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US Justice system finally getting it right and allowing the 9/11 families to proceed with their lawsuit against Saudi royals who had funded Al Qaeda terror and particularly the Saudi citizens responsible for the deaths of so many innocent victims of the vile terror attacks of 9/11. Hopefully, in this lawsuit the US Government will have to release the “top secret” documents of the 9/11 Commission alleged in protecting the Saudi government. As the lawsuit proceeds, be aware the Saudi Royal family will release non-subtle threats similar to events in the British investigation of the Saudi bribe case of Prins Bandar. In the litigation proces so far, the US Government has sided woth the Saudi Kingdom.
- Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest source of funds for militant Islamic groups such as the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the Saudi government is reluctant to stem the flow of money, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a 2009 cable obtained by Wikileaks. Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most “significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide,” according to the cable. Drew C. Bailey, a spokesman for the state department, declined to comment on the cable.
Appeals court overturns ruling that 9/11 victims can’t sue Saudi Arabia
A U.S. appeals court Thursday overturned a lower court’s ruling blocking victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks from suing Saudi Arabia for damages for injuries or deaths resulting from the attacks.
Plaintiffs in the case, In Re: Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001 (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia et al.), Federal Insurance Company et al. vs. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia and Herzegovina, include “those who suffered personal injuries, the families and the representatives of those who died, insurers and property owners,” according to the ruling.
In the process of overturning the lower court’s judgment that the defendants were immune from such suits under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sought to resolve previously inconsistent findings in cases brought by Sept. 11 attack victims.
While the appeals court had previously upheld the lower court’s findings that such immunity existed in the Saudi Arabia litigation, in Thursday’s ruling it held that its findings in a subsequent Sept. 11 case against Afghanistan that allowed the plaintiff’s case to go forward represented an “extraordinary” circumstance that justified allowing consideration of the Saudi Arabia case.
The appeals court panel held that its “incorrect decision” in the first case “caused a disparity” between the plaintiffs “where none should have ever existed. We conclude that the circumstances of this case are ‘extraordinary,'” justifying the reversal of the lower court’s ruling, the opinion said.
The appeals court remanded the case to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for further proceedings.
9/11 Families ‘Ecstatic’ They Can Finally Sue Saudi Arabia
Twelve years after Sept. 11, and eight years after a federal judge ruled Saudi Arabia has immunity from prosecution, families of 9/11 victims will get their day in court after all. The relatives can revive their claims against the kingdom and a charity affiliated with the Saudi government, a federal appeals court in Manhattan ruled Thursday.
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Saudi Kingdom enjoyed bi-partisan loyalty in US Congress, from the Bush and Clinton family and the military-industrial complex for decades. (Photo credit: Flickr)The 2005 decision said Saudi Arabia was immune under the federal Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act from the claims, which were first filed in 2002.
Stephen Cozen, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said they are seeking damages that could reach tens of billions of dollars. Cozen said:
“This opinion is eminently correct and will give 9/11 victims their day in court. The parties will start over, and we are very, very satisfied that we will meet any defenses, both legal and factual, that are raised.”
‘Ominous threat’
Michael Kellogg, the attorney representing Saudi Arabia, told The Post that the country “will seek further review of this erroneous decision.” He predicted the case would be thrown out again “for other reasons.”
Appeals court ruling: Saudis can’t be sued over 9/11 attacks (2008)
Continued below the fold …
Invitation Brief in No. 08-640, Federal Insurance Co. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(Scotus Blog) May 29, 2009 – In No. 08-640, Federal Insurance Co. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United States has filed a brief recommending that cert. be denied. The case arises out of the September 11 attacks and alleges, inter alia, that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi High Commission for Relief to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and four Saudi princes donated money to charitable organizations that they knew to be diverting funds to al Qaeda. The petition asked the Court to review three questions relating to (1) the source of immunity from suit of foreign governmental officials; (2) the scope of the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act’s tort exception; and (3) personal jurisdiction. In her brief, the SG acknowledged that the United States “disagrees in certain respects with the analyses of the court of appeals” but explains that “further review by this Court to determine the best legal basis”for the officials’ immunity is not warranted because “”in any event”” the “lower courts correctly concluded that Saudi Arabia and its officials are immune from suit for governmental acts outside the United States.”Nor, the United States continues in its brief, “is review warranted” on the personal jurisdiction issue.
On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Saudi Arabia May Be Tied to 9/11, 2 Ex-Senators Say
(NY Times) Feb. 29, 2012 – In sworn statements that seem likely to reignite the debate, two former senators who were privy to top secret information on the Saudis’ activities say they believe that the Saudi government might have played a direct role in the terrorist attacks.
“I am convinced that there was a direct line between at least some of the terrorists who carried out the September 11th attacks and the government of Saudi Arabia,” former Senator Bob Graham, Democrat of Florida, said in an affidavit filed as part of a lawsuit brought against the Saudi government and dozens of institutions in the country by families of Sept. 11 victims and others. Mr. Graham led a joint 2002 Congressional inquiry into the attacks.
His former Senate colleague, Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, a Democrat who served on the separate 9/11 Commission, said in a sworn affidavit of his own in the case that “significant questions remain unanswered” about the role of Saudi institutions. “Evidence relating to the plausible involvement of possible Saudi government agents in the September 11th attacks has never been fully pursued,” Mr. Kerrey said.
Their affidavits, not previously disclosed, are part of a multibillion-dollar lawsuit that has wound its way through federal courts since 2002. An appellate court, reversing an earlier decision, said in November that foreign nations were not immune to lawsuits under certain terrorism claims, clearing the way for parts of the Saudi case to be reheard in United States District Court in Manhattan.
(NY Post) Dec. 15, 2013 – After the 9/11 attacks, the public was told al Qaeda acted alone, with no state sponsors. But the White House never let it see an entire section of Congress’ investigative report on 9/11 dealing with “specific sources of foreign support” for the 19 hijackers, 15 of whom were Saudi nationals.
It was kept secret and remains so today.
President Bush inexplicably censored 28 full pages of the 800-page report. Text isn’t just blacked-out here and there in this critical-yet-missing middle section. The pages are completely blank, except for dotted lines where an estimated 7,200 words once stood (this story by comparison is about 1,000 words).
A pair of lawmakers who recently read the redacted portion say they are “absolutely shocked” at the level of foreign state involvement in the attacks.
- ○ Factbox: September 11 conspirators: Where are they now?
○ Funded by Saudi charity in Bosnia, Ali Ahmed Ali Hamad a convicted Al Qaeda commander as witness
○ US Court – Iran, al-Qaeda, Taliban told to pay $6B for 9/11
I have always warned of the Bill and Hillary Clinton link to Saudi terror in Bosnia. In Obama’s first term. Hillary Clinton proceeded with the same evil option for the civil strife in Syria. Arms and funds from the Gulf states to the jihadists in northern Syria with logistic support from Erdogan’s Turkey. May they find their “paradise” in hell.
- ○ Our Hawk Running the State Department with USIP Support
○ US Foreign Policy, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood Ploy
○ Clinton Applauds Al Jazeera [Voice of Muslim Brothers and Qatar], Rolls Eyes at U.S. Media