$1 trillion lawsuit filed by September 11 families

CNN ^ | 8-15-02

[mikenola]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A 15-count, $1 trillion lawsuit was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by more than 500 relatives of people who died in the September 11 attacks.

Calling themselves Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism, they are suing seven international banks; eight Islamic foundations, charities and their subsidiaries; individual terrorist financiers; the Saudi bin Laden Group; three Saudi princes; and the government of Sudan for allegedly bankrolling al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.

[lavrenti]

This is another case that'll end up before the International Court in The Hague. Seriously, even if they win here, the assets cannot be unfrozen until ruled upon by the ICT (for instance, the Iran assets cases dragged on for more than twenty years).

However, every penny the defendants in this case has to shell out for legal expenses, is one the terrorists they bankroll won't get, so in that there is some victory.

[TLBSHOW]

They should sue Clinton and Gore

[SamAdams76]

Way cool. I say we seize their oilfields as collateral and pump out enough oil not only to pay the money to the victims but to rebuild WTC in the process and reimburse NYC and the government for all expenses. As well, I believe we need to replace 4 Boeing 767's as well.

Once all this is paid off, then we'll think about returning the oil fields - if there is any oil left to pump.

[SamAdams76]

Way cool. I say we seize their oilfields as collateral and pump out enough oil not only to pay the money to the victims but to rebuild WTC in the process and reimburse NYC and the government for all expenses. As well, I believe we need to replace 4 Boeing 767's too.

Once all this is paid off, then we'll think about returning the oil fields - if there is any oil left to pump.

[FreeTally]

I hate to say it, but this is silly. How do you serve the terrorists with the suit? They are not going to respond or show up even if they are "served". They can be held in "contempt", but I'm sure that really scares them. Anyway, they could not even continue the case without the defendents being there. And, the plantifs probably have no evidence. I mean, the Bush Administration surely isn't handing over all the "secret evidence" that links all these organizations.

An act of war should not be brought in front of a court to seek remedy. You kill the perps, and take their assets - just like in all wars.

[BikerNYC]

I suppose the lawyers are doing it on a 30% contingency...

I wouldn't do it for less than 1/3.

[ContemptofCourt]

I know that the guy that was held hostage in Lebanon, Terry ?, won a verdict against Iran. Part of the verdict was $41 million in compensatory damages. In the past year or so, this $41 million was just appropriated by the legislature for payment to Terry. So, there is precedent that the taxpayers will foot this verdict.

As an aside, this lawsuit is much more symbolic than anything else.

[cyberaxe]

.....never thought the day would come.....

.....when I could say.....

....."Go Trial Lawyers!".....

.....now I need a breath mint.....

[Howlin]

He's busy suing Iraq for 9-11.

[bonesmccoy]

Well... at least the trial attorneys are doing something more productive than drumming up litigation against US companies, doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. (/not!)

[RedWing9]

. In the past year or so, this $41 million was just appropriated by the legislature for payment to Terry.

Okay, but was the $41M paid out of taxpayer funds, or appropriated from a frozen asset account like someone here suggested earlier.

[ContemptofCourt]

"The second largest award was a $341.7 million verdict against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Former Associated Press reporter Terry Anderson, held hostage in Lebanon for seven years by Iranian-sponsored militants, won that award. American law allows Anderson to collect a portion of the judgment from Iranian assets seized and held by the United States."

It appears that the money will come from assets seized by the US.

[Labyrinthos]

I suppose the lawyers are doing it on a 30% contingency...

Given the nature of the lawsuit, the lawyers will probably expend hundreds of thousands of hours of labor and millions of dollars in costs before they see a dime in return, if they recover anything at all. Given the risks involved and the inability of the plaintiffs to pay for legal fees on an hourly basis and expenses as incurred, a 30% is not such a bad deal. And if the plaintiffs don't like the 30% fee, then they are free to negotiate a different fee with someone else

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

By what legislature? By Congress? Do you know the date and a link to that info? Thanks.

[rintense]

Yikes! I'm just waiting for 500+ to get together to sue the government.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

That's what I thought this was for - you know THAT is coming.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Terrorists against terrorists- only good can come from this. Either the terrorists in the lawyer business puts the terrorists in the slaughter business out of business or vice versa. It will be much easier th defeat the remaining terreorist faction, with the other one gone.

[Let's Roll]

I "think" that many of these Islamo charities and foundations have had their accounts frozen (they should have been anyway) and a bunch of lawyers saw those vulnerable dollars just sitting there and couldn't resist.

[jae471]

AFP reported "a million billion dollars", which is 1000 trillion, or 1 "quadrillion".


FR thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/733586/posts
Original French: http://hosting.afp.com/clients/compuserve/francais/der/020815134700.djqkmsfj.html

[mercy]

Fantastic! Now watch the Bush administration do everything in it's power to hamstring this suit and if the suit ever achieves a judgement watch the administration protect any Saudi money from attachment.