For twenty-four years, the families of the victims of the September 11th attacks have been fighting for one thing: their day in court. This week, in a “historic, landmark decision,” a federal judge has finally given them the green light to proceed to trial with their lawsuit against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its alleged role in the attacks.
This is more than a procedural victory in a long-running lawsuit. It is the culmination of a rare and powerful constitutional showdown that pitted the expressed will of Congress against the foreign policy prerogatives of the President.
It is a profound story about the resilience of our system of checks and balances and the power of the people’s representatives to create a path to justice.
Discussion
They need to know or have the change to say what they feel. It's only right. They lived through it the hardest.
Finally, some real progress for the 9/11 families' quest for justice! It’s crucial we uphold our system of checks and balances, even if it takes 24 years. This step brings hope for accountability, long overdue but better late than never. Our Constitution stands firm!
Finally! it's about time we hold others accountable for the pain and suffering. 24 years of agony for those families. congrats to that judge for standing up against the nonsense of foreign immunity. now let's see if we get some truth instead of all the lies and cover-ups from the swamp. if this lawsuit can expose the real mess behind 9/11, maybe people will wake up. can't trust any of them elites, they’ll do anything to protect their interests. but hey, with Trump's leadership, America-first policies we might see some real change. drain the swamp and reveal the truth!
Who decides how we should die? And why? This question has traveled through time. Finally a chance to find why?
Thank goodness for a judge who actually cares about doing what's right for people who were so wronged. Now watch Drumpf try to intervene & stop it from happening.
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A 24-Year Fight for a Day in Court
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge George Daniels found that the 9/11 families had presented enough evidence for a jury to reasonably infer that Saudi government officials had knowledge of and provided support to the al Qaeda hijackers.
The families allege a network of Saudi officials, working out of consulates and the embassy, funneled support to the terrorists.
“It’s been 24 years of pain and anguish and fighting for our families,” said Brett Eagleson, whose father was killed at the World Trade Center. “It’s time for America to learn what we’ve been fighting for… let’s have truth, accountability and closure.”
For years, this fight for accountability was blocked by a formidable legal wall.
The Constitutional Wall: Foreign Sovereign Immunity
The primary obstacle the 9/11 families faced was a federal law called the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) of 1976. This law is based on a long-standing international principle that one sovereign nation cannot be sued in the courts of another without its consent.
For decades, the FSIA acted as an almost impenetrable shield, protecting the Saudi government from being held to account in an American courtroom.
This is a classic constitutional tension. The executive branch, which is responsible for diplomacy, often favors broad sovereign immunity to maintain stable relationships with other countries. But the legislative branch, which writes our laws, has the power to decide when that immunity should be set aside to provide justice for American citizens.
The Law That Broke the Wall: JASTA
In 2016, that tension came to a head. In a rare and powerful display of bipartisan unity, Congress passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). This law was written for one specific purpose: to create an exception to the FSIA and allow the 9/11 families to sue the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
President Barack Obama, citing concerns that the law could expose the U.S. to retaliatory lawsuits in other countries, vetoed the bill. In a dramatic constitutional showdown, Congress then voted overwhelmingly to override his veto. It was a powerful moment where the legislative branch, on behalf of the American people, deliberately and forcefully chose a path of justice over the diplomatic preferences of the executive branch.
Judge Daniels’s ruling this week is the direct and intended consequence of that constitutional act. He is not creating new law; he is applying the law that Congress wrote. The 9/1-1 families are finally on the verge of their day in court because the separation of powers worked exactly as the framers intended. It is a powerful testament to the ability of a determined group of citizens to appeal to their representatives, and for those representatives to use their constitutional power to forge a path to accountability.
Finally some justice for the 9/11 families! About time the Saudi cover-up's exposed. This just proves how deep the swamp is. Bet the fake news won't give Trump credit for pushing accountability like this. Democrats are always too soft on this stuff! MAGA!