Thursday March 28th, 2024
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9/11 Victims' Families Can Now Sue Saudi Arabia

The new law comes after Obama's veto against the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act" was rejected by an overwhelming majority at Congress.

Staff Writer

The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) is due to become law, according to Al Ahram news, which reports Congress' win in overriding Barack Obama's veto against the passing of the bill. The law will allow relatives of the September 11 attack victims to sue Saudi Arabia for sponsoring terrorism.

While Obama's vetoes were never rejected before, this comes both as a shock to some and logic to others. Just a few months before his term ends, President Barack Obama believes it was the right thing for him to do, since, otherwise, there will be strains in diplomatic relations, and he also believes there were no political considerations behind this decision.

On the other hand, Al Ahram quotes Senator Charles Schumer – a top Senate and a fellow Democrat – as saying, "Overriding a presidential veto is something we don't take lightly, but it was important in this case that the families of the victims of 9/11 be allowed to pursue justice, even if that pursuit causes some diplomatic discomforts."

The bill was pushed by families of the victims, who demonstrated outside the White House and Capitol on the 15th anniversary of the attacks during this month in order to be able to proceed with legal action.