Senate passes bill allowing 9/11 victims' families to sue Saudi Arabia

The Waiting Trophy Man

It doesn't look like anyone has started a thread on this topic yet, so I thought I'd start it. I'm really interested what people think about this. The White House is totally against this bill. Saudi Arabia is threatening to sell $750 billion in American assets if the legislation is passed by the House. What are your thoughts?

Here's a NY Times link to the story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/18/us/politics/senate-passes-bill-that-would-expose-saudi-arabia-to-legal-jeopardy-over-9-11.html

PJ_Soul

I think that MAYBE the bill is reasonable going forward, but I don't see how it would be considered legal to use a new bill like this retroactively for 9/11. That isn't how things usually work.

"Questions about the role Saudi officials might have played in the Sept. 11 plot have lingered for more than a decade, and families of the victims have used various lawsuits to try to hold members of the Saudi royal family and charities liable for what they allege is financial support of terrorism.

But these moves have been mostly blocked, in part because of a 1976 law that gives foreign nations some immunity from lawsuits in American courts.

The Senate bill carves out an exception to the law if foreign countries are found culpable for terrorist attacks that kill American citizens within the United States. If the bill were to pass both houses and be signed by the president, it could clear a path for the role of the Saudi government to be examined in the Sept. 11 suits."

Jason P

They are bluffing on the sell off. And I've seen reports that the number is closer to $120B

Godfather.

crazy !! anybody can sue anybody...but collecting is the trick.

Godfather.

gimmesometruth27

if the saudi government is any complicit in aiding the hijackers, saudi arabia should have been subject to the same treatment as afghanistan and iraq.

but since saudi arabia is our "friend", we redact any potentially incriminating evidence that would have to make america break up with saudi arabia.

we need a foothold in the region and israel is not big enough. if people are allowed to sue saudi arabia, it could undermine our foreign policy alliances.

i am frankly surprised that the senate republican majority who is all about protecting america voted for this. although considering the amount of hatred the senate has for obama, i am not that surprised.