Topic awaiting preservation: Unbelievable...Judge awards damages to 9/11 victims vs Iraq.

This is just unbelievable...U.S. District Court Judge Harold Baer awards victims in tenous Iraq 9/11 link.

Based on this 'evidence' [quote]U.S. District Court Judge Harold Baer said the opinions of expert witnesses showed a tenuous link between Iraq and al-Qaida terror group in committing the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.[/url]

No actual evidence...just 'a tenous link'...WTF?

This is just speculation, but my guess is it was based on the "If I don't do this people will say I'm 'unAmerican' and I won't have a job next term" type thinking. He is a relatively low level federal judge (so it's not like he's setting some 'highly looked upon' precedent for future evidence), knows that the families in question have no chance in hell of ever seeing a dime, and so the actual consequences of his decision are almost 100% political in nature. It's unfortunate, but he's just playing self-interest politics.

Hmmm...are you sure the families have no chance of getting that money? America is the ruling force in Iraq, at the moment...so, what would prevent payments?

Why didn't they instead sue Al-Qaida? There have been monetary assets seized there...

We have had so many just insane rulings in the courts over the last several years that this sort of thing hardly causes me to blink. But I do remember blinking a bit when I heard this report yesterday. It seems very odd to me that we just invaded a country and then to see people sueing that country in a US court for damages. I really have no idea why this judge made this decision because I don't know anything about his political bent or prior rulings. I just know that this is the sort of strangeness that I have come to expect from our courts.

. . : slicePuzzle

Yeah, we have just siezed a bunch of money from Iraq...but the President hardly wants a judge to play with that money. You can bet it's been earmarked for other things already -- from the 'rebuilding of Iraq' to paying off Haliburton contracts to bribing provencial Iraqi governors to keep the peace, etc.
I'd bet my next 3 paychecks against anybody these families don't ever see even 1% of what they have been awarded.
Not that I think they should...

Ahh.. the latest addition to our arsenal to combat terrorism- Litigation. I can almost see the terrorists trembling in fear at the thought of punitive damages being leved against them....

I am doing my part in this war on terrorism as well. I am working on a bulk email program that will flood the terrorist's email accounts with spam. The spam will mostly take the form of messages that cause them to feel inadequate about the current size of their male organs, and make them believe that for every violent act they commit, they will see a noticable decrease in size. After all, psychological warfare is the most effective kind.

~mourns the loss of the last shred of dignity in our judicial system~

WS -

quote:

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assigned damages to Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida, the Taleban, Saddam Hussein, Iraq and Afghanistan

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So yeah, al-Qaida too....

[This message has been edited by DL-44 (edited 05-08-2003).]

Yes, I read that...but I just don't understand the 'connection' to Iraq...just because 'expert' testimony says that there are 'tenuous' links? That's really stretching it thin...

Whoa... can we actually do that? How exactly does that work?

Well...I don't know if those accused had a representative before the court...I think they were tried 'ad absentia'...therefore, just about anything goes, apparently.

I think I'll sue, too...what about mental anguish because of 9/11? Surely that's worth a coupla million...and since the funds have been siezed by the US Government, having a court (read - legal) writ to get some of it...why not?

Where's my millions, Judge?

Yeah, talk about easy money. There must be thirty pieces of silver somewhere in there for me...

SOmeone's so gonna sue iraq for emotional distress next. Even without family in the wtc