Judge to al Qaeda, Iran, Taliban: Pay $6B for 9/11

Jose Rodriguez, former director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service, reflects on the mood of the country after a series of al Qaeda terrorist attacks culminated in 9/11. / Robert Giroux

(AP) NEW YORK - A federal magistrate judge says al Qaeda, the Taliban and Iran should pay $6 billion to relatives of Sept. 11 victims for aiding in the 2001 terror attacks.

The magistrate's recommendation is largely symbolic since it would be nearly impossible to collect any damages.

But plaintiff Ellen Saracini tells the Daily News that she is happy about Manhattan Federal Magistrate Judge Frank Maas' recommendation Monday. Her husband, Victor, was the captain of one of the planes that struck the World Trade Center.

Last year, Judge George Daniels signed a default judgment on the lawsuit brought by family members of 47 victims. He found al Qaeda, the Taliban and Iran liable and asked the magistrate to determine damages.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied any Iranian connection in the attacks.

Last October, Maas recommended that al Qaeda be assessed $9.3 billion for the damage done to properties and businesses in the attacks. In a ruling, Maas sent the recommendation to a district judge presiding over a lawsuit brought by several insurance companies.

The companies in 2003 sued various defendants, seeking damages for the 2001 terror attacks, which demolished the World Trade Center's twin towers. Al Qaeda never responded to the lawsuit and was found in default in 2006. Maas determined the actual damages and then tripled them as allowed by law.

At the time, the companies were only seeking an assessment of damages against al Qaeda.

[danielmeah21]

This just shows how corrupt the US legal system is. And to the fool who keeps on saying Unpatriotic. Dude. grow a pair and get a life. You dont have to be pro war pro-fraud pro-killing people pro-imperialism to be a patriot. This is a step for them to justify there illegal war against iran. And you silly ammericans are gonna fall for it again and again. You need to stop believing in propaganda and find out the real truth.

[uncoverup]

The $6B can be collected by filing a motion for the court to impose a constructive trust over the assets of Iran and its clandestine business partners at he time, such as ConocoPhillips (see http://Iran-Conoco-Affair.US) under the legal theory that Iran and ConocoPhillips were unjustly enriched by the resulting exponential increases in the prices of crude oil following the September 11, 2001 attacks by al Qaeda. (See http://UnCoverUp.net for how ConocoPhillips shareholders have attempted to hold the companies management accountable for its corrupt dealings with the Iranian and Libyan dictatorships.

[divonehfarnaz]

Dear friends you know why arabestan Saudi or Qatar who is direct responsible for direct supporting money , weapons etc for terrorism to do this horrific crime are not accused anyway (because they are the slaves of us and other western countries whom cooperate with us )theses are only lime excuse to attack Innocent peoples for their own devious plans we Iranian do not involve in any Arabic cooperation we are Persian and not Arab i believe it is a parts of their plan to devastate Iran like other middle east countries which of them have achieve to democracies Iraq , Afghanistan , Libby i tell you non of them .

[Truther999]

Iran is being blamed for 9/11...bit like those Iraqi WMDs that never existed...so the Global Criminal Zionist Elite can start WW3 and get their New World Order out of Chaos. They must be getting desperate. LOL.

[rwsmith29456]

Maybe I'm living under a rock, but since 2001 this is the first time I've heard Iran connected to the attack.

[Truther999]

Iran is being blamed for 9/11...bit like those Iraqi WMDs that never existed...so the Global Criminal Zionist Elite can start WW3 and get their New World Order out of Chaos. They must be getting desperate. LOL.

[expatriate2]

If Osama bin Laden did, in fact, head a vast international terrorist organization with trained operatives in more than 40 countries, as claimed by Bush, why, despite torture of prisoners, has this administration failed to produce hard evidence of it?
How can it be that in Britain since 9-11, 664 people have been detained on suspicion of terrorism but only 17 have been found guilty, most of them with no connection to Islamist groups and none who were proven members of Al Qaeda?
Why have we heard so much frightening talk about "dirty bombs" when experts say it is panic rather than radioactivity that would kill people?
Why did former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld claim on "Meet the Press" in 2001 that Al Qaeda controlled massive high-tech cave complexes in Afghanistan, when British and U.S. military forces later found no such thing?

[expatriate2]

There are no experts about 9/11, only varying degrees of ignorance, thanks to the government's expressed effort to cover it up as it does almost every other dynamic event in U.S. history.

[foo8259]

And while you're at it Mahmoud please give us our drone back along with your cheque!

[expatriate2]

Or you can just sit back and enjoy your denial.

[biger-e]

OMG the conspiracy nut jobs are on here thick today. The rest of the normal people must be watching the Olympics. WOW

[Springtoola]

It's actually a FACT, as documented by the FBI in a 254 page downloadable report, that five Israelis were the first people to be arrested in conjunction with 9/11. They were originally arrested for appearing to celebrate both plane attacks on one side of the river, and then when traces of explosives were detected on their possessions, they were duly held for 91 days in solitary confinement. At least one of these men was an explosives expert from Tel Aviv, another was known by the FBI as working for the Israeli government. In their possession was a WTC day pass dated August 2001, $1000s of cash stuffed in their socks, and plane tickets back to Israel dated 12th September. They all refused lie detectors test, and then ultimately failed them.

Now if that is a FACT, as documented by the FBI.......how is it possible that Israel haven't been further quizzed by this? It's SHAMEFUL.

[Springtoola]

Presumably when we've finished bombing Iran then they'll suddenly declare that Pakistan is somehow responsible for 9/11 too. And then when we're done there...surpise! China was actually responsible for 9/11....didn't you know?

[UForgotPoland]

Pakistan's ISI does fund and support Al Qaeda and the Taliban.