© Justin Lane / Reuters
Comment: Obama claimed it would hurt national security but was also worried the US might get sued:
Obama said other countries could use the law, known as JASTA, as an excuse to sue U.S. diplomats, service members or companies - even for actions of foreign organizations that had received U.S. aid, equipment or training.
"Removing sovereign immunity in U.S. courts from foreign governments that are not designated as state sponsors of terrorism, based solely on allegations that such foreign governments' actions abroad had a connection to terrorism-related injuries on U.S. soil, threatens to undermine these longstanding principles that protect the United States, our forces, and our personnel," Obama said in a statement.
Known as "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act" or JASTA, the bill creates an exemption to the doctrine of sovereign immunity established by a 1976 law, thus allowing US citizens to sue foreign countries for terrorism that kills Americans on US soil.
Fifteen out of 19 men who hijacked commercial airliners and used them as missiles to target the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 were subjects of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two were from the United Arab Emirates.
The Senate passed JASTA in May, while the House voted on it just before the 15th anniversary of 9/11.
Republican majority leaders in Congress are confident they have enough votes to override the veto,
"There will be a roll call vote on the veto override," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) told reporters on Tuesday. "Our assumption is that the veto will be overridden."
"My message to the caucus is going to be, unless there are 34 people willing to fall on their swords over this, it's probably not worth falling on your sword over," said Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Saudi Arabia unsuccessfully tried to block the bill, using the services of its many lobbyists in Washington.
Following the House vote, the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council expressed "deep concern", with Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani calling JASTA "contrary to the foundations and principles of relations between states and the principle of sovereign immunity enjoyed by states," AP reported.
The government of Qatar said the bill "violates international law, particularly the principle of sovereign equality between states," according to Reuters.
Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, said the bill contradicted "established norms of the international law," according to the Egyptian state news agency MENA.
"national security" oooh... there is going to be a whole lot of splainin' to do. Seen the pics of the "hijacker" alive and well, wondering how they got their pictures and names connected to 9/11. And anything the might put into jeopardy the USA, INC.'s empire is a threat to "national security" ... and they might even call it, anti-Semitic. LOL. Can hardly wait for this to unroll.