Climate changing in US against Saudi Arabia: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed James Jatras, a former US Senate foreign policy analyst in Washington, about a prominent American lawmaker characterizing as “shocking” a classified 28-page congressional report on the September, 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Now essentially it has been said that for the US Congress it is a matter of national security and let’s say facing potential terrorist threats to the country but when it comes to the president and his administration it seems like it is more of an issue of sovereign immunity and its removal. Can you expand on that a little bit for us?

Jatras: Well first off as far as the 9/11 Commission Report, the 28-pages go, I think this is a classic abuse of the security system to keep these pages away from the public. I do not think anybody really seriously thinks it would injure US national security to reveal this information but it would embarrass a lot of people who have a very cozy, very well remunerated relationship with Saudi Arabia, and that is why they want to keep it quiet.

But as the report points out it would also facilitate these lawsuits and pretty much everybody who has looked at these pages and seriously considered the matter thinks that this information should be released and these people should be allowed to sue and I think that climate is changing against Saudi Arabia in this country.

Press TV: How much of a way do you think the president’s rationale in sticking to his guns and essentially seeking to veto the Congress and the Senate’s ruling is widely shared with the broader American political spectrum?

Jatras: Well I think this illustrates just how deep the corruption is in American government in both parties, in Congress and in the executive branch because of the influence the Saudis pedal in Washington DC, the billions of dollars of arms they buy and the money they spend on public relations and lobbyists, it shows, and I think that is beginning to crack. I think we see a cracking most directly in the Congress, after all it is an election year, these people are up for re-election, President Obama is not running for anything anymore so maybe he cares a little bit less and he is protecting his friends. We will see if he can withstand that pressure.

Press TV: And given what you referred to as a crack, how would you predict the future of Riyadh and Washington relations at a time when Obama won’t be a president no more of course?

Jatras: I do not think Obama will throw in the towel before he leaves the White House, I could be surprised that he might change his mind, I am guessing he probably won’t, but I am guessing the next president especially if it is Donald Trump who has himself called for the release of this information and the right of these families to sue, I think that information will be made public and I think that these suits will go forward.

Press TV: And very briefly, finally, the American people, how can they essentially bring to bear for their pressure on the US administration and what kind of a role will, let’s say, the NGOs play in this regard?

Jatras: I think the American people and the NGOs are … somewhat different ... Let’s remember most of the NGOs in this country are what they are called quangos, quasi non-governmental organizations, they are financed one way or the other by the government and by some of the government contractors, including the big arms manufacturers who benefit from its Saudi contracts.

The public on the other hand, the grassroots in both parties from the right to the left and center of the American political spectrum, is increasingly outraged by this and I think we are seeing a shift in the public mood and we know which side the people are on.

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