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World|politics|September 30, 2016 / 03:19 PM
Saudi Arabia condemns passage of U.S. 9/11 law

AKIPRESS.COM - 9-11 law Saudi Arabia has condemned a recently passed U.S. law allowing the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks to sue the Saudi government, reported Al Jazeera.

The U.S. Congress voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to override President Barack Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) on relations between states.

JASTA allows attack survivors and relatives of victims to pursue cases against foreign governments in U.S. federal court and to demand compensation if such governments are proved to bear some responsibility for attacks on American soil.

In a statement on Thursday, the Saudi government said the enactment of the law was a matter "of great concern" and called on the U.S. Congress "to avoid the serious unintended consequences that may ensue", without elaborating on what the consequences might be.

"The erosion of sovereign immunity will have a negative impact on all nations, including the United States," the Saudi foreign ministry said in the statement.

Fifteen of the 19 men who carried out the 2001 attacks were Saudi nationals, but Saudi Arabia, a major U.S. ally, has long denied any involvement in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

In opposing the law, Obama said it would harm U.S. interests by undermining the principle of sovereign immunity, opening up the U.S. to private lawsuits over its military missions abroad.

The erosion of sovereign immunity is also a concern among the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, of which Saudi Arabia is the most powerful member.

Saudi Arabia's Gulf allies have lined up beside Riyadh to criticize the law.

Analysts said a successful lawsuit against the Saudi government would be unlikely at best, but speculated that the uncertainty surrounding the legal implications could negatively affect bilateral trade and investment with an ally.

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