Families Permitted to Sue Saudi Arabia Over 9/11 Attack

US District Judge George B. Daniels ruled Thursday that families can pursue a civil lawsuit against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) over the September 11, 2001 terror attack.

The Details: Daniels’ ruling rejects the KSA’s attempts to dismiss the lawsuit, asserting that the KSA did not provide enough evidence to warrant immunity. It parallels Congress’ 2016 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which “amends the federal judicial code to narrow the scope of foreign sovereign immunity” in cases of terrorism. The bill specifies that “amendments apply to a civil claim: (1) pending on or commenced on or after enactment; and (2) arising out of an injury to a person, property, or business on or after September 11, 2001.”

Key Quote: The court document states, “The entire body of undisputed facts, and the Court’s preliminary assessment of certain disputed facts, are adequate for the Court to conclude that the exercise of subject matter jurisdiction is appropriate here.”

How The Media Covered It: This story was not widely covered by mainstream news outlets. Axios (Lean Left bias) focused on the details of the ruling, embedding the court documents in its article. The Boston Herald (Lean Right) took a more sensationalist approach and declared, “The 9/11 tragedy will not end with a whimper.” The outlet noted that alleged Al Qaeda terror cells in Boston, New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, and Phoenix can now legally be probed. 

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