White House warns Saudi Arabia against massive sales of U.S. assets amid rift over 9/11

The White House on Monday warned Saudi Arabia not to sell U.S. assets and destabilize the international financial system, as the two allies are increasingly locked in a row over the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The warning came in response to U.S. media reports that Riyadh had threatened to sell as much as 750 billion U.S. dollars' worth of American assets should the U.S. Congress pass a bill that could hold Saudi Arabia responsible for any role in the terrorist attacks 15 years ago.

"A country with a modern and large economy like Saudi Arabia would not benefit from a destabilized global financial market, neither would the United States," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest while commenting on the reports.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have shared interest in protecting the stability of the international financial system, he added.

Meanwhile, Earnest noted that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama opposes the bill and Obama would not sign it even if it cleared the legislature.

Obama has reportedly warned lawmakers of the potential economic and diplomatic fallout should the bill get passed, and has lobbied Congress to block it.

As regards Obama's summit with leaders from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Earnest said he does not know whether the issue will come up there. Endi