９・１１遺族、サウジ後援新リーグ参戦の米ゴルファーに怒り

【ブルックラインＡＦＰ＝時事】サウジアラビアが後援する新リーグ、リブゴルフ・インビテーショナルシリーズに参戦した米国の選手に対して、２００１年の米同時多発攻撃の遺族会メンバーが、怒りを表明した。（写真はダスティン・ジョンソン＜左＞とフィル・ミケルソン。資料写真）
　攻撃で夫を亡くしたテリー・ストラーダさんは１０日、米国人選手のフィル・ミケルソンやダスティン・ジョンソン、パトリック・リード、ブライソン・デシャンボーというメジャー覇者の代理人に宛てた公開書簡で、「サウジ発の今回の取り組みへの参加を考え直してほしい」とつづり、「再考してわれわれの側に立ち、サウジ王国へメッセージを送ってほしい。尊敬はお金では買えず、自ら勝ち取らねばならないと」と訴えた。
　「われわれはコミュニティーとして、あなた方のリブゴルフとのパートナーシップに激しい憤りを表明し、自らの責任を思い出してほしいと考える。あなた方の新たなビジネスパートナーであるサウジアラビア王国は、テロリストを金銭的、物質的に支援し、それによってテロリストはわが国を攻撃し、われわれの愛する人を殺すことが可能になった」
　ミケルソンらは全員、米ツアーから脱退し、ゴルフ史上最高額の賞金を用意している新リーグとの契約を発表している。また全員が、全米ゴルフ協会（ＵＳＧＡ）が主催し、米マサチューセッツ州ブルックラインのザ・カントリークラブで行われる全米オープン選手権への出場を予定している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/06/13-13:50）

The chair of a September 11, 2001, attacks victims' families group says members are outraged by the betrayal of US golfers playing in the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational Series.
The comments from Terry Strada, the widow of a 9/11 victim, were made in a public letter Friday to agents of such major champions as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed.
Please rethink your membership in this Saudi enterprise, Strada wrote. We urge you to reconsider so that you can stand with us and send a message to the Kingdom: you cannot buy respect, you must earn it.
All have been confirmed as signing with the rebel series, which offers the richest purses in golf history, after departing the US PGA Tour.
All are set to play in the upcoming US Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, which is organized by the US Golf Association.
Our community wishes to express our outrage at your partnership with LIV Golf and remind you of the responsibility that your new business partner, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, shoulders for providing the financial support and logistical support that enabled the terrorists to attack our nation and kill our loved ones, Strada wrote.
Much to our disappointment, you appear pleased to be in business with them. Given Saudi Arabia's role in the death of our loved ones and those injured on 9/11 -? your fellow Americans ?- we are angered that you are so willing to help the Saudis cover up this history in their request for 'respectability.'
Strada has been active in the group that has sued Saudi Arabia for complicity in the 9/11 attacks in which almost 3,000 people died, something the Saudi government has denied.
But Strada said US golfers who opt to play in the new series have betrayed the victims' families.
Please, do not insult our loved ones' memories and take the pathetic position, as one of your foreign colleagues did last week, claiming you are 'just golfers playing a game' or blandly treating the evils of the Saudi regime as 'human rights' concerns. You're all Americans, keenly aware of the death and destruction of September 11.
Whether it was the appeal of millions of dollars of hard cash or just the opportunity to prosecute your professional grievances with the PGA, you have sold us out.
Strada said no consideration should ever be made to allow LIV Golf players to represent the United States in the Ryder Cup.
We understand that some of you are hopeful that rule changes will be implemented to allow you to again represent America in the Ryder Cup despite your betrayal of American interests in joining the Saudi 'sports wash,' Strada wrote.