9/11 veto to damage Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton: Lecturer

Press TV has interviewed James Fetzer, a Lecturer at the University of Minnesota Duluth from Madison, about US President Barack Obama’s using of veto power to block legislation that allows the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for reparations.  

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: The US president has justified his veto as essential to protect Americans abroad and US allies. Now how much do you think his decision was influenced by wanting to protect the Saudi Arabia?

Fetzer: Well, the Saudis have threatened to withdraw investments in the United States, a total three-quarters of a trillion dollars, but when you have 15 of the 19 purported hijackers from Saudi Arabia and when you have the 28 pages of the 9/11 Commission report that have been suppressed about Saudi Arabian financing for 9/11, the American people are not going to be happy about this. Barack Obama is going to suffer of furor over this. It's going to damage his reputation and it's going to hurt the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

Press TV: When Obama said they need to protect Americans and US allies, what are you inferring here? I mean that the US personnel have had complicity in terrorism or the US has equipped its allies with weapons knowing that they may be used to commit war crimes or acts of terror. Please help us read into the premise that Obama has employed here.

Fetzer: Yes, he is implying that if the United States allows an action to be taken against another nation, in this instance Saudi Arabia, over alleged crimes it has committed against the United States, then other nations will be similarly entitled to take action against the United States for the crimes they have committed against those nations which incidentally are overwhelmingly greater in their magnitude in their number and the devastation they have wrought upon those other nations. My opinion is that fair is fair and that if anyone has a legitimate be for the United States, they ought to be able to bring lawsuits against the United States. Barack Obama is attempting to cover the United States from any responsibility for its atrocities abroad by not allowing the precedent to be set here.

Press TV: Yet it seems that Congress doesn't agree with you as they want to override the veto, your opinion here. Has the bill died with President Obama or do you think lawmakers will bring it back to life?

Fetzer: Oh no, they agree with me I was explaining Obama's rationale. The bill actually has never been debated in either the House or the Senate and left from the House Judiciary Committee to a voice vote because of a looming 9/11 observance forthcoming in the Senate passed by a voice vote with no discussion or debate. Now because of the veto there's going to be extensive discussion and it's going to be very damaging to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I do believe that the House and the Senate will override the veto.

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