Sunday, April 17, 2016

U.S. — Saudi Relations on Thin Ice With Spring Thaw Looming Over 9/11 Attacks

Why So Grim??? Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir 
and Secretary of State John Kerry

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud 

A bipartisan Senate bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). Sen. Cornyn, called: “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act” is in their words, “…critical to stopping the funding source for terrorists.”

Bill Supporters, Family Members of 9/11 Victims, and their Lawyers say: “If the money trail leads back to foreign nations, we have to follow it and take action, and this legislation is a very key part. The only way to combat terrorism is to financially go after people who finance terrorism. Bombs, drones, feet on the ground — you can’t defeat ISIS until you go after their wealthy paymasters.”
Under current U.S. law, foreign nations are spared from such lawsuits under the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act (explained here in simple layman’s terms). Any new legislation *like the Schumer-Cornyn bill, would need the approval of both the House and Senate houses of Congress and the President. The proposed bill would specifically allow legal action against other countries in cases of an attack on American soil.
The Issue at this Stage and the 9/11 Attacks:
The 9/11 Commission in its official report declared there was “no evidence” linking the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials to funding for the attack of the 15 hijackers who were Saudi citizens. 
However, 28 pages, a portion of the Senate’s investigation into 9/11 remains classified, and people who have seen the documents say the Saudis were implicated
Over the years, court battles have raged. Twice Saudi Arabia was dismissed as a defendant in Federal court. In August 2015, for example, a Manhattan Federal judge spared the country from legal action pending the appeal.
Interesting FAQ from this site [28pages.org] with this food for thought information:
Q: Who wrote the 28 pages and where are they found, exactly?  
A: The 28 pages are an entire section within the official report of the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 (not the 9/11 Commission Report). Conducted by the House and Senate intelligence committees, its 838-page report was published in December 2002. The redacted section, titled “Part 4: Finding, Discussion and Narrative Regarding Certain Sensitive National Security Matters,” begins on page 395 of the report.
Now before every rightwing nut starts blaming and blasting President Obama, consider this key FAQ from the 28 pages.org link:
Q: Who made the decision to classify those 28 pages? 
A: President George W. Bush did. In the context of the 838-page report in which it’s found, the extent of this redaction is extraordinary. Throughout the report, one encounters many redactions of names and places and even the occasional paragraph or two. Where the 28 pages are concerned, President Bush chose to mask virtually every word of an entire chapter.
President Obama has since reportedly assured 9/11 family members on at least two separate occasions that he would release the 28 pages, but has not to date.
My Summary: Here we are today with pending legislation and an Obama trip to Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi threat to pull out of the U.S. some ¾ of trillion dollars ($750 billion estimated by the Saudis, they say to protect their money if the law suit were to go against them and the funds were somehow frozen by the U.S. courts).
The summary falls somewhere along these lines as best expressed by Sean Carter an attorney for 9/11 families who said: “Saudi Arabia would have a right to defend itself. When you view their response in that light, it really is telling. This legislation is just a bill giving jurisdiction to the courts to hear the case.”
To me and I’m sure to many others, that seems perfectly logical and rational. However, as we also know, seldom in these huge international things and with flames surrounding them like this case has, is anything but logical or rational.
I can see the points from both sides. However one looks at this, a fundamental premise is this I believe: 
“Are the Saudis hiding a lie, or don't they want to know the truth about any Saudi involvement in 9/11 that those 28 pages may or may not reveal? In other words, do they even want to know what we know or not?” 

One would think they want justice and the truth, and not simply want us and all the 9/11 families to just take their word for it. If not, one way or the other, then why are those 28 pages classified and locked up, probably for decades before the public knows what they really say and prove and reveal or not? Maybe it’s not in Saudi culture like ours to know the truth and nothing but the truth about legal matters except on their terms - or so it seems? 

This is a very serious and sensitive matter. Kid gloves are definitely required. Stay tuned – more to come I am sure.  

And as always, thanks for stopping by.

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