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+--- Thread: Let's sue 'em! (/showthread.php?tid=3194)
- Arthur Dent - 08-15-2002
Sue the terrorists
Quote:$1 trillion lawsuit filed by 9/11 families
August 15, 2002 Posted: 2:18 PM EDT (1818 GMT)
"It's up to us to bankrupt the terrorists," said Deena Burnett, whose husband was aboard the hijacked Flight 93 that crashed September 11.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Acknowledging the odds are against them, relatives of the September 11 attacks filed a 15-count, $1 trillion lawsuit Thursday against the company run by Osama bin Laden's family, Saudi Arabian princes and Sudan.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by more than 600 family members, plus some firefighters and rescue workers.
Calling themselves Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism, the plaintiffs 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 the terrorist al Qaeda network, Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.
The Saudi bin Laden Group is the construction company operated in Saudi Arabia by Osama bin Laden's brothers. Fifteen of the hijackers were Saudi Arabian, the FBI has said.
Deena Burnett, whose husband, Tom, was killed on hijacked Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania, expressed optimism about the challenge at a news conference.
"It's up to us, and I think we can do it," she said. "It's up to us to bankrupt the terrorists and those who finance them so they will never again have the resources to commit such atrocities against the American people as we experienced on September 11."
Co-lead counsel for the lawsuit is attorney Allen Gerson, one of the attorneys who negotiated a $2.7 billion settlement between the Libyan government and families of 270 people killed when Pam Am Flight 103 was blown up over Scotland in 1988.
Among the allegations in the complaint, said attorney Ron Motley, are that certain members of the Saudi royal family have been active supporters of and helped fund al Qaeda and bin Laden.
The attorneys and investigators were able to obtain, through French intelligence, the translation of a secretly recorded meeting between representatives of bin Laden and three Saudi princes in which they sought to pay him hush money to keep him from attacking their enterprises in Saudi Arabia, Motley said.
Burnett's father in law, Thomas E. Burnett Sr., who also spoke at the news conference, said the group was "taking unprecedented legal action against those whose money financed the unspeakable evil that occurred on that tragic day."
Matt Sellitto, whose 23-year-old son Matthew died at the World Trade Center, told reporters: "His loss is incomprehensible to me. My heart continues to ache and will ache for the rest of my life."
"If the odds are stacked against us, we will beat them," Sellitto said. "And we will pursue this action until justice is served and terrorism is stopped."
Matthew Sellitto worked at the Cantor Fitzgerald brokerage house on the 105th floor of One World Trade Center.
-- CNNfn Correspondent Allan Dodds Frank contributed to this report.
Edited By Arthur Dent on Aug. 15 2002 at 3:27
- Ken'sPen - 08-15-2002
A question for the Mods and Administrators.
If I find a Pic of a Giant piece of FAKE doggy poop,
am I allowed to post it in the PIT as a means of expressing my displeasure for this thread?????
- Arthur Dent - 08-15-2002
Quote:If I find a Pic of a Giant piece of FAKE doggy poop,
am I allowed to post it in the PIT as a means of expressing my displeasure for this thread?????
No, but you can hot link it.
Come on, this thread is a hanging curve ball.
- GonzoStyle - 08-15-2002
Quote:Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism
Ingenius
- Galt - 08-15-2002
But they don't have a trilliion dollars. How would they pay to settle the law suit?
Wouldn't logic say that they'd have to sell more drugs to pay for it?
- OAS - 08-15-2002
This has some brilliance to it. Every possible asset is frozen to settle the claim. Complete breakdown of terrorist funding. Link all countries that support terrorism and freeze that nations assets. This could be very effective.
- DGW - 08-15-2002
Why not just blow up there fucking banks instead
You knew it would only be a matter of time before lawyers got into this
- Arthur Dent - 08-15-2002
Quote:Why not just blow up there fucking banks instead
There isn't enough printed money to cover all the funds bouncing back and forth electornically. Now, a virus written by the CIA to eliminate those funds...
- Baker - 08-15-2002
Its pointless to sue them, thats like giving them a new reason to hate us. Plus if you take there money away they will just find new ways to get what they want.
- OAS - 08-15-2002
A couple of points Baker. As long as we are us, the terrorists will not run out of reasons to hate us. They really don't need any new ones.
There are no new ways for them to get what they want. No money, no boomy.
- Kim - 08-15-2002
I'm with OAS on this. They have to be hit where it really hurts...the almighty dollar. If we freeze all assets and AMERICAN banks make sure they're adhering to federal regulations concerning suspicious activities --we can tie up their funds and leave them scurrying (sp) around for money. This lawsuit is actually a good thing and will make lawmakers realize that there is more then one way to stop terrorists...
- Demon1579 - 08-15-2002
Freezing their assests wouldn't do anything.. Remember when Al Sharpton got busted for lieing about those cops beating a raping a chick? Well one the cops sued him and won, but he didnt' get any of the money cause Sharpton set up fund(I don't know what it is, I believe it's like a donation fund) that no one can touch it. Except Sharpton or whoever is in charge of it to withdraw money for Sharpton to live on. So basically the terrorists would still have access to their money, unless there has been some law changes that I don't know about.
- GonzoStyle - 08-15-2002
Whatever happened to a good old assassination?
- Arthur Dent - 08-15-2002
Quote:Whatever happened to a good old assassination?
Heard a rumor someone tried to kill Saddam and only got one of his doubles. Guess they were too embarassed to try again.
- GonzoStyle - 08-15-2002
If anyone believes we can't find osama, as with noriega, the president has too many ties with the bin laden family.
- Sloatsburgh - 08-15-2002
So... Instead of Dr. Evil threating the world with terrorism for 1 Trillion Dollars [cue dramatic sound effect], the world is now suing Dr. Evil....
- Ken'sPen - 08-15-2002
Our Lawyers would have bankrupted the Third Reich in weeks....
the pain and suffering from Crystal Nacht alone would have nipped their evil in the bud.
- Is Don on the phone? - 08-15-2002
Quote:There are no new ways for them to get what they want. No money, no boomy.
Well said-can I quote you in my next white paper?
The problem is with how the Treasury Department (Specifically, the Office of Foreign Assets Control) views the current laws involving the freezing of terror-sponsor state's assets and distribution of same. The families of Lockerbie (Pan Am) have tried to involke the statute, and are being blocked by OFAC and State, since releasing the funds and seized property would set a similar precident in countries where we have abandoned embassy land. Yeah, the Afghans didn't respect the gates of our embassy, but apparently we are still worried about what's left of the Tehran embassy. I just hope all the suits proceed, and the victims get what they can. It won't replace their loss, but it sure would be fun to watch!
- PollyannaFlower46 - 08-17-2002
What bothers me about this isn't the families, it's the lawyers involved in the suit....they're doing this mainly because of the publicity they're gaining, not to help the families.