1. One guy who worked for Saudi intelligence knew about the attacks (disputed).
2. 15 of 19 attackers were Saudi nationals (dubious relevance, generally we don’t blame a whole country for crimes committed by individuals from that country).
3. Bin Laden family has close ties to the Saudi royal family, and Al Queda got funded by the Bin Laden family.
My surface-level takeaway is that Saudi royals deserve criticism for associating with the supporters of terrorism. However, I don’t see evidence the Saudi state conspired to commit the 9/11 attacks.
> One guy who worked for Saudi intelligence knew about the attacks (disputed)
Not disputed. You didn't go far enough.
Saudi intelligence agent met a set of the attackers in L.A. at the airport. He drove them, and had their first apartment setup. They started using computers in that apartment using Flight Sim software, for them to start training flying. He gave them cash. They scheduled enrolling in their classes in the Florida flight school from that apartment at that time.
Probably referring to Omar al-Bayoumi. It has been widely reported in connection to a lawsuit against the Saudi Arabian government. (I don't know whether the allegations are true.)
My feeling is that discussion of this issue includes a lot of people implying things, making vague accusations. I feel it’s useful to get specific about the claims so readers can understand them.
Fair enough. And I'm glad you did, because it turned what was a
sardonic throwaway comment by myself - "Oh they like burning
skyscrapers not bridges" - into some real reflection, for a few of us,
me included, researching and thinking a bit more deeply about it.
9/11 is a turning point in world history. Even today, much of what's
going on in the digital world around cybersecurity, digital rights and
software design is reverberating from what happened two decades ago. I
have people close to me still living with the PTSD.
I think for some of the current generation who cannot directly
remember it but live in the shadow, it's what WW2 was to mine.
For them it's important to keep clarity, and not give in to myths,
convenient narratives and conspiracy theories. And that takes constant
courage.
Looking back at it, it's beyond insane. We waged two theatres of war
against completely the wrong countries, killed millions and wrecked
our own culture, waged disinformation psyops on our own people to
maintain a lie, for what?
And despite shooting Bin Laden - which was never a trial or any kind
of real justice by our standards of civilisation, I can't help
thinking the bad guys just got away with it all.
And there they are, still talking about "petrodollars" while the
climate fails and the planet burns.
1. One guy who worked for Saudi intelligence knew about the attacks (disputed).
2. 15 of 19 attackers were Saudi nationals (dubious relevance, generally we don’t blame a whole country for crimes committed by individuals from that country).
3. Bin Laden family has close ties to the Saudi royal family, and Al Queda got funded by the Bin Laden family.
My surface-level takeaway is that Saudi royals deserve criticism for associating with the supporters of terrorism. However, I don’t see evidence the Saudi state conspired to commit the 9/11 attacks.