Federal judge allows suits vs. Arab Bank (for funnelling monies to Pali homibombers)

ap on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 9/2/05 | ap - New York

[NormsRevenge]

NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge upheld three lawsuits Friday accusing Jordan-based Arab Bank of promoting Palestinian suicide attacks by funneling Saudi money to bombers' families.

U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon denied six of eight counts in Arab Bank's March motion to dismiss the litigation, allowing bombing survivors and victims' families to move forward with their lawsuits seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

The lawsuits claim that Arab Bank aided terrorism by acting as the administrator of an "insurance plan" by the Saudi Committee in Support of the Intifada Al Quds, which paid $5,300 to the families of Palestinian bombers killed in attacks by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

The plaintiffs are U.S. citizens, including the widow of John Linde Jr., a security guard from Missouri who died when a bomb tore apart a vehicle in a U.S. diplomatic convoy in the Gaza Strip in 2003.

Arab Bank contended the lawsuit should be thrown out because the bank had no intention of promoting terrorism and because the plaintiffs could not link the bank's actions to their injuries or their relatives' deaths.

"It really opens the way for all of these American terror victims to have their day in court," said Mark Werbner, one of the lawsuit's lead attorney.

In a statement, Arab Bank said it was pleased by the judge's decision to dismiss two of the eight counts in the lawsuits. "Arab Bank remains confident that it will prevail at trial. The bank abhors terrorism."

U.S. regulators announced last month that Arab Bank would pay a $24 million civil fine for allegedly inadequate controls to prevent money laundering at its New York branch. The Central Bank of Jordan, which oversees the operations of Arab Bank, announced earlier this year that the New York branch would be closed.

[NormsRevenge]

U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon

Clinton appointee - 1996

[konaice]

These suits are unlikely to be successful in my opinion. The crime happened elsewhere and was not targeted at any specific person other than the Israelis.

The theory at issue suggests that if an American is hurt anywhere any time, even in a defacto war zone, you can sue anyone in an american court who you think might have tangentially responsible regardless of where they were or what they did or failed to do.

It will enrich several lawyers, but it ultimately be struck by higher courts regardless of the decision of the lower courts.