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2.42 MB

Extraction Summary

5
People
10
Organizations
4
Locations
2
Events
2
Relationships
3
Quotes

Document Information

Type: Legal opinion / court order (federal supplement)
File Size: 2.42 MB
Summary

This document is a page from a Federal Supplement court opinion (likely In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001) bearing a House Oversight stamp. It details the court's decision to grant Mr. Al-Husani's motion to dismiss due to lack of personal jurisdiction and insufficient evidence linking him to the 'Golden Chain' list of al Qaeda donors. The document also introduces the analysis of jurisdiction over NCB (National Commercial Bank), noting Plaintiffs' arguments regarding NCB's subsidiary in New York City.

People (5)

Name Role Context
Mr. Al-Husani Defendant
Accused of supporting al Qaeda via the 'Golden Chain'; motion to dismiss granted.
Mr. Aljomaih Mentioned Individual
Mentioned in relation to the 'Golden Chain' list; involvement in conspiracy not established.
Arnaout Defendant (Separate Case)
Executive of Defendant charity BIF involved in United States v. Arnaout.
Bierstein Affiant
Provided affidavit (Bierstein Aff.) supporting Plaintiffs.
John Fawcett Affiant
Provided affidavit supporting Ashton Plaintiffs regarding NCB.

Organizations (10)

Name Type Context
NCB
National Commercial Bank; Defendant facing claims from Ashton and Burnett Plaintiffs.
Burnett Plaintiffs
Plaintiff group suing Al-Husani and NCB.
Ashton Plaintiffs
Plaintiff group suing NCB.
al Qaeda
Terrorist organization.
Al-Waqf al-Islami Foundation
Dutch entity alleged to spread extremist messages.
BIF
Benevolence International Foundation (implied); defendant charity.
Ernst & Young, LLP
Cited in legal precedent (Wright v. Ernst & Young).
The International Herald Tribune
Newspaper cited regarding service of process.
Al Quds Al Arabia
London-based newspaper banned in Saudi Arabia.
Wall St. J.
Wall Street Journal; source of article on radical foundations.

Timeline (2 events)

February 4, 2003
Court ruling
N.D. Ill.
September 11, 2001
Terrorist attacks
United States

Locations (4)

Location Context
Location where International Herald Tribune has low circulation; referred to as 'the Kingdom'.
Jurisdiction in question; target of al Qaeda hatred.
Location of NCB's wholly-owned subsidiary.
Base of operations for Al Quds Al Arabia newspaper.

Relationships (2)

Mr. Al-Husani Alleged Supporter al Qaeda
Plaintiffs claim he is implicated by the 'Golden Chain'.
NCB Business Connection United States
Wholly-owned subsidiary in New York City.

Key Quotes (3)

"Mr. Al-Husani's motion to dismiss the Burnett complaint against him is granted."
Source
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Quote #1
"The 'Golden Chain' does not say what the Plaintiffs argue it says. It is only a list of names found in a charity's office."
Source
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Quote #2
"Plaintiffs submit NCB has many contacts with the United States, including a wholly-owned subsidiary in New York City through which it operates an international banking business."
Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_017883.jpg
Quote #3

Full Extracted Text

Complete text extracted from the document (3,707 characters)

818 349 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENT, 2d SERIES
5-7. He has never supported any person or organization that he has known to participate in any terrorist attacks. Id. ¶ 9. Mr. Al-Husani submits that Plaintiffs cannot cure the lack of allegations in the complaint in its motion papers. Wright v. Ernst & Young, LLP, 152 F.3d 169, 178 (2d Cir.1998) (explaining a party is not permitted to amend its complaint through allegations made in motion papers).
Mr. Al-Husani also claims that he was not properly served because The International Herald Tribune has a circulation of only 199 in Saudi Arabia and is published in English, and Al Quds Al Arabia is a London-based paper banned in the Kingdom. Even if service was proper, however, Mr. Al-Husani submits this Court does not have personal jurisdiction over him.
The Burnett Plaintiffs claim that Mr. Al-Husani is also implicated by the "Golden Chain," and thus an early supporter of al Qaeda. Plaintiffs' Opp. to Al-Husani Motion to Dismiss at 10; Bierstein Aff. at Ex. 2 (document listing "Hamad Al Husani," without indicating when list was written, by whom, or for what purpose). The Plaintiffs place great weight on the United States' inclusion of the "Golden Chain" in its proffer of evidence in United States v. Arnaout, the government's case against an executive of Defendant charity BIF. See Bierstein Aff. at Ex. 1 (proffer). The court presiding over that case, however, ruled that the document was inadmissible hearsay. United States v. Arnaout, No. 02 Cr. 892, 2003 WL 255226, at *1-2 (N.D.Ill. Feb. 4, 2003). Nevertheless, by supporting al Qaeda, Plaintiffs assert Mr. Al-Husani purposefully directed his activities toward the United States, making the exercise of personal jurisdiction appropriate. See, e.g. Bierstein Aff. Exs. 9-15 (detailing al Qaeda's hatred for and actions against the United States). Additionally, Plaintiffs claim that one of Mr. Al-Husani's companies is a supporter of Al-Waqf al-Islami Foundation, a Dutch entity whose seminars "have drilled extremist messages into the heads of thousands of young Muslims." "Radical Foundation: In 'Law' Seminars, A Saudi Group Spreads Extremism," Wall St. J., Apr. 15, 2003, at Bierstein Aff. Ex. 6.
[64] Plaintiffs have not established a prima facie showing of jurisdiction over Mr. Al-Husani to survive his motion to dismiss or warrant jurisdictional discovery. The "Golden Chain" does not say what the Plaintiffs argue it says. It is only a list of names found in a charity's office. It does not establish Mr. Aljomaih's involvement in a terrorist conspiracy culminating in the September 11 attacks and it does not demonstrate that he purposefully directed his activities at the United States. Accordingly, Mr. Al-Husani's motion to dismiss the Burnett complaint against him is granted.
6. NCB
The Court outlined the Ashton and Burnett Plaintiffs' claims against NCB in Part I.B.4. For purposes of the personal jurisdiction analysis, the Court will assume at this point that the FSIA does not provide for subject matter and personal jurisdiction over NCB. Accordingly, the Plaintiffs will have to make a prima facie showing to survive NCB's motion to dismiss. In that vein, Plaintiffs argue that NCB purposefully directed its activities at the United States and participated in a conspiracy that culminated in the attacks of September 11.
Plaintiffs submit NCB has many contacts with the United States, including a wholly-owned subsidiary in New York City through which it operates an international banking business. See, e.g., Aff. of John Fawcett in Support of Ashton Plaintiffs' Opp. to NCB's Motion to Dismiss (hereinafter "Fawcett Aff.") ¶ 3, Exs. 2 & 3. NCB
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