Alwaght- Overriding the US president’s veto, and passing the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), could be the start of new developments in US relations with old allies, especially with Saudi Arabia because according to JASTA Riyadh is the prime suspect regarding this issue. Regardless of the effects of JASTA on Democratic and Republican parties at the midst of the presidential election and also the parliamentary election, this law will greatly change the relations between Washington and Riyadh. JASTA can seriously affect the way of current and future cooperation between the two countries. One of the consequences of this law, regarding the public image of Saudi Arabia in US and the International System.
It can easily be said that one of the consequences of the Justice Act against supporters of terrorism for the Saudi Arabia, is the effects of this law on the public opinion. If Saudi Arabia’s public image in US, other countries, the region, and inside Saudi Arabia itself changes, it could greatly increase the domain of JASTA in financial and credential fields. It should also be mentioned that these fields can greatly alter the political-economic situation.
By providing petrodollars to Salafis, and the Saudis’ logistical support of the radical and moderate Salafis, the public picture of Saudi Arabia has been tarnished. The passing of this law by the US Congress helps to show the true face of Saudi Arabia to the general public. It also vindicates the role of Saudis in the September 11 attack. Especially because, since September 11, it was evident that 15 of the 19 terrorist who had hands in the attack were from Saudi Arabia.
Until JASTA was passed in the US Congress, a large portion of US public was not sure about Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the September 11 attack.
Some of the main reasons that have helped the process of tarnishing Saudi Arabia’s picture in the general public’s eyes are the role of Arab-Saudi lobbies in the US, creating financial and credential expenses in order to put pressure on politicians, economical firms, research centers, media, art-scientific associations and the presence of the new generation of Saudis, especially women, in US for business and education. These reasons had induced this thought that the Saudis have actually understood the concepts and rules of modernity and have blended amongst the Westerners.
Therefore, in the general public’s eyes, JASTA could disparage decades of Saudi Arabia's efforts for portraying a proper image by creating billions of dollars in US. JASTA revealed the real face of Saudi Arabia to the people of the US. Thus, this procedure, which has been started due to the complaints that were filed by the families of three thousand victims and lots of injured survivors, can put Saudi Arabia under multilateral pressures. JASTA can also have a decisive role in the judgments of US citizens about the future comportments of Saudi Arabia. It can also make the situation more difficult for the Saudis and increase the costs for modifying the country’s public image.
