(VOVworld) -   US President Barack Obama will veto a bill that allows survivors and families of victims of the September 11 terror attacks to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for damages they suffered.

President Barack Obama pays tribute to victims of the 9/11 terror attacks at the Pentagon. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday that lawsuits against Saudi Arabia would not be an effective way to counter terrorism and would raise concerns among US allies in the Gulf States. It's not hard to imagine other countries using this law as an excuse to haul US diplomats, service members, or companies into courts all around the world, Earnest said, so this bill, if it came into force, could increase the risks the US has to face. President Obama has vowed to veto the bill because it violates the fundamental principle of sovereign immunity, which protects nation states from both civil and criminal lawsuits.

If President Obama vetos the bill, both houses of the Congress have the authority to hold a referendum on the veto. If each house gets two thirds support, Obama’s veto would be annulled.