JASTA another stupid law

Mahmoud Ahmad LAST week, the American Congress overwhelmingly overrode President Barack Obama’s veto of a legislation allowing relatives of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, making this the first veto override of his presidency and that too four months before he leaves the White House. This means the “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act,” JASTA, is law now. Saudi Arabia was quick to respond when a source at the Foreign Ministry revealed that “the enactment of the US legislation allowing 9/11 victims to sue the Kingdom would weaken sovereign immunity and leave a negative impact on all nations, including the United States. JASTA has been opposed publicly by many nations as well as dozens of American national security experts who see the dangers that the law represents.” The official source hoped that “wisdom would prevail and that Congress will take the necessary steps to correct this legislation in order to avoid the serious unintended consequences that may ensue.” I have been reading several articles and analyses since JASTA was approved as a law and the majority view was that America wanted to use this law to make political and economic gains by pressuring our country. Although the law did not specify any country in particular but it looks like Saudi Arabia is the target. This law will open new avenues and increase the appetite of lawyers to abuse this law. This means that the smallest court in America can now sue Saudi Arabia, or any other country, and call to freeze its assets. This law is something of a precedent and has never been enacted by anyone in the history of relations between countries. It has also opened a Pandora’s box, allowing for other countries that might be abused by this law to respond in the same way, making America a victim of this law too. While President Obama had argued the legislation could expose US companies, troops and officials to lawsuits, and alienate important allies at a time of global unrest, the Congress stuck to its guns without realizing its consequence. But only a day after the Congress had overridden the president veto, the lawmakers began expressing doubts about the Sept. 11 legislation. The Republicans leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives began worrying about the “potential consequences” and blamed Obama for not consulting with them “adequately” and also expressed the opinion that many are open to revisit and “fix” the legislation. If in hindsight the law’s consequences instilled fear in the GOP lawmakers, then why enact it in the first place, and then why the stupid haste in overriding the presidential veto? To accuse Saudi Arabia of terrorism or supporting terrorists is simply nonsense. There is no proof that links Saudi Arabia with the Sept. 11 attacks. In fact, Saudi Arabia has suffered a lot from terrorism and terrorist attacks. Saudi Arabia has taken the lead in combating terrorism and has cooperated globally by providing and sharing intelligence that helped other countries to foil terrorist attacks. Everyone knows that Al-Qaeda was behind the Sept. 11 attacks and, they also know who was providing help to that terrorist organization and harboring them and their families, while also providing transportation through their soil to Iraq. You have guessed right, it is none other than the country you all have in mind. Many people believe that this law is just a way to apply extortion by the US on countries. After 15 years following the Sept. 11 attacks, America has chosen this way to blackmail the country, without understanding its ramifications. For the legislation could have serious and negative implications for global US interests. Vietnam vets will be sued unless Congress reverses itself. The veto override also opens up the opportunity for lawsuits against Americans who served all over the world. The Congress override of the president’s veto will trigger the possibility of the Gulf War, Iraq War, Afghanistan War vets to be targets of this populist, and xenophobic legislation. Since America is not above the law, although they think they are, this law could be easily used against them and people can sue America for their actions in the wars around the world. The Iraqi people, who suffered under the hands of American soldiers, can take recourse through this law to file a suit against them. The reports of rape of innocent Iraqi women and boys by their soldiers can be easily used against them. Just the other day, I was watching an old YouTube clip of an American soldier who confessed to the raping of Iraqi women and torturing them, by him and his colleagues in the army. Any victim, like this woman, could file a lawsuit against America under the law they have just enacted. Victims of Vietnam War and any war America waged in this world could use the same law to sue America and demand compensation. How many of the cases America can handle? They’ll surely be snowed under by a possible global deluge, and how will the country and the American personnel handle these cases? Even the Palestinians, who are victim of Zionist aggression, can file lawsuits against America and its staunch ally Israel for supporting the Zionist regime and supplying them with weapons. It can easily turn against them and that’s what President Obama meant by saying the law “could expose US companies, troops and officials to lawsuits, and alienate important allies at a time of global unrest.” Saudi journalist and political analyst, Jamal Khashoggi, responded to this saying that it will be very difficult for Saudi Arabia to continue to cooperate in intel sharing when they (US) take such a hostile position. It is important to have the Americans by our side “to face threats in Syria, Yemen, and to counter Saudi Arabia’s rival Iran.” JASTA is a disastrous law with potentially ruinous effects on the US economy and US policy. Congress has done a lot of stupid things. But this one takes the cake. Ordinary people will suffer for this unwise law. It is said that there are no permanent friends or enemies, but only permanent interests in international relations. The America that we once thought as an ally has exposed itself with this legislation, while trying to accuse us of something that we have not done or to do with us. Our stand, as always, will be that of our government, which in its first response after the veto override has stated its concerns in a measured and sedate reply. — The writer can be reached at [email protected] Twitter: @anajeddawi_eng