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Extracted Text (OCR)
780
lege that over two hundred defendants
directly or indirectly provided material
support to Osama bin Laden and the al
Qaeda terrorists. Generally, these defen-
dants fall into one of several categories: al
Qaeda and its members and associates;
state sponsors of terrorism; and individu-
als and entities, including charities, banks,
front organizations, terrorist organizations,
and financiers who provided financial, lo-
gistical, and other support to al Qaeda.!
See, e.g. Ashton Complaint 15; Burnett
Complaint “Introduction”; Federal Com-
plaint 1142-66. The complaints assert
subject matter jurisdiction under the For-
eign Sovereign Immunities Act (““FSIA”),
28 U.S.C. § 1602 et seg; and causes of
action under the Torture Victim Protection
Act (““TVPA”), 28 U.S.C. § 1850 note; the
Antiterrorism Act (“ATA”), 18 U.S.C.
1. According to Plaintiffs, Osama bin Laden
formed al Qaeda, which means “the Base” or
“the Vanguard,” into an international terror-
ist organization with the aim of violently op-
posing non-Islam governments and Islamic
states too beholden to the West. See, e.g.,
Burnett Complaint at 275.
2. Before the Multidistrict Panel transferred
Burnett v. Al Baraka Inv. & Dev. Corp., 02 Civ.
1616, to this Court, Judge Robertson of the
United States District Court for the District of
Columbia dismissed the claims against Prince
Sultan relating to acts performed in his offi-
cial capacity for lack of subject matter juris-
diction. Burnett v. Al Baraka Inv. & Dev.
Corp. 292 FSupp.2d 9, 23 (D.D.C.2003)
(hereinafter “Burnett IT’). Finding that the
court lacked personal jurisdiction over Prince
Sultan, Judge Robertson dismissed without
prejudice the allegations concerning acts tak-
en in his personal, as opposed to official,
capacity. Id. Judge Robertson dismissed the
complaint against Prince Turki for lack of
subject matter jurisdiction as well. Id.
Prince Sultan and Prince Turki both move
to dismiss the complaints against them in
Ashton v. Al Qaeda Islamic Army, 02 Civ.
6977 (S.D.N.Y.); Barrera v. Al Qaeda Islamic
Army, 03 Civ. 7036 (S.D.N.Y.); Burnett v. Al
Baraka Inv. & Dev. Corp., 02 Civ. 1616
(D.D.C.); Burnett v. Al Baraka Inv. & Dev.
349 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENT, 2d SERIES
§ 2331 et seq; the Alien Tort Claims Act
(“ATCA”), 28 U.S.C. § 1350; the Racke-
teer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations
Act (“RICO”), 18 U.S.C. § 1961 et seq;
theories of aiding and abetting, conspiracy,
intentional infliction of emotional distress,
negligence, survival, wrongful death, tres-
pass, and assault and battery.
[1] Several motions to dismiss are
pending before the Court. At the sugges-
tion of counsel, the Court scheduled oral
arguments in groups organized generally
by grounds for dismissal. On September
14, 2004, the Court heard oral argument
on the motions to dismiss for lack of sub-
ject matter jurisdiction under the FSIA by
HRH Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
(“Prince Sultan”), HRH Prince Turki Al-
Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (“Prince
Turki”), and the National Commercial
Corp., 03 Civ. 5738 (S.D.N.Y.); Salvo v. Al
Qaeda Islamic Army, 03 Civ. 5071 (S.D.N.Y.);
and Tremsky v. Osama bin Laden, 02 Civ.
7300 (S.D.N.Y.). Plaintiffs in these cases filed
consolidated responses to Prince Sultan’s and
Prince Turki’s motions. In Plaintiffs’ words,
the New York Burnett action is materially
identical to the D.C. Burnett action and was
filed as a “prophylactic’’ measure in the event
the D.C. court found that it lacked subject
matter jurisdiction. Burnett Complaint at
265. Additionally, at Plaintiffs’ counsel re-
quest, this Court ordered the Barrera action
consolidated with the Ashton case on Decem-
ber 6, 2004.
Prince Sultan and Prince Turki have each
also filed a separate motion to dismiss in
Federal Insurance v. Al Qaida, 03 Civ. 6978
(S.D.N.Y.), both of which are fully submitted
and are resolved in this opinion. The Federal
Insurance Plaintiffs are forty-one insurance
companies that have paid and reserved claims
in excess of $4.5 billion as a result of the
September 11 attacks.
The Burnett Plaintiffs filed a motion for
reconsideration in conjunction with Prince
Sultan’s and Prince Turki’s motions to dis-
miss certain consolidated complaints. While
this Court reviews and gives deference to
Judge Robertson’s thoughtful opinion, it must
evaluate Prince Sultan’s and Prince Turki’s
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