--- title: "9/11 lawsuit figure Omar al-Bayoumi filmed paintballing with al-Qaeda leader" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/911-lawsuit-figure-omar-al-bayoumi-filmed-paintballing-with-al-qaeda-leader" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/911-lawsuit-figure-omar-al-bayoumi-filmed-paintballing-with-al-qaeda-leader" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/911-lawsuit-figure-omar-al-bayoumi-filmed-paintballing-with-al-qaeda-leader.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/911-lawsuit-figure-omar-al-bayoumi-filmed-paintballing-with-al-qaeda-leader" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-09-07T16:45:52.120Z" source_reported: "2026-09-07T15:12:08.276Z" updated: "2026-09-07T16:45:52.120Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 77 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-07T17:45:08.669870+00:00" --- # 9/11 lawsuit figure Omar al-Bayoumi filmed paintballing with al-Qaeda leader *New footage emerges of Omar al-Bayoumi, central to a $1 trillion lawsuit, with Anwar al-Awlaki.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Trust 60 – includes BBC video source and lawsuit amount, but no named person source. - Craft 77 of 100, higher is better. Critic 77 – explains significance, provides specific names and figures, and stays clear of opinion. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype 30 – mild sensational headline but body matches claims without exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - New BBC-obtained video shows Omar al-Bayoumi, central to a $1 trillion 9/11 lawsuit, playing paintball with Anwar al-Awlaki, a future al-Qaeda leader. - The FBI possessed this footage within days of the September 11 attacks but did not make it public. - Bayoumi had extensive contacts with Saudi government officials, and the FBI identified him in 2017 as an informal agent of Saudi intelligence. - The lawsuit alleges Saudi Arabia assisted 9/11 hijackers, with Bayoumi accused of aiding two of them in San Diego. New video footage has emerged showing Omar al-Bayoumi, a central figure in a lawsuit by 9/11 families, playing paintball with Anwar al-Awlaki, who later became a leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, valued at approximately $1 trillion (£733 billion), alleges the government assisted the 9/11 hijackers. Bayoumi is accused of aiding two of the hijackers in finding apartments in San Diego after they arrived in the US in 2000. The FBI obtained the paintball video within days of the September 11, 2001 attacks but did not release it publicly. Investigations by BBC Panorama and Radio 4 revealed that Bayoumi had extensive contacts with Saudi government officials. In 2017, the FBI identified Bayoumi as an informal agent of Saudi intelligence services. Despite these findings, Bayoumi was cleared in 2004 after a lengthy investigation, with the final 9/11 Commission report stating no credible evidence showed he believed in violent extremism or knowingly aided extremist groups. ## Disagreement on FBI's actions Metro News reported that the FBI possessed the paintball video within days of the September 11 attacks but did not release it publicly. Delo.si stated that the FBI withheld key evidence for years, including the video linking an alleged Saudi agent to the 9/11 attackers. LiFO reported on "shadows of FBI cover-up" regarding the man at the centre of the lawsuit. IndexHR questioned whether the FBI covered up crucial evidence. Ekriti and Eleftheros Typos reported that new video documents overturn 25 years of data and that the man "burns" the FBI. Kbc.co.ke noted the footage, which the FBI had within days of the 2001 attacks, stands in stark contrast to Omar al-Bayoumi's denials. BBC News stated that footage and other evidence the FBI failed to share undermine Bayoumi's 25 years of denials. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned the specific figure of £733 billion that the lawsuit against Saudi Arabia is valued at, though Metro News and kbc.co.ke did state the $1 trillion figure. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (4) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 0% (0) 6 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-07T17:45:08.669870+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 5 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-07T18:00:11.657Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports focused on the emergence of new video footage linking Omar al-Bayoumi to Anwar al-Awlaki, a future al-Qaeda leader, and his paintballing activity. They highlighted Bayoumi's extensive contacts with Saudi government officials and the FBI's 2017 identification of him as an informal agent of Saudi intelligence. Several reports also pointed to the FBI possessing the footage shortly after the 9/11 attacks but not releasing it publicly, with some suggesting a potential cover-up or the undermining of Bayoumi's denials. The lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, valued at approximately $1 trillion (£733 billion), was also a prominent element. ### Centre - The centre-rated report led on the emergence of new videos linking Omar al-Bayoumi, a figure in the 9/11 lawsuit, to extremists and the Saudi state. It noted that the footage and other evidence the FBI failed to share undermine Bayoumi's 25 years of denials. The report also mentioned Bayoumi's alleged role in assisting two 9/11 hijackers and his extensive contacts with Saudi government officials. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 4 - unknown: 6 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [theirishchannel.com](https://theirishchannel.com/omar-al-bayoumi-has-always-denied-being-an-extremist-and-a-saudi-spy-bbcpanorama) — Omar al-Bayoumi has always denied being an extremist and a Saudi spy. #BBCPanorama - [frognews.bg](https://frognews.bg/novini/novi-zapisi-atentata-11-septemvri-fbr-skrilo-danni-vrazki-kaida-arabiia.html) — New 9/11 Records: FBI Hid Data on ties... - [delo.si](https://slovenskenovice.delo.si/novice/svet/25-let-po-11-septembru-sokantno-razkritje-fbi-je-te-posnetke-imel-ze-nekaj-dni-po-napadih-video) — 25 Years After September 11, a Shocking Revelation: the FBI Had These Recordings for Days After the Attacks - [Telegrafi](https://telegrafi.com/videot-e-reja-te-burrit-ne-padine-e-11-shtatorit-zbulojne-lidhje-ekstremiste) — New Videos of Man in 9/11 Lawsuit Reveal Extremist Ties - [LiFO](https://lifo.gr/now/world/11i-septembrioy-skies-sygkalypsis-sto-fbi-gia-ton-anthropo-kleidi-tis-agogis-kata-tis) — September 11: Shadows of FBI Cover-up for the "Key" Man in the Lawsuit Against Saudi Arabia - [Metro News](https://metro.co.uk/2026/09/07/man-heart-9-11-lawsuit-went-paintballing-al-qaeda-leader-29553961) — Man at heart of 9/11 lawsuit ‘went paintballing with al-Qaeda leader’ - [IndexHR](https://index.hr/vijesti/clanak/nove-snimke-otkrivaju-veze-saudijskog-spijuna-s-napadima-11-rujna/2831738.aspx) — A Video Appeared. Did the FBI Cover up Crucial Evidence of the 9/11 Attacks? - [ekriti](https://ekriti.gr/kosmos/11i-septembrioy-nea-binteo-ntokoymenta-anatrepoyn-dedomena-25-eton-o-anthropos-poy-kaiei-to-fbi) — September 11: New Video Documents Overturn 25 Years of Data - The Man Who "Burns" the FBI - [Unknown](https://eleftherostypos.gr/diethni/11i-septemvriou-nea-vinteo-ntokoumenta-anatrepoun-dedomena-25-eton-o-anthropos-pou-kaiei-to-fbi) — September 11: New Video Documents Overturn 25 Years of Data – The Man Who "Burns" the FBI - [kbc.co.ke](https://kbc.co.ke/new-videos-of-man-in-9-11-lawsuit-reveal-extremist-links) — New videos of man in 9/11 lawsuit reveal extremist links - [BBC News](https://bbc.com/news/articles/cr4vn1e207go) — New videos of man in 9/11 lawsuit reveal links to extremists and Saudi state - [INTELLINEWS](https://intelli.news/2026/09/07/new-videos-of-man-at-centre-of-9-11-lawsuit-reveal-links-to-extremists-and-saudi-state) — New videos of man at centre of 9/11 lawsuit reveal links to extremists and Saudi state ## Questions **What new video footage has emerged related to the 9/11 lawsuit?** New BBC-obtained video footage shows Omar al-Bayoumi, a central figure in a $1 trillion lawsuit by 9/11 families against Saudi Arabia, playing paintball with Anwar al-Awlaki, who later became a leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The FBI had this footage within days of the 2001 attacks but did not release it publicly. **Who is Omar al-Bayoumi and why is he central to a lawsuit?** Omar al-Bayoumi is identified as a key figure in a $1 trillion lawsuit filed by the families of 9/11 victims against Saudi Arabia. He is accused of aiding two of the 9/11 hijackers in finding apartments in San Diego. The lawsuit alleges that Saudi Arabia's government assisted the hijackers. **What was the FBI's role regarding the new footage?** The FBI possessed the newly emerged video footage, showing Omar al-Bayoumi playing paintball with Anwar al-Awlaki, within days of the September 11 attacks. However, the FBI did not release this footage publicly at the time. Reports suggest this evidence, along with other information the FBI failed to share, undermines Bayoumi's long-standing denials. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/911-lawsuit-figure-omar-al-bayoumi-filmed-paintballing-with-al-qaeda-leader. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "9/11 lawsuit figure Omar al-Bayoumi filmed paintballing with al-Qaeda leader", https://mediabias.news/conflict/911-lawsuit-figure-omar-al-bayoumi-filmed-paintballing-with-al-qaeda-leader