Sen. Blumenthal, 9/11 Families Target Saudis, Demand JASTA Be Passed

Immediately after the release on July 15 of the finally-declassified “28 pages” of the Congressional Joint Inquiry into the 9/11 attack on the United States, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) issued this hard-hitting statement urging immediate follow-up Congressional action:

“These new revelations are a chilling description of Saudi ties to terrorists, Saudi payments to terrorists, and Saudi obstruction of U.S. antiterrorism investigations. While the pages do not reach a conclusion regarding Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks, they provide more than enough evidence to raise serious concerns. These concerns should be addressed and proved or disproved in court, but loopholes in America’s antiterrorism laws make that impossible. Congress must immediately pass the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, introduced by Senators Schumer and Cornyn and myself, to ensure any nation that conspires against the American people can be brought to justice.”

JASTA, as the bill is known, was passed by the Senate in May. On Tuesday, Sen. Blumenthal, joined by representatives of families who lost loved ones in the bestial 9/11 attack, held a press conference on the steps of the New Haven Federal Courthouse, to demand that the House of Representatives also pass it now so that it can become law. “Saudi Arabia sponsored and supported terrorism, according to some of these recent revelations. There’s evidence of it, and these families deserve their day in court,” said Blumenthal.

Mary Fetchet, founder of “Voices of September 11th,” with her husband Frank, who lost their 24-year-old son that day, spoke in support Senator Blumenthal’s call for the House of Representatives to pass JASTA, “so that all Americans can feel confident that those who are funding terrorist acts are held accountable.”

She situated the urgency of this action in light of the wanton “carnage” spreading across the world:

“Acts of terrorism are happening regularly, innocent lives are lost, families are destroyed, communities are damaged. The recruitment of young people to ISIS and other terrorist groups is happening, both here and abroad,” Fetchet said. “I ask, how are these operations funded? Who is supporting the operatives as they plan, recruit and carry out these horrific events? We can capture, kill, and investigate the trail of evidence, but I am convinced that unless we hold those accountable for funding terrorism, our communities and countries, both in the U.S. and abroad, will be constantly dealing with the carnage.”