Judge: Iran, Taliban, al Qaeda liable for 9/11
People flee Lower Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York after a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. / AP Photo/Daniel Shanken
NEW YORK - A federal judge has signed a default judgment finding Iran, the Taliban and al Qaeda liable in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Judge George Daniels in Manhattan signed the judgment Thursday, a week after hearing testimony in the 10-year-old case. The signed ruling, which he promised last week, came in a $100 billion lawsuit brought by family members of victims of the attacks. He directed a magistrate judge to preside over remaining issues, including fixing compensatory and punitive damages.
Daniels signed findings of fact saying the plaintiffs had established that the 2001 attacks were caused by the support the defendants provided to al Qaeda. The findings also said Iran continues to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda by providing a safe haven for al Qaeda leadership and rank-and-file al Qaeda members.
During last week's open-court hearing, family members of Sept. 11 victims sat through a four-hour presentation from attorneys who cited evidence supporting their claims that Iran actively assisted the hijackers of planes that crashed into the World Trade Center towers, at the Pentagon and into a field in Pennsylvania. Former members of the Sept. 11 Commission and three Iranian defectors also spoke.
It would be near impossible to collect any damages, especially from the Taliban or al Qaeda.
Iran has not commented on the ruling. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly denied any Iranian connection in the Sept. 11 attacks or with al Qaeda. Saudi Arabia had been knocked out of the lawsuit, but lawyers filed papers on Thursday to reinstate Saudi Arabia as a defendant.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.
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Even after millions of $'s spent, hundreds of thousands dead, NO WMD's found, oppressive anti-terror legislation, torture, assassinations, you're STILL jumping up and down for a fight to "avenge 9/11".
No wonder America loves is propaganda news so much, it clearly works on a lot of people!
You're deluded, and you're so simple minded it's ridiculous. Your Media could tell you tomorrow that rabbits are all potential terrorists and you'd be out in your yards shooting them and screaming "die you Muslim Bunnies!!!!!"
Look at who benefited from 9/11. Look at who trained and funded Osama. Look at the industries that have made billions of $'s on the backs of your invasions. Don't look at a puppet in a position of extreme wealth and power and trust everything he says (which is then miraculously reported by every news outlet too!) as a reason to attack another country. And if you support it, join the military, or send YOUR kids to kill and be killed. Funny how all those calling for war are usually the last people to be affected by it. It's the old and rich people who start the wars, and the poor people pay for it with taxes and their lives.
You should be ashamed of yourself for supporting such death and destruction, and all based on the pathetically weak assumptions or beliefs of some random rich men who have been proven to be liars and cheats in everything they do!
Here is a few pearls of wisdom from JoseGonzalezDoritos.
"No, we removed Saddam from his throne because he didn't comply with the UN sanctions against him."
Really? Then why was the original claim for invasion linked to Saddam having WMD's, which turned out to be false. How short your memory is...
"Many of us already suspected Iran. This just strengthens our suspicians."
First, learn how to spell. Second, two idiots agreeing on something idiotic, doesn't make something true. How many people are to blame for 9/11? Why don't you just blame everyone that isn't you. I heard Australia was involved. And those Icelanders look a bit dodgy too.
"Agree 100%, honest. The only purpose for Iran's nuclear program is to develop a weapon and hand it off to Hezbolah or Hamas!!!"
Iran is a hot dry country that has a growing and modernising economy. Their energy comes mostly from oil and gas, both of which are depleting and becoming harder to obtain. Why shouldn't it be able to use nuclear power like the rest of the world??They have signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. What reasons do you have to distrust them?
Some people are living proof why the rest of the intelligent world thinks most American are idiots. America uses military might based on spurious evidence to overthrow governments in sovereign states. It acts like the world police, but instead of kindly and helpful police, America acts like the police who beat up Rodney King.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEGgAk1AbA4&feature=youtu.be
And now.... years later... THEY WERE TOO INCOMPETENT TO EVEN GET THE OIL THEY WENT THERE TO STEAL.
But Barack Obama doesn't want to LOOK BACK.... Well, Mr. Obama, looking back, putting these vile perps behind bars, is the ONLY way to RESTORE DEMOCRACY in the United States -- and maybe make us safer in the future by their imprisonment.
PERHAPS an apology to the world on behalf of an ignorant, uneducated, racist, indifferent, distracted, self-serving, selfish and arrogant population of Americans who LET THEIR GOVERNMENT COMMIT WAR CRIMES might also make us safer.
We really ought to STOP PISSING OFF THE REST OF THE WORLD.
None of what you said is true... and you are apparently one of the millions of 'WILLFULLY UNINFORMED" Americans who jump into lock-step compliance ... no matter what your government does, or crimes they commit. Sadly, it is YOU they are after, my friend... and you seem to be a prime example of the success of that right-wing propaganda that renders you unable to think for yourself, or get the facts. A lie repeated over and over and over is still a LIE. It occurs to me that you may well be voting against YOUR and your FAMILY's best interests on a regular basis... all on the basis of 'belonging' to a party who has long since given a damn about you or them... or this country.
As for 'leaving'... not a chance. This is my country and I'm going to stay right here and keep speaking out... defending our constitution, our laws, civil and human rights... and YOU.
And I challenge you to read the information at 911truth.org. Try doing it from a 'ruth and fact finding' perspective, rather than a defensive, shame-based, flag-waving perspective. The truth is crushing.. but it WILL set you free.
Thank you for attempting to point out the dangers posed to the entire world, by the current Iranian rulers, and truths about potential "horrors to come" which indeed are very, very difficult for many to accept in purportedly "enlightened" Year 2011.
You are one of the minority within this article's "commentaries of the naive", to grasp the true nature and purpose of the new fascists - the Islamofascist rulers of Iran - who have FULL INTENT to return the entire world into a hell of darkness, murder,torture, pain and suffering...
... from which we will be forced to submit to Islam, or be murdered, tortured, etc!
One's got to be either extremely ignorant of facts or conspiracy crazy to think that Al-Qaida which is a staunch enemy of Iran and the Shia and has killed much more Shia in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other nationality/religion would be in any way be associated with Iran.
The fact of the matter is this. Al-Qaida which is supported by our Salafist and Wahabbi friends in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan is the real enemy of USA. However the regimes there are or were very supportive of Israel's unpopular policies. The media being controlled by special interests would therefor rather deflect the public attention from this threat to Iran (thanks to the sheep like mentality of average Joe). The reason for this is that Iran is opposed to Israeli policies of repression and aggression and Israels nuclear status which it uses to threaten, occupy and suppress. However the special interests would any day sacrifice the interests of USA over that of Israel and that's why the focus is changed from Al-Qaeda to Iran.
Speaking about Iran. Iran is a signor to nuclear non proliferation treaty, has repeatedly asserted that its nuclear program is peaceful, has UN inspectors on ground checking its facilities and lastly and more importantly has not invaded any country in the last several hundred years. So I don't understand what the fuss is all about. As opposed to this, the story of Israel is exactly opposite to this.
Do you have any idea of the plans that these Iranian and other
Islamofascists have for you, for your children, and for all of us?
Think and pause on that one!
The light is revealing. That is your homework :-)
My wish is that we all learn... how to get along on this beautiful planet.