RIYADH -- A lawsuit against Islamic groups and three top Saudi royals by relatives of the victims of the September 11 attacks should instead be brought against Washington for training terrorists, newspapers here said Saturday.

"Many of those America is hunting now for terrorism graduated from American training camps," *** Al-Watan *** newspaper said in an editorial, in reference to U.S. support for Muslim Mujahideen who fought the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

"America had trained terrorists at camps across American territory ... and it refused to extradite (Al-Qaeda leader) Osama bin Laden from Sudan in 1996," the paper added.

"So, the relatives of victims of September 11 attacks should file the lawsuit against the United States, and not against the Saudis," the paper said.

More than 600 relatives of victims who perished at the hand of suicide hijackers, most of whom were Saudis, filed a lawsuit seeking up to to three trillion dollars in punitive damages for each of 14 counts from 99 organizations or individuals.

It also seeks 100 trillion dollars in damages from Sudan, where Bin Laden, stripped of his Saudi nationality in 1994, developed Al-Qaeda into a terror machine.

*** Al-Madinah *** newspaper branded the case as political and financial blackmail.

"It is a case of open financial and political blackmail ... by skilled lawyers who are fabricating evidence in an environment that is hostile to Arab culture and values," said the daily.

It also called for the United States to be sued over the killing of thousands of Palestinians and Arabs by U.S.-made weapons supplied to Israel.

*** Okaz*** newspaper warned that the United States is now targeting Saudi Arabia and its people.

"The issue is no longer a media campaign instigated by Israel ... it has exceeded the limits of blackmail and pressure to target the kingdom and its people," the paper said.

*** Al-Nadwa*** daily said the lawsuit sought to accuse charities in the kingdom of funding terrorism, but the ultimate goal was to convict Saudi Arabia itself.

*** Al-Riyadh *** newspaper, which like all Saudi media reflects official views, Friday called on the kingdom's leadership to revise its strategic alliance with the United States, saying Washington was not Riyadh's only option.

The Saudi princes named in the suit were Defense and Aviation Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, former intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal al-Saud and businessman Mohammad al-Faisal al-Saud, AFP reported.