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| Africa Horn |
| Families of USS Cole victims sue Sudan for $105 Million |
| 2007-03-13 |
| NORFOLK, Va. — More than six years after terrorists bombed the USS Cole in Yemen, the families of the 17 sailors killed in the blast are heading to court to try to prove the attack could not have happened without the government of Sudan's help. Lest we forget The families' lawsuit against the African nation was to go to trial Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, where the now-repaired Navy destroyer is based. "Sudan's material support ... including continuous flow of funding, money, weapons, logistical support, diplomatic passports and religious blessing, was crucial in enabling the attack on the USS Cole," lawyers for the families said in court papers outlining their case.Sudan's lawyers declined to argue the merits of the case during pretrial hearings. Asked Monday whether Sudan would continue that stand, attorney Carl D. Gray said, "You'll find out tomorrow." Apparently the check from Al-Qaeda hasn't cleared Gray's personal account The families' lawyers intend to prove that Sudan has given safe haven to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda Muslim terrorist network since 1991 — long before Yemeni operatives blasted a 40-foot hole in the side of the Cole in Yemen's port of Aden on Oct. 12, 2000. They also hope to show that: the operatives were trained at camps Sudan permitted Al Qaeda to operate within its borders; Sudan's military provided Al Qaeda with at least four crates of weapons and explosives for terrorist activities in Yemen; bin Laden and Sudan's government owned businesses that provided cover for the procurement of explosives, weapons and chemicals; and Sudan gave Al Qaeda diplomatic pouches to ship explosives and weapons internationally without being searched. Note to CIA Wet Teams, visit Sudan The plaintiffs contend Sudan's embassy in New York gave logistical assistance to the bombers of the World Trade Center in 1993, but court documents included no details of the allegation. The United States has listed Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1993. Andrew C. Hall, an attorney for the families, said he expects the trial to last two to three days, with testimony by six family members and one or two experts. Lawyers also will give the judge depositions by about 50 people, including R. James Woolsey, former CIA director under President Bill Clinton. The families are seeking $105 million in damages to be shared by 59 spouses, parents and children of the bombing victims. Potential damages could be reduced, though, to not more than $35 million — U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar has said he is inclined to apply the Death on the High Seas Act, which permits compensation for economic losses but not for pain and suffering. Sudan had sought to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that too much time had passed between the bombing and the filing of the lawsuit in 2004, but Doumar rejected their request. |
| Posted by:Icerigger |
| #9 Hey, Sandy, we found you out, but we just couldn't punish ya. Lot o good it did finding you out, *sigh*. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-03-13 21:41 |
| #8 #6 This case is not about money. It is about exposing those who aid and abet the behavior that went into the USS Cole bombing. Of course Clinton viewed it as a criminal matter than an act of war, figures. Posted by: Alaska Paul lol, good luck trying to find the evidence to prove that AP! |
| Posted by: Sandy Burger 2007-03-13 18:50 |
| #7 Depot Guy, I agree with the frustration. This MUST be dealt with on two fronts. We Americans must hold the states that sponsor terrorist accountable in the public eye. These law suits expose state sponsors for what they are and build the legal case for groups like the UN. Dealing with the world courts, UN, etc... is frustrating and seems a waste of time but is is important and must be done to justify any military actions. The other side, in the shadows, our military and OGA's should be hunting and killing everyone involved in the attack, from the operators to the bell hops in the hotels all should die. I assume that since now the families have been cleared to sue that this part of the dual event has taken place. Anyone directly involved that might still be alive is only alive so we can tie the Sudanese government to the terrorist attacks. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2007-03-13 17:31 |
| #6 This case is not about money. It is about exposing those who aid and abet the behavior that went into the USS Cole bombing. Of course Clinton viewed it as a criminal matter than an act of war, figures. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-03-13 17:02 |
| #5 Yeah, that's always the sticking point... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-03-13 16:52 |
| #4 good luck on collecting if you win. |
| Posted by: sinse 2007-03-13 16:51 |
| #3 Interesting point. But the affect of the trial will have in exposing Muslim terrorist can not be dismissed. Agree, the terrorists themselves should be hunted down and killed. Something you can't do with an entire country. Yet. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-03-13 16:28 |
| #2 Perhaps IÂ’m way off base here but monetary lawsuits for active servicemen killed in the line of duty seems like the wrong approach to winning the war against state sponsored terrorism. Maybe civilians would qualify, maybe, but even then itÂ’s lawyers that fight the battle. Seems to me that isnÂ’t much of deterrence and, at best, will result in a false sense of retribution. I say find the individuals that are responsible, skip the trials, and kill them. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2007-03-13 15:27 |
| #1 That's more than all of Sudan is worth. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-03-13 15:26 |