Kathryn, it’s probably worth noting that the BBC headline is misleading. The Saudis were not “cleared” of charges that they supported al Qaeda in the sense of being not guilty. To the contrary, Judge Casey of the federal district court in Manhattan, found that the government of Saudi Arabia was immune from suit. It’s like diplomatic immunity: it doesn’t mean they didn’t do it; it just means they can’t be hauled into court for it. The idea is that this is an international relations problem to be dealt with by the political branches and in which U.S. courts ought not interfere.