Phil1111 1,183 #1 April 18, 2016 "Saudi Arabia is warning it will sell off billions in American assets if the U.S. Congress passes a bipartisan bill that would allow victims of 9/11 and other terrorist attacks to sue foreign governments... Former Sen. Bob Graham, the co-chair of the 9/11 congressional inquiry, told CNN's Michael Smerconish Saturday morning that he is "outraged but not surprised" by the warning from the Saudi government. "The Saudis have known what they did in 9/11, and they knew that we knew what they did, at least at the highest levels of the U.S. government," Graham said on "Smerconish.".... The government of Saudi Arabia, a longtime and key strategic U.S. ally in the Middle East, has never been formally implicated in the 9/11 attacks and Saudi officials have long denied any involvement. But 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals, and in February, Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called "20th hijacker" who pleaded guilty to participating in an al Qaeda conspiracy in connection to the 9/11 attacks, alleged members of the Saudi royal family supported al Qaeda." http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/16/politics/saudi-arabia-government-9-11-congress-bill/ "Saudi Arabia and the United States have been close allies for decades. But the effusive reaction to the king's death reveals an uncomfortable truth about Washington's relationship to the kingdom. Despite Riyadh's repulsive human rights record, unproductive role in regional security, and American advances in shale oil production, the United States needs Saudi Arabia more than ever. So why does the U.S. put up with Saudi Arabia? The simplest explanation, of course, is oil. The kingdom is the largest and most important producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the bloc that controls around 40 percent of the world's oil. Because the United States was until recently the world's top oil importer, an alliance with Saudi Arabia made geopolitical sense...." http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/01/why-the-us-is-stuck-with-saudi-arabia/384805/ "The attacks killed 2,551 civilians (i.e., non-emergency-response personnel) and seriously injured another 215. The vast majority of these victims and their families sought compensation through the VCF. This group received a total of $8.7 billion in benefits, or an average of $3.1 million per recipient. Sixty-nine percent of the benefits came from the government, 23 percent from insurance, and 8 percent from charities." http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9087.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #2 April 18, 2016 Fuck the "Kingdom" of Saudi Arabia. Seriously, they're a major reason the Middle East is so screwed up. They're threatening to sell off billions of US assets? Um, okay. So what? Few who could buy them would be worse than KSA itself.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gowlerk 2,277 #3 April 18, 2016 quadeFuck the "Kingdom" of Saudi Arabia. Seriously, they're a major reason the Middle East is so screwed up. They're threatening to sell off billions of US assets? Um, okay. So what? Few who could buy them would be worse than KSA itself. Sure, lots of stronger economies they can choose from. Euros, yea Euros buy some of them. And Renminbi, maybe some Rubles and Pesos and Pounds. That'll learn them darn Yanks. Allahu akbar. Saudi is the evil empire. Fuck them.Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 226 #4 April 19, 2016 quadeFuck the "Kingdom" of Saudi Arabia. Seriously, they're a major reason the Middle East is so screwed up. They're threatening to sell off billions of US assets? Um, okay. So what? Few who could buy them would be worse than KSA itself. Oh Emm Gee - Hades is more than a few degrees cooler tonight - 100% agreement.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil1111 1,183 #5 April 19, 2016 Mmmmm... There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of love for our Wahhabi brothers. Saudi selling of US bonds and securities would certainly put downward pressure on the US dollar. Thats great news for US exporters. But what about Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, etc(http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2015/10/18/pentagon-agency-handled-record-foreign-arms-sales-2015/74003606/)? Who will keep Iran in check(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction)? Hezbollah(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombings)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 226 #6 April 19, 2016 Phil1111Mmmmm... There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of love for our Wahhabi brothers. Saudi selling of US bonds and securities would certainly put downward pressure on the US dollar. Thats great news for US exporters. But what about Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, etc(http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2015/10/18/pentagon-agency-handled-record-foreign-arms-sales-2015/74003606/)? Who will keep Iran in check(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction)? Hezbollah(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombings)? We need to talk to our own about that. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RBqsREBVdqg Everyone should hear this and hear it right before they decide on the votes they cast on the ballots.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,150 #7 April 19, 2016 Shouldn't that be 7/11?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aphid 0 #8 April 20, 2016 IagoThey're bluffing. Even if they're not, so what. I think if you want to launch civil action against a foreign government or one of it's agencies, you are forced under international law (or treaties?) to proceed with that litigation within their jurisdiction and subject to their laws. These 9/11 survivors can do that now without any new domestic law(s). If I'm correct, they prefer to proceed with litigation within the USA, and subject to US law. Take the long view - if you can sue the Saudi's (or Brits, or Lithuanians, or whatever) in US court, don't be too taken aback when foreigners seek judgment against American agencies in their own home countries. That might get a touch awkward in view of some of your foreign policy debacles. Equal treatment under law. Such a refreshing concept. NB: I stand willingly ready to be corrected by somebody with personal experience litigating International Law. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
