us congress rejects obamas veto of saudi 911 bill
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

The first such rebuke during his 8year presidency

US Congress rejects Obama's veto of Saudi 9 / 11 bill

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicleUS Congress rejects Obama's veto of Saudi 9 / 11 bill

The House voted 348-77 to reject the veto of a bill allowing 9/11 victims
Washington - Arab Today

The US Congress voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to override Barack Obama's veto of a bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, the first such rebuke during his eight-year presidency.

The Senate overrode the veto in a 97-1 vote, followed a short time later by the House of Representatives, which knocked it down with a 348-77 vote.

The rare act of bipartisanship was a blow to Obama, who lobbied hard against the bill, known as the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA).

Obama called Wednesday's vote a "dangerous precedent."

"I understand why it happened," he said on CNN. "Obviously, all of us still carry the scars and trauma of 9/11."

But he said the decision would harm US national interests by undermining the principle of sovereign immunity, opening up the United States to private lawsuits over its military missions abroad. 

"Our men and women in uniform around the world could potentially start seeing ourselves subject to reciprocal loss."

Some of the lawmakers who voted for the override didn't know what was in the bill, he said, calling the result "basically a political vote."

White House press secretary Josh Earnest earlier called the Senate vote "the single most embarrassing thing" the legislative body has done in decades.

"Ultimately these senators are going to have to answer their own conscience and their constituents as they account for their actions today," he told reporters traveling with Obama in Richmond, Virginia. 

Coming in Obama's last months in office, the vote shows the White House to be much weakened.

Obama has issued 12 vetoes during his presidency. None have been overridden until now, a rare feat given Republicans' longstanding control of Congress.

His Republican predecessor George W. Bush also issued 12 vetoes, of which four were overridden. The last president to avoid an override was the legendary Democratic congressional dealmaker -- and former senator and congressman -- Lyndon Johnson.

- 'Devastating consequences' -

In a letter to Republican and Democratic Senate leaders obtained by AFP, Obama had previously warned of "devastating" consequences for the Pentagon, service members, diplomats and the intelligence services.

The 9/11 measure would "neither protect Americans from terrorist attacks, nor improve the effectiveness of our response to such attacks," he warned.

"The United States relies on principles of immunity to prevent foreign litigants and foreign courts from second-guessing our counterterrorism operations and other actions that we take every day."

RNC chair Reince Priebus said Obama's veto "showed remarkable disregard for the families of 9/11 victims, and the Senate has done the right thing by overwhelmingly overriding his poor decision."

Meanwhile Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio said the override was "about holding anyone who supports terrorists accountable, and getting their victims the justice they deserve."

Families of 9/11 victims have campaigned for the law, convinced the Saudi government had a hand in the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people.

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens, but no link to the government has been proven. The Saudi government denies any ties to the plotters.

Declassified documents showed US intelligence had multiple suspicions about links between the Saudi government and the attackers.

"While in the United States, some of the 9/11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi government," a finding read.

The bill's co-sponsor, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer, told senators it "would allow the victims of 9/11 to pursue some small measure of justice."

Behind the scenes, Riyadh lobbied furiously for the bill to be scrapped.

A senior Saudi prince reportedly threatened to pull billions of dollars out of US assets if it were to become law, although Saudi officials now distance themselves from that claim.

The US-Saudi relationship had already been strained by Obama's engagement with Saudi's Shia foe Iran and the July release of a secret report on Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks.

Source: AFP

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

us congress rejects obamas veto of saudi 911 bill us congress rejects obamas veto of saudi 911 bill

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 06:29 2018 Sunday ,21 January

500 new trainees join US-backed Syria border force

GMT 10:31 2017 Sunday ,20 August

the history of solar eclipses

GMT 16:36 2017 Tuesday ,05 December

Gulf Air launches Bahrain Tourist Visa Service

GMT 03:19 2012 Saturday ,15 September

FREEDOM

GMT 06:56 2014 Friday ,12 September

No winners in Gaza

GMT 22:30 2012 Monday ,16 July

Sudan ruling party says protests \'ridiculous\'

GMT 07:09 2012 Wednesday ,20 June

Sudan and South Sudan border tensions

GMT 12:02 2012 Tuesday ,17 April

What the Living Do

GMT 17:33 2017 Saturday ,25 March

Caceres recalled to Paraguay squad for Brazil clash

GMT 17:18 2017 Tuesday ,19 December

Bahrain weather forecast

GMT 09:35 2017 Sunday ,29 October

Actress Annabella Sciorra accuses Weinstein of rape

GMT 13:43 2017 Thursday ,16 November

People Magazine names Blake Shelton 'sexiest man alive'

GMT 18:10 2017 Monday ,17 April

GCC Secretary-General Condemns Syria Blast
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle