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2.45 MB

Extraction Summary

1
People
5
Organizations
3
Locations
1
Events
2
Relationships
3
Quotes

Document Information

Type: Legal opinion / court document (federal supplement)
File Size: 2.45 MB
Summary

This document describes a legal ruling (Page 812, 349 Federal Supplement 2d) regarding the 9/11 litigation (In re Terrorist Attacks). It details the court's analysis of 'jurisdictional discovery' regarding Prince Sultan of Saudi Arabia. Plaintiffs allege Prince Sultan used profits from US assets to fund terrorism and that he knew his donations were funneling money to al Qaeda. The court discusses whether these allegations are sufficient to establish personal jurisdiction over him in the US. The document bears a 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT' stamp, indicating it was part of a Congressional investigation document production.

People (1)

Name Role Context
Prince Sultan Defendant
Member of Saudi Royal Family, ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Saudi Arabia Airlines. Subject of jurisdictional di...

Organizations (5)

Name Type Context
Saudi Royal family
Alleged to own substantial assets in the US and fund international terrorist acts.
Saudi Arabia Airlines
Prince Sultan is listed as ex-officio Chairman; company does business in the US.
al Qaeda
Terrorist organization alleged to have received funneled donations.
House Oversight Committee
Source of the document (implied by footer stamp).
United States District Court
S.D.N.Y. and D.D.C. mentioned in citations.

Timeline (1 events)

September 11, 2001
Murderous terrorist attacks.
United States

Locations (3)

Location Context
Location of assets and business; primary target of al Qaeda.
State mentioned in citations (S.D.N.Y.).
Mentioned in case citation regarding a ski train fire.

Relationships (2)

Prince Sultan Corporate/Professional Saudi Arabia Airlines
Prince Sultan is the ex-officio Chairman of the Board
Prince Sultan Alleged Funding Connection al Qaeda
Plaintiffs argue that Prince Sultan knew or should have known the organizations to which he donated were funneling money to al Qaeda

Key Quotes (3)

"Saudi Royal family members own substantial assets in the United States of America, and do substantial business in the United States of America, the profits of which in part, are used to fund international terrorist acts"
Source
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Quote #1
"Prince Sultan is the ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Saudi Arabia Airlines"
Source
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Quote #2
"Plaintiffs argue that Prince Sultan knew or should have known the organizations to which he donated were funneling money to al Qaeda"
Source
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Quote #3

Full Extracted Text

Complete text extracted from the document (3,734 characters)

812
349 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENT, 2d SERIES
jurisdiction). "If a plaintiff has identified a genuine issue of jurisdictional fact, jurisdictional discovery is appropriate even in the absence of a prima facie showing as to the existence of jurisdiction." Daventree, 349 F.Supp.2d 736 at 761, 2004 WL 2997881, at *20 (citing In re Magnetic Audiotape, 334 F.3d at 207–08). Courts are not obligated to subject a foreign defendant to discovery, however, where the allegations of jurisdictional facts, construed in plaintiffs' favor, fail to state a basis for the exercise of jurisdiction or where discovery would not uncover sufficient facts to sustain jurisdiction. Id. (citing Jazini, 148 F.3d at 183–85 (granting motion to dismiss and denying jurisdictional discovery where complaint was described as "sparse" and "conclusory")); see also Cornell v. Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A., Consolidated, Nos. 97 Civ. 2262, 98 Civ. 9186(MBM), 2000 WL 284222, at *2 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 16, 2000) (granting motion to dismiss and denying request for jurisdictional discovery where the complaint stated, without any supporting facts, that the defendant "participates in a 'multinational insurance arrangement' present in the State of New York"); In re Ski Train Fire in Kaprun, Austria, 230 F.Supp.2d at 410–413 (granting motion to dismiss and denying jurisdictional discovery where complaint only contained conclusory allegations).
D. Application of Plaintiffs' Theories to Moving Defendants
1. Prince Sultan
The Court outlined the allegations against Prince Sultan in Part I.B.1. With respect to Prince Sultan's contacts with the United States, Plaintiffs allege that "Saudi Royal family members own substantial assets in the United States of America, and do substantial business in the United States of America, the profits of which in part, are used to fund international terrorist acts, including those which led to the murderous attacks of September 11, 2001." See Ashton Complaint ¶ 296. There is no indication of whether these unspecified members of the Royal family include Prince Sultan. Most Plaintiffs also claim Prince Sultan is the ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Saudi Arabia Airlines, "which does business in the United States and internationally." Burnett Complaint ¶ 340; Ashton Complaint ¶ 253; Barrera Complaint ¶ 255; Salvo Complaint ¶ 245; Tremsky Complaint ¶ 180. The Federal Plaintiffs do not make a similar allegation.
[57] To the extent these allegations are an attempt to establish general jurisdiction over Prince Sultan, they are insufficient. See In re Baan Co. Sec. Litig., 245 F.Supp.2d 117, 130 (D.D.C.2003) (refusing to hold that control status in foreign corporation with United States office is sufficient for personal jurisdiction over individual); Cornell, 2000 WL 284222, at *2 (granting motion to dismiss where complaint contained one conclusory statement regarding jurisdiction); Family Internet, Inc. v. Cybernex, Inc., No. 98 Civ. 0637(RWS), 1999 WL 796177, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 6, 1999) (holding that personal jurisdiction must be individually established over corporate officers even when the court has personal jurisdiction over the corporation itself).
[58] Proceeding under the purposefully directed activities theory of personal jurisdiction, Plaintiffs argue that Prince Sultan knew or should have known the organizations to which he donated were funneling money to al Qaeda and that al Qaeda's primary target was the United States. Consol. Plaintiffs' Opp. at 23. Prince Sultan argues that his alleged actions cannot satisfy the minimum contacts requirement since the Second Circuit's recent description of Calder requires "primary participation in intentional wrongdoing." See
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