Two top Senate Democrats are pushing President Obama to sign a bill that allows the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia in US courts. “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.
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The concern is that the law could damage the U.S.’ relationship with Saudi Arabia and create a risky situation for American officials overseas. A White House veto can be overridden with votes from at least two-thirds of House and Senate members. The timing of the vote could be seen as an additional slap at the kingdom, which was preparing for the annual hajj pilgrimage beginning today.
Families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks have been pushing for passage of the bill, as fifteen of the nineteen hijackers who perpetrated the attacks were Saudi citizens. He said it would be up to a jury to decide if the Saudis were involved in the attacks.
Senators opposing the sale cited the conflict in Yemen that is led by the Saudi Arabia funded coalition and human rights concerns as reason for the proposal to block the sale of weapons.
The bill, which passed the Senate unanimously in May, now heads to President Barack Obama’s desk.
The bipartisan vote came two days before the 15th anniversary of the attacks and after hundreds of House members re-enacted their symbolic gesture of solidarity on September 11, 2001, by singing “God Bless America” as they stood on the steps of the Capitol.
Lawmakers had been under intense pressure from the September 11 families to pass JASTA before the 15th anniversary of the attacks on Sunday. “It’s time to make this bill a reality, and I hope the President will sign it into law”.
The passing of the bill happened two days before the USA and the rest of the world pay tribute to the more than 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Terry Strada, national head of 9/11 Families United For Justice Against Terrorism, dismissed fears the US could be the target of lawsuits.
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 USA allies and actively involved in fighting terrorism. The allegations were never substantiated by later US investigations into the terrorist attacks.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir has denied such threats, but he warned that investor confidence would be shaken if such a measure was enacted.
The bill would revise immunity laws now sheltering Saudis from American lawsuits in US courts, making it possible for the families to finally get justice.
The intelligence community in July declassified and released 28 pages of Congress’ first investigation in the attacks.
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“In fact what they [Congress] are doing is stripping the principle of sovereign immunities, which would turn the world for worldwide law into the law of the jungle”, Al-Jubeir said. The papers did not significantly add to information that was publicly disclosed in other reports and documents. This bill follows a NY Post report that shed light on how the US government covered up the role of Saudi officials in financing the hijackers’ plans.
