The BBC has released footage showing Saudi intelligence agent and alleged CIA asset Omar al‑Bayoumi in the company of Anwar al‑Awlaki, whom the BBC describes as an al‑Qaeda recruiter. The video is being used as evidence in a long‑running lawsuit by 9/11 victims’ families and appears to contradict al‑Bayoumi’s past denials that he met al‑Awlaki, a U.S. citizen later killed in a U.S. drone strike during the Obama administration, according to the BBC and Headline USA’s reporting.
What the new video shows
According to the BBC, the footage depicts al‑Bayoumi associating with al‑Awlaki and includes a paintball outing involving both men and others described as alleged extremists. The FBI declined to comment to the BBC. The broadcaster reported that the Bureau received the footage in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Why it matters in court
Families of 9/11 victims argue that al‑Bayoumi acted under direction of the Saudi government and handled two hijackers, Nawaf al‑Hazmi and Khalid al‑Mihdhar. Saudi Arabia has long denied that it or al‑Bayoumi had any role in the plot, per the source report.
Detained in the UK, then released
The Times (UK) reported last year that British authorities detained al‑Bayoumi 10 days after 9/11 but released him after the U.S. Justice Department told the UK to do so.
Other recent disclosures cited in the case
The source report says a video released in 2024 appeared to show al‑Bayoumi filming around Capitol Hill in June 1999—described as “casing”—months before al‑Qaeda decided to include Washington, DC, in its plot. It also claims that sketches related to the 9/11 attack were identified in 2024 as belonging to al‑Bayoumi. The report states that numerous investigators believe the U.S. Capitol was the intended target of Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.
Allegations about CIA links
Proceedings at Guantanamo Bay have generated additional claims. Office of Military Commissions investigator Don Canestraro reported that at least two FBI agents told him the CIA attempted to recruit two hijackers as informants and directed those efforts through al‑Bayoumi. These remain allegations attributed to Canestraro.
Amplified on social media
Headline USA editor Ken Silva highlighted the BBC footage in a Sept. 9, 2026, post on X, attributing the material and its context to the broadcaster and prior media reports.
Key questions—such as why al‑Bayoumi was never charged despite the FBI’s receipt of evidence after 9/11, as reported by the BBC—remain unanswered in the available reporting.
