Early today, the Senate overwhelmingly voted, 97-1, to override President Obama’s veto of the 9/11 victims bill, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), and after a debate on what to call a VA clinic, the House followed suit, in a 348-77 vote. This was the first override of Obama’s presidency.
JASTA would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia over its involvement in supporting the attackers in the leadup to 9/11, as detailed in the “28 pages” from the 9/11 Report. Saudi officials have threatened to crash the US treasuries market in retaliation for the bill.
Both the House and Senate passed JASTA unanimously, and while the Obama Administration heavily lobbied after the veto, as did the Saudi government, it ultimately didn’t amount to very many lawmakers changing sides in the override votes, which were both overwhelming.
President Obama argued that JASTA was a “dangerous precedent” for American taxpayers, as other nations could reciprocate, setting up lawsuits against the US government for its own substantial misdeeds over the years, as well as for bankrolling foreign armed factions that did such things. He added that since the US is way more active overseas than anyone else, they are the most at risk from this precedent.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter also lobbied against JASTA, warning it threatens the troops, and that the lawsuit against Saudi Arabia might make public certain “American secrets” that would harm national security. He did not elaborate on what secrets the US might have relevant to a bill regarding pre-9/11 planning.
Never thought I’d ever, EVER say this but thank god for congress this week.
Yes they did the right thing for all the wrong reasons. It is absurd to think culpability begins and ends with the Saudi’s alone. This hopefully will open an endless can of worms.
Nobody is asking the questions:
1) Why would the Saudi Royals attack their best customer and the guarantor and protector of their regime who arms them to the teeth?? Makes no sense whatsoever………..unless it does make sense, but just in some other way?
2) Why would GWB administration classify 28 pages that pointed to culpability of Saudi Arabia at exactly the same time they were misdirecting hostilities toward Iraq which had no WMD, as they claimed, all the while talking about mushroom clouds and color coded threat levels? How is this not the highest form of treason?
All excellent questions that should be answered. All reasons we need to FINALLY open up another investigation. Hopefully, not another bullsh*tting dog and pony show like the last one.
You need to name a co-conspirator that worked with Osama and sue him. Why try to sue the entire Saudi monarchy? Nobody, even Obama would resist a lawsuit that appeared to be genuine, even if it was a lawsuit against some Saudi.
Trouble is, nobody knows who to sue and the fact that Osama and his 19 did it just doesn’t sit well in American heads yet. Maybe give them another 20 years of so?
Maybe pretend that Obama isn’t a black guy and start listening to him. He really only wants to save his country from more wars ya know!
There was a theory that the CIA wanted a source inside al Qaeda and had been trying to flip some of the hijackers, but due to the rule about the CIA not being allowed to operate Domestically they used Saudi intelligence as a go-between, Imagine if that was revealed! The CIA would probably be brought down by such a revelation.
I’m not sure I believe that theory but it’s plausible I suppose. On the face of it it doesn’t really make sense that the Saudis would risk being involved in 9/11 unless they were absolutely certain it would be covered up.
You touch on an important point I failed to make. If the Saudi’s were indeed involved they certainly did not take credit afterwards, tried to keep it secret and denied, denied, denied involvment to the present day. So what exactly was their motive?
Also, to say that ‘The Saudi’s did it’ is as ridiculous as saying ‘The US Gov did it’ or ‘The Israeli’s did it’ (as we see frequently on this and other sites). If any of these three allegations or combination, has an element of truth (as I believe it does) it certainly would not mean the entire nation (in all cases) ‘did it’. I would not even mean that the Government of any of the above ‘did it’ nor would it necessarily mean the head of state (of any of the above ‘did it’ or even knew.
What we observed in Iran Contra is sectretive cabals operating deep within our military and intelligence apparatus with their own agendas. In the case of Iran Contra, did Reagan or Bush know? I suspect GHWB did but Reagan? Possibly not IMO.
In the case of 9/11 was Bush involved? A very strong argument has been advanced that he was out of the loop while Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz were enacting their secret plan. Of the later three, you would have to me an blooming idiot to not see those three as the primary perpetrators of the crime.
The Saudi’s? In my opinion they were subcontractors, or at least certain key players within the Royal Family were. Israel? There is quite a bit of circumstantial evidence (they were certainly watching what was going on as they issued very specific warnings twice, as did ten other countries) but Webster Tarpley and Michael Ruppert have both said it does not rise above that level, and Tarpley points out that there is no evidence, if Israel was involved, that they played any primary role. David Ray Griffen who has written nine books on 9/11 barely has mentioned Israel in any context. All you Israel haters need to put that in persective and stick to the facts.
Whose facts???? And you write this before or after reading Raimondo’s book on the mysterous art students…???
Yup, just like you try to sue Saudi for what Osama and his gang did, Raimondo advocates blaming Israel for what a few students naturally did when they saw the devastation and destruction. They knew the US was going to have to support their evil apartheid regime now! So why not sue Israel? Duhhhhhh!
The only ones you’re left out of your theories is the Martians. But you do have a point when you suggest that the Saudi government might not have known. Maybe their enemy, Osama, didn’t tell them?
When in doubt say it will “threaten the troops”. And I hope we do get sued for our past misdeeds. Maybe then we will extract ourselves from all the quagmires we’ve created since all our tax dollars will be used to settle lawsuits.
Our troops whould not be threatened if they were not where they should not be. Really simple.
The US has about as much chance of being sued as Nazi Germany had. It’s not that that Obama is worried about, it’s the appearance that will be created that will make US propaganda efforts much, much more difficult to pull off.
The propaganda machine will roll on regardless. Our guilt is common knowledge. Do it for the troops is all the machine needs.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter also lobbied against JASTA
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That makes it really simple! Whatever Ash Carter is for I am against, and whatever he is against I am for, …..that miserable Neo-Con-Artist warmonger piece of Dog Sh-t
Bush, Cheney & Rumsfeld must be squirming that thier co-conspirators are being thrown under the bus. Hopefully they’ll spill the beans.
Gee you’re stupid. No wonder there’s a chance of electing one of the stupidest people in your country to be your president. Yeaaaaa Trump!
You would gain more credibility with sensible and rational people if you said the Martians did it. Sue the Martians!
It’s a cinch the neocons have been pre-approved for political asylum in Israel. They will skedaddle to Tel Aviv at the 1st hint of being held accountable for their atrocities.
The likely exception is Dubya. He purchased a large tract of land in Paraguay during his 2nd term, using one of his daughters as intermediary. That despicable clan will escape to there.
USA won’t jeopardize anything … the senators got calls day in and out to vote ye for the resoukutuon and this is a soon common election year … and besides as long as USA has strong military which can ruin any countries standing against it and as long as the strong military provides USA currency world reserve hegemony .. they will continue to dominate albeit hmthe creator chooses otherwise
The 19 hijackers were patsies. Let’s hope there is enough wiggle room in the law to allow the families to sue the real culprits: Israel and its agents in the US government.
Great! now we can sue congress for arming saudi arabia!?
saudi decided to cut production because we are drowning in oil and they are going broke.
Congrats Congress for doing for once something sensible. If only it happened more than just once every 50 years.
Congress just gave the rest of the out of control government a good reason to stop doing stupid stuff around the world.
the Saudis will take the fall for GWB and company + Israel,case closed.
Seems like some of this crew are getting a bit drunk on this granule of hope/good news….
But all the steel from the scene in apts. in Bejing, Shanghi…. driving around, even in NY.
Yes, there is a reason no trials of the perps, but those cases would not be able to settle for $$$ for all the top well connected lawless firms. The casses that may come from this can be settled with the keystroke money that our fed dispenses…. I guess it’s the scary discovery before the $$$$$ rains that vex-es our owners- rulers. Still, there is a chance for some bit of fatal taint to ooze out.. Do not hold your breath.
Maybe if Saudi resists strongly enough the US will start a war with them too! I wonder if any of the antiwar people on this site think that’s possible? I mean really, isn’t the hate sentiment already built up by the conspiracy theorists enough to get it going?
Personally, I’ve never doubted that the US would run roughshod over the entire ME. Saudi will be no exception and how the revenge theory will justify it now!!
If their is conspiracy hate, it’s mostly self hate… because most conspiracy avenues lead to Pennsylvania Ave… No other country except America could have quashed any effective NORAD response. Trillions spent on NORAD… And the first time it’s REALLY needed… Zilch, nada… nothing….. They get over TWO HOURS to make an intercept, but fuUK it up.. And the guy in charge…. Dones he get fired? Demoted?.. No, he gets promoted! He keeps NORA and gets the North American Command too…. The North American Command……. THAT’S US…You and me..
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Law suit would not shut the conspiracy theorists, if our court system can give judgement against Iran they for sure can give a judgement against Saudi Arabia. Even the conspiracy theorists don’t believe that Iran did it.