Cruel Hoax: The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism
Act
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In a unanimous voice vote on May 17, the U.S. Senate approved the Justice
Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which permits victims of
terror attacks and their surviving family members of on U.S. soil to
bring lawsuits against foreign governments for supporting terrorism. In
particular, it permits lawsuits against the Saudi government for its
alleged role in 9/11.
Arguing in favor of the bill, Sen. Chuck Schumer
noted that, "If the Saudis did not participate in this terrorism,
they have nothing to fear about going to court. If they did, they should
be held accountable."
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JASTA cosponsors Sen.
John Cornyn (R-TX) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) exit a news conference
on May 17.
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In turn, the Saudis threatened to sell off their holdings in U.S.
government paper; but while this has been rumored to amount to $750
billion, recent disclosures indicate that it amounts to a
not-too-impressive $117 billion.
But then, a week later, it became clear why JASTA passed the Senate
without opposition. At the last moment, Schumer inserted an addition that
nullifies the bill's purpose. Paul
Sperry, who broke this story in the New York Post, explains:
The section that was slipped in at the last minute — 'Stay of Actions
Pending State Negotiations' — leaves it up to the secretary of state to
merely 'certify' that the United States is 'engaged in good-faith
discussions with the foreign-state defendant concerning the resolution of
claims against the foreign state.'
The attorney general, in turn, can petition the court for an extension
of the stay for "additional 180-day periods," effectively
delaying lawsuits against the Saudis indefinitely.
Add to this that the House is unlikely to take up the bill, Obama is
opposed to it, and the Saudi government has mobilized against it, and the
vote does appear to be, as Sperry calls it, "a cruel hoax."
It's tricks like this that fuel support on the Left (Sanders) and
Right (Trump) for candidates who promise integrity in government.
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