Posted on 09/11/2003 2:38:28 PM PDT by AntiGuv
NEW YORK - Besieged by claims resulting from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, dozens of insurance companies filed lawsuits Wednesday seeking $300 billion in damages from terrorist groups and companies and countries accused of supporting terrorism.
In the two lawsuits, filed in New York and Washington, D.C., the companies sought to recover money paid out, or set aside to be paid, as a result of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.
The lawsuits maintain the companies are entitled to collect damages and recover claims under multiple federal laws.
The defendants include the organizations al-Qaida, Egyptian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah. Countries including Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Saudi Arabia are also named, as are Osama bin Laden and dozens of businesses in the region.
Omar Manis, deputy ambassador to the Sudanese Mission to the United Nations, said he had not heard of the lawsuit and could not comment. But he said the Sudanese government had "nothing to do with 9-11."
The telephone number to the Syrian Mission to the United Nations was repeatedly busy.
Those who answered the phones late Wednesday at the Saudi Arabia Mission to the United Nations and the Iraqi Mission to the United Nations said no one could be reached before the morning.
The lawsuit filed in New York called the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks "a direct, intended and foreseeable product of a larger conspiracy among the defendants to commit acts of international terrorism against the United States, its nationals and allies."
It said that without material support and resources from the other defendants, al-Qaida could not have carried out the attacks
Perhaps we could use California law here and apply the rule of joint and several liability: even if they are determined to be 1% liable, they pay the whole amount (any lawyers lurking hereabouts can clarify this, but I think that's the way it is).
Let's see...$300 billion, probably easily that in U.S. holdings...should be no problem. All we need now is a judge to freeze the assets pending the decision. Once they do that, I suspect that Mr. OBL would be brought in the next day by Saudi secret police.
But the New York Times told me that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Something's the matter here!
Funny how the muslims are supposedly God's chosen yet they live like animals in the zoo and treat each other worse than any foreigner ever did.
Sue Bosnia too.
Without Bosnia there would be no 9-11
Last not least, give 9-11 credit where credit is long due
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.