New videos obtained by the BBC reveal extensive links between Omar al-Bayoumi, the man at the center of a $1 trillion lawsuit by 9/11 families, and both extremist figures and Saudi government officials. The footage, which the FBI possessed days after the 2001 attacks, contradicts al-Bayoumi's 25-year denials of being an extremist or a Saudi spy.

Al-Bayoumi, who presented himself as a student while in the United States, is seen in one video embracing Anwar al-Awlaki, who later led al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In another clip, al-Bayoumi and al-Awlaki are shown playing paintball near San Diego with an official from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs. These videos have never been publicly shown before and are part of the 9/11 families' lawsuit against Saudi Arabia.

The lawsuit alleges Saudi complicity in the attacks, asserting that al-Bayoumi aided two of the 19 hijackers who carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks. Al-Bayoumi was arrested in the UK days after the attacks, and the videos were discovered among his possessions. Crucial evidence, including a diagram of a plane with a flight descent equation, was also found.

Despite multiple FBI agents receiving copies of the diagram, it was reportedly not shared with British interrogators or even some FBI agents investigating al-Bayoumi, nor was it provided to the 9/11 Commission. Al-Bayoumi was never prosecuted, and both he and the Saudi government have consistently denied any involvement or prior knowledge of the attacks. The FBI declined to comment on the matter.

Following a 2018 ruling that allowed the lawsuit to proceed, thousands of documents, videos, and photographs have been released to the court and declassified under an executive order by former President Joe Biden. BBC Panorama and Radio 4 have investigated these materials, interviewing special agents and investigators to understand the evidence gathered about al-Bayoumi and Saudi Arabia's alleged role, and why it was not fully pursued for over 25 years.

An FBI source indicated the plane diagram was analyzed by the FBI's New York office. However, a U.S. Department of Justice official told the BBC that no proposal to prosecute al-Bayoumi based on the evidence was ever presented to him. FBI offices in San Diego and Los Angeles, where al-Bayoumi had lived, were reportedly blocked from receiving most requested evidence and from interviewing his Saudi government contacts.

Staff on the 9/11 Commission reportedly objected to conclusions suggesting al-Bayoumi was unlikely to have been involved with extremists, highlighting internal disagreements about the depth of his alleged connections. The investigation raises significant questions about the handling of evidence and the extent to which Saudi Arabia's alleged role in facilitating the attacks was thoroughly investigated by U.S. authorities.

The ongoing lawsuit continues to seek accountability from Saudi Arabia, with these newly surfaced videos potentially providing critical evidence for the plaintiffs. The full implications of this evidence for the legal proceedings and for understanding the events of 9/11 remain to be seen.