawyer is telling
SDNY Mag Judge Netburn that
some Saudi diplomats' immunity
was revoked. Judge says it's
not fair to ask State to
review immunity given 20 years
ago.
Next a defense
lawyer described a case where
a person associated with the
Morocco mission to the UN was
granted diplomatic immunity by
the U.S. State Department in
an email, he says that's
enough.
Turns out
that a man named Awad who on
9/11 worked in "Islamic
Affairs" at the Saudi mission
has suddenly retired the day
after he was listed as a
witness.
Next Saudi Arabia
said they can't make him
testify, he's retired.
It
reached 1:26 pm and the 9/11
case hearing was still going,
with the lawyer for Saudi
Arabia saying his - or his
client's? - integrity is being
besmirched by allegations they
"early retired" people on the
plaintiffs' witness list.
Judge
Netburn said, I don't think
the question is whether the
witnesses are aligned with
Kingdom or adverse to it.
A
plaintiffs' lawyer said, The
case I cited says "or with
adversary."
Judge
Netburn: I think we've
exhausted questions about
former officials. Let's take a
break. And they did. Inner
City Press will continue on
the case.
As Inner City
Press has reported, the SDNY
has moved to video
sentencings, and defense
attorney laptop links to their
clients in the MCC from the
Attorneys Lounge of 500 Pearl
Street.
Of such criminal
cases, Judge Netburn remarked,
something called CourtConnect
is being used. I'm inclined to
use it, since I think the
earliest we could get together
would be mid June and quite
possibly later. Next week
Ramadan begins which would
have delayed depositions
anyway.
One of the
plaintiffs' lawyers Steve
Pounian said, The families are
willing to have a delay
because of this exception
circumstance, in order to get
the depositions they need, in
person. There's language,
demeanor...
Another plaintiffs' lawyers,
Sean Carter, said We have
doubts about Saudi Arabia's
allegations, that they have
diplomatic immunity, that some
people are senior officials.
Pounian followed up: We took a
deposition in March under the
written question procedure.
Now we're going to file a
motion.
Carter resumed, We were told
last week the FBI is looking
for some additional documents.
I don't want to put Sarah
Normand on the spot--
Ms.
Norman confirmed, The FBI is
also slowed. We'd hoped to
have all of the records, but
because of tele-working, and
the documents being on
classified systems, that work
has stopped during the
pandemic.
Judge
Netburn asked, Does the
Kingdom want to be
heard? The
Saudis' lawyer offered, We're
willing to use
CourtConnect.
Judge
Netburn opined, The reviews
are not great.
We'll see:
there may be a video
conference in May,
presumptively public. Inner
City Press notes that in this
case, Docket Item 6122, Motion
for Conference dated April 14,
2020, says "You do not have
permission to view this
document." The case is In Re
Terrorist Attacks on September
11, 2001, 03-md-1570 (Daniels
/ Netburn).
***
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