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UAE warns of "long-term" impact of U.S. congress 9/11 ruling

Xinhua, September 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said Thursday the UAE condemns U.S. Congress' overriding of a presidential veto of a bill targeting Saudi Arabia, UAE daily Gulf news reported.

Gargash said the move was a "dangerous precedent" in international law that undermines the principle of sovereign immunity and the future of sovereign investments in the United States.

Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama said the vote to override his veto of legislation allowing relatives of the victims of the 9/11 attacks to take legal actions against the government of Saudi Arabia under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (Jasta) a "mistake."

"The populism surrounding the Jasta law overcame the rationality required in matters of international law and investments. It will have long-term and serious implications," Gargash tweeted.

He added the move against Saudi Arabia in the U.S. was "unreasonable and demagogic." The kingdom, he added, had suffered itself "the most from extremism and terrorism."

"Our reactions at the legal and investment levels should not be hasty. Easing the damage requires focused and joint action. Logic and reason will always prevail," tweeted Gargash.

The UAE is Saudi Arabia's neighbor state and its closest political ally in the Middle East. Endit