court: saudi arabia not liable for 9/11

from ap: A federal appeals court has ruled (188kb PDF) that Saudi Arabia and four of its princes cannot be held liable in the Sept. 11 attacks. The appeals court issued the ruling Thursday, saying the Saudi defendants are protected by sovereign immunity. It also agreed with a lower court that a Saudi banker and a charitable organization cannot be held liable. The Saudi defendants were among hundreds of other defendants sued by victims of the attacks, including the families of those who died. Other defendants in the case include foreign governments, charities and individuals alleged to have provided financial and logistical support to al-Qaida.

ed asner wants ballot referendum for new 9/11 probe
from gothamist: Watch your back, Dick Cheney! Actor Ed Asner, former Dallas Cowboy Mark Stepnoski, and formerly famous hip hop group Arrested Development are leading a petition drive to get a referendum on New York City’s November ballot that would establish a new 9/11 investigation. If the group, called 911 Truth, can collect 30,000 signatures before September 4th, the City Council will be required to consider the measure, which calls for an investigative panel with subpoena authority. Former Senator Mike Gravel (who would join the panel along with former senator Lincoln Chafee, Asner and 9/11 widow Lorie Van Auken) tells NY Mag that “the original commission didn’t get to the bottom of anything. We need to investigate from scratch.”