Washington: ‘Manhattan District Court’ in the United States has rejected a petition filed by Saudi Arabia regarding the ‘9/11 terror attacks’. Saudi Arabia had demanded that the lawsuits accusing Saudi Arabia of being a supporter for the ‘9/11 terror attacks’ and demanding compensation for it, should be quashed. This decision increases possibility of recreating tensions between the two countries at a time when the Trump administration has been trying to increase cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

The United States Congress had passed a special law, ‘The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act’ (JASTA) in 2016. As per the new law, the United States’ citizens were allowed to file petitions against Saudi Arabia in respect of the ‘9/11 Terror Attacks’. The United States Congress had published a confidential report linking Saudi Arabia with the 9/11 terror attack, prior to this.

On the basis of this report and the new law, relatives of many attack victims and groups had filed petitions against Saudi Arabia in various courts of the United States. These petitions pointed out the Saudi Arabian involvement in the attacks and demanded millions of dollars in compensation. Saudi had raised serious objections about the act and petitions filed thereafter. Saudi even threatened to sell United States bonds over this matter.

But this new court order goes to prove that the United States administration and the concerned agencies have ignored the threats. George Daniels, a Judge in the US ‘Manhattan District Court’ has rejected the Saudi petitions based on the new law, ‘The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act’. The Judge noted at the time that the United States citizens and their lawyers may be able to prove the allegations of the Saudi Arabian involvement.

The United States President Donald Trump had supported the ‘The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act’ during his presidential campaign.

(Courtesy: www.newscast-pratyaksha.com)