US Judge: Iran must pay $2.65bn to families of Marines...

[Che Guava]

..the marines killed in the 1983 bombing of the Beirut barracks, that is...

Iran faces $2.65bn US bomb award

A US federal judge has ordered Iran to pay $2.65bn (£1.3bn) to the families of 241 marines killed in a 1983 bombing of their Beirut barracks.

The ruling allows nearly 1,000 family members and survivors to try to claim Iranian assets from around the world.

But getting the money will be difficult and the families are backing a law in Congress that would make it easier for victims to claim such compensation.

Iran denies involvement in the bombing and did not respond to the lawsuit.

'Sense of victory'

"This is a sense of victory, of winning a battle," said Paul Rivers, who was a 20-year-old marine on the second floor of the barracks when it exploded.

"When we win is when we collect, when we make them pay for what they did," he said.

US District Judge Royce C Lamberth called the ruling the largest such judgement by a US court against another country.

It is the result of a six-year lawsuit brought by family members of the dead marines as well as those wounded in the 23 October 1983 attack, which was blamed on the militant Islamic group Hezbollah.

An explosives-laden truck disguised as a water delivery vehicle rammed through protective barricades at the entrance of the compound and detonated in front of the barracks, demolishing the building and killing more than 300 people.

The blasts led to the withdrawal of the international peacekeeping force from Lebanon.

The Iranian government was accused of providing material and technical support to Hezbollah.

link

So what do we think folks: is this a fair judgement? If it is, can they ever really expect to be paid? And if Iran does owe americans for providing hezbollah with the know-how to block up the barracks, does the US owe Iranians anything for Operation Ajax, or thier support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war?

EDIT: TO give some extra context, the US did pay Iran for the IA 655 incident during the Iran-Irtaq war in 1996, but paid the sum US$61.8 million and denied any real responsibility. In this incident 290 Iranians were killed, and Iran pursued the matter through international courts...

Poll to come...

 

[classical_hero]

I doubt that Iran will ever pay this money.

 

[Che Guava]

I doubt that Iran will ever pay this money.

Aaah, but should they?

 

[El_Machinae]

Yep, it's SO prudent to try to enforce civil punishment against countries. Like 'tit-for-tat' will ever work.

Though I guess the judge is not in a position to make such a value-judgement.

 

[Che Guava]

Hmmm...nobody thinks that Hezbollah should pay, even if they were the ones that actually carried out the attack...?

 

[GinandTonic]

US judge orders Iran to pay up for X, Iranian judge will order the US to pay up for Y.

 

[MobBoss]

I dunno...the government of Libya paid out in the Pan Am flight over Lokerbie didnt they?

 

[FriendlyFire]

I dunno...the government of Libya paid out in the Pan Am flight over Lokerbie didnt they?

Which is ironic that Libya was the greatest state sponsor of terrorism. Not only did it train, habour, fund but it also exported terrorism and destablised the region. As well as pose an international terrorist threat which was a major threat at the time.

Oh well most americans think (thought) that the majority of 9/11 hijackers were Iraqis

 

[JohnRM]

Moot point.

 

[Kozmos]

lol is all I can say to this ruling.

 

[C~G]

Give me a break.

 

[Che Guava]

I dunno...the government of Libya paid out in the Pan Am flight over Lokerbie didnt they?

Indeed they did, and at a similar price: $2.7 billion USD, at about $8M per family (originally 10, but money was taken out for legal fees.), and accepted responsibility for the actions of its officials.

However, I don't think that Iran is in quite the same position as Libya (i.e. trying to rejoin the global, or western, community), and given that there seems to be one more degree of separation between Iran and the bombing (a libyan official was deemed responsible for Lokerbie, but so far it looks as though iran only provided training for Hezbollah, and there has been no definite proof that the attack was done under Iranian direction), I think it would be unlikely that Iran's current gov't will pay, unless some new proof surfaces and/or a change occurs in Iran's foreign policy concerning the US.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

If Iran and the USA had to compensate eachother for losses Iran would be rich.

 

[skadistic]

Hmmm...nobody thinks that Hezbollah should pay, even if they were the ones that actually carried out the attack...?

I do. But quess where the hezies get their money from........

 

[skadistic]

If Iran and the USA had to compensate eachother for losses Iran would be rich.

How so? Last time I checked their weren't that many dead Iranians from American bombs.

 

[MobBoss]

Well, there was that Iranian airliner that a US warship shot down in the gulf in the late 80s....however, I am pretty sure the USA paid compensation for that....

 

[silver 2039]

Wait....how can a local judge from the US even make a ruling on an international event and dictate what another country should do?

Besides its not as if Iran will pay, or should pay for that matter. They were Marines stationed in a foreign country during a time of war. They knew the risks of being there during the Israeli occupation. Furthermore it wasn't terrorisim as they were a military target and not civllian and thus a legitimate target for attack.

 

[Che Guava]

I do. But quess where the hezies get their money from........

True enough, but if the US had to be responsible for every nation/leader it gave money to...well, let's just say the courts would be busy

How so? Last time I checked their weren't that many dead Iranians from American bombs.

No, but there were more than a few from Iraqi bombs, which the US was supporting at the time by buying them computers, armored ambulances, helicopters, and 'chemicals'. Not weapons on thier own, but not completely benign either.

Maybe all that Iran did was give hezbollah fertilizer and bomb plans for 'novelty purposes' I shouldn't make light of the situation, but I think that there is a case to be made that both sides actively funded enemies of each other.

 

[Che Guava]

Well, there was that Iranian airliner that a US warship shot down in the gulf in the late 80s....however, I am pretty sure the USA paid compensation for that....

Check they OP: they did pay Iran (in millions, not billions) and refused to actualy accept responsibility in what seems to me a like a prety clear-cut case. But I guess I wasn't there....

Wait....how can a local judge from the US even make a ruling on an international event and dictate what another country should do?

A good question: usually these matters are settled in international courts. Although the US doesn't always favour that system...

Besides its not as if Iran will pay, or should pay for that matter.

Will pay, probably not, but why shouldn't they devil:'s advocate)

EDIT: dang, beat me to it!

 

[skadistic]

True enough, but if the US had to be responsible for every nation/leader it gave money to...well, let's just say the courts would be busy



No, but there were more than a few from Iraqi bombs, which the US was supporting at the time by buying them computers, armored ambulances, helicopters, and 'chemicals'. Not weapons on thier own, but not completely benign either.

France would be paying much more then America to Iran if you want to go that route.

But then again Iran/Iraq was a war. What were the Marines doing when they got bombed?