US Congress overrides Obama's veto on 9/11 bill
The US Congress has passed into law a controversial bill that allows family members of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for its alleged backing of the attackers. Both the Senate and House voted on Wednesday in favor of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA, despite warnings from Obama and top Pentagon officials that the move could put American troops and interests at risk.
The vote was a blow to Obama and to Saudi Arabia - one of the US' oldest allies in the Arab world. Former senator speaks about 9/11 report Obama, who vetoed the measure last week, said in a letter to Senate leaders on Tuesday that other countries could use JASTA to justify similar immunity exceptions to target US policies and activities that they oppose. "If any of these litigants were to win judgments - based on foreign domestic laws as applied by foreign courts - they would begin to look to the assets of the US government held abroad to satisfy those judgments, with potentially serious financial consequences for the United States," Obama said at the time.
Questions
- Do you think this will further worsen United States' relationship with Saudi Arabaia and other Arab countries?
- Do you think this law could have a backlash on the U.S?
- Why does the pentagon believe this law could be consequential?
I think this will definitely worsen relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations. It may be difficult to maintain a cordial relationship with Saudi Arabia, when some of our citizens are suing their government. Any willingness to cooperate may dwindle, and diplomacy as a whole may be further jeopardized. Also, as Obama claimed, this could be used as a basis to interrogate American policy and past action, opening up a path way to destroy many relationships with Arab countries and even other countries around the world.
ReplyDeleteGlobal collaboration and peace is based on the formation of international alliances. However, how can other countries work with the United States if our citizens are suing them? Although there is evidence of the lack of prevention on the part of Saudi Arabia in the 9/11 attack, that is not justification to allow US citizens to sue a foreign country. The diplomatic consequences will clearly jeopardize the US's interests in and relationship with Saudi Arabia. Members of Congress know this.
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ReplyDeleteBy passing a law that allows for citizens to sue Saudi Arabia, its relationship with America will worsen. By allowing for American citizens to sue Said Arabia it opens the door for future problems in the Middle East, which is the main concern of the Pentagon. This will surely lead to future conflicts and set a poor example of how to conduct relations with other countries.
ReplyDeleteI think passing this law would have a backlash on the United States. Other issues may be dragged into lawsuits such as U.S. personnel might find themselves dragged into lawsuits abroad over American drone use in Pakistan and Afghanistan, or even its support for Israel. I also think that the bill will be damaging our close and effective cooperation with other countries and could ultimately have a negative effect on our own counter-terrorism efforts.
ReplyDeleteI think this could definitely cause backlash upon the US simply because people don't like to be blamed for things they didn't do. Whether or not the Saudi government backed the al-Qaeda actors, forcing them to pay reparations to thousands of families is not really a strong or meaningful solution. Essentially, the trade off would be much less fruitful for Americans than for the violent motivations of Middle Eastern extremist groups and individuals who will simply have their dislike of the US fueled once again.
ReplyDeleteI believe this law has the potential to create backlash against the US. Although it is understandable that people are upset about the loss of their loved ones, this action can only create further distress. Not only does the ability to sue seem to exceed to statue of limitations, but it can also antagonize one of our closest foreign allies in the Middle East. With conflict already at an all time high the last thing we need is to anger another Middle Eastern country.
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