Airlines sue FBI, CIA over Sept 11 litigation

NEW YORK, Aug 8 (Reuters) Airlines, sued by victims of the September 11 attacks, filed complaints with a US court to compel testimony from FBI and CIA agents.

Two separate lawsuits filed in the US Court yesterday for the Southern District of New York sought testimony from two members of a US Central Intelligence Agency unit that investigated Osama Bin Laden and five current and former FBI agents who investigated al Qaeda.

Relatives of the victims of September 11 have filed suit against the airlines, including AMR Corp's American Airlines and UAL Corp's United Airlines as well as the Boeing Co and various security contractors seeking damages for personal injury and wrongful death.

In the suits filed yesterday, the airlines said they needed the agents' testimony to prove their actions were reasonable.

Both US agencies have refused to allow their agents to be deposed, the airlines said.

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