Obama Vetoes 9/11 Bill

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has censured President Barack Obama for vetoing a bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia in American courts, saying, if elected, he would allow Americans to sue Saudis.

The bill would carve out an exception to sovereign immunity – the legal doctrine that protects foreign governments from lawsuits – if a plaintiff claims to have suffered injury in the US from state-sponsored terrorism.

The measure “would upset longstanding worldwide principles regarding sovereign immunity, putting in place rules that, if applied globally, could have serious implications for US national interests”, the White House said Friday in a three-page veto message to the Senate. Lawmakers can override the president’s veto by a two-thirds majority of both houses. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) cruised through both the House of Representatives and the Senate, with its final adoption coming just two days before the nation marked the 15th anniversary of the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.

The legislation as it stands would lift the protection of sovereign immunity, as now mandated under a 1976 law, for cases involving terrorist attacks within the USA, allowing lawsuits brought against Riyadh by families of 9/11 victims to go forward. “It will deter terrorism and hold accountable those nations that support and fund it”, the statement continued. After furious lobbying to try to peel off supporters, the White House said on Friday it was unclear whether enough had defected to avert an override.

Earnest stressed that Obama had a strong record of looking out for the families of those who lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks and that he had ordered the operation to take Osama bin Laden off the battlefield.

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi has said an override would pass in the Republican-controlled lower chamber.

Analysts argue that Saudi Arabia only played a minor role in 9/11, but the operation was essentially carried out by Israeli and American intelligence agencies to destroy the seven countries in five years, that were enemies or threats to the Zionist regime.

Senator Chuck Schumer, who co-wrote the legislation and has championed it, immediately made clear how hard it will be for Obama to sustain the veto.

The legislation “does not enhance the safety of Americans from terrorist attacks, and undermines core USA interests”, Mr. Obama said.

JASTA would be a special case abrogation of sovereign immunity, a legal premise that allows governments to do whatever they want without fear of legal repercussions from individuals.

Still, some members from both parties have called for Congress to delay its planned override vote so that lawmakers could try to renegotiate the bill with the White House.

With the White House acknowledging that a veto is politically unpopular, Mr. Obama launched into a defense of his administration’s counterterrorism strategies. Under the current law only countries that have been designated as sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran, can be sued. He says the legislation could leave American troops and diplomats vulnerable to lawsuits in foreign courts from people seeking redress for actions taken by armed groups that are backed or trained by the United States.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis) said earlier last week that he believes ” the votes are there for the override.” Sen.

“A number of our allies and partners have already contacted us with serious concerns about the bill”, Mr. Obama said.