9/11 bill: Woman wants to sue Saudi Arabia over daughter's death in September 11 attacks

'There should be justice meted out in courts, and those culpable for the manipulation of lives and deaths ought to pay, in every and any way possible'

The Senate has passed the bill but Obama may veto it (Getty)

A woman whose daughter was killed on 9/11 has announced she is planning to sue Saudi Arabia under highly controversial, proposed legislation.

Donna Marsh O’Conner is among those who would be given the right under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which was passed by the Senate on 17 May, to sue the Saudi Arabian government for its alleged role in 9/11, in which nearly 3,000 people died.

“This lawsuit would give back funds to the victims’ families – fiscal autonomy. I want that for my sons,” Mrs Marsh O’Conner wrote in an article for The Guardian.

“I want them never to worry about their student loans, never to worry that they might want to study something, to do some good in the world.”

The bill, proposed by Democratic senator Chuck Schumer and Republican John Cornyn and introduced in September 2015, must still be passed by the House of Representatives and approved by the Obama administration.

It has ramped up tensions with Saudi Arabia, which issued a stark warning over potential economic fallout between the two nations if the bill becomes law.

There has been speculation that Barack Obama could refuse to sign the legislation amid warnings from the White House that such a law could cause legal problems for US citizens overseas.

Introduction of the bill has also increased pressure on President Obama to release the 28 pages of a report into 9/11 that contain details about the role of foreign government officials, which have never been made available to the public.

“I believe there will always be money for terrorism when there is a motive. I am under no illusions that this suit would bankrupt anything. But there should be justice meted out in courts, and those culpable for the manipulation of lives and deaths ought to pay, in every and any way possible,” Ms Marsh O’Conner added.