The US Congress on Friday sent a bill to President Barack Obama that would allow families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia over its “ties to terrorism”, but advocates of the legislation worry it could be defeated by a presidential veto. This bill follows a NY Post report that shed light on how the usa government covered up the role of Saudi officials in financing the hijackers’ plans.
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Bill co-sponsor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the bill’s passage, just days before September 11th, is especially meaningful.
President Obama vowed again to reject the measure, but lawmakers could overturn one of his vetoes for the first time if they secure enough votes. He said it would be up to a jury to decide if the Saudis were involved in the attacks. The US and Saudi are now involved in efforts against Isis, while the US is supporting Saudi Arabia military operation against rebels in Yemen.
“If we open up the possibility that individuals and the United States can routinely start suing other governments, then we are also opening up the United States to being continually sued by individuals in other countries”, Mr. Obama said at the time. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were believed to be Saudi nationals.
No official Saudi complicity in the Al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11 has been proven, and the kingdom has never been formally implicated. The Saudi government has denied culpability.
The vote’s timing was symbolic, passing two days before the 15th anniversary of the hijacked-plane attacks on NY and Washington.
House Speaker Paul Ryan and House members, bow their heads for a moment of silence during a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington. There’s strong bipartisan support for the bill in Congress, and lawmakers appear to have the votes to override a potential veto.
“We have serious concerns with the bill as written”, a White House official told The Hill on Wednesday.
The US Senate passed the “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act”, or JASTA, unanimously in May.
Summary⎙ Print The Obama administration has offered to sell Saudi Arabia a record $115 billion in weapons.
“This legislation would change long-standing, worldwide law regarding sovereign immunity”, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said back in May, after the Senate unanimously approved the bill. His 52 percent Gallup approval rating for the week ended September 4, high relative to much of his presidency, also enhances his political influence.
But supporters are bracing for a veto fight with the White House. The U.S. fracking boom in oil production has reduced dependence on the kingdom for energy, and thus its sway in Washington.
The Saudi government strongly opposes the legislation.
The Senate passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) in May despite opposition from Saudi Arabia, a key ally to the United States. And they also struck a school, injuring 28 children and killing ten.
The bill would revise immunity laws now sheltering Saudis from American lawsuits in USA courts, making it possible for the families to finally get justice.
A member of the French parliament, Pierre Lellouche, said he would consider retaliatory legislation in France, and would anticipate it elsewhere, if the final version of JASTA does not include waivers for countries that are US allies and actively involved in fighting terrorism.
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The upcoming sale comes as some members of Obama’s own party are blasting the Obama administration for assisting the Saudis in targeting Yemen’s civilian population – indiscriminately bombing neighborhoods nowhere near military targets – in its 18-month war against Shiite Houthi rebels.
