US Senate overwhelmingly rejects Obama veto of Saudi Sept. 11 bill

US citizens may soon be able to sue Saudi Arabia for damages sustained as a result of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, after the US Senate voted to override President Obama's veto on the matter.

The US Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected President Barack Obama's veto of legislation allowing relatives of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, paving the way for the first veto override of his eight-year presidency.

The final vote was 97-1 against the veto, a blow to Saudi Arabia, a frequent US partner in the Middle East recently subject to harsh criticism in the US Congress.

If two-thirds of House members also support the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act," known as JASTA, as expected, it would be the first veto override since Obama became president in 2009.
 mme.am
28/9/16