JASTA: American Politics and U.S.-Saudi Relations

On September 28, the U.S. Congress handed President Barack Obama his first veto override while in office. The emotional and political potency of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) was illustrated by the lopsided vote: Only one senator and 77 members of the House of Representatives opposed the bill. The law allows Americans to sue Saudi Arabia and its officials for alleged complicity in the 9/11 terrorist attacks by dispensing with the international legal convention of sovereign immunity. But it could also result in the U.S. government and officials facing endless lawsuits and prosecutions around the world. Immediately after it passed, lawmakers began expressing regret and discussing the need for some remedy. AGSIW hosted a panel discussion examining JASTA and its various impacts, as well as the international response and implications for U.S.-Saudi relations.

Panelists:

David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic

Bernard Haykel, professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University

Fahad Nazer, non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington

Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (Moderator)