'Nonsense': Attorney for 9/11 families rips White House over Saudi bill resistance

close

Video

Sovereign immunity? White House threatens to veto 9/11 bill

'Absolute nonsense' says James Kreindler, co-counsel for 9/11 families and victims

An attorney representing 9/11 victims and their families blasted the White House Wednesday after President Obama's top spokesman indicated the president would veto legislation allowing them to sue the government of Saudi Arabia.

Following the Senate's approval of the legislation, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said it would be "difficult to imagine" Obama signing legislation that would "change longstanding international law regarding sovereign immunity" leaving the U.S. "vulnerable in other court systems around the world."

Attorney James Kreindler, co-chair of the plaintiffs' executive committee representing the 9/11 families and victims, said that's "absolute nonsense."

"For 40 years, there have been exceptions to sovereign immunity and you haven't seen any other country enact laws in response to those exceptions," he said.

"The truth of the matter is the Obama administration unfortunately is doing everything it can to protect Saudi Arabia and protect Saudi Arabia from dealing with the facts," Kreindler told Fox News. "There is absolutely no merit at all to the statement that there would be an impact on diplomacy and the notion that 3,000 murdered Americans, that their families should get nothing and the Saudis should get a free ride because some cockamamie suit could be started in Kazakhstan in the future is pretty insulting."

Saudi Arabia's government has long denied involvement in the attacks.

Watch the interview above.