沙特可能从美国大举撤资 或引发巨额资产抛售

US legislation that allows families of victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia threatens to deter Saudi investment in the US and risks triggering the sale of billions of dollars of assets, Gulf bankers say.

海湾银行家们表示，美国允许9/11恐怖袭击受害者家人起诉沙特政府的法律可能让沙特人不敢在美国投资，并引发巨额资产抛售。

The US Congress on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to override a presidential veto of legislation that waives claims of foreign immunity for terrorist attacks in the US.

美国国会周三以压倒性多数的投票推翻了总统对一项法案的否决令——该法案使得外国政府对美国本土发生的恐怖袭击事件不再享有主权豁免权。

Riyadh has not responded officially to the congressional vote. But Saudis have expressed concerns to bankers that their assets could eventually become the target of legal action.

沙特政府还没有对此作出正式回应。但沙特方面已经向银行家们表示了担忧，即他们的资产可能最终成为法律诉讼的目标。

Bankers say they expect Saudi Arabia to act cautiously as they monitor any legal processes. But Saudi concerns are undermining the case for new investments and raising the prospect of liquidations, they added.

银行家们表示，他们预计沙特将会谨慎回应，关注任何法律进程。但他们补充称，沙特人的担忧让他们没有理由在美国进行新的投资，并提升了他们撤资的前景。

“The Saudis will certainly be more cautious, and the longer-term implications for Saudi assets in the US could be huge,” said a banker, who manages Saudi money.

一位管理沙特人资金的银行家表示：“沙特人当然会更加谨慎，这对沙特人在美资产的较长期影响可能非常大。”

A fund manager in the Gulf said Saudi investors would already be planning to reduce exposure to the US and preparing to reduce US investments.

海湾的一位基金经理表示，沙特投资者已经在计划减少对美国的敞口，并准备削减在美投资。

“They are worried about an asset freeze,” he said.

他说：“他们担心资产遭到冻结。”

Bankers estimate that most of the Saudi government’s and the royal family’s assets are held in the US, placing hundreds of billions of dollars at risk of liquidation. The central bank holds an estimated $170bn in US Treasury bills alone, bankers say.

银行家们估计，沙特政府和王室家族的大部分资产位于美国，这意味着数千亿美元资产变现的风险。银行家们表示，据估计沙特央行持有1700亿美元美国国债。

“It is possible that every institution or person connected to the Saudi government or royal family would have to withdraw their money from all US-based banks,” said the banker. “If a US court orders seizures, it would apply across all US registered companies.”

这位银行家表示：“与沙特政府或王室家族有关的每个机构或个人，可能将不得不把资金从美国境内的所有银行撤出来。如果美国法庭下令扣押，那将适用于所有在美国注册的公司。”

The 9/11 attacks were claimed by al-Qaeda and carried out mainly by Saudi nationals. There are lingering suspicions in the US that Saudi government officials gave assistance to the hijackers while they were in the country.

基地组织(al-Qaeda)宣称对9/11恐怖袭击事件负责，而袭击者大多是沙特籍人士。美国一直有人怀疑，沙特政府官员对当时在美国的劫机者提供了援助。

Riyadh and Washington, who are traditional allies, have always denied any official Saudi involvement.

利雅得和华盛顿传统上是盟友，它们始终否认沙特官方卷入的说法。

President Barack Obama warned on Wednesday that the legislation — which he vetoed before Congress overrode him — was a “mistake”. He said eliminating the notion of sovereign immunity could put American soldiers at risk, saying the US “could potentially start seeing ourselves subject to reciprocal loss”.

美国总统巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)周三警告称，该法案是一个“错误”——他否决了法案，但国会现在推翻了他的否决。他说，消除外国政府主权豁免权的理念可能让美国军人处于危险，美国“可能开始认为自己也会失去主权豁免权的保护”。