united-states international constitutional-law
What does the 9/11 bill mean for foreign governments?
<p>Congress is about to pass a 9/11 that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi Government. Does this open a 'Pandora's box' where other foreign governments like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, etc..can sue the US government? Very interesting bill. </p>

<p>Not as much as some people seem to think. <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1605" rel="nofollow">28 USC 1605</a> already allows suing foreign governments, so this isn't violating some huge legal taboo. Libya was successfully sued over Pan Am Flight 103. The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2040/text" rel="nofollow">new bill</a> extends the existing right in some way (I don't have the sitzfleisch to distill out the difference at the moment).</p>
