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Saudi cabinet urges U.S. congress to reconsider law on 9/11 attacks

Xinhua, October 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Saudi cabinet on Monday expressed hope that the U.S. Congress would reconsider a law allowing families of 9/11 victims to sue the kingdom, warning of "grave consequences."

The cabinet said that the adoption of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) is of great concern to the international community, Saudi acting Minister of Culture and Information Essam bin Saad bin Saeed told the Saudi Press Agency following Monday's cabinet meeting.

The international relations are governed by the principle of equality and sovereign immunity, which has been in place for hundreds of years, and the weakening of the sovereign immunity affects negatively all countries, including the United States, he added.

The controversial bill was pushed forward on the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as some U.S. politicians are pushing for the right of the families of the victims to sue Saudi Arabia for compensations, a matter that was strongly rejected by the kingdom and its allies.

Last week, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly rejected President Barack Obama's veto of the legislation.

According to U.S. reports, a lawsuit was filed this week against Saudi Arabia. Endit