JASTA Would Damage US Relations, Harm Sovereign Immunity – Obama Vetoes

Washington, 22 Dzulhijah 1437/24 September 2016 (MINA) – US President Barack Obama on Friday vetoed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), earlier passed by Congress, saying it would damage US interests with key allies and harm its own global sovereign immunity.

The proposed law, which allows families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue governments for an alleged role, would be “detrimental to US national interests,” KUNA quoted Obama as saying in a veto message to the Senate.

President Obama said he had “deep sympathy” and a “deep appreciation” for the families of the victims, adding his administration was committed to “pursue relentlessly” the “terrorist group” behind the attacks, Al-Qaeda.

However, he said JASTA would “neither protect Americans from terrorist attacks nor improve the effectiveness of our response to such attacks.” It would “reduce the effectiveness” of a US response by “taking such matters out of the hands of national security and foreign policy professionals and placing them in the hands of private litigants and courts,” he warned

The law would allow private litigation in US courts “based on allegations” against foreign governments that are not designated as state sponsors of terrorism and have not taken direct actions against the US, he said.

State sponsor of terrorism designations are made only after careful deliberations by national security, foreign policy, and intelligence professionals, he explained.

The US president also warned that the law would “upset longstanding international principles regarding sovereign immunity” which could damage the sovereign immunity of the US itself.

“The United States has a larger international presence, by far, than any other country, and sovereign immunity principles protect our nation and its Armed Forces, officials, and assistance professionals, from foreign court proceedings,” he underlined.

Threatening US interests and limit cooperation

He also said the draft law would threaten US interests with its key allies and partners, who “have already contacted us with serious concerns about the bill.”

It would also limit cooperation on key national security issues, like counterterrorism, at “a crucial time when we are trying to build coalitions, not create divisions,” he warned.

Several Arab nations, mainly from the Gulf, had voiced their disapproval of the Congress bill passed two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan have both said they would override the veto in a vote before Congress leaves town at the end of next week, according to US reports. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)