Dubai: UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash took to Twitter on Thursday to launch a scathing condemnation of the US Congress’ overriding of a presidential veto of a bill targeting Saudi Arabia.
Gargash said the move was a dangerous precedent in international law that undermines the principle of soverign immunity and the future of sovereign investments in the US.
Earlier on Wednesday, US President Barack Obama called the vote to override his veto of legislation allowing relatives of the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks to sue Saudi Arabia’s government a mistake.
“If we eliminate this notion of sovereign immunity, then our men and women in uniform around the world could potentially start seeing ourselves subject to reciprocal loss,” Obama said during a town hall meeting-style interview on CNN, referring to potential lawsuits.
“It’s a dangerous precedent,” he said.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: “I would venture to say that this is the single most embarrassing thing that the United States Senate has done, possibly, since 1983,” as the 97-1 vote was the widest margin for an override vote since 1983.
Obama delivered a more measured, but still harsh, assessment.
Gargash echoed Obama’s condemnation, but warned of consequences.
“The populism surrounding the Jasta law overcame the rationality required in matters of international law and investments. It will have long term and serious implications,” he tweeted.
He called the incitement against Saudi Arabia in the US “unreasonable and demagogic”, adding that the kingdom had “suffered the most from extremism and terrorism”.
“Our reactions at the legal and investment levels should not be hasty. Easing the damage requires focussed and joint action. Logic and reason will always prevail,” he tweeted.
A Saudi foreign ministry source on Thursday called on the US Congress "to take the necessary measures to counter the disastrous and dangerous consequences" of the law.
The unnamed spokesman, cited by the official Saudi Press Agency, said the law is "a source of great worry."
This law "weakens the immunity of states", and will have a negative impact on all countries "including the United States," the Saudi spokesman said, expressing hope that "wisdom will prevail."
