# Can someone explain the plan to allow 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi government? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744 "2016-04-20T18:19:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/1 "2016-04-20T18:19:27Z")
A bill to allow the victims and family members of the 9/11 stacks to sue the Saudi government is working through Congress. I have a few basic questions about this, which are probably due to my lack of in depth study of 9/11. 1. Was the Saudi government involved in the 9/11 plot? I know the hijackers were Saudi, and that they were adherents of the Saudi version of Sunni Islam. But I thought they were directed by Bin Laden, who was an exile from Saudi Arabia. As far as I know bin Laden was not a member of the Saudi government at the time of 9/11, and in fact was a pariah in Saudi Arabia, which is why he was hiding out with the Taliban in Afghanistan. 2. Why is this now becoming an issue? 9/11 was almost 15 years ago. Did some new evidence that I am not aware of recently come to light that implicates the Saudi government? I’d like the facts, but if this thread becomes a debate, feel free to move it to the appropriate forum. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/2 "2016-04-20T19:08:51Z")
One possible connection: Bin Laden was rich enough to finance the 9/11 operation because of a corrupt deal with the Saudi government: his family was granted a monopoly on construction of mosques in the country. So they could charge very high prices for their construction work, without any competition. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/3 "2016-04-20T19:38:29Z")
Con you provide a link? I’d like to know who is behind it and how serious it is. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/4 "2016-04-20T19:43:05Z")
Here is an explanation: > **[28 pages: the controversy over Saudi Arabia and 9/11, explained](https://www.vox.com/2016/4/20/11454968/28-pages-saudi-arabia-911)** > > Does a classified 2002 report shed new light on a question that's lingered for 15 years? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/5 "2016-04-20T21:09:19Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Here is an explanation: > [28 pages: the controversy over Saudi Arabia and 9/11, explained | Vox](http://www.vox.com/2016/4/20/11454968/28-pages-saudi-arabia-911) Thank you for the link. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/6 "2016-04-20T22:13:38Z")
From the link: > [@](#): > > … the Bush administration ordered that the inquiry permanently seal a 28-page section that investigated possible Saudi government links to the attack. It has remained sealed ever since. Can an administration order anything ‘permanently’ sealed? Surely no President can bind a successor. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/7 "2016-04-20T22:20:13Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > From the link: > > Can an administration order anything ‘permanently’ sealed? Surely no President can bind a successor. Right, permanently sealed until a later President decides to unseal it. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/8 "2016-04-20T23:44:41Z")
Bernie Sanders can read the 28 pages but he said he has not read them. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/9 "2016-04-21T01:19:01Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Bernie Sanders can read the 28 pages but he said he has not read them. A person running for President in a primary election? That seems odd. Can he tell us about Area 51? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/10 "2016-04-21T01:30:19Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > A person running for President in a primary election? That seems odd. Can he tell us about Area 51? :dubious: It’s not really odd that a US Senator can read sensitive documents, it’s pretty routine depending on what committees they are on. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/11 "2016-04-21T01:43:17Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > It’s not really odd that a US Senator can read sensitive documents, it’s pretty routine depending on what committees they are on. Ah. I would think that one of them would have blabbed by now. To win re-election. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/12 "2016-04-21T01:47:11Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > It’s not really odd that a US Senator can read sensitive documents, it’s pretty routine depending on what committees they are on. True, but Sanders has not been on any intelligence oversight, foreign policy, or military-related committees. (He has been on Veterans Affairs.) I have no idea if he would be entitled to read the information based on his positions, but it seems kinda doubtful. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/13 "2016-04-21T02:02:25Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > True, but Sanders has not been on any intelligence oversight, foreign policy, or military-related committees. (He has been on Veterans Affairs.) I have no idea if he would be entitled to read the information based on his positions, but it seems kinda doubtful. Perhaps that is why he said that he has not read it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/14 "2016-04-21T02:19:46Z")
It seems to me that rather than opening Saudi Arabia, and then the USA to law suits, it would be less damaging to declassify the so called twenty eight pages. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/15 "2016-04-21T02:27:11Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It seems to me that rather than opening Saudi Arabia, and then the USA to law suits, it would be less damaging to declassify the so called twenty eight pages. That has to depend on what’s in the 28 pages! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/16 "2016-04-21T02:38:12Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > That has to depend on what’s in the 28 pages! Indeed, but let the Trvth Be Told! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/17 "2016-04-21T09:21:11Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Indeed, but let the Trvth Be Told! 🙂 LOL! Good one, **carnivorousplant**! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-plan-to-allow-9-11-victims-to-sue-the-saudi-government/752744/18 "2016-04-21T11:10:51Z")
Both Clinton and Sanders have said they support the bill, and so presumably as president would be under considerable pressure to declassify the document.