President Barack Obama’s advisors would recommend he veto a congressional measure preventing him from transferring detainees from the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said in a statement on Tuesday.
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Earnest said Monday that the White House has had “significant” concerns with the bill because it could open up the U.S.to being continually sued by people in other countries.
The legislation gives victims’ families the right to sue in US court for any role that elements of the Saudi government may have played in the 2001 attacks that killed almost 3,000 people. “It only applies to acts of terrorism that are supported or funded or planned by a foreign government”, King said.
“The way that this bill is now written exposes the United States, U.S. diplomats, U.S. servicemembers and, in some situations, even U.S. companies to significant risk in courts all across the world”, Earnest said.
But the White House believes the bill is not “an effective, forceful way for us to respond to terrorism”, according to Earnest.
On Friday, the House of Representatives approved a bill passed by the Senate in May which would allow the families of the almost 3,000 people who died in the terror attacks on the World Trade Center in NY and the Pentagon in Pennsylvania on 11 September 2001 to sue for damages.
Saudi Arabia denies involvement in the terror attacks. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers responsible for 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia.
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But Mr Obama could also use what is called a “pocket veto” – where he sits on a bill under the Congressional session ends – as lawmakers are due to leave Washington this week in order to prepare for the national elections on 8 November.
