The House of Representatives on Friday unanimously passed legislation that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia.
The Senate had passed the same bill earlier this year — also unanimously — which puts President Barack Obama in a tough spot. The White House had previously indicated that Obama would veto the legislation, citing the concern that it would allow other countries to sue the US. However, supporters of the measure feel strongly that they have the required two-thirds majority to override such a veto.
If the president vetoes the bill, Congress is expected to wait until after the election to try to override the veto.
The legislation passed just two days ahead of the 15th anniversary of the attacks and only a few weeks after the infamous “28 Pages” were declassified. That section of a congressional report on 9/11 describes Saudi Arabia’s links to the hijackers — 15 of which were Saudi nationals.
WhoWhatWhy has extensively covered the 28 Pages, how the FBI sought to intimidate the former chairman of the congressional 9/11 probe, as well as a mysterious Saudi family that disappeared from its Florida home shortly prior to the attacks.
You can find additional WhoWhatWhy stories on the 28 Pages and Saudi Arabia’s ties to 9/11 below.
WHAT THE 28 PAGES RELEASED ON SAUDI 9/11 TIES MISSED
THE SAUDI ARAB SPRING NOBODY NOTICED
FBI TACTIC HINTS AT BIG DC COVER-UP OF SAUDI 9/11 FUNDING
RUSS BAKER ON THE SAUDI 9/11 COVER-UP
RUSS BAKER ON THE SAUDI 9/11 COVER-UP (PART II)
MEDIA’S BELATED ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE SAUDI 9/11 STORY
FBI KNEW ABOUT SAUDI 9/11 HIJACKER TIES, LIED TO PROTECT ‘NATIONAL SECURITY’
WITH PRESSURE MOUNTING, LONG-SILENT 9/11 COMMISSIONERS GOING ROGUE
VISAS FOR AL-QAEDA, PART 1: A SORDID TALE
THE SAUDIS, A TWITTER INVESTMENT, AND THE END OF ARAB SPRING?
TALK ABOUT POLITICIZING INTELLIGENCE! MEET JOHN BRENNAN, CIA CHIEF DESIGNEE
