Iraqis Demand Compensation for US Invasion

Using the "9/11 bill" as an example, Iraqis have asked their parliament to consider a similar law that would allow them to sue the US for compensation regarding their invasion in 2003.The US recently passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which allows the families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi Arabian government, overriding the principle of sovereign immunity.In response to this, the Arab Project in Iraq lobby group has come forward with the intention to "ask for compensation from the United States over violations by the US forces following the US invasion that saw the toppling of late President Saddam Hussein in 2003, " according to Al-Arabiya news. "It urged for a full-fledged investigation over the killing of civilians targets, loss of properties and individuals who suffered torture and other mistreatment on the hand of US forces."

This group appears to be the first to take advantage of the precedent that was set by the JASTA law. While President Obama had tried to veto the act, his decision was quickly overruled by Congress. But reciprocity principles mean that the US is also vulnerable to the same legal action that is outlined in the "9/11 bill;" not just in Saudi Arabia but from those affected by US foreign policy around the world. Governments and citizens could potentially be at risk of legal action.To give an example, a US veteran who served in the Vietnam war could easily be sued by the Vietnamese government or a citizen of that country. Larry Pressler, a former republican senator and Vietnam Veteran, wrote this for The Hill:

As a Vietnam combat veteran, I could almost certainly be sued by the Vietnamese government or by a Vietnamese citizen. The Gulf War, Iraq War and Afghanistan War veterans are more protected by constitutional congressional actions, but we Vietnam veterans will be raw targets if Americans can sue Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia denies any involvement in the 9/11 attacks, and has stated that it may be forced to sell off billions of US assets to avoid sanctions if JASTA is allowed to proceed; a move that could potentially destabilize the US dollar.