Federal judge in Houston joins Iran collection case

[douglas9]

Source: Houston Chronicle

A Houston federal judge will preside over a portion of the collection efforts on $2.7 billion awarded last year to relatives of servicemen killed or injured in the 1983 Hezbollah attack on U.S. military barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.

This month, U.S. District Judge David Hittner issued garnishment writs ordering BP, Shell, Vitol and Venezuela's state-owned oil company to hold onto any assets belonging to the Iranian government.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., resolved a 2001 lawsuit, brought by nearly 1,000 plaintiffs, with the September 2007 default judgment holding Iran responsible for the truck bombing that killed 241 service members and injured 60 Americans. The explosion turned reinforced concrete to dust.

Lawyers for the families are seeking impound orders across the nation, hoping to seize anything from petroleum products to cash. The judgment represents losses to 151 injured or deceased Americans and their families.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5850122.html

[DUlover2909]

1. I hadn't heard about this judgement.

Interesting story.

[Arctic Dave]

2. Does this mean the families that were killed

by US ships shelling Lebanon can sue the US for deaths?

[libodem]

3. Does this mean

that the US will make Iraq pay those 6 servicemen who were held hostage and tortured way back when. Weren't they awarded so type of payment for the pain and suffering that they endured? I thought when we took over Iraq they would get the payment. There was some denial involving reasons being 'the regime change'. Seems these payments are only pushed when it is of some benefit to incite more violence and disruption in a country. What are we doing?

[azurnoir]

4. There is a point at which it goes too far

Besides seeking assets held by energy companies and traders, collection efforts have targeted ancient Persian tablets loaned to the University of Chicago.

These were loaned to an academic institution is thisa really repaying those who were injured or making an example of any institution that deals with Iran for any reason on any level.