John Bolton: ‘That Would be an Act of War’

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton has not seen the 28 classified pages of the 9/11 Commission Report. But, he absolutely believes they should be made public.

During an interview with Breitbart News Daily host Stephen K. Bannon on SiriusXM, Bolton said if the Saudi government participated in the terrorist acts of 9/11, the proper response would not be a lawsuit, but rather a “comparable response” to the “act of war.” He opposes the law Congress is attempting to enact that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia.

“Just as the Bush administration overthrew the Taliban al-Qaida regime in Afghanistan because of that attack, a comparable response would be warranted against the Saudis, or anybody else who did that to us,” he said. “Only in America’s over-lawyered society can people think that the answer, if there was Saudi involvement, is to sue them. I think that’s why we need to look at the ramifications of this kind of law elsewhere in the world.

“Sovereign immunity is a difficult doctrine to understand. It seems to protect wrongdoing. It actually is more of a shield for the United States. Can you imagine in the conspiracy-minded societies in different regions of the world, or the anti-American feeling—let’s say in some quarters in Europe—that if their governments removed sovereign immunity for the United States the kind of lawsuits that would be brought about us.”

Bolton also urged caution when it comes to the contents of the classified pages. He reiterated his support for President George W. Bush’s administration.

“It’s important to get the 28 pages released and if they turn out to be as devastating as people say, then let’s take a look at what needs to be done,” he said. “On the other hand, if it turns out it’s a lot of hype and speculation and rumor and innuendo and so on, then let’s think back to the Bush administration, which heard all these allegations, read the 28 pages and concluded that the Saudi government was not involved in 9/11 …

“Do you really think George W. Bush covered up a Saudi attack on the United States? I don’t believe it. I’ll just say it flat-out. I don’t believe that’s what the administration did.”