GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdul Latif Al Zayani said that passing such a flawed bill will have a negative impact on relations between gulf states and the US.
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The State of Qatar, he said, warns against the repercussions and dangers of such a bill, which would have detrimental implications on relations between states.
Qatar expressed yesterday its concern regarding the US Senate’s passing of a bill that allows victims of September 11 to sue governments of foreign countries in US courts.
The Qatari official said that the passed bill represents a risky precedent.
Sheikh Abdullah said the law would “negatively affect worldwide efforts and cooperation to combat terrorism”, and that the UAE was looking forward to congress reviewing the law and not ratifying it.
However, Obama’s veto could be overridden by a two-thirds majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.
“I was disheartened to hear the White House make, on multiple occasions, thinly-veiled threats indicating President Obama would veto this legislation”.
The approval from the usually gridlocked USA legislature came despite warnings from his administration that the law would end the principle of sovereign immunity for states in domestic courts and put Americans at risk when they travel overseas.
“Today’s vote sends an unmistakable message that we should combat terrorism with every tool we have, and that the families of those lost in attacks like that on September 11 should have every means at their disposal to seek justice”, Sen.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers who crashed airliners in NY, outside Washington and in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001 were Saudi nationals, but the Saudi government has strongly denied responsibility and has lobbied against the bill.
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The law in question is largely targeted at Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally.
