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An exercise in futility
3/10/16 10:49![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
luzribeiro.livejournal.comCongress overrides Obama's veto of 9/11 bill letting families sue Saudi Arabia
Good. It's one issue where I actually agree with Congress rather than the president. Although I'm not sure this bill would open anything resembling a Pandora box. I mean, it *could* trigger a wave of lawsuits, but on the other hand, international legal cases tend to be extremely... non-existent. And they don't have much weight. Not to mention that proving the Saudi government's involvement in 9-11 beyond any doubt is a far shot, to say the least. But the families of the victims could at least try. They've waited long enough. Whether the move would be effective, is another question. IMO it would've been much easier to just stop working with the Saudis entirely (not that this is going to happen either, anyway).
The point is, this looks bad for Obama. And possibly for his successor (hopefully Hillary). His sudden desire to ingratiate himself to the Saudis at the end of a term that was defined by almost-hostile relations with them. Besides, he knew his veto would be overridden, and still he went through with it. Not very helpful for his successor. He's practically putting her between a rock and a hard place, and providing ammo to Trump. I'm not seeing much of a win-win motive behind his action here.
Secret Muslim, anyone? ;-)
Good. It's one issue where I actually agree with Congress rather than the president. Although I'm not sure this bill would open anything resembling a Pandora box. I mean, it *could* trigger a wave of lawsuits, but on the other hand, international legal cases tend to be extremely... non-existent. And they don't have much weight. Not to mention that proving the Saudi government's involvement in 9-11 beyond any doubt is a far shot, to say the least. But the families of the victims could at least try. They've waited long enough. Whether the move would be effective, is another question. IMO it would've been much easier to just stop working with the Saudis entirely (not that this is going to happen either, anyway).
The point is, this looks bad for Obama. And possibly for his successor (hopefully Hillary). His sudden desire to ingratiate himself to the Saudis at the end of a term that was defined by almost-hostile relations with them. Besides, he knew his veto would be overridden, and still he went through with it. Not very helpful for his successor. He's practically putting her between a rock and a hard place, and providing ammo to Trump. I'm not seeing much of a win-win motive behind his action here.
Secret Muslim, anyone? ;-)
