Is it fair that Saudi Arabia gets off not helping pay for the damage their citizens caused for 9/11?

Question

NEW YORK - A federal appeals court has ruled that Saudi Arabia and four of its princes cannot be held liable in the Sept. 11 attacks.

The appeals court issued the ruling Thursday, saying the Saudi defendants are protected by sovereign immunity. It also agreed with a lower court that a Saudi banker and a charitable organization cannot be held liable.

The Saudi defendants were among hundreds of other defendants sued by victims of the attacks, including the families of those who died.

Other defendants in the case include foreign governments, charities and individuals alleged to have provided financial and logistical support to al-Qaida.

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According to sources, 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. What I want to know is, if the tables had been turned, if this had happened in Saudi Arabia, and 15 of the 19 hijackers had been American and had caused the deaths of 3,000 people and destroyed the heart of their nation....does anyone doubt for a second America wouldn't be paying for it?

(Especially since it's noted in the piece that these individuals funded al-Qaida.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/sept11_lawsuits

Answer 1

Sure. Unless the Saudi Government was directly involved why should they have to pay.

Should the US government have to pay if you or I went over seas and commit ed a crime.

I know its a feel good lawsuit but it is stupid.

Answer 2

What is done is done, there is no reason to punish people who did not perpetrate the crime, and in the process anger any more people.

This is the kind of thinking that caused the Germans to start WWII. They were forced to pay for war damages and at the same time were humiliated.

Revenge always backfires.

Answer 3

Pakistan probably had more direct liability since it was their intelligence chief that is known to wire $100,000 or so. The direct acrion of a high placed government official is more easily prosecuted.

Pretty hard to nail a Saudi prince without witnesses. Any witnesses that exist in Saudi Arabia would probably lose several generations of their family in retaliation.

But you are right about one thing, justice is definitely not blind! It always seems to depend on who did it and who are their close "connections"...Kaddafi had to pay up and did so gladly once oil prices were high enough.

But we also funded Al Qaida and although I would like to see the CIA prosecuted every time they fund terrorist groups that target civilians of any stripe - like they are doing right now with the MEK - it just won't happen soon.  

Answer 4

OF course it is FAIR.. saudi gives you all oil and still you want to liable sue on saudi.

where is your thanks..

Answer 5

yes. It is not Saudi Arabia as a whole that caused 9/11, just a number of individuals in a cruel club. Say the KKK went to somewhere and bombed a school of black children.  You wouldn't want everyone to be like "oh you're american. you b*****d. you killed a whole school. you're so evil". Because we are individuals it is unfair to group one country in to a whole in this situation.