9/11 Families United Slams Decision by Augusta National Allowing Saudi-Backed Golfers to Participate in 2023 Masters
Washington, D.C. – 9/11 Families United, which serves thousands of families and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, released the following statement regarding today’s announcement by Augusta National Golf Club that the 16 eligible players who joined the payroll of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by competing in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League will be allowed to play in the 2023 Masters Tournament.
“In the aftermath of 9/11, our country agreed we would ‘Never Forget’ that horrible day.
“The only reason the Saudis launched LIV was to try to make the world forget who they are and what they did, including their role in 9/11. Anyone who truly vowed to ‘never forget’ should be appalled by the decision by these golfers to put money ahead of their own country.
“On behalf of 9/11 Families United, we are calling on Augusta National to reconsider their open-door policy to the LIV golfers. If they are welcomed with open arms, we will be at their front door to protest in April.”
Background:
On June 10th, ahead of LIV’s first tournament in London, 9/11 Families United was the first group to send a letter to LIV golfers Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Kevin Na – expressing the 9/11 community’s outrage at the betrayal by these American golfers who chose to participate in the Saudi-funded LIV Golf tour.
Their decision to join LIV came just weeks after thousands of pages of new evidence against the Kingdom were released as the result of President Biden’s declassification order last year, after being kept secret by the U.S. government for years. The majority of these documents were not available to the 9/11 Commission. CBS News, for example, reported in late April that the documents reveal how a Saudi intelligence operative – who was on the payroll of then-Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan and who is still living freely in the Kingdom – was a key part of the hijackers’ U.S-based support network.
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About 9/11 Families United:
9/11 Families United is an organization of family members of those murdered in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as many of those who survived, were injured in, or sickened from the attacks—a community of more than 10,000 people. More background and contact information can be found at www.911familiesunited.org.
