US Senate passes Bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia government for damages
However, the Saudis have threatened to liquidate $750 billion in US securities and assets if the American government goes ahead with the law.
The victims of the September 11 terror attacks on the United States might soon be able to sue the Saudi Arabia government for damages, reported Reuters. The US Senate has passed the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act that allows the people who were affected by the attacks in 2001 to take legal action. The legislation will go to the US House of Representatives next, where the Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on it.
The Saudi government, however, is against the Bill as they have maintained that they had nothing to do with the terror strikes on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, and hence should not be made a party to it. They have also threatened to liquidate $750 billion in US securities and assets if the American government goes ahead with the law. "What [Congress is] doing is stripping the principle of sovereign immunities, which would turn the world of international law into the law of the jungle," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir said.