Why the US has most to lose from 9/11 law

JASTA, the new law just voted in by the US Congress seems to forget decades of distinguished ties and cooperation in various fields with Saudi Arabia, but the Kingdom has an array of options to answer back, including curtailing official contacts, pulling out billions of dollars from the US economy, and persuading its close allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council to scale back counterterrorism cooperation, investments in the US and American access to important regional air bases.
"This should be clear to America and to the rest of the world: When one GCC state is targeted unfairly, the others stand by it," said Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, an Emirati Gulf specialist and professor of political science at United Arab Emirates University.
"All the states will stand by Saudi Arabia in every way possible," he said.
He reminded of the time last year, when Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom strongly criticized Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the Kingdom unleashed a fierce diplomatic salvo that jolted Stockholm's standing in the Arab world and threatened Swedish business interests in the Gulf. 
Sweden eventually backpedaled.
Amer Sabaileh, a Jordanian geopolitical expert and director of the Mempsi think tank, told Arab News that the JASTA bill represents a new phase in the relation between the US and its allies.
“It comes at an already critical phase in the US-Arab relations. Therefore, many negative repercussions are expected in the US ties with other countries. This gesture represents a unilateral step that will definitely increase the conflict with some countries and create conflicts with some others,” Sabaileh said.
“The JASTA bill will have very negative implications on the American-Saudi ties, but we have to be also aware that this gesture has not only a political but also an economic dimension and it can also put the Saudi assets in the US at real risk of being seized. Moreover, it will pave the way for Saudi Arabia to stand accused and charged with global terrorism,” he added.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in June that the US has the most to lose if JASTA is enacted.
Despite reports that Riyadh threatened to pull billions of dollars from the US economy if the bill becomes law, Al-Jubeir says Saudi Arabia has only warned that investor confidence in the US could decline.
Abdullah, the Gulf analyst at UAE University, said that as a result of the law being passed, he expects to see a GCC that acts more assertively and independently of the US in places like Yemen, Bahrain and Egypt.
"This is not just a threat. This is the reality," he said.
Founder and President of the Saudi American Public Relations Affairs Committee (SAPRAC) Salman Ansari said the Congress’ revoking Obama’s veto is a massive snub to the president.
“The decision to override Obama’s veto came at a very critical time of presidential elections, slated for November. Unlike previous cases, the Congress’ decision to override the veto was based on personal interests,” he said, adding that the US will suffer serious political, security and diplomatic repercussions because of the decision.
“JASTA will give terrorists and extremists an extra reason to attack the US and undermine its security and stability under the pretext that it fights Islam and Muslims and blackmails them. Those fanatics will also seek to reactivate demonizing the US and call for its punishment,” he said.
Economically, he said, foreign investors will feel threatened by the new law and there is a big possibility that they would relocate their investments to another country where they feel more secure. Diplomatically, the decision will shake America's international ties not only with Arab and Muslim allies, but also with Western countries.

Source: Arab News