A federal judge has thrown out claims by family members of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks seeking to hold Saudi Arabia liable for assisting the hijackers.

Southern District Judge George Daniels said he lacked jurisdiction over Saudi Arabia and the Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia & Herzegovina (SHC) under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

The reason, Daniels said, was a lack of plausible allegations connecting Saudi Arabia and the hijackers, out of whom 15 of 19 were Saudi citizens. The judge said there was insufficient evidence showing that the torts alleged in the complaint to be committed by Saudi Arabia and the SHC were committed in the United States.