Former U.S. officials and experts confirmed that Saudi Arabia has an a lot of options to act in response to the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) law which allows families of the victims of September 11 to take legal action against Saudi Arabia.
Officials told The New York Times that Saudi Arabia could regulate diplomatic representation, pull billions of dollars from the U.S. economy, and convince its close allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council to scale back counter terrorism cooperation, investments and U.S. right to use its important regional air bases.
Chas Freeman, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the Saudi Arabia could respond in ways that risk U.S. strategic interests.
“The souring of relations and decrease of official contacts that this legislation would inevitably produce could also jeopardize Saudi cooperation against anti-American terrorism,” he said.
For his part, Joseph Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, estimated that Saudi assets in the government are about $500 billion and $1 trillion, especially when considering potential foreign bank deposits and offshore accounts.
Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, an Emirati Gulf specialist and professor of political science at United Arab Emirates University said: “This should be clear to America and to the rest of the world: When one GCC state is targeted unfairly, the others stand around it.”
“All the states will stand by Saudi Arabia in every way possible,” he said.
U.S. Senate and House voted to overrule President Barack Obama’s veto of the Sept. 11 legislation, JASTA which was passed by the U.S. congress very recently.
Lawmakers said that: “Saudi Arabia is not the priority, but the 9/11 victims and their families.”
In June, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters that U.S. has the most to lose if JASTA is enacted.
Despite reports that Riyadh threatened to pull billions of dollars from the U.S. economy if the bill becomes law, Jubeir says Saudi Arabia has only warned that investor confidence in the U.S. could decline.
Chas Freeman, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the Saudi Arabia could respond in ways that risk U.S. strategic interests.
“The souring of relations and decrease of official contacts that this legislation would inevitably produce could also jeopardize Saudi cooperation against anti-American terrorism,” he said.
For his part, Joseph Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, estimated that Saudi assets in the government are about $500 billion and $1 trillion, especially when considering potential foreign bank deposits and offshore accounts.
Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, an Emirati Gulf specialist and professor of political science at United Arab Emirates University said: “This should be clear to America and to the rest of the world: When one GCC state is targeted unfairly, the others stand around it.”
“All the states will stand by Saudi Arabia in every way possible,” he said.
U.S. Senate and House voted to overrule President Barack Obama’s veto of the Sept. 11 legislation, JASTA which was passed by the U.S. congress very recently.
Lawmakers said that: “Saudi Arabia is not the priority, but the 9/11 victims and their families.”
In June, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters that U.S. has the most to lose if JASTA is enacted.
Despite reports that Riyadh threatened to pull billions of dollars from the U.S. economy if the bill becomes law, Jubeir says Saudi Arabia has only warned that investor confidence in the U.S. could decline.